/ ////L/911IhrhlahWlY//V .//7 2 It is noted by the Apoftle , for a chiefe priviledge of the Jewes, that unto them were . committed the oracles ofGod,Ro.3.r.z. And from them we Chriftians have receivedthem. But this is no praife or advanrage(as the Apoftleattributeth untothem)if they have thro gh negligrncean orb purpofe corrupted fo many places : fo that the corruption (if fuch it be) bath spread as a Leprofieover all the Bible; there being fcarce anyone little book,but hath the markes of their violent hands upon it. Not any one ofM és books; not Iofua, Iudges Ruth, Samuel, or the Kings : not lob, the Pfalmes, Proverbs,Ecclefaftes, or the Song of Songs: not Efai,Ezekiel,Ieremy,the Latnentations,or almoft any of thefmal Prophets. Not the bookes written after thecaptivity of Babylon, asthe Chronicles,Ezra, Efther,Daniel, Haggai, Zacharie :no not fo much but the ten Commandements (as in Deu. 5.1o.) are tain- ted with this pollution.Where then is the praife of the IewtOr where is the fairhtulneffe of the Church of God,(the pillar & flay of Truths 7im.3.t s.)if we cannot have the Oracles of God from them, with fo muchfidelityás we have human writings from many heathens. 3 Thefe fixteen hundred yeers whiles the Jewes have bin caft olffrom beingthe Church of God, and have been fcattered for their finnes upon the face of the earth, and have bent their studies to difprove Chriftianity;yet can they nor juftly be charged (to my knowledge) -e that they have corrupted the Scripture,but the Hebrew text remaineth as it was in the Apo. files dayes ; & may we think that they were leffe careful! or confcionable in former times, whiles they were Gods Church,& had alwaies fome good people among them,rhat would have care of the Law e They have been thefe many yeers fo watchful!, that if any fault ef- cape the Scribe, the book is not allowable to be read in their Synagogues til it be corrected. They have thefe rules,that if the book of the Law doe want but a letter; or,if it have but one letter more than it fhould; or,if one letter touch another; or, if téeforme of any letter heft cor- 4` rupred that it cannot be read ; it is a booke which Children may learne on, but it may na k readpublockly. Maim. in Se her. Torah. c. eo. And for thefe divers readings called Keri and Cethib (which with them are accou ted of Divine Authority)they fay,if the wordwhich is full be written de eEtive; orthat which ì e e tviul Toe if award which it to be read(in the ;' margine) be written (in the line) ac it is to be read; ae, if lifhcabennah be written in the place of iogalennah(Deut.8.30.) erTecharimin theplace ofGnapholim (Deut.28.27.)or the like ; the booke u not allowable, neitherbath in it the holine¡fe of the booke of the Law at all ; but is as a booke on which children learn. Maim. ibidem, c.7. f: r r. Yea fo farre hath their diligence extended this way, thatthey have reckoned every letter howoften ir is found thorowout the Bible: no people on earth have (hewed like religious care ofany booke,as they have of the holy Sbtipture : that we have no reafon to fufpeCt them in former ages, whiles they in- habited Sipn, out of which the Law was to come forth unto all nations, Efay 2.3. 4 Kimchi, Arias Montanus, and fuch as think that thefe divers readings wereoccafioned by the captivity of Babylon,and calamities then uponthe Jewes,have little Phew of reafon. For (betide that Kimfhi himfelfefometimesalleageth both readings without condemning ,- of either,and fheweth the meaning of both,as is to be feen in his Commentaries on Ely 9. 3. iof.19.33. Efay 6i .t, &c. and Ariastranflateth now the line and then the margine, and fometimes noteth both)what are o eers to corrupt all Copies± When as a Copie written on Parchment (as was their manner) wt endure many 70 yeers intire. leremy with force Jewes remained a while in the land;Ezekiel,Daniel,and many godly menwere in Babylon: may wee fuppofe that none of them would keepe the Scriptures purer Ezra, the framed '5' Prieft and Scribe, came with the people out of Babylon ; they alto had Prophets, Haggai, Zacharie,&Malachie,by whom thefe errours (if they had bin fuch) might have bin corre- Cted,& a pure Bible preferved for the Churchesufe. Yca,even the Books which Ezra, Da- niel,Zacharie,&c. wrote, have divers readings, as hath Mofes and theformer Prophets. Our Saviour blameth the Priefts,Scribes and Pharifees,for corrupting the Law by wrong interpretation,Mat.s.& t 5. & 23. if they had vialated &falfified the writing of the Scrip- ture,*ould he have fpared theme Or, would not lie, by himfelfe, or by his Apoftles, have provided a perfect canon of the Word tobe left unto his Churche But we find noblame laid tpon them for marring the Text: yea , Chrift and his Apoftics fend all to reade the Scrip - tares,Luk.r6.z9..roh.S +39. zPet.r.rg. &our Saviour confirmeth the Law unto every jot and tittle,Mat, g. r 8. al which things doe perfwade that the holy Text was not then corrup ted : and they that aloft labour to difcredit it,cannot fhew how it fhould be corrupted fine, there being befides the Apofl:les,many thoufands of the Jewes, & Churches of the Jewes, s, X999 that
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