J. O.
OF THE
DIVINE OEIGINAL, AUTHORITY, SELF-EVIDENCING LIGHT, AND POWER OF THE SCRIPTURES;
WITH AN ANSWER TO THAT INQUIRY, HOW WE KNOW THE SCRIPTURES TO BE THE WORD OF GOD,
ALSO,
A VINDICATION OF THE PURITY AND INTEGRITY OF THE HEBREW AND GREEK TEXTS OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT;
IN SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PROLEGOMENA AND APPENDIX TO THE LATE " BIBLIA POLYGLOTTA."
WHEREUNTO ARE SUBJOINED
SOME EXERCITATIONS ABOUT THE NATURE AND PERFECTION OF
THE SCRIPTURE, THE RIGHT OF INTERPRETATION,
LNTERNAL LIGHT, REVELATION, ETC.
'EpsuiZri rki j/^-a(p«j. — John v. 39.
OXFORD: 1659.
PREFATORY NOTE.
The Epistle Dedicatory to the three following treatises is full of curious information, and deserves to be read, in order to understand our author's true position in his con- troversy with Brian Walton, the learned editor of the London Polyglott. Surprise has been expressed that under one general title Owen should have included tracts on sub- jects so different in their nature as the divine origin of Scripture, the purity of the Hebrew and Greek text of Scripture, and the doctrinal errors of the Society of Friends. The last tract, too, was first written, and on the subordinate title prefixed to it bears date 1658, whereas the others belong to the succeeding year. The bond of connection among the treatises is, however, sufficiently plain. In refuting the doctrine of the in- ward light, as held by the Quakers, he was discriminating his own profound and original views of the self-evidencing power of the Word from a dogma with which they might be confounded ; and as in the first treatise he had expressed himself in language rather unguarded and too unqualified, about the providential care of God over every letter and syllable of revelation, he was prompted to question some features in Walton's Poly- glott, which had just been published, and in which thousands of vai'ious readings were exhibited. These vai-ious readings seemed to refute the position he had taken, that the Scriptures had been providentially kept in their original integrity. How far he erred on this point, and to what extent his views have been misapprehended, are discussed in the prefatory note to the " Considerations on the Prolegomena and Appendix to the Biblia Polyglotta."
As this Polyglott was the occasion of the following Epistle and of the tract to which we have just alluded, it may be necessary to glance at its history and character. It appears that Walton issued the description and prospectus of it in 1652, and before the close of that j-ear nearly £4,000 had been raised by subscription for the work. The Council of State promised to advance £1,000, and the paper to be used for it was exempted from duty. In May 1653 the subscriptions had risen to £9,000, and in the autumn of that year the impi'ession was begun. Next year the first volume was completed, containing Prolegomeiia which are still a treasure of sacred criticism, and have been thrice republished separately, and the Pentateuch in the Hebrew, the Vulgate, the Septuagint, the Syriac, the Targum of Onkelos, the Samaritan, and the Arabic : in 1655 the second volume appeared, comprising the historical books in the same languages and versions, with the exception of the Samaritan: in 1656 the third, comprehending the poetic and prophetic books from Job to Malachi, with the addition of an Ethiopic version of the Book of Psalms : and in 1657 the fourth, containing all the apocryphal books ; the fifth, including all the books of the New Testament, in the Greek, Syi-iac, Persic, Vulgate, Arabic, and Ethiopic; and the sixth, composed of various readings, critical remarks, etc. Walton's assistants in this magnificent work were Ussher, Castell, Hyde, Pococke, Lightfoot, Huish, Samuel Clarke, De Dieu, and others. The terms in ^vhich Cromwell is mentioned in the preface are as follow : " Primo autem commemorandi, quorum favore chartam a vectigalibus immunem habuimus, quod quinque abhinc annis a Concilio secretiori primo concessum, postea k serbnissimo D. Peotectore ejusque Concilio, operis promovendi caus^, benigne confirmatum et continuatum erat." About the time of the Restoration two leaves of the preface were cancelled, the name of Crom- well was expunged from the list of benefactors, and a dedication to Charles II. prefixed, stigmatizing Cromwell as "the great dragon," and insinuating that he wished to extort from Walton the honour of the dedication : "Insidiabatur partui nosti-o draco ille mag- nus, et per tyrannidis sucb mancipia hoc agebat, ut in ipso partu opprinieretur, nisi ipsi ut patrouo et protectori dicaretur." The change could surely have been effected in a way more honourable to Walton, and without needless reflections on the memory of the Pro- tector, his obligations to "whom could not be concealed and should not have been forgot- ten. He was rewarded in 1660 with the bishopric of Chester ; which he enjoyed only for the short space of a year. There are few names on the bright roll of British scho- larship and learning to which Biblical litci-ature has been more indebted. — Ed.
TO MY REVEREND AND WORTHY FRIENDS,
THE PEEBENDS OF CHRIST CHURCH COLLEGE IN OXFORD,
WITH ALL THE STUDENTS IN DIVINITY IN THAT SOCIETY.
The reason of my inscribing the ensuing pleas for the authority, purity, and per- fection of the Scripture, against the pretences of some to tlie contrary in these days, unto you, is, because some of you value and study the Scripture as much as any I know; and it is the earnest desire of my heart that all of you would so do. Now, whereas two things offer themselves unto me, to discourse with you by the way of preface, — namely, the commendation of the Scripture and an exhortation to the study of it, on the one hand ; and a discovery of the reproach that is cast upon it, with the various ways and means that are used by some for the lessening and de- pressing of its authority and excellency, on the other, — the former being to good purpose by one or other almost every day performed, I shall insist at present on the latter only: which also is more suited to discover my aim and intention in the ensuing discourses. Now, herein, as I shall, it may be, seem to exceed that pro- portion which is due unto a preface to such short discourses as these following, yet I know 1 shall be more brief than the nature of so great a matter as that pro- posed to consideration doth require ; and, therefore, anv ■^i-fooif^iuv xa) ■ttx^mv, I shall fall upon the subject that now lies before me.