wilt, I doubt, find as little of their Greatness, as of the wife Men of Gotam's.

Fourthly, To come to earnest: Two things I think may demonftrate, the Tyberians not to be An thors: Thefe Tyberian Schools continued until Ann. 1000. and yet we have no Footsteps of its Skill and Practice among them, an entire Silence ftill, as the Night, for that five hundred Years, and ever fince, except what they bring by Quotation from more Ancient Authors; but the Authors before the Tyberians do.

Ifhall conclude this with a Providential Story known to my Friends. I once Preaching on Gen. 2. 4. Tranflated it thus. These are the Generations of the Heaven and the Earth, when God had created them. These are the Generations of the Heaven and the Earth, in the Day when God had perfected, re-made, or established them. From which 1 inferr'd, a two-fold Re-capitulation to be contain'd in the Verfe, one perform'd within the time of first Creation, the Six Days, the other perform'd in one Day; the one was a pure Creative Work, the other a more Common, Adorning, Perfecting, or doing further. Mofes bad more fignaliz'd that one Day and Work in it, in the Context, and from Chap. 3. 8. to the end, whereby it appeared evident, That the work of Redemption by our Lord Jefus Chrift, was the Foundation of the Seventh-Day-Sabbath. An Ancient Understand ing Chriftian bearing me, ask'd if I had read Dr. Walker, a Divine in Queen Mary's Days, who bas Printed, That Adam fell on Friday, the fame Day our Lord Jefus Chrift fuffer'd, That He endur'd the Curfe of the Law, that Night, that Gen 2. 8. in

the

the Morning of Saturday, God appear'd in Humane Form, and gave that New Gospel Conftitution. So that all the New Teftamentis but a Comment on the Seventh Day's Work, from Gen. 2. 8. to the end of that Chapter.

• Having obtain'd this Old and Rare Book, and after that Jacob Alting, on the fame Subject, I found an Entire Agreement, as to the Doctrine, but not as to the Original my Points had forced me into it, but the Old Cabbalistical Jews bad enticed them into it. The Inferencce I draw, is, That the Evangelical Doctrines contain'd in thefe Old Jewish Kabbala's, were Dotrines retain'd fince the Points were loft, but known from and by them; and I think it is the most Rational Account of that Phænomena. I am fure it is more becoming than to call all the Laborious Pains of our Christian Fathers, in thefe Rabbies, Forgeries, Lies and Cheats, before we try too, by our Pains, if fo, or

no.

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Secondly, This is not only true, but there is much Ufe made of thefe Points before the Maforites, of five or fix Hundred, and no ufe made by them, but their Work Shows them really Ignorant of their Use, as may be feen in the Book.

But, Thirdly, the Tyberians were poor blinded Jews, and their Creed the fame with our Jews, and their own Fathers directly Oppofite to the Chriftian Faith: but the Authors of the Points, as may be feen by the Doctrinal and Prophetick Places of the Old Teftament, Expounded by the Points, were truly and tborowly Chriftian; fo that to fay they invented this, is

to

to deny them to be Jews, which no Man ever yet did. And I take this for Demonftration, That they would never deliver the Senfe of their Bibles to be contradictory or destructive to themselves: Therefore at least, the Senfe of the Scripture given by thefe Points, is of Prophetick Authority, a Comment by Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, with others of that day.

Some may think this was over-order'd by Divine Providence, as their preferving the rest of the Parts of the Old Teftament entire, without Corruption, though against them.

R. That is what I yield, a Providence in their Prefervation, that fuppofes their Pre-existence, but to fuppofe any Jews, fince Chift, invented thefe Points, and affixed them, as giving the Senfe of the Bible, is not only a Miracle, but a Contradiction; for it it is their Reason, and not their Reafon, that their Fudgment was both pro and con, at the fame time. For Inftance, it was and is (Paul Attefts it) their most Radicated Judgment, that they expected to be Sav'd by the Works their Law Commanded, but if they affix'd thefe Points to that place in Hab. with a defign to give its Senfe in their Judgment, They tell you, that their fudgment is, That he who is Juft, or Righteous by Faith, fhall live, he fhall never tafte of the Curfe of Death, but ever drink the Waters of Life. None of them ever pretended an Opinion" oppofite to what they believed was the Bible's Senfe; yet whenever they give their Opinion in other Writings, it is oppofite. So if Authors of this Art, in place of an over-ruling Providence, we plant a Repugnancy as Abfurd as Tranfubftantiation in their minds.

For we Affert them to be Orthodox in Pointing, tho

Er

Erronious in their Fndgment, and yet this Pointing is a Declaring their Fudgment.

t

The Prophets wrote what they understood not, may be what was contrary to their prefent Sentiment, but then it is fuppofed they knew not what they wrote, but thefe Maforites were Directors of the Senfe, for if it fhould be faid, at that Functure, they were blinded, or over-ruled by Divine Influence, it would follow God was Author, not they, and then the Question is gain'd. For to fay they were the Pointers, is to fay they be lieved that to be the Senfe of the Text, which the Rules guides us in, and that which they then believ'd, and believ'd not. I have the more largely infifted on this, because it was Objected by a Ferfon of worth.

Let me tell him that is a little acquainted with, and exercised in the Hebrew Language, that the Bible needs fuch a Key to determine its Senfe.

As to the next,the Gain, I dare aver, He that counts the furnishing his Head and his Heart with Divine Truth Gain; that values Wisdom, as Solomon did, will foon gain more than the India's can afford. But Comparifons are most proper among things of a kind; there→ fore I affert, Thou shalt find as great a difference between this and other methods of Comments and Syftems, as between Reaping and Gleaning. But this I fpeak to grown understanding Chriftians and Minifters. Comments, especially Criticks, are neceffary; it is a Contempt of God, who has been pleas'd to continue his Oracles in thefe Tongues, not to Study them, as far as our Callings and Neceffities admit. God gave thefe Tongues to all the Gifted Brethren we read of in Scripture, certainly his Scholars are the best, it is extraordinary Excellency that marks his Difciples, and:

yet

yet I do not think it an Effential, where God has made other ufeful Induements fhine, as Urim and Thummim. Ifhould be far from Uncharitable Thoughts of his Calling, but he is unfit to expound Scripture. We bave Eufebius, Jofephus, &c. in Latine and English, but no Man knows when he reads Truth, or when Falfhood, when he reads them. There are many Tranflations, he knows not which to prefer, how fhall be then Expound? And yet this Man may write a Treatife excellently, curious Chains of Thoughts, that never enter'd into the Critick's Mind.

I could mention a great Name for inftance, but need not. But when thou haft exercifed thy felf in both thefe Gifts, thon bere enters a Third Form, where thou may try the Solidity of thefe curious Thoughts, and where thou makeft the Spring it felf thy Drink, and not only fo, but thou enter this Palace with the Key of Knowledge the Church was robb'd of in the Pharifees time, by which thou wilt Spy Pearls, where others fee nothing but Pebles. For this end I made choice of Gen. 1. f,2. for a Specimen, a Path beaten like the Street, and yet made Difcoveries. I challenge thee, and I dare challenge any to bring me the Text, out of which I fhall not make new Discoveries by it, that he faw not before be la Thou will be a Gainer in every Verfe. If we value this Art by the Teftimony and fudgment of Men, it is not fit, we make the Blind Judges, that understand it not, nor the World, that love Darkness more than Light. But if we value it by the Fudgment either of Jews or Chriftians, who either knew this Art, or tho they knew not the Art, believ'd it ferv'd for this end, they count it the only Meafure and Standard for Interpretation, all other Means are very mean in their efteem.

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