ELias in Masoret Hammasoret, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 2. col. 2. saith,
Thus saith the Author of Cosri, Without doubt it was kept in their Hearts, (that is, the Points from the time of Moses was,) with Pathak, and Kamets, and Sheva, and Chirek, and the Accents, &c. And they put seven Kings and Accents, which were Signs to express those Sounds which they had received of Moses from Sinai. And what thinkest thou of their ordering the Scripture first with Verses, and after that with Points, and then with Accents, and then with the Masora, with the Observation of the Words that are full or defective, until they had numbred the Letters? &c.—
Now, Quid sibi vult Elias? What doth Elias infer from hence? Why saith he, Behold, it was not his mind that Moses wrote them. We grant it: What then? Why saith Elias,
Oh that the Author of Cosri had explained to us who he meant, when he saith, Vesamu! and they put, or placed them (viz. the Points,) whether he meant the Men of the Great Synagogue, or the Masorites! But I think he meant the Ma∣sorites, saith Elias.But why he thinks so, he says not. Well, be it so, the Jews think otherwise: And We think other∣wise, that he meant the Men of the Great Synagogue, both by the sence of the place in Cosri, and by the Exposition of Muscatus upon the place.
First, As to the sence of the place, the Author of Cosri saith in the place alledged,
That the Punctation was certainly made by Men divinely assisted, or it had never been so universally received as it is, and else Men of like ability might be able to do the like: And it was done (saith he) with admirable Wisdom; for it appears that in the fixing of the Points and Ac∣cents, there is such an Order therein, that cannot be done but by Divine As∣sistance; which is far otherwise than our Wisdom can attain unto, in every re∣spect, &c.
Now all the Jews acknowledge that none have been Divinely Inspired, and Infallibly Assisted, since the time of Ezra, that Pro∣phesie ceased: And therefore Cosri must needs mean the time of Ezra by Vesamu, And they put them. And Secondly, so R. Iu∣dah Muscatus, upon the place, Vesamu, And they put them, doth expound it, where he saith,
It appeareth to me, that by this indefinite Speech, he meaneth the Men of the Great Synagogue; for unto that time the Antecedents and Consequents, or what is spoken before it and after it, doth agree.
And thus we see the Father-in-Law, Cosri, is of the same mind with his Son-in-Law, Aben Ezra, that the Points were as ancient as Ezra's time.