VI. That the Septuagint Verfion was not, in the Days of JESUS and the Apostles, agreeable to the Hebrew Text. MR R. WHISTON (b) afferts that the Septuagint Verfion was, in the Days of CHRIST and his Apoftles, agreeable to the genuine Hebrew Text of that Age. But for Proof of this Affertion he produces nothing but mere Suppofitions, all chimerical or improbable, ridiculous Commendations of partial and ignorant Jews, and forged Tales. He argues fuch Agreement (i) to be a natural Confequence from the common State of Books tranflated out of one Language into another, and especially in the Cafe of facred Books, own'd for fuch both by Tranflators and Copyers. Whereas it is as probable, that Books should be ill as well tranflated; and it is more probable, that Books deem'd facred should be ill than well tranflated; for the Directors in fuch Tranflations, tho' real Believers of the Sacredness of the Books, are very capable of finister Views and being govern'd by them, as having ufually departed in many Refpects from the original Senfe of their facred Books, and having divers ill-grounded Things received among them to fupport and maintain; to fay Nothing of their Ignorance. And accordingly, if we (b) Whifton's Eay. p. 317. (i) Ib. p. 4, 5 may may be govern'd in this Cafe by feeming Fact, the Septuagint seems the Work both of ignorant and unfaithful Tranflators, as will particularly appear in the Sequel of this Article. He argues that Agreement from the Septuagint's Reception (k) among Jews and Chriftians, as a faithful Verfion; infomuch, that it was made Ufe of in their publick Worfhip, where it would be impoffible to introduce a Verfion, unless it were known to be a just and accurate Verfion; and he argues, from its Reception among the former as an (1) infpired Verfion. In which laft he might also have join'd the (m) Chriftians, who, for many Ages after the Rise of Christianity, received the Septuagint, as an inspired Verfion; but that fuch Junction would have spoil'd his Argument; for Mr. W. dates the Corruption of the Septuagint in the Hands of Christians long before the Chriftians quitted their original Notion and conftant Tradition of the divine Inspiration of the Septuagint Verfion; and confequently muft have fuppofed them to have look'd on what he deems a greatly corrupted Book, as divinely inspired. But nothing feems more eafy than to get ill Verfions of Books to be received as faithful or divine, and to be read as fuch in Places of publick Worship, where (if we will reflect on the Practice of the Popish Church, to fay nothing of other (k) Whifton's Efay. P. 5.. (m) Simon Hift. Crit du V. T. 1. 1. Feuardentii Annot. in Irenæum. p. 137. (1) Ib. p. 9. c. 18 & 19. 1. 2. c. 2. Edit. Majuet. Churches, Churches, where People feem little to underftand what is read and fung) we may judge, that nothing is too abfurd and too grofs to be in Ufe. And I am furprised that Mr. W. who charges both Jews and Chriftians with receiving into their Canon of Scripture a most (n) obfcene Song, which they both fo grofly mistake as to take not only for a moral but divinely infpired Song; who charges the Jews with wilful and great Corruption of the Old Testament, Part of which is read in Synagogues, and almost all read in Chriftian Churches; who has fo abject an Opinion of the primitive Chriftians, as to think them capable of having their Bible taken from them and of receiving a falfe Bible in its Stead; who takes all the antient Chriftians to be (o) deceived in believing MATTHEW's Gofpel to be written originally, and extant among them, in Hebrew; who thinks the Chriftians reject the moft facred Book of the New Teftament, viz. the Apoftolical Conftitutions, from their Canon, as well as other canonical Books; who thinks the primitive Chriftians, for many Centuries, almost wholly (p) ignorant of the Hebrew Tongue, from which Language the Septuagint was tranflated, and in which only the Grounds of Chriftianity could be authentickly contain'd; who is fo deeply fenfible of the Antichriftianism of Popery, and of the numerous and grofs Impofitions in most Churches; and ! I (n) Suppl. to Elay. (0) Whilton' Effay. r. 182. L who who thinks the Athanafian Creed, not only to be a modern, forged Work, but to be contrary to the most exprefs and plain Meaning of the Gofpel, to all primitive Antiquity, and to the clearest Dictates of Reafon, tho' it be received by almost all Chriftians as the Faith once deliver'd to the Saints, and repeated in Churches with the utmoft Devotion by the People, and contended for with the greatest Zeaf by the Clergy; I am surprised, I fay, Mr. W. fhould not think the Jews and antient Chriftians capable of receiving the Septuagint and reading it in their religious Affemblies, on Suppofition that the Septuagint was not an accurate Verfion of the Hebrew, and that there was fo great a Difcordance then between the Septuagint and Hebrew as now appears to be! This will yet feem more furprizing, when it is confider'd; that the Copies (q) of the Septuagint in the Apostles Times differ'd greatly from one another; that LUKE himself cited (r) a falfe Copy of the Septuagint; that the whole Chriftian World fought (s) one against another about three different Editions of the Septuagint, as fays JEROM; that the Septuagint (t) had been corrupted by the Jews and by them deliver'd to ORIGEN, upon whofe Credit their corrupt Copy became in Time to be generally received; and yet, that during thefe firft Ages the Chriftians look'd on the (g) Simon H. C. du V. T. p. 235. Montfaucon Prelim. ad Origenis Hex. c. 4. of (5) Ib. p. 115, 116. (r) Whifton's Esay. p. 119. ; (t) Whifton, as cited above by me. Septuagint Septuagint as divinely inspired, and as fuch read it in their Churches. He (u) argues the fame Agreement from the extravagant Applaufes given to the Septuagint Tranflation by the antient Jews. But thefe Applaufes plainly proceeding from their Ignorance and Partiality are of no more Weight, than the Excefs of Difparagement they afterwards run into; for, notwithstanding these exceffive Applaufes, when they found the Chriftians used the Septuagint in their Controverfies with them, they readily took Hold of all Advantages they could; and not contenting themselves with fhowing, that the Chriftians did not argue literally and logically from the Old Teftament, they charged them with arguing from Paffages of the Old Teftament falfely tranflated in the Septuagint; about which Paffages they were little or not at all concern'd, till the Chriftians, by citing and applying them, made them review the Septuagint Tranflation, and gave them this Advantage over them. He argues (w) it from the miraculous Story of the feveral Interpreters being shut up in Cells apart; each whereof translated the whole by Inspiration, and concurred Word for Word with one another. Which Story he himself allows cannot be justify'd; and tho' it fhows a great Approbation of the Work, yet it fhows the Approvers to be weak Men and (z) Whilton's Eay. p. 6, 7, 8. a (w) Ib. p. 10. L 2 their |