Tricoenivm Christi in nocte proditionis suæ The threefold svpper of Christ in the night that he vvas betrayed / explained by Edvvard Kellett.

PAR. 7.

LAstly, as I said before (that I may returne to my old matter:) Though the heads of the Books might have been the same from their first being written, yet the division by Chapters and by Verses is not so ancient. Elias Lovita in the preface of his book called Massoreth Hammossoreth affirmeth with the Rabbins, that the whole Law of old was but one Pasuk, or one sentence in one; all did stick fast one to another, without any distinction of verses. And that foure hundred and six yeers after the finall destruction of the City, they were divided into Pe∣sukim, that is Verses, and Sentences, à Judaeis Tiberitis, by the Iewes of Ti∣berias.

Here let me say somewhat concerning the New Testament, and its division by the Ancients differing from what is now.

The learned Caesarius, brother to Saint Nazianzen, in his Questions saith, we have foure Gospels, which consist of eleven hundred sixty two Chapters.

Euthymius on John, bringeth the sixty sift chapter of Matthew, which is now but the six and twentieth with us.

The most learned Heinsius proceedeth, Exercitationum Sacrarum cap. 13. p. 254. &c. and by divers evident proofes evinceth, that the more ancient division of our Gospels by chapters and verses, much differeth from ours. And that the Syrian Translator yet differed from all, as dividing one chapter into soure chapters; an∣other, or the second chapter, into three chapters.

Nonnus observeth not our chapters, much lesse verses. Suidas doth otherwise distinguish the chapters. Cyrill maketh twelve bookes on Saint John, as if all were concluded in twelve chapters. Who desireth to see more, let him have recourse to the cited place of that rare Scholer, and he shall find admirable curiosities con∣cerning chapters and verses of the New Testament, and he shall not repent him of his labour. And let him consult with Sixtus Senonsis Bibliothecae Sanctae, 3. pag. 157. &c.

Let me adde somewhat more. The Arabick Translator is much different from all others. Francis Junius in his preface before the Arabick translation of the Acts, Arabs noster capita (nec sine judicio) aliter planè distinguit, atque in libris nostris distincta sunt: & consimiliter versus alios dividit in nostris confusos. Alios conjungit disparatos, & suâ compositione, id quod fuerat obscurius, tanquam adunatis stellis illuminant. Our Atabick Interpreter (saith Iun••us) distinguisheth, not with∣out

cause, or reason, the chapters otherwise than they are distinguished in our bookes. Likewise concerning the verses, he divided some, which are confounded together in our bookes; and joyneth others together, which were disparate, and sundred. And by this his Composition, that which was more obscure, he ilustra∣teth and illuminateth as by a conjunction of stars.

Heinsius in the fore-cited place concurreth with unius, that some others divisi∣ons are better than those which we now have in use (in some things.) His words are; Intelligimus eos nonnunquam meliùs, quae non haererent, divisisse: where some chapters or verses had little dependance one upon another, they sometimes better distinguished them than we doe now I answer, if in some few of their variati∣ons they come neerer to conveniency than ours doe (which I will not wholly de∣ny;) yet, if I have any judgement, they have strayed worse than the Greek di∣visions have done in other places, whilest they strive to be menders, that ought to be but Translators. Indeed, if Saint Mark had delivered the Gospell to the Sy∣rians (as themselves say he did;) and if their distinguishments be now such as Saint Mark left them, it would make much for their authority. Or if any of those Arabians Acts 2.11. who were at Jerusalem at Pentecost, had in the dayes of the Apostles translated the Gospels, and kept them since from alteration, we might ascribe much to it. But concerning the Syriack translation; Non desunt etiam quaedam in ea editione quae viris doctis & piis non admodum placent: There are somethings in that edition which holy and learned men are not well pleased with, saith Bellarmine.

And I cannot easily be brought to beleeve, that S. Mark delivered to the Churches of Syria and Egypt, the Syriac edition of the New Testament; since neither Clemens Alexandrinus, nor that living Library Origen (who laboured more about the Editions, than ever any other did.) Nor Eusebius, nor Athanasius, nor Dydimus, nor Theophilus, nor Epiphanius, nor Hierom, nor Cyril, nor Theo∣doret, nor other Fathers, who were Bishops or Priests in Syria, or Egypt, since none of these Fathers, who lived there, mentioned any such Edition, or Transla∣tion, it shall passe with me, as a work of later times.

The same Arabick translator maketh fifty chapters of the Acts of the Apostles; whereas we have only 28. chapters.

The first Epistle of S. Paul to the Corinthians in the Arabick hath 21. chapters, having only 16. chapters with us.

The second Epistle hath only 12. chapters in the Arabick, and yet we have 13. chapters in the Greek.

Ammonius divided every one of the foure. Evangelists into many chapters: S. Matthew into 355 chapters. S. Marke into 135 chapters. S. Luke into 344 chapters. S. John into 232 chapters. So Sixtus Senensis Bibliothecae sanctae, lib. 3. pag. 160. relateth.

If such difference be in chapters, which is the mainer division; there must needs be more variant diversity in the verses; which are the subalternate diffe∣rences depending on the chapters. Much more might be said, but I have wan∣dred too long: and returne to what I handled before; namely, That we have no reason of necessity, to expect, that Christs administring of his Third and Last Sup∣per should be distinguished by the beginning of a new chapter. For it is not so in any other of the Three Evangelists.

Nor are the chapters, and verses of Divine institution, but servient to the Churches ordination, varying according to the opinions of diverse ages, and in the opinion of Junius and Heinsius may be better than now they are. And yet there might be a new chapter in ancient times, when Judas went out; the old one ending, John 13.30. at these words, And it was night. For presently thereupon, in all likelyhood, was the blessed Eucharist administred; and the Evangelist S. John wholly omitted what the other Three Evangelists had so fully described: And a new chapter might begin, John 13.31. Or if not, a new matter; namely,

our thrice blessed Saviour his holy, heavenly, last Sermon (Sermo Domini in coe∣naculo,) which the other Three Evangelists very briefly touched at: but S. John declareth at large, from John 13.31. to John 18.1. Foure whole chapters, and more, in a continued, and uninterrupted manifesto, or declaration.