A90280:381
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…
Of the divine original, authority, self-evidencing light, and power of the Scriptures. With an answer to that enquiry, how we know the Scriptures to be the Word of God. Also a vindication of the purity and integrity of the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Old and New Testament; in some considerations on the prolegomena, & appendix to the late Biblia polyglotta. Whereunto are subjoined some exercitations about the nature and perfection of the Scripture, the right of interpretation, internal Light, revelation, &c. / By John Owen: D.D.Of the divine originall, authority, self-evidencing light, and povver of the Scriptures. With an answer to that enquiry, how we know the Scriptures to be the Word of God. Also a vindication of the purity and integrity of the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Old and New Testament; in some considerations on the prolegomena, & appendix to the late Biblia polyglotta. Whereunto are subjoyned some exercitations about the nature and perfection of the Scripture, the right of interpretation, internall Light, revelation, &c. / By Iohn Owen: D.D.
Oxford: printed by Henry Hall for Tho, 1659
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Sect. 10. Of the Samaritan Pentateuch both Original and Translation we shall not need to add much; What the people from whom it hath its denomination were, is known; nor have the Enquiries of Scaliger, or Morinus, added any thing to what is vulgarly known of them from the Scripture, & Josephus; In a word, an Idolatrous, Superstitious, wicked people they were, before they were subdued by Hyrcanus; afterwards they continued in the Separation from the true Church of ⟨p. 328⟩God; & upon the Testimony of our Saviour had not Salvation among them. When they received their Pentateuch is uncertain; Uncertain also how long they kept it; that they corrupted it whilst they had it, is not uncertain; They are charged to have done so by the Jews in the Talmud, and the instance they give abides to this day; Deut. 11. 30. They have added Shechem to the Text, to give Countenance to their abominations. And openly in Deut. 27. 4: where God gives a command that an Altar should be set up on mount Ebal, they have wickedly and nefariously corrupted the Text and put in Gerizim. Now one such voluntary corruption made on set purpose to countenance a sin, and false worship, is enough to lay low the Authority of any Copy whatever. The Copy here printed was brought out of the East from Damascus not long since. It appears to have been 230 years old saith Morinus in the account of it, Opusc. Samar. praefat: ad Translat Samarat: As I said before, that any Samaritans do as yet remain is uncertain; some few Jews ⟨p. 329⟩there are that walk in that way, here and there a few families. Now that this Pentateuch which was never as such committed to the Church of God, that had its rise no man knows by whom, and that hath been preserved no man knows how, known by few, used by none of the ancient Christians, that hath been voluntarily corrupted by men of corrupt minds to countenance them in their folly, should be of any Authority upon its own single account to any end or purpose, especially to vie with the Hebrew Text, men that have not some design that they publicly own not, will scarce contend. The places instanced in by Morinus to prove its integrity above the Hebrew Copy,1