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…

The Chaldee Paraphrase is à Cento also. The Targum of Jonathan is ancient, so also is that of Onkelos; they are supposed to have been made before, or about the time of our Saviour. Some of the Jews would have Jonathan to have lived not long after Ezra. Others that he was the chief Disciple of Hillel about an 100 years before Christs Incarnation; some are otherwise minded, and will not own it to be much older than the Talmud: but as yet I see no grounds sufficient to overthrow the received opinion. The other parts, of the Scripture were Paraphrased at several times, some above 500 years after our Saviour, and are full of Talmudical fancies, if not fables; as that on the Canticles. That all these Targums ⟨p. 333⟩are of excellent use is confessed, and we are beholding to the Biblia Polyglotta for representing them in so handsome an order and place, that with great facility they may be compared with the Original. But as to the end under Consideration, how little Advantage is from hence to be obtained these few ensuing observations will evince. 1. It was never the aim of those Paraphrasts to render the Original Text exactly verbum de verbo; but to represent the sense of the Text, according as it appeared to their judgment; Hence it is impossible to give any true account how they read in any place, wherein they dissent from our present Copies, since their endeavour was to give us the sense as they thought rather than the bare and naked importance of the words themselves; hence Elijah saith of them [Greek or Hebrew] behold the Targumists observed not sometimes the way of Grammar. 2ly It is evident, that all the Targums agreed to give us often mystical senses, especially the latter, and so were necessitated ⟨p. 334⟩to go off from the letter of the Text. 3ly. It is evident that they have often made additions of whole sentences to the Scripture, even the best of them, from their own Apprehensions or corrupt Traditions, whereof there is not one tittle or Syllable in the Scripture nor ever was. 4ly. What careful hands it hath passed through, the bulky collection of various lections given in this Appendix doth abundantly manifest;

The Chaldee Paraphrase is à Cento also. The Targum of Jonathan is ancient, so also is that of Onkelos; they are supposed to have been made before, or about the time of our Saviour. Some of the Jewes would have Jonathan to have lived not long after Ezra. Others that he was the chiefe Disciple of Hillel about an 100 yeares before Christs Incarnation; some are otherwise minded, and will not own it to be much older than the Talmud: but as yet I see no grounds sufficient to overthrow the received opinion. The other parts, of the Scripture were Paraphrased at severall times, some above 500 yeares after our Saviour, and are full of Talmudicall fancies, if not fables; as that on the Canticles. That all these Targums