A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

The other portion of the people, who either lived in Palestine, or those parts of the East where the Greek tongue never prevailed into common use, so soon as their language began to be mixed with the Syrochaldean, and the purity of it to grow into disuse, made use constantly of their Targums, or Translations into that tongue. Neither can it be proved, but that the Jerusalem Jews understood the Hebrew well enough until the destruction of the City and Temple by Titus. So that from the Church of the Jews you cannot obtain the least countenance to your practice. And there lies in Gods dealing with them a strong Argument and Testimony against it. For if God himself thought meet to intrust his Oracles unto his People, in that language which was common unto them all, hath he not taught us that it is his Will they should still be so continued? And is there not still the same reason for it as there was at first? (2.) Farther, the practice of the Latin Church is unavoidably against you. For whereas the Scripture was no part of it written in Latin which was their vulgar tongue, it it was immediately both Old Testament and New turned thereinto: and therein used, as in their public Worship, so by private Persons of all sorts, upon the encouragement of the Rulers of it. And no reason of their translation of it, which they made and had from time immemorial, can possibly be imagined, but only the indispensable necessity which they apprehended of having the Scripture in a Language, which the People did generally speak and understand. (3.) The case was the same in the ancient Greek Church. The New Testament was Originally written in their own vulgar tongue, which ⟨p. 544⟩they made use of accordingly. And as for the old, they constantly used a Translation of it into the same dialect. So that it is impossible that we can obtain a clearer suffrage from the Ancient Churches, both Jews and Christians, and these both of Latins and Greeks in any thing, then we have against this custom of your Church. But these languages you say have ceased to be vulgar for some thousand years to your knowledge. Bona verba! You know much I perceive, yet not so much, but that it is possible you may sometimes fail in your Chronological faculty. Pray how many thousand years is it think you since Christs birth, now this year 1663.?

The other portion of the people, who either lived in Palestina, or those parts of the East where the Greck tongue never prevailed into common use, so soon as their language began to be mixed with the Syrochaldean, and the purity of it to grow into disuse, made use constantly of their Targums, or Translations into that tongue. Neither can it be proved, but that the Jerusalem Jews understood the Hebrew well enough until the destruction of the City and Temple by Titus. So that from the Church of the Jews you cannot obtain the least countenance to your practice. And there lyes in Gods dealing with them a strong Argument and Testimony against it. For if God himself thought meet to intrust his Oracles unto his People, in that language which was common unto them all, hath he not tanght us that it is his Will they should still be so continued? And is there not still the same reason for it as there was at first? (2.) Farther, the practice of the Latin Church is unavoidably against you. For whereas the Scripture was no part of it written in Latin which was their vulgar tongue, it it was immediately both Old Testament and New turned thereinto: and therein used, as in their publick Worship, so by private Persons of all sorts, upon the encouragement of the Rulers of it. And no reason of their translation of it, which they made and had from time immemorial, can possibly be imagined, but only the indispensible necessity which they apprehended of having the Scripture in a Language, which the People did generally speak and understand. (3.) The case was the same in the antient Greek Church. The New Testament was Originally written in their own vulgar tongue, which