In the Maronites Edition you find the Number in the head of it , and which is worse then that , it is there said that David fell'd the Gyant with three Stones which he flung out in the strength of the Lord .

You will not easily meet with either of these things in the Manuscripts : Here are severall to be seen , and one I have of my owne , but all without mentioning the Number , or this Particular .

The Revelation of Saint John , you know what Erasmus himselfe hath said of , and how little Beza hath said to that .

What if it be wanting in some of the Syriack Copies ? 't is extant in others . 'T is wanting in a Manuscript Arabick translation in Queenes Colldge . The Printed Arabick hath it , so the Coptick , Armenian , &c.

What if the Laodicean Canon acknowledge it not ? It is more to be marvail'd at that it should be found in the Apostolicall ▪ In the Greek I do not say but in the Arabick Translation it is thus mentioned . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sixth is the Revelation of Saint John called Apocalipsis .

Judicious Calvin once askt his opinion concerning the Apocalypse made answer , Bodin method . Histor. c. 7. sub init ium . cap. Se penitus ignorare quid velit tam obscurus scriptor ; qui qualisque fuerit nondum constat inter eruditos . That for his part he was altogether ignorant what that obscure Author would have , and that no body yet knew who or what he was .

For the first part of the Answer it will passe well enough , Cajetan said right , Exponat qui potest .

The latter words ( if they were his ) doe not become the Writer of the Revelation , or the man that spake them .

Kerstenius in his Notes upon the Lives of the foure Evangelists written in Arabick , letteth fall this Observation .

Observandum quoque est hunc Authorem ne verbo quidem uno mentionem facere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 D. Joannis , quam quidem hunc Evangelistam in Pathmo scripsisse asserunt , qua authoritate ipsi videant . atque ideo semper iste liber inter Apocrypha reputatus est . You are to note here too ( saith he ) that this Author maketh not any mention at all of Saint Iohns Apocalyps , no not in one word , and therefore they would do well to consider what they doe , who affirm that this Evangelist wrote that booke in Patmos . Indeed the Booke was ever yet reckoned among the Apocrypha .

And yet his great reason is , because this Arabick Authour maketh no mention of the Booke . But you will finde the Learned man ( it might easily bee ) very much mistaken .

His order is not to make a full and answering translation of the Arabick , but to turne the principall and best understood sense of it ( as to him ) and so to set down the Text.

He takes the same course in this matter . Iam itaqueverba Arabica ad locos hos tres pertinentia adscribere tempestivum est , Quorum periodum ultimam doctioribus hujus linguae relinquimus . I shall lay no claime to the Doctioribus , but I doubt not to read the words right , and then the place will easily be understood .

The Period which hee will not undertake upon , is this , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abogalmasis indeed signifieth nothing , it should be read , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abogalubsis ( there 's but one letter mistaken ) and then the English of it will be , And it is said that John delivered the Apocalyps to Pheugir .

This Pheugir was a Disciple of his , as the same Arabick Author saith before .

The leaving of this Booke out of some Copies is just nothing against it ; you may say as much ( and as justly too ) of the Canonicall Epistles , and there is the same reason for all .

These were more lately written , and therefore not so soon received into the Canon as the rest .

I think every man ought to have a very reverend and singular opinion of that Epistle of Clemens Romanus to the Corinthians , and yet I doe not thinke that either this or the rest of that Booke was of Teclaes owne hand writing , no more then I beleive that Iohn Fox translated the Saxon Gospels into English . I have seene the third Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians in the Armenian Tongue , beginning Paul a Servant of Jesus Christ , &c. And an Epistle of the Corinthians to Saint Paul in the same Tongue , beginning , Steven , Lib: Ms. Armenice cum versione Ital. apud ingeniosissimum virum Gilbertum North. &c. to our Brother Paul , greeting . Kirstenius saith that there be many Epistles of Saint Paul in Arabick , which we know not of yet .

The Armenian Priest I mentioned before told me they had more Bookes of Moses then we .

But now to discharge my selfe of all this that hath been said , and to give up a sincere and sober account of the thing .

An indifferent man of any Nation under heaven could not deny but that this Booke throughout , discovereth an incomprehensible secret power and excellency ; enabled to make any man whatsoever , wise to Salvation . And that Canon of it which is undoubtedly received on all hands , is sufficiently entire .

And for detracting any the least jot or title from this , unlesse it be notoriously made knowne to be heterogeneous and abhorrent ( and he that beleeveth this too must not make hast ) God shall take away his part out of the Booke of Life . But for him that shall adde any thing thereto , though it were a new Epistle of Saint Paul ( as to Seneca or the Loadiceans ( and as good as any of these we have ) God shall adde unto him the Plagues that are written in this Booke .

You must not reckon of the Scripture by the bulk . It were the biggest Book in the world if it were lesse then it is , and it was purposely fixed to that proportion it hath , that it might compare and comply with our Size and Magnitude .

If you would have all written that Solomon disputed from the Cedar in Libanus to the Hysop that growes upon the wall ; or all that which was done and said by One that was Greater then he , and spake as never man did , The world it selfe would not be able to containe the Bookes that should be written , Amen , that is , The Lord let it be so as it is .

¶ It will not be so successeful an argument for this Book to the miraculous conservation and Incorruption of the Text. The Alcoran it selfe hath had much better luck .

That of the Old Testament how tenable soever it hath been made by their encompassing and inaccessible Masora . I doe not finde it so altogether ( though wonderfully enough ) entire .

But for the New there 's no prophane Author whatsoever ( caeteris paribus ) that hath suffered so much at the hand of time . And what of all this ? Certainly the providence was shewed to be greater in these miscarriages ( as we take them ) then it could have beene in the absolute preservation . God suffered Tares to be sowed in the Genealogies ( while men slept ) or in some elementall parts , that we might not insist upon those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( See Ben. Bar Jonah's Itin●rary ) Extracta quaestionum as these things are called and kept by the Jewes themselves . It is an invincible reason for the Scriptures part that other escapes should be so purposely and infinitely let passe , and yet no saving or substantiall part at all scarce moved out of its place . To say the truth , These varieties of Readings in a few by-places doe the same office to the maine Scripture , as the variations of the Compasse to the whole Magnet of the Earth . The Mariner knowes so much the better for these how to steere his Course .

¶ For the style of this Scripture it is unspeakable good , but not admirable in their sense who reckon the height of it from the unusualnesse of the phrase . The Majesty of that Booke sits upon another Throne . He that was among the Heardsmen of Tekoah , did not write like him that was among the Priests at Anathoth . Read Ben Syra and the Arabick Centuries of Proverbs . Read the Alcoran it selfe . Though the saying of our Saviour , It is easier , &c. was originally , It is easier for an Elephant , Alcoran in Sirrat . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Azoar . 17. &c. Yet Mahomet expresseth as our Saviour did , They shall not ( saith he ) enter into Paradïse , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 till a Camell goe through a Needles eye . You will get more by that Book to this purpose , if you make no worse use of it then you should .

Yet you must have a care too , for the Authors of that good confused heape have elsewhere exprest loosely enough . They say in another Surat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That the Angels and God himselfe too say prayers for his Prophet , that is , that God prayes for Mahomet . An odde saying you may think , and yet how much different can you make it to be from that of ours , where it is said , that the Spirit maketh intercession for us , &c. but doe you make this use of it . It is from hence that the Mahumetans expresse the memory of the Dead in God , ( especially of the Prophet himselfe ) by those strange words , Peace and the Prayer of God be upon them .

But if you would raise a Reputation upon our Scripture like your self , and the dimensions of a man , take it from those without . I should think it to be very well that Aben Rois in his Arabick Commentaries upon Aristotles Moralls translated into Latine , should call the greatest man of the East , Augustin . Steuch . in Iob. ult. Beatum Job , Blessed Job , and to urge him for an example of Fortitude .

Galen in his Booke De usu partium , not knowing what to say to the haire of the Eye-lids , why it should so strangely stand at a stay and grow no longer , takes an occasion to undervalue Moses his Philosophy , and saith of God , Neque s● lapidem repente velit facere hominem , efficere id poterit , &c. ( yes but he could even of these Stones too ) But Old Orpheus sayes that the man that was born out of the water ( so Moses indeed is to be called in the Aegyptian ) did well , and Dyonysius Longinus ( one that knew what belonged to expression ) having first of all cast a scorne upon his Homer , saith , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , that the Lawgiver of the Iews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ( no ordinary man neither ) was in the right , when hee brought in his God , saying . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , Let there bee Light and there was Light , &c.

If you see what Strabo , Tacitus , Justin , Diodorus Siculus , * * See the translation of Abu Maasciar , or Albumazar . Introductor . lib. 5. c. 9. Ptolomy , &c. have said as to this , you will be no great loser ( in your Faith ) by the hand .

I have thus much left to wish ( and I hope I doe it well ) to this Booke , that it might be read ( so farre as this is possible ) in a full and fixt Translation . And upon that a Cleare and disengaged Commentary .

The way to doe this will not be to doe the Work a great , and undertake the whole or any considerable part of the Booke by one man if he could live one Age.

How little we have gotten , and lost how much by those who have prayed to God , they might live to make an end of all the Bible in Commentaries , you cannot chuse but perceive enough .

You must not thinke to looke upon this mirrour of the word as you are to be seene in Roger Bacon's Perspective , Vbi unus homo videbitur plures , where one man will seeme to be more then so . No , Break the Glasse in peices and see every one a face by himselfe .

He that shall thus begin to build may perhaps be one of those that will be able to finish .

Leo Moden . Di gli Riti Hebraici . Part. 1. The Jewes when they build a house are bound to leave some part of it unfinished in memory of the destruction of Jerusalem . The best Master Builder that shall come to this worke will be forc't to doe so too . And yet if those that have undertaken upon the whole had in stead of that compleated but one small part , This House of God and Tabernacle of good men had been reared up ere this .

He that goeth upon this with any Interest about him , Let him doe otherwise never so admirably , he does indeed but translate an Angel of Light into the Devill .

I would not render or interpret one parcell of Scripture to an end of my owne , though it were to please my whole Nation by it , if I might gain the World .