the facred and foreign Claffics. But then there are several words and phrases (besides those which are new for the reasons abovementioned) which are not at all, or not in the fame fenfe in the old Claffics of Greece. Besides that in these seeming irregularities in the new Teftament there is no violation of fyntax and the general analogy of language; we are to confider, that there is not one good author extant, but has peculiar ways with him and difficulties, which distinguish him from all others of the fame denomination. The Pativinity of Livy (which most probably relates to his style) and the obsolete constructions of the Attic dialect, renew'd by Thucidides, don't prejudice the reputation of those noble, and very entertaining and improving authors in the opinion of capable readers; nor hinder the authors from being great masters of noble sense and language. Some peculiar forms and idioms in such authors do not diminish their character, but encrease the pleasure of the reader, and gratify his curiofity; they don't extinguish, but rather enliven the beauty and of his ftyle. graces Κεφαλαιοw to wound in the head', ἀνθωμολογε μai, to give thanks, eixov 'Iwavvy, they esteem'd z St. Marc. xii. 4. F a St. Luke ii. 38. John", John', yvwell, anongívoμal, to begin a discourse, πνεύματι and voi oppos'd, ἐκνήψατε δικαίως for εις dinalcovny are, as far as I have obferved, peculiar to the facred writers. And there are a great many more peculiarities which I have collected; but they are fo obvious to gentlemen conversant in thefe ftudies, that it is unneceffary here to pro duce 'em. 'Tis I beg my reader's leave humbly to propofe one conjecture by putting down ayanadquai as a peculiarity in St. John, signifying to defire with vehemence. And this fenfe affix'd to it, which is not strain'd or unnatural, will folve what feems to me a grofs tautology in our translation. this, he rejoyc'd to fee my day, and faw it, and was glad, that is, he was glad to fee my day, and faw it, and fo was glad. Let the defpifers of the style of the facred writers delight in fuch elegancies! but in this fignification it runs eafy and clean, he earnestly wish'd or defir'd to fee my day, and faw it, and rejoyc'd. The Perfian, Syriac and Arabic verfions all give it this fenfe; and the particle b St. Mat. xiv. 5. C Philip. i. 22. d St. Marc. x. 24. & paffim in SS. Literis. e I Cor. xv. 34. f St. John's Gofpel. viii. 56. I cannot find that to rejoice ever fignified to defire earnestly in old English; 'tis plain it does not in our prefent way of expreffion. a in the original feems to require it. The word fignifies to rejoyce both in the Claffics and Greek tranflators of the Bible; and in the latter it fignifies to give thanks or joyfully to praise": here only to defire earnestly, which is a very natural metonimy, whereby antecedents and confequents are put for each other; more natural than the using aonaigu to fignify to contend or earnestly ftrive: which properly fignifies to pant or breath hard. Give me leave to name a few peculiarities in the claffic authors of Greece, and then we shall pass on to another matter. Υβρίζω, to bray like an afs*, ὁμοῖοι ἦσαν θαυMálovτes, like people admiring', xavoryédws, a mixture of joy and forrowTM, Tηλixtos, fo fmall", diaonagiew, to difperfe or fquander away, Tapos, a dead body, in Thucidides; in other authors a fepulchre3. 'Idiwrns, in Plato, is a profe-writer in oppofition to ποιητής, ἀριθμος ὁδῶ, the length of 8 Gravii Annot. in Perfic. Evangel. Verfionem, p. 96. z. Col. h Pfal. xlix. 16. i Her. Gr. 8. 461. Αδείμαντα ήσπαιρε μένα. k Herod. Gr. 263. 1. 5. 1 Xen. Cyr. Exp. 3. p. 182. m Xen. Hel. 7. 464. n Demof. Philip. 1. p. 17. 1. 10. • Ifoc. Areop. p. 194. P Thucid. I. 74. 1. ult. او 4 Ἐν μέτρω, ως ποιητής, ἢ ἄνευ μέτρο, ὡς ἰδιώτης. Plat. Phædr. 258. 1. 1. before E. the way, λewoέTegos, a foreigner naturaliz'd', προσκαταλείπω, to lofe', ἐπικαλέντες for ἐγκαλῶντες, accufing, TÒ Tov nov naтanαέvтα, when the temple was burnt". A great number of peculiarities befide thefe might be produced out of the Greek writers if there was any neceffity. These may fuffice to excufe the facred authors on this head, who don't more difagree from the Claffics in their deviations from the common and more ufual forms of speaking, than any one of the authentic Claffics does from the rest. For instance, examine Herodotus with this view and you will find fo many words and turns of expreffion peculiar to himself, that upon this confideration you may as well call his language a new fpecies of Greek, and a language different from Xenophon, Plato and Thucidides, as call the facred language of the new Teftament Hebraizing or Hellenistical Greek, or give it any other hard name, which the arbitrary critics fhall please to impose. We plainly fee by comparing the peculiarities and lefs usual ways of expreffion in the facred and foreign Claffics, that these latter have taken larger * Xen. Cyr. Exp. 2. 2. 3. p. 85. l. 5. f Her. Gr. 9. 522. 1. 36. Thuc. 4. 249. 1. antepenult. ▾ Thucid. 1. 78. 1. 4. Her. Gr. 1. 19.1. 15. liberties, liberties, and have made nearer approaches to folecism and violation of grammar than the former. Ἐν τῷ μὴ μελετῶντι ἀξυνετώτεροι ἔσονται, becaufe they will not practife and exercise themselves, they will be the more unskilful, ἐπιφέρειν ὀργὰς τινὶ, to gratify and oblige any one*. Αι δὲ τῶν Βαρκαίων γυναῖκες ἐδὲ ὑῶν πρὸς τῇσι βεσὶ γένονται, the Barcean women will neither tafte the fefh of hogs or cows". Ταυτῃ ἢ μᾶλλον τῇ γνώμῃ πλεῖςος ἐιμὶ, I rather encline to this opinion'. Καὶ ἐδένα ἔφασαν ὅντιν ̓ ἐ δακρυόεντ ̓ ἀποsgέeodaι, they say there was no man that return'd without tears. "Αλλό τι ἂν ὡς ἕτερον τὴν ἀνδρίαν τῆς ἐπιςήμης δύο ταῦτα ἔλεγες; did you affirm otherwife, than that these two, courage and knowledge, were different? §. 7. 'Tis further objected against the new Testament writers, that their language is rough, by adopting barbarous and foreign words and expreffions. There are not many of this fort, but are equally to be defended with the old Greek writers, who have many foreign words as well as the facred Claffics. In the times when the most eminent Greek writers flourished, the * Thục. I. 81. y Her. Gr. 4. 281. 1. 25. Perfian |