'they cannot have been thofe of Stephens. This is a point wholly new, which has never been brought into this Controverfy, and which deferves to be examin'd with fo much the more accuracy and exactness, as the fubject of it is extremely momentous, and the manner F. le Long has follow'd, is dazling and apt to lead into mistake. To return now to the Teftimonies of the Latin Churches, I confirm the quotation which Tertullian and St. Cyprian have made of the Text of the witneffes in Heaven with new reafons, and 1 add withal to the inftances by which I had prov❜d that this paffage was anciently in the Italick Verfion, and in that of St. Jerom, feveral authorities, taken from divers Divines, which had never been quoted, at least that I know of, upon this important fubject. Coming then to the Greek Church, I fhew that it has own'd this Text to be authentick in the paft ages as well as the prefent; and I do it by the teftimony of the Muscovite Church, which, as all the world knows, is an ancient branch of the Greek. I have not feen that hitherto any of the Divines, who have wrote upon this Text, have made use of this proof, to fhew it to be authentick. I have had upon this all the informations I judg'd neceffary, and was poffible for me; and I hope that every Reader, who feeks after edification, will be fatisfy'd therewith. Another fort of proof, which had no less than the former efcap'd the enquiry of the Criticks and Divines, is a very curious Edition of the New Teftament in modern Greek made in 1638. plac'd over against the litteral Greek in two Coiumns, by a Greek Monk, nam'd Maximus, of the Town of Callipolis, which is a fuffragan Bifhoprick to the Patriarch of Conftantinople. The fa mous The PREFACE. mous Cyril Lucar, a Patriarch zealous for the inftruction of his Flock, in a Preface fet before this Edition, has recommended in preffing terms the reading of this Work, which is a fort of tranflation of the New Teftament into modern Greek. It will be feen from the remarks I have made upon the nature of this Verfion, what advantage it affords us for the genuineness of the Text of St. John's Epistle. Laftly, we shall find in this Difcourfe an authentick Piece never yet produc'd, and which gives the finishing stroke to all the proofs urg'd for the genuineness of this Text; and this is the extract of an ancient Greek Manufcript of the New Teftament found at Dublin in the Univerfity Library. I am endebted for this Extract to the good nature and zeal of Mr. Ycard, formerly Minifter in France, and now Dean of Aconry at Dublin. I receiv'd it about the end of last October, when I began to recover from a languishing state of illnefs, which join'd to my great age, was likely to put an end to my life. It was no fmall joy to me to fee the facred Text, which found fo many contradictors, arife from the obfcurity in which it had lain hid with the Manufcript that contains it. Mr. Ycard fent me a very long difcourfe with the Extract, which tended to fhew that this Manufcript is the fame which was expreffed in the English Polyglott by the name of Mont. abridg'd from that of Montfortius, to whom it had formerly belong'd, and which was afterward the famous Usher's, Archbishop of Armagh in Ireland. I have made ufe of fome particular obfervations upon divers paflages of this excellent Manufcript, which are alfo communicated to me by the fame Mr. Ycard, with whom I have fince had, upon this occafion, correfpon dence dence by Letters. If I had judg'd it neceffary to produce a greater number of this fort of particulars, I fhould not have fail'd to do it; but I contented my felf with thofe which have appear'd to me moft proper to fhew the nature of the Manufcript, whofe teftimony and authority are fo advantagious to the proofs I have urg'd for the genuineness of the paffage of St. John's Epiftle. They have requir'd a Manufcript own'd to be ancient and genuine, which had this paffage; here is one found and produc'd; thanks to the Divine Providence which has preferv'd it to us, to take away all pretence from the incredulity of the one, and to confirm the Faith of the others, THE The Text of the three witnesses in Heaven clear'd up, for the better understanding the importance and Of the nature of the proofs on which the genuineness of the Text of the three witnees in Heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, must be That the Text of the three witnesses in Heaven was Other quotations of the Italick Verfion in favour of What judgment must be pass'd upon the Latin Manu- In which, the paffage of St. John's Epiftle, There are three in Heaven, &c. is prov'd to be genuine HAT the two ancient Latin Verfions, the Italick Tand the Vulgate of St. Jerom, are a proof thas С НА Р. |