We have them in the Appendix represented unto us in their own order, according as they are found in the books of the Scriptures; and then over again in the order and under the heads that they are drawn and driven unto by Cappellus; — a task that learned man took upon himself, that he might in the perfonnance of it give some coun- tenance to his opinion, that they are, for the most part, critical emen- dations of the text made by some late Masoretes, that came no man knows whence, that lived no man knows where nor when. Thus, whereas these Keri and Ketib have the only face and appearance upon the matter of various lections upon the Old Testament (for the Jews' collections of the various readings of Ben Asher and Ben Naph- tali, of the oriental and occidental Jews, are of no value, nor ever had place in their Bible, and may be rejected), the unwary viewer of the Appendix is presented with a great bulk of them, their whole army being mustered twice over in this service !
But this inconvenience may be easily amended, nor am I con- cerned in it.
OF THE KERI AND KETI13. 405
S. Wherefore, thirdly, for the rise of them, it is said that some of them are the amendments of the Masoretes or Rabbins; others, va- rious lections out of divers copies. That they are all, or the most part of them, critical amendments of the Rabbins is not allowed ; for Avhich latter part of his determination we thank the learned author, and take leave to say that in the former we are not satisfied. Prol. 8, sect. 28—25, the arguments that are produced to prove them not to have been from Ezra, but the most part from post-Talraudical Rab- bins, are capable of a very easy solution, which also another occasion may discover; at present I am gone already too far beyond my in- tention, so that I cannot allow myself any farther digression.
To answer briefly. Ezra and his companions might be the collec- tors of all those in the Bible but their own books, and those in their own books might be added by the succeeding church. The oriental and occidental Jews differ about other things as well as the Keri and Ketib. The rule of the Jews, that the Keri is always to be fol- lowed, is novel, and therefore the old translators might read either or both as they saw cause. There was no occasion at all why these things should be mentioned by Josephus, Pliilo, Origen. Jerome says, indeed, on Isa. xlix. 5, that Aquila rendered that word "to him,'' which is written with 7 and N, not ? and v But he makes it not appear that Aquila read not as he translated, that is, by the ""IP. And for what is urged of the Chaldee and LXX. making use of the Keri and Ketib, it is not intended that they knew the difference under these names, but that these differences were in their days. That the word now in the margin was in the line until the days of the pretended Masoretes is not nakedly to be said, but proved, if such a novel fancy expect any credit in the world. That the Judaical Rabbins have made some alterations in the text of their own accord, at least placed words in the margin, as to their consonants, supply- ing their vowels in the line where they ought not to have place ; that there were various lections in the copies after the Talmud, which have been gathered by some obscure Jews, no mention being made of those collections in the Masora or any of their grammarians, — is the sum of the discourse under consideration. When all this, or any part of it, is proved by testimony or evident reason, we shall further attend unto it.
In the meantime, I cannot but rejoice that Cappellus' fancy about these things, — than which I know nothing more pernicious to the truth of God, — is rejected. If these hundreds of woi'ds were the criti- cal conjectures and amendments of the Jews, what security have we of the mind of God as truly represented unto us, seeing that it is supposed also that some of the words in the margin were sometimes in the line ? And if it be supposed, as it is, that there are innumerable
406 INTEGRITY AND PURITY OF THE HEBREW AND GREEK TEXT.
other places of tlie like nature standing in need of such amendments, what a door would be opened to curious, pragmatical wits to overturn all the certainty of the truth of the Scripture every one may see- Give once this liberty to the audacious curiosity of men priding themselves in their critical abilities, and we shall quickly find out what woful state and condition the truth of the Scripture will be brought unto. If the Jews have made such amendments and cor- rections of the text, and that to so good purpose, and if so much work of the like kind yet remain, can any man possibly better employ himself than with his utmost diligence to put his hand to this plough? But he that pulleth down a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
CHAPTER VIII.
Of gathering various lections by the help of ti'anslations — The proper use and benefit of translations — Their new pretended use — The state of the originals on this new pretence — Of the remedy tendered to the relief of that state — No copies of old differing in the least from those we now enjoy, inferred from the testimony of our Saviour — No testimony, new or old, to that purpose — Requi- sites unto good translations — Of the ti-anslations in the Bibha Polyglotta — Of the Arabic — Of the Syriac — Of the Samaritan Pentateuch — Of the Chaldee Paraphrase — Of the Vulgar Latin — Of the Septuagint — The translations of the New Testament — Of the Persian — Of the Ethiopian — The value of these translations as to the work in hand — Of the supposition of gross corruption in the originals — Of various lections out of Grotius — Of the Appendix in general.