An advertisement concerning the fourth and last part of Mr. Poole's Synopsis criticorum aliorumque S. Scripturæ interpretum

An Advertisement concerning the Fourth and Last Part of Mr. POOLE'S Synopsis Criticorum aliorumque S. Scripturae Interpretum.

WHereas my Work was at first proposed to be comprized in Three Volumes, and in the progress of it it was found necessary to adde a Fourth: In which, though the Re∣verend Bishops, Doctors, Trustees, and others concerned in it were fully satisfied, yet I would not resolve to doe it till I had given the Subscribers an Account of my In∣tention, and the Grounds and Reasons of it, (to which I refer them,) and wholly submitted it to their choice. Whereupon the Subscribers did generally declare their Consent to that Proposall, and did not onely judge such an Addition necessary, but a considerable number of them did then and since express their Desire that I would make Two Volumes upon the New Testament, for which they freely offered to pay accordingly. And, I confess, if it had been res integra, I should have been of their minde, not for my own interest, (for I doubt not to make it evident, that the compleating of the Work in Three Volumes had, all things considered, been more to my advantage then either Four or Five,) but for the peculiar Excellency and Importance of the New Testament, which did both require and deserve a more elaborate Explication. But having en∣gaged my self in my last Proposition, that there should be no further Addition then of that One Volume proposed, and that I would require no more of the Subscribers for it then 20 Shillings, I conceived my self disabled to comply with that Desire, and obliged to put no other burthen upon the Subscribers. Never∣theless, that I might gratifie their Desire as far as I could without the Injury of others, and, because I per∣ceived it was the unanimous Sence of all, that I should not streighten my self upon the New Testament, I designed to comprimize the Difference; and (whereas the stated number of Sheets for a Volume was 280) to make this a Volume of 400 Sheets. But herein, I must acknowledge, there did arise in my minde many considerable Objections: That I might, without great difficulty, finish the Work (so as to keep to my own Proposals) in a Volume not much exceeding the stated bulk; that the Enlargement of it (besides the incidental Charge and Pains) would certainly cost me many Hundreds of pounds out of my own purse, a Loss which I was not in Condition to bear, because of the Emolument of my Work, which I had already reaped, a great part was swallowed up by necessary Expences belonging to it, and the rest by some casual Infelicities; that the future Profit of it was exposed to many Uncertainties; that I should have small thanks from some, and harsh Censures from others, though what I did should be more for their, then for my own, Advantage. Against these and other Suggestions I relieved my self by the Conscience of my own Sincere Intentions in serving the Publick to the best of my skill, though with the hazard of my private Inconvenience and Loss; as also of the Quality of my Subscribers, who were gene∣rally Learned and Ingenuous Persons. And, as I was content to be no Gainer by these Enlargements, so I concluded, Persons of that Character would not suffer me to be a Loser by their Benefit. And there∣with having satisfied my self, I have proceeded accordingly. And because the Length of the Work would necessarily require proportionable Time, and divers of the Subscribers have, with some Impatience, expres∣sed their Desires of the Publication of this Last Volume, and, though it were in truth but One Volume, and might be bound up together, yet the most of the Subscribers would probably binde it in Two, I thought fit (not without the Advice of some Prudent Persons, to whom I communicated my Intenti∣ons) to publish the First Part of it, which would make a moderate Volume, containing all the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. And this the Subscribers are to exspect before next Michaelmas Term, with∣out looking for any further notice, unless there happen some extraordinary cause. And those of the Sub∣scribers who shall send up the half of their Money for this Last Volume to S. Iohn's Gate-house, near Smith∣field, shall receive the said First Part of the Last Volume. An Account whereof, so far as concerns the Go∣spels (for the Acts I have not yet begun) here follows. The Authors contracted, being comprized in the Criticks, printed at London, are these, Mursterus, Valla, Revius, Erasmus, Vatablus, Castalio, Zegerus, Drusius, Casaubonus, Camero, Gualtperius, Ludovicus Capellus, Iacobus Capellus, Pricaeus, Scultetus, besides many others taken out of the Two Volumes of Appendices to those Criticks; and Grotius. Concerning whom I must in∣treat the Subscribers to reflect upon my Proposall, wherein they will find nothing peculiarly promised (except the Translation of Greek Quotations) but onely this declared of him in common with the rest, That I should take care to collect out of them whatsoever belongs to the explication of Scripture. Which course if I had observed in him, I am perswaded, as far as I can conjecture, I might have saved my self near Thirty Sheets in this First Part: not onely because, though he was an accurate and polite Writer, yet a great number of his words might have been left out without any detriment to the Sence of the Text; but especially because he hath many large Discourses wholly extrinsecall to the Explication of those Texts where they are introduced. But because it was the concurring Desire of a great number of the Subscri∣bers (which had with me the force of a Command) that I would take in as much of Grotius as possibly I could; and because his Discourses were for the most part so clear and solid and usefull to all Divines, I have entirely transcribed them into my Work, and, I suppose, I may truly say, I have left very few of Grotius his words out of it, excepting his Quotations out of other men, wherein I have taken greater liberty, especially where they were large, or not considerable to the clearing of the Text, in which case I have made references to them: but where they were short or of any moment to the Explication of the present Text, I presume I have commonly produced them, and the Greek Quotations which were such, I have generally translated, mentioning onely the first words of the Greek. In the next place, I have col∣lected out of the Authors contained in the Biblia Maxima, as also out of Piscator, L. de Dieu, Mr. Mede, Dr. Lightfoot's Harmony, and his Chronicle, and his Horae Hebraicae, &c. upon each of the Gospels, Gataker's Cinnus, Adversaria, Anti-Pfochenius, and his Manuscript Notes, Glassius, Bochartus, &c. as in the former Vo∣lumes. And whereas I stand engaged no further by my Proposall, then to supply the Defects of the

mentioned Writers out of other and larger Commentators, and I have accordingly in the preceeding Volumes perused onely 4 or 5 of them, I have here with care and diligence perused Camerarius, Beza, Lu∣cas Brugenfis (consisting of Three great Volumes, and being one of the best Commentators upon the Gospels, in the Judgement of most Learned men,) Maldonate, an acute and Learned, though a Passionate, Writer, Dr. Hammond, Schmidius, the German Greek Professor, who writ the Greek Concordance, Walaeus his Colle∣ctions out of Salmasius, Bartholinus, Budaeus, Buxtorsius, Dallaeus, L'Empereur, Selden, Mountague, Petitus, Novarinus, Vossius, and divers others. Concerning whom I suppose I may say, without injury to truth or my reputation, I hope there are not many things in them of any considerable use to the Explication of any Text (except what I have out of my proper and primary Authors) that I have not endeavoured with Care to select out of them. Besides these I have made ample Collections out of that Large and Learned Com∣ment of Chemnitius and Gerhard upon the Evangelicall Harmony and Spanhemius his Dubia Evangelica. I have also inserted many things, where it was necessary or expedient, out of Gomarus, Iunius his Parallels, Heinsius his Exercitations upon the New Testament, and his Aristarchus sacer, Tolet upon Iohn, Vossius de Genealogia Christi, some small Tracts of Capellus and Cloppenburgius, and Sir Norton Knatchbull his Animad∣versions on the New Testament. Out of Calvin I have taken more sparingly, for the Reasons I have for∣merly mentioned, and especially because his Comments upon the New Testament, as they have been suf∣ficiently recommended to the World by Learned Men of all Parties, so they are to be bought by them∣selves at a very low price. And for the Latter Part of this Volume, upon the Epistles and the Revelation, supposing it to be done in some proportion to this Part, (which I take for granted the Ingenuity of the Subscribers will oblige and incourage me to doe,) they may exspect it, if God give me Life and Assistance, about the end of the next Summer. If that time seeme long to any of them, I humbly offer for their sa∣tisfaction, That this Volume will much exceed any of the former in bulk, and therefore may challenge a proportionable addition of time; that the Care of my Health, as divers know, will require at least a quarter of a years time out of that which is allotted to the Work; and especially, that two Presses cannot possibly dispatch the Work before that time. And if I keep pace with two Presses (as hitherto through God's Goodness for the most part I have done) I hope I shall not be charged with slothfulness in carrying on the Work. All which being considered, I think, I may say without vanity, I have dealt ingenuously with the Subscribers, and therefore promise my self they will not deal otherwise with me. And, I humbly con∣ceive, if I expect thirty, instead of twenty, Shillings for the whole Last Volume, I shall not be censured by any ingenuous Person as a Transgressor of the Rules either of Justice or Modesty. But because I earn∣estly desire that what is done may be done willingly and without regret, I do hereby declare, that if any of the Subscribers shall insist upon my last Proposall of twenty Shillings for the whole, and proportionably shall send up only ten Shillings for the First Part, it shall be delivered to them. And, as I return my most hum∣ble thanks, in the first place, to those few Gentlemen who have been Benefactors upon the account of my second Proposall, whose Favour I shall, as I am obliged, particularly acknowledge in due time and place; and, after them, to that small number of the Subscribers who were pleased to subscribe more then twenty Shillings, so those of the Subscribers who shall think fit to send up more then ten Shillings for this First Part, it shall be thankfully acknowledged. To conclude, I must intreat the Subscribers not to fail to send for their First Part, both because it is an entire thing of it self, and especially to prevent those many hazards which Prudent men will easily forecast may befall the printed Sheets when they ly by, or may otherwise be∣reave them of the Work after it is done: which if it should happen, I shall satisfie my self that I have given them seasonable notice of it, and therefore am clear from any Loss or Inconvenience which may arise from their neglect.

Postscript.

THE Subscribers are desired to send for their Books to St. John's Gate-house in London upon the 19^th day of October next, or any time within 6 weeks after, during which time the Ware-house-keeper will wait there for them every day from Two till Four of the Clock, for which he refers himself to their Courtesie, having no reason to distrust their Kindness, his Time and Pains being in effect as much as in any of the former Volumes. And whereas many Subscribers, not hearing of my last publick Notice, have not yet sent for their Third Volumes, they may then also receive them upon their Payment of fifteen Shillings for each, according to the Propositions.

If any Person desire these Advertisments for himself or his Friends he may have them gratis at Mr. Henry Mortlock's Shop, at the White-Hart in Westminster-Hall; Mr. Charles Smith's, now at the Black-Swan, but removing to the Angel near the Inner-temple-gate in Fleet∣street; and Mr. Tho. Parkhurst, at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheap-side.