Of the divine original, authority, self-evidencing light, and power of the Scriptures. With an…Of the divine originall, authority, self-evidencing light, and povver of the Scriptures. With an…

Sect. 5. I confess I am not able fully to satisfy my self in the Original and spring of all this Variety, being not willing merely to depend on the Testimony of the Jews, much less on the conjectures of late innovators. To the uttermost length of my view, to give a full account of this thing, is a matter of no small difficulty. Their Venerable Antiquity, and unquestionable Reception by all Translators gives them sanctuary from being cast down from the place they hold by any mans bare Conjecture. That which to me is of the greatest importance, is, ⟨p. 302⟩that they appear most of them to have been in the Bibles, then, when the Oracles of God were Committed to the Jews, during which time we find them not blamed for adding or altering one word or Tittle. Hence the Chaldee Paraphrast often follows the [Greek or Hebrew] which never was in the Line whatever some boastingly conjecture to the contrary: and sometimes the [Greek or Hebrew]. That which seems to me most probable is, that they were Collected for the most part of them, by that [Greek or Hebrew] the men of the Great Congregation. Some indeed I find of late (I hope not out of a design to bring all things to a further Confusion about the Original) to question whether ever there were any such thing as the great congregation. Morinus calls it a Judaical figment. Our Prolegomena question it. Prol. 8. Sect. 22. But this is only to question, whether Ezra, Nehemiah, Joshua, Zechariah, Haggai & the rest of the leaders of the people in their return from the Captivity, did set a Sanhedrin according to the institution of God, and labour to reform ⟨p. 303⟩the Church & all the Corruptions that were crept either into the Word or worship of God. I see not how this can reasonably be called into question, if we had not to confirm it the Catholic tradition of Jews and Christians. Neither is it called the great Congregation from its number, but eminency of persons. Now on this supposition it may be granted that the [Greek or Hebrew] on the books of these men themselves Ezra and the rest, were collected by the succeeding Churches. Unless we shall suppose with Ainsworth, that the Word was so received from God, as to make both necessary. And if we know not the true Cause of its being so given, we have nothing to blame but our own ignorance, this not being the Only Case wherein we have reason so to do.

Sect. 5. I confesse I am not able fully to satisfy my selfe in the Originall and spring of all this Variety, being not willing meerly to depend on the Testimony of the Jewes, much lesse on the conjectures of late innovators. To the uttermost length of my view, to give a full account of this thing, is a matter of no small difficulty. Their Venerable Antiquity, and unquestionable Reception by all Translatours gives them sanctuary from being cast downe from the place they hold by any mans bare Conjecture. That which to me is of the greatest importance, is,