IX. That the Means, whereby Mr. WHISTON, proposes to restore the true Text of the Old Teftament, in Respect to Citations made from thence in the New, will not reach that End. TH HE Defign of Mr. WHISTON is to vindicate the Citations made from the Old in the New Testament; and particularly fuch, as now feem either wholly wanting in the Old Teftament, or feem unaccurately cited, or feem not justly apply'd by the Authors of the New Teftament of all which Sort of Citations he gives us divers (z) Examples. This Difcordance between the Old and New Teftament, he attributes to the Jews, whom he charges with corrupting the Old Testament in Respect to thofe Citations, with express Defign to make the Reafonings of the Apostles appear groundless and impertinent. To vindicate thefe Citations he proposes to reftore a true Text of the Old Testament, as it ftood in the Days of JESUS and his Apoftles (not the original Text, which may have been (a) very different from That cited by the Apostles); which true Text is to manifest the Truth and Juftness of the Apostles Citations and Reasonings. (z) Surenhnfii Tract. p. 281, 282. p. 88-109. 301317. 321. 326. 228. (a) Simon Hift. Crit. du V. T. p. 494. The The (b) Means, by which he proposes to reftore this true Text, are; the Samaritan Pentateuch; the Greek Pfalms, as attested by the Roman Pfalter; the prefent Hebrew Text; the feveral Greek Editions and Manufcripts of the Septuagint Verfion, with other Tranflations antiently made from it; the old Syriac Verfion made from the Hebrew, before the Copies of the Hebrew were fo corrupt as they now are; the Chaldee Paraphrafes; the Remains of the latter Greek Verfions, particularly thofe of AQUILA, THEODOTION, and SYMMACHUS; the Antiquities of JOSEPHUS; the Works of PHILO; the Apoftolick Conftitutions; the Fathers and Hereticks, who lived before, or not long after the Days of ORIGEN; the Remains of the Old Italick or Vulgar Verfion; Hebrew Copies, which have never come into the Hands of the MASORITES, and Greek Copies of the Vulgar Septuagint Verfion read in Churches all the first Ages of Christianity, or any Parts of them; and above all Criticifm (tho' he places it not among his Means), whereby he propofes to alter fome Paffages, and to change the Places of others, which he fuppofes diflocated. Upon all which Means I fhall make the following Obfervations. 1. As to all the prefent known Hebrew and Septuagint Copies; they being themselves greatly corrupted, and particularly, as he fays, corrupted by the Jews with express Design to (6) Whifton, p. 329, Er. confound confound the Applications of the apoftolick Citations from the Old Teftament; and their true Text, with Refpect to thofe Corruptions, being the Thing proposed to be restored; the true Text cannot be restored by any of, or all, thofe Copies. 2. The Chaldee Paraphrafes were, according to him, all (c) made for the Support of the New Hebrew (or corrupted Text, and for fecuring its Reception over all the World. And the latter (d) Greek Verfions plainly follow that Hebrew Text, and were made (e) as it were on Purpofe to establish and spread the new corrected or corrupted Hebrew Copies; and fome of them with (ƒ) express Design to oppofe the Septuagint, which the Apostles and firft Chriftians cited as favourable to Chriftianity. So that these can no more restore a true Text, than the Hebrew or Septuagint themfelves. 3. As to the Syriac Verfion, the Copies of it are lefs (g) exact than the Hebrew Text of the fews, and the Greek Verfion of the Septuagint; and as to the Remains of the Old Italick, or Vulgate Verfion; That was cited in a very (b) inexact Manner by the Fathers, and was a verbal, barbarous, and unintelligible Translation from the Septuagint by an Author, who understood no Hebrew; was very different in different Countries; and was corrected by -) Whifton p. 241, 242, 249. (d) p. 267, 268. (e) p. 233 (f) p. 241, 246, 247, 249. JEROM JEROM chiefly from the (corrupt) Hebrew from whence it should seem, that the Remains 'of it, which have been collected, are not much to be depended on. But to invalidate both the before-mention'd and all other antient Tranflations; it is fufficient to obferve, that Mr. W. does not pretend from thence to render pertinent any Citations made from the Old Teftament, which feem at present not pertinent, as they stand in the Old Teftament. 4. As to the Samaritan Pentateuch (whofe Authority we have already particularly confider'd) and the Greek Pfalms, as attested by the Roman Pfalter; they can affect very few important Citations, and particularly but few of the prophetical Citations. And as to the Citations they do affect, it is fufficient to observe, that the Differences (i) between the Hebrew Original or the Greek Verfion of the Septuagint, and the New Teftament-Citations, are but few, excepting in Points of Chronology, through the whole Pentateuch; and ftill fewer in the Pfalms of DAVID, as they now ftand in the Greek. So that in the Pentateuch we have commonly the Hebrew, the Samaritan, and the Septuagint; and in the Pfalms, the Septuagint, and the Roman Pfalter, agreeing in their Readings. Wherefore, the Samaritan Pentateuch, and Greek Pfalms, as attefted by the Roman Pfalter, cannot reftore to us the true Text, which Mr. W. contends for, in any important (i) Whiston, p. 3od. apostolick apoftolick Citations, whereon the Truth of Christianity is grounded. 5. As to the Antiquities of JOSEPHUS; the k) greatest Liberty is taken therein to recede from the manifeft Senfe of the Old Teftament, according to all Copies thereof; the Old Teftament is cited in fuch Manner, as makes learned Men difpute, whether he used the Hebrew or Septuagint Text, or sometimes one and fometimes the other, or a different Translation from the Septuagint; they have been (1) accommodated to the Septuagint, as the Septuagint has been accommodated to him; and (m) the Chronology has been greatly changed and alter'd; fo that it would be difficult to fettle any certain Readings of the Old Testament in Virtue of his (n) Antiquities. And as to the Works of PHILO, there are but few Citations therein out of the Old Teftament; and those only out of the Septuagint Pentateuch, whereof he had a very (0) incorrect Copy. So that neither JOSEPHUS nor PHILO concern the important Citations in Question; nor does Mr. W. (p) pretend to restore a true Text of the Old Teftament from thefe two Authors, in Refpect to any important Ci (k) Simon Hift. Crit. du V. T. 1. 1. c. 17. Gregory Dife. of the feventy Interpr. p. 32, &c. Wotton's Preface to Mifc. Difc. p, 33, &c. Witton's Ejay, p. 197, 216, 218, 299. (7) P. 299. (m) p. 21, 28, 195, 196, 197, 209. (n) For the State of JOSEPHUS's Antiq. Jee Fabricii Bibliotheca Ib. p. 332. Græca & Huetiana, p. 94. (0) Simon Hift. Crit. du V. Test. p. 98. i) Whifton, p. 330, 291, 292, 289. tations |
