As Mr. H. has in a plain open manner fhewed the World the Neceffity there was for what he has done, to be done; the defpicable State the Translations were in; how they came to be fo; the Methods he has taken to fet them right, in a fimple natural Manner, by reftoring the Idea to every Word of the Root, where the Jews had altered it; and we fee the Light that is risen from this Undertaking, and what vaft Numbers have approved of it; and as you in your Obfervations are forced to confess what he has proved, and what justifies his Undertaking, that the Jews have been guilty or ignorant, and have not given us the Roots, nor Sense of the Words, which we take to be of the greatest Importance; and as you have fhewed no other Objection against the Method of his Undertaking, but the Newness of it; though it has been long aimed at; and as you have taken up, or begun another Method, far newer and ftranger; fo as the Tranflation is to be fet right by one or the other of you; the Question now is, which Method is to be followed.

You are guilty of the fame Crime, which Dr. B found Collins guilty of, and for which Collins would needs hang himself. A Bishop in the Empire, was accused VOL. VI. T

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of erafing fome Words about these Affairs, out of his Bibles, and the Emperor upon Proof, made an Order to re-infert them. Cns left out the firft Part, and printed the fecond: You do not tell us, who made the Alterations in the Text by pointing, &c. that is, who put them in, and fo put out the Evidence in these Articles of Faith, but retain the Points, &c. and charge us for ftriking out thofe Alterations made by Points, &c. and reftoring this Evidence; and this in Difpute with one, who has taken from another, who has proved who put them in, and fo erafed the Evidence, and who has given Demonftration that he ought to ftrike them out and restore the Evidence.

And what is still worfe on your Side, he has proved not that they were juggling but profeffed Apoftates, that they were the immediate Iffue of thofe, who had feen the Miracles of Chrift, had heard the Scriptures explained by the Infpired Men, and had escaped that terrible Destruction of the Jews. That they spent near 500 Years in forging their Writings, and in contriving Rules, Points, &c. And he has undeniably proved that they inferted the Points, formed Rules, &c. to destroy the Evidence of every Article in Chrifti

anity, and for no other End; and that the Works of thefe Apoftates are framed in Contradiction to Common Sense, to Knowledge, to Faith, to Salvation. You may fee what Rabbinical Men are, Hebrew Writings perfect, p. 52. See also Glory or Gravity, p. 151, & Seq.

When you introduce your Rules, you fhould have fhewed that they are uniform, and hold with the fame Signs, or, &c. throughout the Text wherever they occur, and not tell us what Rules the Apoftates have made by pointing, or, &c. which will not hold; because Mr. H

has fhewed Numbers of Rules which hold univerfally, and are Proofs, that the Rules in that Language arife from the Language, and are not to be formed to anfwer the Defigns of any Set of Men after the Language was dead. These are the Reasons why I follow his, and reject yours. The Apoftles, &c. treat all these Traditions as idle Jewish Fables, and yet it was predicted fome would follow fuch, 2 Tim. iv. 4. And they shall turn away their Ears from the Truth, and fhall be turned unto Fables. So as the Apoftate Jews plead, Fer. vii. 10. you may, that you are caught (as your Brethren term it, predeftinated) to do all thefe Abominations. But to T 2

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clear Providence, what aggravated the Crimes of the Apoftates was, that none had ever fuch clear Evidence, and those of their Followers, fo of these, that none had ever such pofitive Warnings; and for that Reason, none upon Earth were ever permitted to do fo much Mifchief in feducing others, as the Mafters; because Providence could not justify giving further Affiftance to thofe, who would follow after fuch Warnings, fo no Inftance of any fuch Blindness, nor of any Curfe lying upon any Set of Men, Mafters and Followers, fuch a Number of Years. No Lyes were ever told, equal to thofe they have told, no Objects of Credit or Belief, fo incredible or impoffible were ever offered. None ever followed fuch blind Stories, but fuch as rejected the Scriptures, were under the Curfe, or were forced. even would fuch Creatures as the Catsfoot ever have looked at them, if SchoolMafters had not taught them while Children, before they could diftinguish.

Nor

Would it not have looked like those who had fome Regard, even but to Appearance, left, if before you had produced this in Evidence, you could have given yourselves, or even the Authors of your Evidence a fair Character; have attempted

to

to fhew that they were not Parties in the Caufe; that they had not apoftatized and renounced Chrift; that they had not been nibbling at the Records; that they had not forged what you produce; that they had not given Constructions and Rules, by which the Tranflations are full of Contradictions and Nonsense.

And as he has fhewed, Hebrew Writings perfect, p. 212. why Tradition was rejected by God; how this Trumpéry was introduced into this Church, and has confirmed it by the Opinion of one of your chief Oriental Men, viz. to get quit of the Authority of the Pope, as you may fee, Hebrew Writings perfect, p. 194. and that p. 200. there was no Occafion for any Help to understand the Scriptures, but the LXX. And that by taking in thefe Pretences to Oral Tradition, you have allowed, nay confirmed Tradition the Foundation of Popery, and by this Conceffion, p. 197. given it Authority to alter, and fo renounced both Old and New Teftament: Might not one have expected, that you who have made fo many Pretences, and have been tolerated for no other Reason to be mentioned, but to make a Noise against Popery, fhould have at least offered to have quitted us of this

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