into their head, with intolerable boldness have corrected the facred text, and given us their own fpurious amendments for the genuine original; and fo have encumber'd it with an enormous heap of various readings? "Oexe is put for ogxov even by Theophylact himself in Zacharie's hymn": and Pifcator fays, it being plainly in apposition with dialnans before, muft either be fo, or it will be an irregularity and breach of fyntax. But what if it be governed of xarà so often understood in the facred writers of the new Teftament and the old Claffics of Greece? The fenfe and grammar are as effectually fecur'd, as by that bold correction made by Theophylact without any authority.

n

The pure original reading in the laft chapter of St. Luke's Gospel ággáμɛvoy" is in a few books chang’d into ἀρξαμένων, which reading has been approved by a few critics, who did not confider that this cafe is as pure Greek; and is frequently us'd, tho' not fo commonly, as the genitive in these forts of conftruction. Which we have prov'd above, and here add the following inftances.

Τρία ὄντα τῶν Ασσυρίων Φρερία, ἐν ᾧ Ἡσίοδος ὁ ποιητῆς λέγεται ἀποθανεῖν, χρησθὲν ἀυτῷ ἐν Νεμέᾳ T&Tо Taleïv, where Hefiod the poet is faid to be flain

Luke i. 71, 72. • Xen. Cyrop. 5. P. 5. p. 323.

by the inhabitants, it being told him by the oracle that this should happen to him in Nemea". That place in Alts, μόλιςα γνωςὴν σὲ ὄντα, has been very perplexing to fome critics and transcribers; who did not confider how common this conftruction is in the purest and most authentic writers: fome have put in sides, and fome 75άμs, which the reader plainly fees are interpolations, when he confiders the reafon of their addition, and obferves in what a great majority of manuscripts the genuine reading is found.

In St. Luke' aiQuldios is in fome few manuscripts, verfions, and fathers chang'd into pudiw, which change was made out of fear left an adjective for an adverb was not claffical Greek. But that is a common elegance in both Greek and Roman authors. I fhall only give two instances in one page near together in Herodotus'.

The opinion of false Greek and barbarous language in the new Testament has given offence to many polite gentlemen, great readers and admirers of the claffical writers. If that was once happily remov'd, and the facred book skilfully

P Thucid. 3. 203. 1. 17. See Herod. Gr.,9. 526. 1. 20. q Acts xxvi. 3. Luke xxi. 31. Ασμενοι ἐφοίτων, they willingly went. Ὁ Δηϊόκης ἦν πολλὸς ἀπὸ παντὸς ἀνδρὸς, καὶ προβαλλόμενα, και αινεόμενΘ, was zealouslyput up and applauded. Her. Gr. 1. p. 41. l. 19, 41.

3

divided

divided into proper chapters and fections, so as to fhew the full connection both of the periods and the reasoning of the discourse (which the present divifions much perplex and break off) gentlemen of judgment and ingenuity might be prevail'd to read those ineftimable authors; and would foon admire and love both the beautiful propriety of the language, and the fublimity and noblenefs of the fenfe. Then a good opinion of the ftyle would bring 'em to confider the foundness of the moral, and the majesty and purity of the myfteries of the Gofpel. The pleasure and diligence of reading those divine authors wou'd be rais'd and heighten'd by the confideration of the near concern and intereft they themselves had in their most important and awful contents; and a joyful profpect of that infinite happiness which is fo faithfully promised, demonftrated by fuch clear proofs, and describ'd with such fublimity and grandeur in that incomparable book.

The End of the First Part.

CLASSICS

Defended and Illuftrated:

OR,

An ESSAY humbly offer'd towards proving the Purity, Propriety, and true Eloquence of the Writers of the NEW TESTAMENT.

PART

SECOND,

In which is fhewn that all the Excellencies of Style, and fublime Beauties of Language and genuine Eloquence do abound in the facred Writers of the NEW TESTAMENT:

With an Account of their Style and Character, and a Repre fentation of their Superiority in feveral Inftances to the beft CLASSICS of GREECE and ROME.

By A. BLACKWALL, M. A.

LONDON:

Printed in the Year M, DCC, XXV.