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If the Diffenters would fpeak out, I am perfwaded they muft acknowledge, that the only grand and teal objection against the Pfalter is, that 'tis a part of our Liturgy, for I cannot but think, that if our other Tranflation had been placed there in its ftead, when it was first published, in lefs than an Hundred years, (which have now almoft pafs'd fince that time) there would as many, and as great Objections have been made against that, as there have been against this: The exceptions against that Tranflation muft indeed have been very frivolous, and fo I do in reality think thofe to be which have been raifed against this; but I cannot but remember the faying of the Reverend and Judicious Hooker, [That we must confider, not how fmall the Spark is that flies up, but how apt things about it are to take fire.] The Objections against it are,

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I. Such as lie againft this Tranflation in general...

II. Such as are againft fome particular Paffages. Thofe of the firft fort are as follows, viz.

First, That this Tranflation is more accommodated to the LXX, than the Hebrew.

Secondly, That it adds fome Words and Verfes.

Thirdly, That it omits, or leaves other Words and Verses Untranflated.

1. As to the first general Objection, that it is more accommo dated to the LXX, than to the Hebrew, as Mr. Calamy, (Cap. 10. Abridgment of Mr. B's Life) is pleafed to exprefs it, I anfwer.

1. If it were true, this would not be any Crime in the Tranflation, nor in the Church which received it, however, not fo great a Crime, as to justify a Separation. I can never think that 'tis a Chriftian temper of Mind, which difpofes Men to make Divifions on fuch accounts as thefe; for it is certain that for many Ages after Chrift, the greatest part of the Church had no other Canon of Scripture, but the Greek Tranflation of the LXX, or fuch as were made from that. 'Twas by this Tranflation, it being in that Language, which was then moft Univerfal, that the main body of the Gentiles were converted and fettled in the Chriftian Falth; nay, further the Apoftles, and even Chrift Jefus himfelf, did fometimes quote Texts out of the Old Teftament, as they now ftand in this Greek Translation, and not according to the Hebrew; fo that if our Tranflation had been done from the Greek, yet our Diffenters in objecting 2-, gainst it, muft ftrike at the Penmen of Holy Scripture, and even at Cbrift Fefus himself. Had our Saviour been of the fame temper with our Diffenters, one of the first Works, on which he had fet his Apostles, or which he had performed himfelf, had been to make, a New Tranflation of the Old Teftament, to put into the hands of the Gentile, or Heathen Converts; but our Saviour did not come into the World to teach Men to be Criticks, but was contens with fach Tranflations of the Bible, as were receiv'd by the

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Church: So that if this Translation of the Pfalter were wholly from the LXX, yet I believe no competent Judge would have been of Opinion that we ought to divide on this account. But it fhould feem our Diffenters would, and by parity of reason, if they had lived in the Age of Chrift and his Apoftles, and had been as wife as they are now, they must have departed from them too; for they, upon fome occafions, ufed the Greek Tranflation, or one that agreed with it, and that is the moft that could have been faid of the Church, if what Mr. Calamy pretends were true. But

2. This is a very great miftake, and any one that would have been at the pains to compare the Ten firft Pfalms of this Tranflation with the Greek, might eafily have convinced himself of this Error; for in these Ten Pfalms, there are not less than Twenty material differences between the Greek Tranflation and ours, whereas they do not agree with the Greek in more than five particulars throughout thefe Ten Pfalms, excepting fuch places where all Tranflations agree, as God be thanked, they do in the main : Nay, further I hope to make it appear to all impartial Readers, that our Tranflators never do render any one Verfe, so as to make it contrary to, or inconfiftent with the Hebrew, but they differ from the Greek, and give us a fence quite diftinct from them in at least 250 places, and do not fo much as feem to follow the Greek in much above 60 places.

I fay feem to follow them, for 'tis my opinion that they did not in thefe 60 places propofe to make the Greek their Pattern, except in rendring here and there fome particular Words: (See Gen. Note 9th.) It is certain there are many Supplemental Words in this Tranflation, which are in the Greek too, but then the reason why they are here is not that they were in the Greek, but because they were in the Vulgar Latin: The reafon I have for faying this, befides what fhall be faid under the following Head, is, because there are fome Supplements in our Tranflation, which are not in the Greek, but in the Vulgar Latin only, as [Heavens] Pfalm xxii. 32. [in Jerufalem] lxv. 1, and then they repeat the fecond Verfe of Pfalm cxxxvi. and make it the 27th or laft Verse of that Pfalm, whereas if they had follow'd the LXX, thefe two Words, and that Verfe had not been in our Pfalter. -Perlaps fome may think I have poorly mended the matter, when in ftead of the LXX, I have pitched on fo blind a guide as the Vulgar Latin, which feems to be but a carelefs and unskilful Verfion of the LXX, and therefore I muft explain myfelf, and Vindicate our Tranflators. I fay then, they only fellowed the Vulgar Latin, in taking fome Supplements from them, the most of which they (the Vulgar Latin) had from the Greek That they did not follow the Vulgar Latin in the main, is proved by the fame argument, by which I before fhew'd that they did fot follow the Greek, namely, That they differ from them in at lent Two hundred and fifty places, when it cannot be pre

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tended that they Copy'd from them in much above Sixty. And the fame Collection of Texts does as effectually prove, that they did not Tranflate from the Vulgar Latin for the most part, as that they did not Tranflate from the Greek, because, as has been faid, the former is but a Tranfcript of the latter. What reafon they had to take thefe Supplements from the Vulgar Latin, it will be more feasonable to fhew under the next Head. But they were fo far from following the Vulgar throughout, that Coverdale, in his Epiftle Dedicatory to the first Edition, affures us, That he had before him no lefs than [Five Interpreters ] of which he tells us in his Preface, [fome were Latin, fome Dutch. Santes Pagninus had publifh'd his Latin Tranflation fix or seven years at leaft, before ours. Our Tranflators were, without queftion well acquainted with the great M. Luther, and his High-Dutch Translation: Munster and Leo Fude were Cotemporaries with our Tranflators; and tho' they did not Print their Latin Bibles before ours, yet 'tis not improbable,that these Learn"ed Men might have Communicated their Papers to our Tindall and Coverdale. Any one by perufing the following Notes, may convince himself, that they agree with Munfter, more than 'tis credible that they could have done, if thefe Learned Men had not conferred Notes. And in the Edition begun 1539, our English Tranflation follows Munfter in fome places, where they did not do fo in the Edition of 1535. After Munfter's TranDlation had had his finifhing hand, and had been publifh'd as it was in the fame Year with our firft Edition, viz. 1535) 'tis probable that Dr. Coverdale in the review which he made 1539, thought fit to Copy after him in fome places, where before he had not fo clear a light: Tho' after all, our Translation does not fervilely follow that of Munfter, or any other. And what Coverdale fays of the firft Edition, may as well be apply'd to the other, namely, that it follows other Interpreters or Tranflators only for the most part, Preface.] In the fame Preface he reproves thofe [who alledge Scripture fo far out of Seafon, and fo wide from the purpofe, that a Man may perceive that they never faw the Original;] much lefs therefore is it to be believ'd, that he, and his Friend Tindall, would undertake to Tranflate it, [without feeing the Original] which makes Mr. Baxter's cenfure in his English Non-conformity] appear to be rafh and groundiefs, when he charges our Tranflators with [ want of skill in the Hebrew. Some body was even with Mr. B. by proving that this grave Cenfor of other Mens Abilities, did not himself understand Latin. (See Preface to Dr. Maurice's Book against Baxter. And fince the chief reafon that Mr. Baxter, and fome others had for this Sufpicion, was, that they fuppofed, that fince they took thefe Supplements from the Vulgar and LXX, that therefore they followed them in every thing elfe, let me defire the Reader to obferve, that in the first Edition of the

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English Bible 1535, many, and indeed the greater part of thefe Supplements are omitted, particularly thofe Pfalms xxix. 1, xxxvii. 29. (but that large one in the xivth Pfalm is in. ferted. And I hope no one will believe that Dr. Coverdale, who omitted fo many of them in the first Edition, received them into the latter for want of skill in the Hebrew,efpecially when 'tis confi der'd, that in that Edition begun 1539, which hath all thofe Supplements, that are now in our Liturgy-Pfalter, they are Printed in a lefs Character,and clearly diftinguifh'd from the rest of the Text. Where I could meet with any Tranflators, whether Older or Younger than ours, that underflood the Hebrew as they did, in fuch places where they difagree with our prefent Bible-Pfalter, I have quoted their Tranflations. For I fuppofe that any Reader, who is not very immoderately conceited of his own skill in the Hebrew, will conclude that they Tranflate according to the Hebrew Text, when they give us the fame fenfe that thofe great Mafters had done before, or have done fince; and by this means I do not only fave my felf and Reader a great deal of pains in purfuing the meaning of Difficult Hebrew Words and Phrafes, but I fhew that our Diffenters cannot defpife this Translation, but that they must at the fame time pafs a flight upon those Men, who have a deferved name for their skill in the Hebrew Tongue, amongst all impartial Judges. Sometimes I produce the Authority of the moft Learned Dr. Hammond, whofe judgment will weigh much with all unbiafs'd Men, and who was far enough from any fondness for this Tranflation; upon occafion I appeal to Mr. Ainsworth, as fuppofing that the Confeffion of one of the most Learned Adverfaries of our Liturgy and Pfalter, is a good proof that our Tranflators are in the right, when they understand the Text in a fenfe, which he allows of in that very Tranflation, which he compofed chiefly in oppofition to that which I am now Vindicating: Nor do I omit the opinion of the Right Reverend Bishop Patrick, when it is to my purpofe, and let no Man think that he was prejudiced in favour of this Tranflation; fo far from this, that he does not make this Pfalter the Text to his Paraphrafe, tho' at the fame time he Dedicates, and Commends it to thofe that frequent the daily Prayers of the Church.]

All Tranflators are tolerably well agreed in every thing that nearly concerns our Faith and Practice: In other leffer matters, the Hebrew, efpecially in the Poetic and Prophctical Books, is not fo clear, but that it may admit of various conftructions, tho' the Sense be still much what the fame, and this is the chief caufe of the feeming difference betwixt the laft Translators, and thofe other: So that Men fhould by no means conclude, that this Pfalter was not done from the Hebrew for this reafon, that it does not always exactly agree with that in our English Bibles, and yet 'tis to be fear'd that 'tis from hence that fome have drawn fuch hafty conclufions in prejudice to this Pfalter.

2. I proceed to confider the fecond Objection, namely, That fome Words and Verfes are added, which are not in the Hebrew Text. Now I fhall endeavour to shew,

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I. That thefe Supplements are Innocènr. II. They were Prudent. 1. That they are Innocent, and do no injury either to the Bible or Reader. And this will appear from this Confideration, That these Supplements are for the moft part the very Words of the Hebrew Scripture, tho' not in those very Verfes of the Pfal ter, where the Vulgar and LXX, and our Tranflators place them. The most obfervable Supplement in this Pfalter, is that of three Verses, in Psalm xiv, viz. 5, 6, 7. which words are not only all extant together, Rom. iii. 13, 14, &c. but are yet to be found in the Hebrew Bible, tho' at feveral places: See the account of the Supplements at the end of this Preface.] So that if they were not all the Words of David, yet they are the Words of Men divinely inspired; and I fuppofe there can no good reafon be given, why we may not rehearfe thefe Words all together, & fince St. Paul, as is juft now faid, hath done fo before us. Further, the Reader may obferve, that the Addition is to the words, not to the fence; to the bulk, not to the weight; for he that does but confider the meaning of the words contained in the 5, 6, 7th Verses, which are fupply'd in this Tranflation, will find that they are only a Repetition of the fame fence, which is contained in the 4th Verfe, and is exaggerate in the Hebrew.

The other Supplements are either of the fame nature with this, or however contain no fence but what is imply'd in thofe Verfes or Sentences, where they are placed, and do rather exaggerate, or explain, or give an agreeable clofe, than add to the Sence of the Text, as the Reader may fee, by taking notice of all these Supplements drawn up together in the following Papers. If there be any words that are not to be found exprefly in any other part of Scripture, nor their fence contained in the words immediately going before or after in this Pfalter, they are those, Pfalm xxxvii. 29. [The unrighteous fhall be puhifhed: 7 But it is to be confider'd, that if thefe very words are not elsewhere in the Bible, yet there is no truth more frequently inculcated in that Holy Book, than that which is imported by them, and 'tis no less than fix times repeated in this very Pfalm, tho' in other words, viz. ver. 2, 9, 15,117, 20, 22; fo that even this cannot properly be called an Addition to the Word of God, unless have more regard to the Letter than the Sence: Some very Learned Men have been of opinion that these words were once in the Hebrew Bible, as you may fee in my Notes on that

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But fince 'tis evident, that our Tranflators and Reformers had a much greater regard to the Hebrew than the Greek, and fince they have inferted no Supplement at leaft into the Pfalter, but

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