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While God would be known only in Jacob, and have his Name great in Israel, and in none other
place, while the dew lay on Gideon’s fleece only, and all the earth besides was dry; then for one
and the same people, which spake all of them the language of Canaan, that is, Hebrew, one and the
same original in Hebrew was sufficient. [S. August. lib 12 contra Faust c32] But, when the fulness
of time drew near, that the Sun of righteousness, the Son of God should come into the world, whom
God ordained to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood, not of the Jew only, but also of the
Greek, yea, of all them that were scattered abroad; then lo, it pleased the Lord to stir up the spirit
of a Greek Prince (Greek for descent and language) even of Ptolemy Philadelph King of Egypt, to
procure the translating of the Book of God out of Hebrew into Greek. This is the translation of the
Seventy Interpreters, commonly so called, which prepared the way for our Saviour among the
Gentiles by written preaching, as Saint John Baptist did among the Jews by vocal. For the Grecians
being desirous of learning, were not wont to suffer books of worth to lie moulding in Kings’ libraries,
but had many of their servants, ready scribes, to copy them out, and so they were dispersed and
made common. Again, the Greek tongue was well known and made familiar to most inhabitants
in Asia, by reason of the conquest that there the Grecians had made, as also by the Colonies, which
thither they had sent. For the same causes also it was well understood in many places of Europe,
yea, and of Africa too. Therefore the word of God being set forth in Greek, becometh hereby like
a candle set upon a candlestick, which giveth light to all that are in the house, or like a proclamation
sounded forth in the market place, which most men presently take knowledge of; and therefore that
language was fittest to contain the Scriptures, both for the first Preachers of the Gospel to appeal
unto for witness, and for the learners also of those times to make search and trial by. It is certain,
that that Translation was not so sound and so perfect, but it needed in many places correction; and
who had been so sufficient for this work as the Apostles or Apostolic men? Yet it seemed good to
the holy Ghost and to them, to take that which they found, (the same being for the greatest part true
and sufficient) rather than making a new, in that new world and green age of the Church, to expose
themselves to many exceptions and cavillations, as though they made a Translations to serve their
own turn, and therefore bearing a witness to themselves, their witness not to be regarded. This may
be supposed to be some cause, why the Translation of the Seventy was allowed to pass for current.
Notwithstanding, though it was commended generally, yet it did not fully content the learned, no
not of the Jews. For not long after Christ, Aquila fell in hand with a new Translation, and after him
Theodotion, and after him Symmachus; yea, there was a fifth and a sixth edition, the Authors
whereof were not known. [Epiphan. de mensur. et ponderibus.] These with the Seventy made up
the Hexapla and were worthily and to great purpose compiled together by Origen. Howbeit the
Edition of the Seventy went away with the credit, and therefore not only was placed in the midst
by Origen (for the worth and excellency thereof above the rest, as Epiphanius gathered) but also
was used by the Greek fathers for the ground and foundation of their Commentaries. Yea, Epiphanius
above named doeth attribute so much unto it, that he holdeth the Authors thereof not only for
Interpreters, but also for Prophets in some respect [S. August. 2::de dectrin. Christian c. 15]; and
Justinian the Emperor enjoining the Jews his subjects to use especially the Translation of the
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