But we are in a way and business wherein all things are carried to and fro by conjectures; and it were no hard task to manifest the utter uncertainty of what is fixed on as the original of this Penta- teuch by the author of the Prolegomena, or to re-enforce those con- jectures which he opposeth; but that is not my present work, nor do I know that ever it will be so. But I must for the present say, that I could have been glad that he had refrained the close of his discourse, sect. 2, wherein, from the occasional mention of the Sama- ritan Liturgy, and the pretended antiquity of it, he falls, not without some bitterness of spirit, on those who have laid aside the English Service-book. It were not (in the judgment of some) imprudently done, to reserve a triumph over the sectaries to some more consider- able victory than any [that] is to be hoped [for] from the example of the Samaritans. Were they all barbers, and porters, and alehouse- keepers, yet they might easily discern that the example and prece- dent of a wicked people, forsaken of God, and forsaking of him, to whom the promise of the Spirit of supplications was never made, nor he bestowed upon them, is not cogent unto the people of Christ under the new testament, who have the promise made good unto them. And much more unto the same purpose will some of them be found to say, when men of wisdom and learning, who are able to instruct them, shall condescend personally so to do. But I shall forbear what might further be spoken.
The Chaldee Paraphrase is a cento also. The Targum of Jonathan
^ It is now beyond all question that Owen's estimate of the value of the Samaritan Pentateuch, for the purposes of critical emendation, was correct. Since the dissertation ofGcsenius, " De Pentateuchi SamaritaniOrigine," etc., "its credit in the critical world," says Dr Davidson, " has been greatly lowered, its position as an authoi'ity depreciated far below the rank which several eminent scholars once gave it." — Ed.
OF LECTIONS GATHERED OUT OF TRANSLATIONS. 415
is ancient, so also is that of Onkelos ; they are supposed to have been made before or about the time of our Saviour, Some of the Jews would have Jonathan to have lived not long after Ezra; others [say] that he was the chief disciple of Hillel, about a hundred years before Christ's incarnation; some are otherwise minded, and will not own it to be much older than the Talmud : but as yet I see no grounds sufficient to overthrow the received opinion. The other parts of the Scripture were paraphrased at several times, some above five hun- dred years after our Saviour, and are full of Talmudical fancies, if not fables; as that on the Canticles. That all these Targums are of excellent use is confessed ; and we are beholden to the Biblia Poly- glotta for representing them in so handsome an order and place, that with great facility they may be compared with the original. But as to the end under consideration, how little advantage is from hence to be obtained, these few ensuing observations will evince: — 1. It was never the aim of those paraphrasts to render the original text exactly verbum de verho, but to represent the sense of the text according as it appeared to their judgment. Hence it is impossible to give any true account how they read in any place wherein they dissent from our present copies, since their endeavour was to give us the sense as they thought, rather than the bare and naked im- portance of the words themselves. Hence Elias saith of them, njrrj pnpin "j-n D^Dys^ •n?:D:^' i6 D''»J"in»n, — "Behold, the Targumists ob- served not sometimes the way of grammar." 2. It is evident that all the Targums agreed to give us often mystical senses, especially the latter, and so were necessitated to go oif from the letter of the text. 3. It is evident that they have often made additions of whole sentences to the Scripture, even the best of them, from their own apprehensions or corrupt traditions, whereof there is not one tittle or syllable in the Scripture, nor ever was. 4. What careful hands it hath passed through, tli,e bulky collection of various lections given in this Appendix doth abundantly manifest. And seeing it hath not lain under any peculiar care and merciful providence of God, whether innumerable other faults and errors, not to be discovered by any variety of copies (as it is happened with the Septuagint), may not be got into it, who can tell? Of these and the like things we shall have a fuller account when the " Babylonia" of Buxtorf the father (pro- mised some while since by the son to be published, Vindic. Veritat. Heb. p. 2, c. x. p. 337, and, as we are informed by the learned annotator on this Paraphrase, in his preface in the Appendix, lately sent to the publishers of this Bible) shall be put out. So that we have not as yet arrived at the remedy provided for the supposed distemper.
Of the Vulgar Latin, its uncertain original, its corruptions and
416 INTEGRITY AND PURITY OF THE HEBREW AND GREEK TEXT.
barbarisms, its abuse, so much bath been spoken, and by so many already, that it were to no purpose to repeat it over again. For my part, I esteem it much the best in the whole collection exhibited unto us, excepting the interlineary of Arias ; but not to be compared to sundry modern translations, and very unfit to yield the relief sought after.