soo Tbe HISTORYoftbe PuRITANs. VoL II. Oliver a noble project (fays the bilbop), and mufi have been attended with ex– Pro6tellor. traordinary effeCts under the protection of a power, which·was formidable J 57 ' d 'bl 11 ' h . ~ an tern e to a nations to w om It was known. B1blia PolyAbout the bel!:inning of t~i~ year Dr. B?an Walton, aftewards bilbop glotta. of Chejler, pubh!bed the bzblta polyglotta, m fix volumes in folio where– in the facred ~ext is prin_ted in. t~e vulgar Iatin, hebrew, greek, jjriac, cbald~e, fiu~arttan, a_rabtc, .atbzopzc, and pnJ!c languages, each having its peculiar latzn tranllatwn, with an apparatus tor 'the better underfianding thofc tongues. This laborious performance, by the ailillance of feverai who engaged in it, was compleated in about four years, and was reckon– ed the mail abfolute edi tion of the bible that the world had ever feen. Several learned perfons, both puritans and others, afiilled in correcting the prefs, and in collating ttbe copies. Many noblemen, and gentlemen of quality, contribu ted to the expence of printing this work, without which it could not have feen the light. After the relloration, the doCtor prefented king Charles II. with the fix volumes, which his majefiy re– ceived very gracioufiy, and rewarded the author with· the bilhopric of Chejler. The learned Dr. Owmmade fame remarks on the prolegomena of this. work; but after an high commendation of the performance in general, complains that he had weakened the certainty of the facred text, (1. ) By maintaining that the points or 'L:ou:els of the hebrew language were of novel invention. (2.) By producing a great number of various read– ings fi·om antient copies of little momen t. (3.) By his own critical re– marks and amendments not fupported by antient authorities. The doctor maintains on the other hand, the antiquity of the hebre7v points, and their abfolute neceifrty to fix the determinate fenfe of fcripture; that the various readings are of little confequ.ence, and that conjej2ural amend~ ments ought not to be admitted without the authority of antient copie~>. The doctor writes with great modelly, but the validity of his arguments mull be fubmitted to the learned reader. Protrhor reOn the third of July the proteCtor reGgned-his chancellorfhip of Ox– jj•r.s his f ord, aud upon the eighteenth day of the L1me month his eldell fon ,.;',anceflorRI-CHARD was chofen his fucceifo r, and inftalled at lf'hitehall on the jbip. twenty ninth. About fix weeks after, the new chancellor difmiifed Dr. Owen, who had been vice- chancellor of the univerfity about five years, and appointed Dr. John Conant reCtor of Exeter.College, to fucceed him. This gentleman, fays the O::r.:ford hifiorian, was a good latinijl, and grecian, a profound theologijt, a learned, pious, and meek divine, a-nd an excellent preacher. He had been one of the aifembly of divines, and was eleCted rector of this college upon the death of Dr. Hakewell, in ."fune 1649· In the latter end_of the year 1654, he became king's profeifor of divinity in the room of Dr. Hoyle. He continued in the vice.chancellorlbip two years with
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