Epá/Ileto .the Ha BR. E.vVs. i< titular, or proper endof thewriter; nothingof hisHonour, Reputation, Advantage, Self-pleating many thing; but all runs evenly and fmoothly to the general End before propofed. And this alfo hath defervedly a place among'the -rect.iva of Writings by Divine infßiration. The Style alfo of the SacredScripture, or poems xataiiTñf, as it is termed by Euf- 4. 26. blur in thisArgument, isof deferved contideration. By the Sryleof any Writing, we underhand both the Propriety of the words , with their Grammatical conttruetion; and that compofition of the whole which renders it fit, decorous, elegant, and every way meet to be ufed in the matter about which it is ufed, and for the effe&ingof the end, which is propofed in it. I know Tome bold Atheijtical Spirits have defpifed theStyle of the Holy Writers, asfimple and barbarous. Among thefeAngelus Pnlitianus, is ge- nerally and defervedly cenfuredby all Learned men, who was imitated in his pro- phane contempt ofit by Domitius Calderinus. And ofthe like temper wasPetrür Bembus CosfeJJ who wouldfcarce touch the Scripture ; when his ownEpiftles are not one of them free cap. ç. from Solscifms in Grammar. Auffin alto confeffeth that whiltf he was yeta Maniebee; he had the fame thoughts of it ; Vita ef} mibi indigna quam Triliiane dignitati. compara- rem. The Scripture feemedtobeunworthy tobecompared with the excellency ofCiceroi But itmuff beacknowledged, that thefe fpake oftheCommonTranflations of it ; though they ufed that pretence to rejedì the Rudyof the Books themfelves. I do confefs that thoughfome Tranflationrmay, and do render the words Of theOri- ginalmore properly, and better reprefent and infirmate the native genius, beauty, life, andpower of the SacredStyle than fomeothers do, yetnone of them can, or do ex- press the whole Excellency, Elegancy, and marvellous Efficacy of it for the convey- ance of its fenfes to the underflandings and minds of men. Neither is this any retie- dhoti upon theTranflrtors, their Abilities, diligence, orfaìthfulnefs, but that which the nature of the thing it feltproduceth. There is in theSacredScripture, in thewords wherein by the Holy Ghoft it was givenout, a proper peculiar verrue, and fecret ef - cacy inflaming the minds of theReaders and Hearers, whichno diligence or wifdorn of mancan fully and abfolutely transferr into, and imprefs upon anyother Language: And thofewho have defigned todo it by fubflituting the wordy Elegancies of another tongue, toexprefs the quickningaffeóting Idiotifms of them, ( whichwas thedefìgn of Caltalio ) have of all others mofl failed in their intentions. Neither doth thisdefer& in Tranflationr arife from hence, that the Original Tongues may bemore copiousand emphatical than thofe of the Tranflations, which poffiblymay be the condition of the GreekandLatin, as Hierom often complains, but itis from the caufes before named, and therefore is moll evident in the Tranflations of the Old Tefta= ment, when yet no man can imaginethe Hebrew to be more copious, ( though it be more comprehenfrve) than the Languages whereinto it hath been tranflated: But it is ofthe Originals themfelves, andthe Style of the Sacred Penmen therein; concerning which wedifcourfe. And herein the boldnefsof?erom cannot be excufed, ( though hebe followed by fome others of great name in latter Ages) who more than once chargeth S`. Paul with Sol e frra, and Barbarifms inExprellion, and often urgeth, (upon a mihakeas we (hallfee) that he was imperitur Sermone, unskilfull in fpeecb. But as neither he, nor any elfe, are able to give any cogent inflame to make good their charge, fo it is certain that there is nothing expreffed in the whole Scripture, but in the mannerand way, andby the words wherewith it oughtto be expreffed, unto the ends for which it is ufedand defigned, as might tally bemanifelled both from the in= tent of theHoly Ghoft himfelf in fuggefling thole words unto his Penmen, and in the careofGod over the very Iota'sand `Titles of the words themfelves. And whereever there appears untous an irregularity from the ArbitraryDirellions, or Wagesof other men in thofe Languages, it Both much more becomeus, to fufpeá our own Appre- henfions and Judgement ; yea, or to reject thofe Direecions and ufages from theSo- veraignty of an abfoluteRule; than to reflex the leali failure or miflake on themwho' wrote nothing but by Divine Infpiration. The cenfure of Hnfaua in this matter is fvere, but true. Prolegom. Ariffarcb. Sac. Vellicarealigzüd in illis, ant deftderare, noneft eruditi fed blafßbemi hominis, se man feriati, qui nunquam intelligit gals humanafit conditio, aut quanta debeatatr reverentia ac cultus cunila difpenfantiDeo, qui non Judicem, fedfupplicem dcpofcit. Neither hath their Succefs been much better, who have exetcifed their Crïtiedl Ahi. 3f; ÿt lily, in judging of the Style of the particular Writersof the Scripture; preferring one before, andabove another s whereas the Style of every one ofthem is heft £uited to the Subjetf
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