gure was always kept among the Princes of Ifrael, for the Vulgar ufed the Samaritan Hebrew; but when Ezra came, he let the People use the Figure wherein the Law was given. It's called Affyrian, because the Nobles of Ifrael brought it from thence with them; for they kept it there fecret, because it was the Holy Scripture.

Abarbynell fays, It is the Eighth Article of the Jewish Creed, to believe the Law that now is in our hands, is the fame that was given in Mount Sinai, without any Change.

Ritbam fays, The meaning of this Sentence in the Talm. viz, The Law was given in the days of Ezra, in the Affyrian Scripture, is, That an Edict went forth from Ezra, That all and every man should write the Book of the Law in the Affyrian Figure, and no other; That for the future, they might ufe that kind of Writing wherein the Tables of the Law, and Book of the Law which was in the Ark was writ. And when it is faid in the Talmud, That in the beginning the Law was given to Ifrael in the Hebrew Writing, that's only meant of Books wrote for private ufe. For, the God of Mercy fave us from thinking the Law that was in the Ark to be of that Character.

Now it feems a very probable thing, That thefe quiefcent Letters were the Vowels to the one, and the Points the Vowels to the other; which a further fearch may bring more light into. At prefent I fhall conclude with this, That on a double account the Accentual Points have a priority to thefe Vowels.

1. There are fome parts of the Bible yet without Vowel-Points, but no part without accentual.

2. That

2. That the Accentual make a Change on the vowels, but the vowels none on them.

3. The accentual goes along with both Characters; but the Vowels only with the Quadrate Figure.

4. That the Anomala's, and Irregularities are fewer in the Accents than either in Vowels or Confonants. And the Reafon may be good, becaufe there was a change in the one, but none in the other.

CHAP.

Of the Ufefulness and Neceffity of of this ART; abftracting from the Opinion controverted about their Antiquity and Authority.

T is confeffed by Bishop Walton in his Prolog, tho he difputes for the Tiberians being the Inventors of the Figures of thefe Points; Yet not of their Ufe and Value: that was before from Ezra's time, and before that too, and fo Capellus and they think that either in Writing, or by faithful Tradition, it was preserved in that Integrity. That they deny any more to be humane, but the Figure of thefe Points in that Syllogifme against them (What the Maforites are Authors of is humane, but the Maforites are Authors of the fenfe of the Old Teftament, Prob. Minor, The form of Words are their Senfe, but they are Authors of the form, viz. the Points.) They diftinguish and say, They are Authors of the Figure, not Sound, nor Ufe in Signification. The English Tranflators are as much Authors of the Bible Senfe, by their Invention of English Signs to Communicate the former Divine Senfe (before kept in Hebrew Signs) to English People. So the Tiberians Invented only thefe more fit Signs, for preventing Mistakes and

Errors

Errors creeping into that Senfe, which the Vocal and Traditional Signs were liable to let in: And when they are urged with the Improbability of keeping entire fuch a Multitude of various Sounds, Senfes, and Ufes for a thousand Years. They Anfwer, may be though they were not Inferted in the Bible, yet they were in a Book by themselves, and then the Maforites work is only Application, the Authority of the Points is Prophetical. But to pafs this by too, and not to urge Concessions at a ftrait, too much (though Elias Levita, the only Few, and the firft Author of Tiberian Maforits, always Afferted their Divinity.) Let us fuppofe their most Genuine Senfe, that the Maforits were excellent Criticks and Grammarians; there were no Men fuch Masters of that Language, and by thefe Points they have conveyed to us the true Senfe of the Old Testament in their Day, which before was kept by Tradition. And though they did not believe, nor understand the Evangelical Doctrines, or Mysteries, wrapt up in the Grammatical Senfe of the Words; yet the Grammatical, or Oratorical Part of it they did well understand. As a Latinift can Conftrue or Pierce Euclid, and when he has done, cannot find the Senfe, nor make out the Demonstration: But an English Mathematician fitting by him, and hearing the Latinift, can eafily, but without his help knew not a Syllable of it. The Tiberian Maforite, in this cafe, is the La tinift, and the Chriftian the English Mathematician. But now fuppofing the Matters of the greatest Moment and Concern, that this Chriftian has it kept and lock'd up in this Book, and that there is not a Book in the World befide that discovers and reveals this Matter; (there are indeed many Tranflations,

1

flations, but through Time they are either altered, and corrupted, or the Tranflators were unskilful, and were more guided by thefe Old Tranflations, that very much contradicted one another, than by an exact Knowledge in the Original.) Now in this cafe we will fuppofe fome Men not Infallible. But the greatest Masters of the Language in the World, when the Language began to be Corrupted, they put Marks of Sound, and Senfe; Marks to guide in the Diftinction of Equivocal Words, and Marks to guide in Syntax upon this Book. But the Natives being fatisfied with this Book, as they used it before, made no great Matter of it; and when they taught the Christians, they taught that part of it they used, and the other part they knew not,fo much of it is loft. But a thoufand Years after this the World turns Inquifitive; for during that time the whole Book, much more its Critical Art, was funk in Oblivion; and Religion, by Church Authority comes in Fashion; until the Priests not only Impofed on their Confciences, and carved an Hell, or Heaven for them, as they thought fit; but on their Reafon and Senfes, they would have the Laicks live on Hay, and give to them the Meat and the Bread. This awakened the Indignation of fome, the Pity of others, and Eyes of All: but by degrees they firft difpute old Men's Authority with Young; the Dead with the Living; the Authority of Many and Few, Priefts and People. But this Book being providentially Alledged to favour each fide, and being counted in that dark time fo Sacred, it must not be touched. Neceffity, that made David and the Young Men, eat Shew-bread, makes People venture to open the Sacred Book; but ftill with Prayers to God to forgive,