VI. His flotations from Scripture are very often

not Exact. 'This indeed is Granted, not as Pecu-
liar to our Egyptian^ but as common at moil to
him with other Fathers. Nor is it Unknown^
that this is an Objection too often brought againit
the verylnipir'd Penmen of the Goipel. 1 mail
not here Repeat the feveral Handfome Apologies
made by Learned x Men upon this occafion. I
chufe to Obferve fomething more upon a com-
mon Level. It ought then to be well coniider'd,
that Concordances were not very early in being, at
lean: not common. Even thofe that afterwards
were Begun, were very Imperfect, nothing neat fo
Exa£t, as what we have now. So that inPcrfons
that Quote by Memory^ there is room enough for
pretty Ample Allowances. There might very
well be fome Variations in the Copies they had
Then, as well as in ours Now. It is but Natu-
ral to Expect, that at the diftane'e of aThoufand
or Twelve Hundred Years, the different Readings
might Increafe. Several Books which were then
in being, 'tis faid are iinceLoft. And even thofe
which arePreferv'd to this very Day, are no Way
Exempted from Imperfections incident to all
Writings whatfoever. Religion was then Taught
by Chriltians, as Philoibphy among the Gentiles,
in Oral Lectures. And among the Antients, Scrips
ture might be Quoted (as it has frequently been
done fince) by Memory -, not from the Scripture

* See Mr. DodrvelVs Differ t. in Irm. Prxf. §. 16. Hem/3 Pro-
legom. ad Exercit. SS. Script. bbitrenhufius de Modo Allegan-
dL Huetii Origeniana, Lib. ii. Qii. 13. p. i;o. Item, simoriti
Hift Grit; Novi f eftam. Cap. 31. p. r -r 1

E neither

yo The Introduction.

neither at firft hand, but from others, when ex-
plaining it themfclvcs, &c. Nor might This pro-
ceed Always from Lazinefs, or Neglect ; but ei-
ther ^for want of Copies , or Opportunities of
Searching.

2. But waving thefe and the like Allowances,
which the Candid Reader never can, nor will Re-
ject} this very Objection might pofTibly be Re-
torted upon the Moderns. For they too have
been as often Guilty of Mifapplying Scripture,
as the Antients, if not more -, tho' at the fame
time they are not Half fo Excufable in doing fo.
Inftances would be Tedious, and, what is more,
Invidious. But taking this for Granted, tho' it
will not Prove the Antients Infallible, or Always
in the Right, yet it is Sufficient at leait to Silence
the Moderns, and one way or other to Excufe
the Antients.