Boy, not in the Grammar. I had ftill fome Difficulties about this Point, until I found out the Rhetorical Ufe (I mean that use of knowing the Author's Intentions, which bears an Emphasis,and fo I call it the Rhetorical Ufe) I found fo many Exceptions, but now I know not if there are any. Are ever Words feparated in Senfe, where a Minifter joyns? Are ever or to be found in the Logical Ufe, where Propofitions are not diftinguished? Is ever Is ever to be found in a Verse of one Propofition? But when its made two, by repeating the Verb, the very Harmony of Truth, with fulness and fweetness, Charms the Reader into an evenna: As far as my Eyes can yet fee, the Reader muft embrace this for an Art, a Grammar about thirty Points, as the Latine, Hebrew, Greek Grammar about Twenty Two, or Twenty Four several Letters, but with a Fulness and Exactness beyond them; fo that it seems to comprehend Logick and Rhetorick alfo. But though Grammar, Rhetorick and Logick, are of Affinity, yet diftinct Arts, fo this is diftinct from all the Three, in its Matter, Points, its End, the Senfe and Intention of the Author, its Means or Rules; it fuppofes thy Skill in Grammatical Syntax, and begins with that. Now I am glad it comes on the Stage with perfection of Parts, by which it is fo eafily able to difpell all Mifts of Obfcurity, and Anfwer all Objections against it. One may more reafonably deny all Arts, than own them, and deny this to be one.

But fome Ignoramus may fay, Did not Capellus, Elias Levita, B. Walton, Voffius, Magna Nomina, deny them to be an Art for this end?

1

R. I wish thou knew what these Men faid, that thou may not be guilty of the Abfurdity I have found in them, whom themselves, and this City, count great. I thank you Mr. C. fays one, for your Pains against Capellus, be deferves more Satyr. But within a few Days, fays the fame, the Hebrew Bibles differs fo much from one another, that no Rules can agree to them. Capellus would have spit in the Man's face, that durft affront our Sacred Originals, at any fuch

rate.

I am glad, fays a Second, you bring down Voffius a little, he is a proud, faucy Author, on which I fent one to fee if he would Incourage by Subscription. No, fays be, the Seventy is my Original. I pray what would Vollius fay to this Man? I never denied, fays be, That the best of the Seventy's had 20000 Errors in him. Where is now the Perfection of our Rule of Faith? Where is now Scrupulous Nonconformity with thefe Men, if this be their Opinion of their Bibles, that they neither are Perfect, nor do agree in Faith, Worship, Life or Government? for the Hebrew does not with the one, and the Greek does not, as all confent, with the other.

R. 2. Thefe great Names never denied that these Points contain'd an Art.

R. 3. They never denied that they contain'd this Art in them, for they dreamt not of it; it was not Started to them, or by them. Its like this Profpect bad allur'd thefe Magna Nomina to be Patrons. However, Enemies in this Point they never were. Thou must begin, or fome body elfe, for nont yet have, to Oppofe it.

But

But though this Edition of this Art appears with greater Maturity, and Adultnefs than others, it is far from a Perfection of Beauty Never did Book more want Apology, never was more Apology to be made : It is fo far from Embellishment, with the Trappings and Phalera's of Rhetorick and Eloquence, that it comes forth with a Stile Difficile, Laconick, Curt, and Abrupt; it wears a Rent, instead of a Girdle, and Baldness for Beauty.

Reader, Though the Art has coft me many Years Studies and Collections, the time of Compofing it, as now Publish'd, has been a time of fevere Sickness; all the Time I bave kept my Chamber, and most of it my Bed. Soul and Body bear a powerful Sympathy: fo it is a fickly Stile.

Secondly, If it please God to restore Health, Ifhall endeavour to mend it: I daily expect Improvements from Roftoch, Wafinuth Junior of Lipfic, and Mr. Gordon, Profeffor (or to be) of this Art in Aberdeen. But be informed me, the Rhetorical Ufe is entirely unknown to thofe Parts. But it is fit to fee first, what Acceptance thefe Rudiments find.

But, Reader, baving now made Apology for my Stile, or defect of one, and fet before thee, in clear Light, comparing it with the Book, that it is to deny Demonftration, nay, Matter of Fact, to deny that thefe Points were Contriv'd intentionally, in the Harmonious Conftitution they stand in (every Word bearing its Point, whofe Figure Indicates the relation it bas to the next Word only, if a Minifter, or little Lord, to it, and more, if a greater Lord, &c.) to

A 4

allift

affift the Reader to know the Senfe of every Verfe, by Indicating the relation of all the Words and Propofitions. And to deny, that these Tables and Rules do Indicate thefe Relations, that the Reader may be fecure of the Author's Intention, may as well deny the Grammatical Harmony of Claffical Authors, or the Rules of Grammar to Indicate them. The next thing is to Enquire who is the Author of this Art, or thefe Points that contain it? This indeed has been contended among great Names, but never fince, or where the Senfe of the Bible was own'd to be the end of the Art. It was no wonder a wife Man fhould deny that to be the Fruit of Divine Wisdom, that thirty feveral Figures fhould be invented to inform us, if the Accent was on the laft Syllable, or that before it, when the Pofition of one was fufficient, but fo high an end as the Author's Intention, through fo harmonious a Chain of Means, might have charm'd them into a Belief of it. For who can know the Mind of the Lord but his Spirit? And who can fet Rules to know what he understands not?

Secondly, The Difpute has been about the Vowels; thefe great Names when prefs'd with Arguments, have own'd that the Accentual were before.

Thirdly, Suppofe that was their Opinion, That the Tyberian Maforites were Authors of all the Points, there is reafon fince thou imbrace it on their Authority, thou should take all their Authority together, and then thou will believe them the best Artists of the World, nay, Divinely Infpired, Says Levita, thou may expect a great Expofition, but yesterdays Authority is too mean; and if thou go beyond them, thou

wilt,

wilt, I doubt, find as little of their Greatness, as of the wife Men of Gotam's.

Fourthly, To come to earnest: Two things I think may demonftrate, the Tyberians not to be Authors: Thefe Tyberian Schools continued until Ann. 1000. and yet we have no Footsteps of its Skill and Practice among them, an entire Silence still, as the Night, for that five hundred Years, and ever since, except what they bring by Quotation from more Ancient Authors; but the Authors before the Tyberians do.

I fhall conclude this with a Providential Story known to my Friends. I once Preaching on Gen. 2. 4. Tranflated it thus. These are the Generations of the Heaven and the Earth, when God had created them. These are the Generations of the Heaven and the Earth, in the Day when God had perfected, re-made, or established them. From which 1 inferr'd, a two-fold Re-capitulation to be contain'd in the Verfe, one perform'd within the time of first Creation, the Six Days, the other perform'd in one Day; the one was a pure Creative Work, the other a more Common, Adorning, Perfecting, or doing further. Mofes bad more fignaliz'd that one Day and Work in it, in the Context, and from Chap. 3. 8. to the end, whereby it appeared evident, That the work of Redemption by our Lord Jefus Chrift, was the Foundation of the Seventh-Day-Sabbath. An Ancient Understanding Chriftian bearing me, ask'd if I had read Dr. Walker, a Divine in Queen Mary's Days, who has Printed, That Adam fell on Friday, the fame Day our Lord Jefus Christ fuffer'd; That He endur'd the Curfe of the Law, that Night, that Gen. 2. 8. in

the