Rusticus ad academicos in exercitationibus expostulatoriis, apologeticis quatuor The rustick's alarm to the rabbies, or, The country correcting the university and clergy, and ... contesting for the truth ... : in four apologeticall and expostulatory exercitations : wherein is contained, as well a general account to all enquirers, as a general answer to all opposers of the most truly catholike and most truly Christ-like Chistians [sic] called Quakers, and of the true divinity of their doctrine : by way of entire entercourse held in special with four of the clergies chieftanes, viz, John Owen ... Tho. Danson ... John Tombes ... Rich. Baxter ... by Samuel Fisher ...

CHAP. VI.

THus far as to I O's twelve Arguments, the rest of his proof of the entirenesse of his Text is made up of sundry sorts of considerati∣ons, Weak Wottings, and Pidling Putations: all which kind of miscella∣neous munition, I shall here give the Reader an Account of, together with some such observations and animadversions, as it's meet should be made thereof; and then come to expostulate with I. O. about the whole case in hand, and to set some of our surer grounded [Shall we thinks] against silly shallow [Shall we thinks] as he infers, & winds up his crazy conclusion withall, and leave all that read them to their liberty to think of them what they please.

Such brittle businesses, such starch, straw, and slubbly stuffe as I. O. stiffens and strengthens his strict Assertion with a parte ante, and his above named Body of Arguments, for the certainty and infallibility of the right wri∣ting of every Tittle and Iota of the Text of this day, according to the first immediate writing thereof from God, in both the Old Testament and the New, is as followes.

I. O. For the first Transcribers of the Original Copies, and those who in succeeding Ages have done the like work from them, whereby they have been pro∣pagated and continued down to us, in a subserviency to the Providence and Promise of God, we say not; as is vainly charged by Morinus, and Capell••s, that they were all or any of them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, infallible and di∣vinely inspired, so that it was impossible for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in any thing to mistake.

Rep. If ye can't say that, that they were infallible and divinely inspired in their work, ye can say nothing at all, that at all reaches your purpose, or pretended proof of your so absolutely Asserted certainty and infallibility of the entirenesse of your Transcribed Text, and answerablenesse of it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 every Tittle and Iota to the Original Text of the Penmen, which an∣swerablenesse if ye prove not, and that infallibly too, and by more then your own meer guesses and conjectures, your universal positive Assertion can ap••••ar to be no more then a supposition, and then, vobis ipsis cons••••entibus; your own selves acknowledging no lesse, you have no sound assurance what ground ye stand on; for the stresse of all sacred Truth is by I. O. put upon the true Transcription or mis-transcription of the Greek and Hebrew Text, which if not entire to a Tittle and Iota, p. 17.18, 19. upon any cor∣ruption supposed in the writing (and that may very well (not to say must be supposed) if all the Transcribers, even the first as well as the latter, can∣not be supposed to be as infallibly guided in Transcribing, as the holy men were in the first writing) there is no means of rectifying, or recovering, or of discovering, or determining, or judging of Truth any other way: And so thou gi∣vest upon a matter thy whole cause, in granting the whole Series of Tran∣scribers, and Race of writers to this day, to be but fallibly guided; and thy most perfect, infallible, stable; and to a Tittle true Touch-stone, Rule, Standard, Foundation falls all to the ground, as a mere falible, uncertain, questionable Basis to build so mighty a bulk upon, as thou dost; according to not others knowledge onely, but also thy own acknowledgements and confessions.

I. O. Religious care and diligence in their work, with a due Reverence of him, with whom they had to do, is all we ascribe unto them. Not to acknowledge these freely in them, without clear and unquestionable Evi∣dence to the contrary, is high uncharitablenesse, impiety, and ingratitude. This care and diligence we say, in a subserviency to the Promise and Providence of God, hath produced the effect contended for. Nor is any thing further ne∣cessary thereunto. On this account to argue (as some do) from the miscar∣riages and mistakes of men, their Oscitancy and negligence in transcribing the old Heathen Authors, Homer, Aristotle, Tully, we think it not tollerable in a Christian, or any one that hath the least sense of the nature and impor∣tance of the Word, or care of God towards his Church, Shall we think that men who wrote out Books, wherein themselves and others were no more concerned, then it is possible for men to be in the writings of the Persons mentioned, and others like them, had as much reason to be careful and diligent in that they did, as those who knew and considered that every Letter and Tittle that they were Transcribing, was part of the Word of the great God, wherein the eternal concerament of their own souls, and the Souls of others did lye. Certainly whatever may be looked for from the Religious care

and diligence of men, lying under a loving and careful Aspect from the Promise and Providence of God, may be justly expected from them who undertook that work.

Rep. Of the loving and careful Aspect, and Promise and Providence of God, and how little he stands by any promise engaged, to preserve outward Tittles (as thou ••atlest) I have spoken not a little before: but if that were as true as thou sayest it is, and as it is indeed most false that God were so engaged in order to the safe guarding his word and Church, to save every Tittle of your Priests Transcribed Texts, does not his love and care of his word and Church as strictly call for his careful Aspect over the peoples tran∣slated Texts, and bind him in his providence (according to the supposed promise) to watch over and direct the Translators in Translating for the use of his Church, but few of which can Read your Original Texts, as well as the Transcribers in Transcribing? which Translators if they happen to be one the Church, (sa••ing that she must take some of her Clergies words for infallible Truth, and as the sole foundation of her divine forth about the in∣tegrity of the Text) is out also, and hath nothing but uncertainty it self, even the uncertain fallible conjectures of (spiritually) unskilful Scholars to trust to, about the foundation of her salvation.

Neverthelesse thou wilt by no means allow that the Translators lay un∣der the same loving Aspect, who had as much to do with God, and as reli∣gious a care and diligence in their work, as Transcribers had in theirs, with a due Reverence of him with whom they had to do; yea not to acknowledge these freely in them (which is the utmost thou darest ascribe to the others) without clear and unquestionable Evidence to the contrary, is as high un∣charitablenesse and ingratitude (by how much their pains was the greater of the two) as not to acknowledge the same in the Transcribers: the care and diligence of which said Translators yet, who must be supposed to be as much in a subserviency to that thy supposed promise and providence of God (I say) hath no more produced the effect thou contendest for, (i.e) the entire agreement of their Copies to a Tittle with the first Originals, thou that of the Transcribers hath done, which hath not produced the said effect so ex∣actly as thou dreamest.

It is enough to make a wise man wonder (but that Sapiens miratur ••ibil, because he expects no other then solly to proceed from the foolish wisemen of this world) to see how thou settest thy Transcribers up on high, yet grantest them not to be infallibly guided of God neither who, if he had no higher way to expresse his love to his word and Church, then by saving every Tittle of thy Transcripts from alteration or corruption, could as easily have guided the Transcribers infallibly as fallibly, and more easily too, since his Spirit guides none fallibly so far as I know) and statest thy Transcribers under the loving and careful Aspect, promise and providence of God, in all they did in their work about thy Greek and Hebrew Copies, from whom yet no more may be expected justly then from Translators in the undertaking of their work; for Translators did consider what every Letter and Tittle that they were Translating was, as well as Transcribers did, what every Letter and Tittle and Iota was, they were Transcribing, and to argue them to be as Oscitant, Neglective, and mis-carrying, and mistaking, as those that translated

Heathen Authors is as intolerable (ad ••ominem) I speak this, for else I own it, tolerable enough so to argue, of both Transcribers and Translato••s of Scripture, for such as Transcribed and Translated Heathen Authors and their work as well as they could, and such as Transcribed and Translated Scrip∣ture could do no more, and were, thy self confessing, no more infallible nor infallibly guided then they, onely a kind of care in them, and in God over them, which amounts not to his special spiritual guidance thou tellest ••) I say as intollerable as thou sillyly sayest it would be to argue from the ••citancy, and Negligence, miscarriages and mistakes of Transcribers of Heathen Authors, to the like in the Scripture Transcribers.

But as for Translators thou pullest them down, and depressest them into a condition of as great carelesness and negligence, and under as carelesse neg∣lect of God, toward, them in their work, as thou statedst the other in great care and diligence and under a careful Aspect and providence of God towards them in theirs; saying on this wise, p. 319. of Translators (viz.) the Translators own indivertency, negligence, ignorance (for the wisest see∣netial) is one among i••merable other Reasons to be assigned of their variations from the Original; as if there were neither inadvertency, negligence, nor ig∣norance in Transcribers, but they, without being 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, were so wise as to see all, and had nothing but all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 diligence, and no such weaknesses Translators had.

And again, p. 347. of the Syriak Translation on this wise; It was made 〈◊〉〈◊〉 get I know neither when, nor by whom, in sundry places following another corrupt Translation, having passed through the hands of men ignorant (thou knowest who they were, yet callest them ignorant) and suspicious against whose, frauds and folly ye have no relief, and thou questionest whether it may be esteemed of any great use or importance, as to the end enquired after: As if the self same might not be said of thy Transcription as if thou knewest exactly when, and by whom they were made, and that they followed 〈◊〉〈◊〉 corrupt Copies in any places but all pure ones, and were known to thee to have past thorough the hands of men neither ignorant nor suspicious, as ••if thou hadst all the relief and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the world of all thy Transcribers integrity and honesty from Ezra and from Christ to this very day, and that they were men that had neither Fraud nor Holly, whereas most if not all 〈…〉〈…〉 of the Hebrew Copies have been made by the Iewes, against whom when 〈…〉〈…〉 thy turn in any point so to do, thou talkest as if there were nothing in the world but 〈◊〉〈◊〉, iniquity, and, as to the scriptures, fraud and jolly felt in the very 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of them and as if it were not to be questioned, but that al the Copier that thou are pleased to esteem 〈◊〉〈◊〉 (and no other) were 〈…〉〈…〉 to be esteemed of so great 〈…〉〈…〉 as to be canonized, as the 〈…〉〈…〉 to the whole world, which is the end of the Transcribed Copies of the Originals now enquired after.

And again, p. 234 of the Chaldee Paraphrase this, (viz.) seeing it hath 〈◊〉〈◊〉 under any peculiar care, and merciful providence of God, whether innu∣merable faults and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as it happened, with the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, may not be got into it, who can tell as if thou couldst tell what and which Transcriptions and Translations have lain under that thy so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 on loving, Aspect, peculiar

care, and merciful providence of God, so as to be exempted from faults and errou••s, besides the primitive Copies, and which have not; who told thee, but thy own Rambling, Roving, and Conjectural fancy that these have and those have not? yet beu quam praecoci ingenie, how hastily dost thou both take and give it out for granted here, that such, namely the Chaldee Paraphrase, and the Septuagint Translations God had no regard to help the Translators in, and as for some and those sundry Transcriptions too of Origi∣nal Copies when they like thee not, and are such as are not Concordane with thy favour'd darlings; how dost thou set them at thy heels, p. 199. 201. as corrupt novell Transcripts, though of two or three hundred years, or elder, and as Consonant, for ought thou knowest by any thing, but Tra∣dition, to the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 which are not now in the world, for thee or any to correct or try by, as some thou so much settest by? but the Vulgar Copy ye use thou callest (by Tradition onely received from thy Forefathers, and so upon no truely divine but humane account, if it be the Truth) the pub∣like possession of many generations, and that which upon the Invention of the Art of Printing was in actual Authority throughout the world, with them that used and understood that language (an implicitly confident, broad, blind, bold speech, yet like thy self) as far as any thing appears to the contrary (that was well put in however, if thou hadst added (to I. O.) at the end of it) yea this thou very imperiously and impositively givest the word of Command for the Canonizing and Authorizing of, saying let that passe then for the Standard which is confessedly (in foro privatae tuae phantasiae saltum) its right and due.

Thus King of Babylon-like among men, so I. O. majestically behaves him∣self among the many Transcribed and Translated Copies of the Scripture; Authorizing and Dis-Franchising which he pleases, and as the other with persons, so I. O. with patterns of the Text, patronizes as he lifts, Dan 5.19. which he will he slayes, which he will he keeps alive, which he will he sets up, and which he will he puts down; and if he be askt why this and not that is under Gods careful Aspect? Stat pro ratione voluntas.

3. And whereas thou sayest that the Transcribers care and diligence in subserviency to Gods promise and providence hath produced that effect thou con∣tendest for, (viz.) the entirenesse of the Text to a Tittle at 'twas at first, dost thou not say this as thou dost twenty things more, meerly on thy own head? and if that have produced that effect, why doth not the same cause produce the same effect in all Transcribers, as well as such onely whose work thou settest the Crown on? and in Translators as well as Transcribers? seeing thou hast no more security of the ability, faithfulnesse, honesty, care, and diligence, of such whose Transcriptions thou talkest up, then of such whose Transcribed and Translated Copies thou talkest down, as altered, varying from the first Originals, and apparently corrupt; neither canst thou charge the one more then I can the other justly (though unjustly thou wilt be doing so) with inadvertency, carelesness, and negligence, they being all alike unknown to each of us; yet thou ownest the Transcriptions of some such as spurious by superfluity, and redundancy of unnecessary, and deficiency of necessary words, as corrupt, p. 200.201. and such like; All which proves against thee variety in Copies too (but that thou wilt not see it) in Points, Tittles,

and Iota's at least which variety (if any at all) cannot be in lesse matters then these.

4. And though thou sayest not any thing further then the said Religions care and diligence of Scribes is necessary to the said effect of Identity with the first Copy to every Iota and Tittle, without infallible guidance from Gods Spirit, dost thou say that in earnest? If thou dost, I say in earnest, thou well knowest not what thou sayest; for let there be never so much honesty fidelity, care, and diligence used, yet unlesse there be an infallible guidance, or wri∣ting by that immediate inspiration, which thou ascribest to the holy penmen but denyest and darest nor ascribe to thy first Transcribers, the mind and, will of God (if I. O. be to be believed when he speaks against himself) is not represented to thee (as thou sayest it is, p. 153.) without the least interve∣niency of such mediums and waies as were capable to give change or alteration to the least Iota or Syllable, without the least mixture or interveniency of any me∣dium obnoxious to fallibility, (as thou sayest it is: p. 10.) for in the very next words p. 10.11. thou utterest enough to the confutation of thy self in this, while, (according to thy wonted manner of running round as one borrendo percussus Scotomate) thou sayest the wisdom, truth, integrity, knowledge, and memory of the best of all men, is obnoxious to fallibility, and con∣sequently (say I) capable to give change in the most careful Transcription that can be made by mans hands, that is uninspired, in much more then the least Iota or Syllable; thus art thou contrary to thy self still.

5. But I say for all thy reasonlesse rounds, and self contradictory conceits, more then Transcribers care and diligence is necessary thereunto, (i.e.) to the producing of Copies infallibly conformable in every Tittle, Iota, and Point to those of the first Penmen, and to the begetting of the divine faith (which is more then meer humane fallible perswasion) that thou oughst to have about the soundnesse, universal incorruption, certainty, integrity, invari∣ablenesse and infallibility of that thou callest thy foundation, even that immediate manutenentia Dei, or undeceivable direction and divine inspiration of God, which if it be wanting (as thou confessest it was from the first to the last of thy Transcribers) such is the weaknesse of men, where never so much carefulnesse is in Transcribing of Books, that there may be miscarri∣ages and mistakes, which if, there be in the least Iota or Syllable, it's great enough to lay thy universal grand Assertion to the ground, and all thy proof of it from the foresaid care and diligence will prove not worth a pin to thy purpose. But alas what do I talk of weaknesse, where either the leading of the Spirit of God is wanting, or a willingnesse in men to be led by the holy Spirit, as it is in all that assert (as thou dost) his infallible guidance to be gone out of the world in these dayes; there's not onely much weaknesse to such a weighty work as thou makest the Transcribing the Scripture to be, but (as thou sayest, p. 104. so I in this case about the Scriptures) so much vanity, foolishnesse, falsenesse, unfaithful∣nesse, negligence, ignorance, and sloth, love of money (for which many write at others appointment, being well paid for their plains) more then of the matters they are writing, as well in Scribes as Printers of the very Scrip∣ture it self, carelesnesse, adding, detracting, unsuitablenesse of their Spirits, and minds to spiritual things, losse of all remembrance of what they are, and

what they do, &c. that I can give very little credit to what I have nothing but the Authority, Ability, Integrity, Wisdom, Knowledge, Truth, Memory, Care and Diligence of such to rely upon for, without evidence of their being divinely and infallibly guided, which guidance thou denyest to thy Scribes; nor can any wise man groundedly believe any other, but that the Books of Scripture passing through the hands of many such Transcribers, have upon them the marks of their neglects, ignorance, and sloth, and have had (as hard of belief as thou seemest to be of this; p. 206.) the fate of other books.

Yea I. O. let me but ask thee this, Is that faith thou hast that thy Greek and Hebrew Copies are to a Tittle so uncorrupted (as thou contendest) a divine faith or a fallible perswasion onely? if the Latter it's not worth, a figge, if thou have no bettr faith then so, and art not more infallibly assured then so of the infallibility of that which thou callest thy most perfect Rule, and infallible foundation: If the former what is it must beget this divine faith in this thing, that there's not a Point nor Tittle varying in thy now Canon standard or adored Copy from the first Copy of the Text that ever was? will thy vain confidence, hopes, conjectures, good conceits of thou know∣est not what Scribes, that wrote thou knowest not when, give thee such a faith or the Traditions and Authority and Testimony of honest men, saying so and so, downward for many generations? or some infallible ground of certainty, that they were guided to write every word by divine in∣spiration?

Not the first, for thou utterly disclaimest that, as no ground of divine faith about the Scriptures, by saying thus, p. 105. if numbers of men may be allowed to speak, we may have a Traditional Testimony given to the blasphemous figments of the Alcoran. But the constant Tradition of more then a thousand years, carried on by innumerable multitudes of men, great, wise, and sober, from one generation to another, doth but set open the gates of hell for the Mahometans, and thus, p. 114.115. though I should grant, that the Apostles and penmen of the Scripture, were persons of the greatest industry, honesty, integrity, faithfulnesse, holinesse, that ever lived in the world (as they were) and that they wrote no∣thing but what themselves had assurance of, as what men by their senses of seeing and hearing, are able to attain; yet such a knowledge and assurance is not a suffi∣cient foundation for the faith of the Church of God, if they received not every word by inspiration, and that evidencing it self unto us otherwise then by the Au∣thority of their integrity, it can be no foundation for us to build our faith upon.

Not the latter, for thou disclaimest that, and darest not ascribe any such thing as infallible guidance, or divine inspiration to thy Trustee Transcri∣bers: so where the divine faith about the firmnesse of thy foundation it self stands founded, and bottom'd unlesse it be in the bottomlesse pit it self of thy own fancy, he must have more Rope to fathom with then I have, that will ever find.

Wilt thou not then I. O. say of the first Transcribers of the Scriptures, that the were infallible and divinely inspired? (I do not say thou dost ill in refusing so to say, nay rather thou dost very well, and somewhat honestly and ingenuously in that, for indeed we cannot tell, nor say safely that they were so) but art thou then freely willing in very deed to yeild it to

us that they were fallible, and that 'twas not impossible for them to mistake? This grant of thine, we are as free to accept of as thou art to give it, and make good use of it too, not so much against as for thy self (viz.) to shew and instruct thee from thence, that there's rottennesse at the very root of all your Religion, and a fearful flaw of fallibility that is in the very foundation of your faith and believing, in which thou sayest ye are built on the writings of the Prophets and Apostles, T. 1. c. 2 S. 4, that so ye may (which is the worst that we wish you) come to be better built on a firmer foundation, and both you and your foundation and faith and all may stand fast, and never (as now ye must do) fall any more from thenceforth for ever; even the foundation of the Apostles and Pro∣phets it self, which was not their writings, for these were not their foun∣dation, nor were given to be ours; for if they were, then they had been built upon themselves, and we are to be upon them, which is absurd to say, for neither their own preachings nor writings were their own founda∣tion which they were built on, nor are we to build onely upon them, but both they and we upon that which all holy men, were built on from the beginning, before any writing was at all, (viz.) Christ Iesus the light, the corner stone which the blind builders refuse, on whom whoever builds and be∣lieves, if he never come to read one Tittle of any outward writing, shall assuredly never be ashamed.

In this one grant then thou hast given both the Qua. and all others thou contendest with no lesse then the very cause thou contendest for (viz.) that the Scripture or Letter is infallibly the infallible word of God, and every Letter, Tittle, and Iota of it also; one Iot or Tittle of which can no sooner fail, then Heaven and Earth can passe away, and that every Iota and Tittle that was in the outward Letter as at first given forth from God by inspira∣tion, is preserved to this very day without corruption, and remains in the Copies preserved till now for the use of his Church: that the whole Scripture entire as given out from God without any losse is preserved in the Original Copies yet remaining, yea in them all is every Letter and Tittle: For this is the cause thou hast taken in hand, in which thou wilt find, when once thou awakest, that thou hast hold on the wrong end of the staffe, and these, and much more of the like sort are thy own words and absolute assertions about it, up and down in thy Book, T. 1. c. 1. S. 14. T. 12. e. 2. S. 7. 9. which if they cannot be made good (so high thou runnest) but that there be any cor∣ruption to be supposed in your present Original Copies and various Lections (though it be granted by Capellus and others, that the saving Doctrine remaines sound as to matters of moment) yet this shall not satisfie nor afford thee relief enough, but thou wilt needs give up all thy cause, as lost (even further then thy own opponents would have thee) confessing and professing that all your Doctrine is corrupt, not continuing entire, no means of its discovery, nor of its recovery from a lost condition, no means of rectifying it, or determining any thing about it, see T. 1. c. 1. S. 16.17. yea so as to yeild your selves to be at such a losse as not to know what ground ye stand on: yea in thy Dedicatory Epistle, pag. 25. lay but these two together, first that the Points are the invention of the Tiberian Massorites, which by all thy proofs to the contrary thou leavest as uncer∣tain

as thou foundst it, and little lesse then yeild'st that it's but uncertain 2 That its lawful to gather various Lections, &c. and then (sayest thou) for my part I must needs cry out 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 tell me where I must stand, as not seeing any means of being delivered from utter uncertainty in and about all sacred Truth, and so thou goest on, desuing to be instructed by such as see through the de••adiations that are likely to ensue on these principles, as one that trem∣blest to think what will be the desperate consequences of imagining alterations in the Points, Tittles, and Iotaes of your Originals, Ep. ded. p. 19. now what the issue will be we leave to God, though some know it, yet thou are too weak to bear the sense of it without amazement, being bottomed no better then upon a quavering bogge, if it should be told thee, yet know it thou wilt when it comes to passe, or if thou canst bear it take it now. Fiat justuis aut pereat mundus, the issue (as dreadfull as it seems to thee who a••t in fearlesse dangers of greater mischiefs, and but dangerless fears of this present object thou so startlest at) will assuredly be no worse then this as I said above, (viz.) that while Theeves will fall out True men will come by their good again, & if all the Divines in the world be in such digladiations as to draw their daggers against each other about it yet the light, from which your whole Letter came, will be turned to, when the Letter is found to be but a fallible uncertain Rule, as falsified by mens mis-transcriptions and mis-translations, which light is certo certius, vera verius, if ought can be so, even no lesse then infallibility and certainty it self, and that very Equity and Truth it self, which the Letter teaches, and doth but tend to; and for my part sink thou, and thy fearful fellows, boreling Priests and wrangling Lawyers, that live altogether on mens lusts, trespasses and sins, of which, when the world comes to the light, and by it to be led into love, honesty, and peace, as there will be no need, so it will be wiser then to be fooled into a feeding of you for feeding them in their fightings, I say sink ye whether ye will, and your Quick sandy founda∣dations together with you, till both your selves and them be swallowed up by that greater glory of the light it self, now arising again upon the world, though they will nor see it; I know some that stand so fast in this juncture, wherein the old heaven and earth shakes in order to its removing, as to see thousands fall besides them, and thousands at their right hand, yet be out of fear of the fearful fall of the Hypocrites coming nigh them: And as it hath never repented me hitherto to see that people that were Priest∣bewildred, and hampered in Latine Letanies, English Liturgies, divine Scottish Directoryes, falling off from their Priests and Scribes to the search of Scrip∣tures, so it will never repent either my self or many thousands more, that are turned to a true attendance to the light of Christ, having witnessed that weaknesse of the Letter it self to save the soules of men which the Letter it self also bears witnesse to, Rom. 8 2. to see men fall, according to the councel of the Scripture in that behalf, Gal. 5.16. (such a tall is in truth not from, but to the Scriptures) from the Scrip∣ture it self to the holy Spirit.

Neverthelesse, were I one that did close never so cordially with thee in thy cause about the Scripture, yet could I not commend, but most con∣demne the Course in which thou commend'st it to us, for, as if it were

not forward enough te fall of it self, thou hastenest to handle it down with thy own hand writing, while thou grantest the very first Transcribers of the Scripture to be fallible, and also to have erred and failed, though it were but in Points, Tittles, and Iotaes, and in no lesse they could fail, if they fail'd at all; for is they were fallible, and what they wrote were falsified in the least, then at least thy Foundation, which is no other then such Transcriptions, is so far false and fallible as they failed; and so (contrary to what thou sayest) in the least at least it impairs the Truth of thy Arch∣Assertion, that the whole Scripture, and every Tittle, and Letter, as given out from God, without any losse, is preserved, and remains entire and without Cor∣ruption in the Copies of the Originals yet remaining, for sure one Tittle, Letter, or Iota, a thousand to one, may (if they mistook at all) be either wan∣ting or redundant; and if they fail'd, who wrote immediately out of that which was first written by Inspiration, then those that Transcribed down∣wards, from that day to this, having none but imperfect Copies to write by, might likely fail, so as to make them more, rather then lesse imperfect, for Error minimus in principio, is ever major in medio maximus in fine, if the first or second stone stand never so little awry in any building, following that, it will swerve into more and more crookednesse towards the Top; and so what Corruptions, Crookednesse, Alteration, Ablations, Additions, Va∣riations from each other, in more then Tittles and Iotaes, there may be now in the Copies ye have, there being now no Autographaes to amend them by, but a bottomlesse pit and endlesse heap of uncertain Conjectures, Contradictions, Scoldings and Scottlings among the Scribes about it, Pro and Con, some saying one thing, some another, and the most part they know not what themselves, but as they think and hear from others, who knows save confident I. O. who seldom looks before he leaps, and so knocks the Nail on the head, as to hush all the hurries that are about it, and end the Controversie, and put it out of all doubt, so far as his help∣lesse Hammer will do it, by First saying positively there is no Variation at all; and Secondly, proving it so to be, as infallibly as his fallible Conceits can prove so ambiguous a businesse by saying, from more uncertain grounds then his Seniors and Superiors, viz. Doctor Iohn Prideaux (as he was cal∣led) Luther, Capellus, and others say the contrary, that he cannot but Conjecture it so to be; which proof hath as much strength in it as a straw, while thou Confessest (as thou dost) That Religious Care and Di∣ligence in their Work, with a due Reverence of him with whom they had to do, is all ye ascribe to the first Transcribers, which not to acknowledge in them, is high Vncharitablenesse, which Care they lying under a loving careful Aspect from God, together with the Promise of God (where he promiseth no such matter as thou talkest on (viz.) to preserve the Letter in all its Transcriptions from any Alteration, but to put his Word into his peoples mouths) and his Providence and Care of his Church (to which yet, or to the Transcribers of that which was to be her only Rule (as thou sayest) thou deniest that he yielded his infallible Spirit to continue with them ever as their guide) produces the Copies yet extant, and then inferrest thy Conclusion to this pur∣pose, (viz.) Shall we think that men that knew that every Letter and Tittle they were Transcribing, was part of the Word of the great God, &c. should

should not be more careful and diligent in their Work then such as Transcribed Hea∣then Authors, Homer, Aristotle, Tully, thus to Argue we think is not Tollerable in a Christian; and to imagine that the same Fate hath attended the Scripture in its Transcription, as hath done other Books, which yet I find some learned men too free in granting, seems to me to border on Atheism; I say, while thou sayest but thus, thou sayest no more then what deserves no other Answer then this (viz.) That to say, confesse, and grant, that the first Transcri∣bers of the Scripture were not infallible, nor divinely Inspired, but fallible, and to ascribe no more to them then a Religious care and diligence in their Work, and due Reverence of God with whom they had to do, and their lying un∣der a loving and careful Aspect, from a Promise of God (which was never made infallibly to guide them) and his Providence (without his divine Inspi∣ration and direction) and yet to Conclude that their Transcriptions were not attended with the same fate as other Books (viz.) Aristotle, Tully (whose Transcribers, out of the Reverence they had of those Authors, or who∣ever else engaged them in that Work, would be as careful and diligent as they could without doubt, and no men uninspired can be more) and much more that in their Transcriptions, it must not be supposed there was any Corruption or Variation from the first Copies so much as in one Letter or Tittle in the Copies extant at this day (as I. O. sayes) seems to me (and I appeal to all men that are well in their wits to judge of what I say) such an odde kind of self-Confutation, such a parcht up parcel of Confusi∣on, such an inconsequent Conclusion, as is no lesse, but somewhat more, then Atheistical, having not only nothing in it of either God, Christ, or the Christian, but even not the common Reason of a man, and so is intollerable both among Christian men, and others, and bordering upon Atheism, as all unreasonablenesse doth: Yea, I. O. I doubt not as full of Oscitancy and Negligence as thou wast in the framing of the Fabrick of thy Book it self, yet the Reverence, and respect to thy Doctorship, and such like, would oblige the Printers of it to as much Care and Diligence in the doing of it, as they can use at this day who Print the Bible it self, neverthelesse what miscarriages and mistakes, and what a multitude of Errataes (as there are ma∣ny Printers faults in this of mine) are at each end of thy Two English and Latine Tractates? And is Transcription by the Pen more exempted from Errataes then the Presse? which sometimes produces such abominable Errours in the Bible it self, as would amaze some people that know not the Mystery of that Art to be liable to mistakes, about the Scripturess as well as in other Writings, to read the flat falsities, that have been the issue of their failings: Yea, the same fate hath attended the Scripture at the Presse as hath other Authors, and why it cannot at the Pen I cannot Conjecture; To instance in one that is more grosse then others ordinarily are, Rom. 15. ••9. in one Edition & Impression that I have seen, these words of Paul, viz. from Ierusalem to Illyricum I have fully Preached the Gospel, are misprinted thus, from Ierusalem and round about to Illyricum I have falsly Preached the Gospel of Christ; So that for thee to say the fate in Transcriptions and Impres∣sions, in which way the Scriptures now altogether come forth since Prin∣ting came up (for there's now little or no Writing thereof at all) hath not attended the Scriptures, as hath other Books,

Vox sonat haecce Deum? Ne hominem sonat hac tua ceri?

As for the rest of those yielding Strawes, and weak Weapons, wherewith thou standest out Pushing and Warring on, in vindication of thy Asserti∣on, which looses ground more and more, at the tayl of which thou again usherest in thy Conclusion, viz. The Iewes silly superstitious sayings and doings, which thou minglest with thy own, shall we thinks; as if thou didst not only justifie and side with them in their Absurdities, but also build much, as to the Evincing of thy Position thereupon, there lacks little to be Re∣plyed as to the Routing of them, every one that hath any little solidity in him, being easily capable to see and feel the foppicalnesse thereof, yet at least I shall do thee so much Right, who perhaps placest more in them then many a wise man would do, as to nominate them.

The Iewes (sayest thou, pag. 169, 170, 171, 173.) have a Common say∣ing, That to alter one Letter of the Law, is no lesse sin then to set the whole World on fire; The truth is, they are prodigious things that are Related of the Exact Diligence, and Reverential Care of the Antient Jewes in this Work; Ben Asher spent many years in the Careful Exact Writing out of the Bible; Let any consider the things which they affirm to Prophane a Book or Copy, One is, if but one Letter be wanting; and Another, if but one Letter be Redundant; and shall we think that is Writing it they took no more Care then a man would do in Writing out Aristotle or Plato? Considering that the Word to be Tran∣scribed was every Tittle and Iota of it, The Word of the great God, &c. that if any failings were made, innumerable Eyes of men owning their Eternal Con∣cernment to lye in that Word, were open upon it to discover it, &c. It is no hard work to prove their Care and Diligence to have out-gone that of Common Scribes of Heathen Authors; Even among the Heathen we will scarce think that the Roman Pontifices going solemnly to Transcribe Sybills Verses, would do it either negligently, or Treacherously, or alter one Tittle from what they found written; And shall we entertain such Thoughts of them, that knew they had to do with the living God, in and about that which is dearer to him then all the World besides? Let men then Clamour as they please, and cry out of all as ignorant and stupid, which will not grant the Corruptions of the Old Te∣stament, they plead, let them propose their Conjectures of Mistakes crept into the Original Copies with their Remedies, as Capellus, We shall acknowledge no∣thing of this nature, but what they can prove by undeniable and irrefragable in∣stances, which as to any thing done by them, appears upon the matter to be nothing at all. It can then with no colour of Probability be Asserted (which yet I find some Learned men too free in granting) namely, that there hath the same Face attended the Scripture in its Transcription as hath done other Books: Let me say without offence, this Imagination seems to the to border on Atheism: Surely the Promise of God for the Preservation of his Word with his Love and Care of his Church, of whose Faith and Obedience the Word is the only Rule require o∣ther Thoughts at our hands. We adde, that the whole Scripture entire, as given out from God without any losse, is preserved in the Copies of the Originals yet re∣maining: What varieties there are among the Copies themselves, shall be after∣wards declared; in them all we say is every Letter and Tittle of the Word.

Reply. Because the Children of the Letter, of the Old Testament, nor

of the Gospel, the Spirit, and the New, are so sortish and senslesse, as to surmise that the bare Copies of the Letters, and Points and Tittles, and lo••aes, are dearer to God then all the World besides, so that its a greater sin to mis-transcribe one Letter, by either Alteration, Ablation, or Addition, which change by Deficiency, or Redundancy, may befal the most Critical, Curious, Careful Scribe that ever was, does prophan a Copy so that its not the Holy Scripture (for Prophane and Holy, are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) and is as great a sin, and a matter of as much moment as the fi••ing the whole World, and upon such uncircumcised Conceits, are men Excrementi••ously exact and diligent to very do••age, and careful of Pins, Points, Vowels, Ac∣cents, Tittles, Iotaes, Apices, and Letters of the Text, ad Extra (not Tantamount to the least of the Truths therein contained, no not to so ••uch as Tyth, while the Law for it stood, of Mint, An••is, and Commin) to utter Carelesnesse of the grand Truths and reverentially respectful to their Book, as they were of old to their Brazen Serpent (of as divine Ori∣ginal, and to as divine an end as the Letter is) to very idolatry, and spen∣ding their time in tedious transcribings of every Apex, to the very total loss of many years from the more weighty matters of Judgement, Mercy, Righteousnesse, Faith, and Truth, which the Text doth but testifie of, and prodigious to very Superstition; I say, because that blinded Generation of men (viz.) the Iewes, whom sometimes thou seemest to tax for their undue Veneration of the Letter, and over-weenings of it, pag. 236. and to set them at nought, as men feeding themselves all their dayes with vain Fables, addicted to figments, profoundly Ignorant, Idolatrous full of foolish Contra∣dictious Triflings, bewitched with their Dunghilly Traditions, doing how seriously of nothing, how Childishly in serious things, fools, sots, froth, smoke, nothing, whose sayings and doings are no more to be heeded then that of wick'd, blind, mad∣men, &c. pag. 236, 239, 242, 243, 246, 247. do so adore the letter, and dote on the Tittles of it, must thou needs be foolish, and doting, and sottish, and superstitious, and Idolatrous, and so Childishly serious in taking up thy Time and Thoughts so totally and piningly after Toyes, and Trifles, and Iots, and Tittles together with them? Vin tu Curtis Judaeis op∣pedere, &c. Wilt thou sometimes flert at the Iewes Fancies, and Fopperies, and odde Conceits, and over-curious Carriages of themselves in Boyes Toyes, and at that which is the fruit of their fidling minds, as not fit to be any other then forgotten, and yet forget thy self so other whiles as to en∣tertain their vain Thoughts so as to own them as thine own, and own them as thy grounds and foundations to frame thy Arguments upon, so as both ••o think the same with them, and from thence to impose upon the thoughts and faith of others? for if thou judg them ridiculous, why dost thou alledge them in so serious a Case as thou dost? and if thou justifie them, art thou not one with them? and because thou think'st, as they so superstitiously think, and from thence thrusts out thy confident Conclusions, in that thy wonted Interrogative way of shall we think this and that, shall we entertain such Thoughts, can it be imagined? &c. or (if positively) then thus, it is not unprobable, it can with no colour of probability be Asserted, this or that Imagination seems to me to border on Atheism, Gods Promise, &c. require other thoughts at our hands, and such like; must therefore the Children

and Ministers of the New Testament, not of the Letter, but of the Spi∣rit run a Whoring with the dead Literatists, back again from the Spirit to the Letter, from the Son to the Servant, from the Substantial Word to the Image and Copy of it, from the Living to the dead, from the eternal, inalter∣able, incorruptible Truth, to the varying, vanishing, perishing Tittles of Greek and Hebrew External Texts; Must they that are of the Light, and of the Day Think, and Dote, and Dream with the light-defying Doctors of the Night, and of the Darknesse?

And because I.O. those Point-prizing Rabbies, and Tittle-trying Textmen, and thou with them think so, yet shall we think that every Tittle and Iota is the Word of the great God, and that our eternal Concernment lyes in every outward Apex of thy Canonized Copy, and that such an Acci∣dental Attome is dearer to God then the who••e World besides? and that e∣very Copy of the holy Scripture is prophane, if redundant or deficient from what at first Writing it was, in one Letter, and that 'tis more to mistake so as to alter a Letter in Transcribing a Copy of the Law, then to burn the whole World?

Shall we think that the writers of Aristotle & Plato, would not for Money, or for their Credits sake, or something, as most Scriveners do in what they undertake, Transcribe as exactly as they could? and shall we think that men uninspired, as thou confessest the Scripture Transcribers were, could possibly do any more then they could do?

Yet (to entertain the best Thoughts of them that may be) grant their Care and Diligence to be more then that of Common Scribes of Hea∣then Authors (to save thee the pains of proving it) and that à minori ad majus, as the Romans would not Treacherously mis-transcribe Sybills Verses, so much lesse would Iewes the Scriptures, having therein to do with God; yet shall we think all that Transcribed Scripture, & Translated it too, knew not whom they had to do with as well as some? Yet varieties thou here Confessest are in the Copies among themselves, and that cannot be but that some of them must differ from the first Original, and (if at all) in Tittles at least, and (if but so) its enough to over-turn the universality of thy Assertion; and so what was possible to some (as mistakes were) was possible to All, and not impossible to any Transcribers; Shall we think then, because thou so thinkest, that there are no Mistakes crept into the Original Copies upon they groundlesse Conjecture, that if it be so that any be, all Truth it self, fails, as to its certainty, and that without remedy, or relief? though sufficiently propounded by Capellus, and others, to the satisfacti∣on of any, save wild I.O. thats resolved to hold the Conclusion, and is loath to abate of his (once uttered) rash Assertion, but as it is forced from him by degrees, professing that he will acknowledge nothing of this nature, but what is proved by undeniable and irrefragable Instances, which Instances also himself gives; and though he would have others give heed to his own improbable Probabilities, yet is Adeo infeliciter stupidus ut nulla ratione neque experentia erudiri possit, quasi tamen ipse solus superer vana per∣swasione sideratus, in contemptu omnium audaciter persistit, cum Comico illo clamans, dicat quod quisque volet ex hâ•• opinione non dimovebimur. Etenim, si seniorum suorum, Cap. J.P. Testimonium, seu Experientia ipsa ullius apud eum ponde••is

effe•• aut momenti, Scripturae lectiones & Transcriptiones esse vari••s negare vere∣cundaretur, Ex. 2. Sect. 28. i. e. so unhappily, irrefragably stupid himself, as not by any Reason or Experience to be instructed, but (as if he alone must impose) possest it with a vain perswasion pertinaciously pro∣ceeds in contempt of all men; Crying out with the Comedian, Let every one say what he will, we will never be removed from this Opinion; for if the Testimony of his Seniors, Capellus, I.P. or Experience it self, were of any weight, or moment, he would blush to deny that there are various Lections and Transcriptions of the Scripture.

Shall we think, because I.O. so speakes (a•• he thinks) that it can with no colour of Probability be Asserted, though learned men (as is confest) do confesse it, that the same fate hath attended the Scripture in its Transcription as hath done other Books?

Shall we think (because I.O. saith it so seems to him) that so to imagine, and so on deliberation to Assert, borders on Atheism?

Shall we think, and Conclude (because I.O. Concludes so in his Thoughts) that the whole Scripture entire, as given out from God, even e∣very Letter and Tittle, without any losse, is preserved in the Copies of the Originals yet remaining?

Shall we think (because I.O. without the least colour of Sense, Reason, Certainty, or Probability, thinks so) that the Promise of God, for the preser∣vation of his Word, and his Love and Care of his Church fails utterly, if one Iot or one Tittle of the outward Text fails, so as to be mistaken in the Transcribing? Surely if so, it fails as much through the failings that are in Translations (not without his permission) for his Word and Church, as to her knowledge of it (if the Letter were the only way to know it now) are as much concern'd in the right Translation, as Transcription, yet I.O. de∣nies, that God vouchsafes his infallible guidance in either; but surely the Promise of God for the Preservation of his Word, with his care of his Church, of whose Faith and Obedience, not the Letter or Writing of it, but the Word it self declared of therein is the Rule, and was so before the Letter was, the Preservation of which, is neither more nor lesse by the Letters being, or not being, requires other Thoughts at our hands.