diffentire, quis Moses five CORNUTUS, five illuftriffimus vetuit? MR. Carpzovius, having propofed and proved, as he infinuates, his Christian Conjecture, at leaft fo far as to render it probable, proceeds to other Enquiries, touching the Matter the Tables called Urim and Thummim were made of, their Shape, Thickness, Breadth, the Artificer that formed them, the Place they were kept in, &c. As to the Matter, he is very pofitive, they were either of Gold, or of Sapphire, or of Parian Marble; but is fadly puzzled to determine of which in particular. It is not improbable, fays he, that they were of Gold; for to them very likely alluded David, when he faid (Pfal. xix. v. 9, 10.) The Judgments of the Lord (that is, the Gofpel) are true, &c. more to be defired are they than Gold, yea than much fine Gold. The Head of the Meffiah was probably engraved on these Tables; (continues our Author,) ergo they were of Gold, for to that Head alluded the Bride, when in speaking of the Bridegroom she said, his Head is as fine Gold. Cant. c. v. v. 11. Nay, Chrift himself feems to have spoken in reference to the Gold of the Urim and Thummim, when he faid Revel. c. iii. v. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me Gold. Thefe Paffages would have inclined our Author to believe that the Urim and Thummim were of Gold, had he not been affured by the Rabbi's, that the Law given to Mofes was written upon Tables of Sapphire. And left we should look upon that Tradition of the Rabbi's as fabulous, he endeavours to perfuade us that Sapphires of fo large a fize were not in ancient Times fo very uncommon. To this purpofe he quotes Epiphanius, who mentions a certain Temple in Y 3 India, India, to which there was an Afcent of 363 Steps, and all of Sapphire. 'Tis true, Epiphanius mentions fuch a Temple, but adds, toλλοῖς ὑπάρχει ἀπις or; that is, which to many feems incredible, or, which few believe. As our Author deems it an heinous Crime not to credit all the idle and chimerical Stories he is told by Rabbi's, relying upon their abfurd and nonfenfical Traditions, he takes for granted, that the Law given to Mofes, was written upon two Sapphire-Tables; and from the Tables of the Law, argues to his Urim and Thummim, or the fuppofed Tables of the Gofpel thus. The Law given to the Jews was written upon SapphireTables; ergo the Law given to the Christians was written upon Tables of the fame Matter: Otherwise the Law of the New Teftament muft feem to be of lefs Perfection, than that of the Old. To the Sapphire of the Urim and Thummim alluded, without all doubt, continues the learned Carpzovius, the Holy Ghoft, when fpeaking of Chrift in Solomon's Song he faid; His Belly like white Ivory covered with Sapphires. Cant. c. v. v. 14. Though our Author is fully convinced by this Argument, it being back'd with fo plain a Text from Scripture, that the Urim and Thummim were of Sapphire; yet he is fo complaifant as to allow, that the Opinion, afferting them to have been of Parian Marble, or Alabafter, is probable enough; because the Bride in Solomon's Song, c. v. v. 15. may be faid to have alluded to them, when the compared the Bridegroom's Legs to Pillars of Marble. 'Tis true, continues our wife Conjecturer, the names no Marble in particular; but to what other than Parian, which is remarkable for its Whitenefs, could a Bride compare the Legs of her Bridegroom ? groom? A white Leg is very becoming, and apt to please a Bride: but a green, red, yellow, black, or fpeckled Leg is what few Women admire. He concludes, that the Spouse spoke of Parian Marble, and, of course, that the Urim and Thummim, to which fie alluded, were probably of the fame Marble. As to their Shape, Size, &c. he is of opinion they were quadrangular; for fuch was, according to the unerring Traditions of the Rabbi's, the Shape of the Tables of the Law. They were three Duckets thick, a Span in length, and a Span in breadth. They were kept in what we tranflate the Breast plate, but our Author will have it to fignify a Purfe, which the Jewish High-Prieft, in his opinion, wore hanging at his Neck, as a part of his Attire. Neither ought this to feem ftrange, adds he, for it was very fashionable in ancient Times to wear Purfes thus hanging down fometimes before, and fometimes behind, according as the Mode al tered. In S. Paul's time it was the fashion to wear them behind, as plainly appears from his Words to the Philippians, c. iii. v. 13. I forget that which is behind; that is, I forget my Purfe, not caring whether it be full or empty, or whe ther or not fome Cut-Purfe has snapped it away. Our learned Author has a very particular Talent, as the Reader by this time must have obferved, in explaining the Scripture; which is entirely owing, as he often infinuates, to the Knowledge he has of the Hebrew Tongue. If we may be allow'd to judge of his Skill in the Hebrew, from the ufe he makes of it in explaining the Scripture, it is, we muft needs own, very extraordinary, and uncommon. However, he feems to be no lefs verfed in Latin than in Hebrew, Y 4 Hebrew, when he tells us, that the Latin Verb decollare imports, in its original Signification, to take a Purfe off of one's Neck. We are very much obliged to him for this new Difcovery, having hitherto believed, by following the Antients too blindly, that the Verb decollare fignified to put down any thing whatsoever, which hung by, or lay upon, the Neck. In this fenfe it is taken by Nonnius, c. 2. n. 222. In tuo collo eft; décolles cave. Hence it fignifies in a metaphorical Senfe, to deprive, Quibus fructibus me decollavi; Lucil. 1, 2. and alfo to fail: Eft mibi una fpes canatica, we read in Plautus, fi ea decollabit, redibo buc ad Senem, ad Cænam afperam. But to return to the Urim and Thummim our Author thinks they were not the Work of any human Artificer, but of God alone. The Reafon he gives for this, is, that they were aType of Chrift, who, according to his human Nature, had no other Father but God. They were given to Mofes, continues Mr. Carpzovius, for to him they were promised in these Words: And the Lord faid unto Mofes, come up to me into the Mountain, and be there, and I will give thee Tables of Stone, and the Law, &c. that is, adds he, the Law of Chrift, the Doctrine of the Gospel. As to the Time when they were given to Mofes, he ingenuously owns himself to be quite in the dark, fince it is not any where revealed in Scripture. The chief End for which they were given, was to inftruct the Jews in the Doctrine of Chrift; and likewife to enable the High Prieft to give oracular Anfwers to the Queftions of the People. Which was performed, according to him, in the following manner. the first place, the High Prieft read over the Doctrine touching the Meffiah, contained in the In Urim Urim and Thummim, to the Person who came to confult him, asking him whether he belie ved fuch a Doctrine, and whatever elfe the Meffiah fhould reveal. To this Queftion he was to answer three times Amen; which done, the High Prieft put the Urim and Thummim into his hands, and jointly with him begged the Almighty, through the Merits of the future Meffiah, he would be pleased to refolve their Doubt, and declare to them his Will. Upon this, by fome extraordinary Sign or other, God made known, that whatever Answer the Priest fhould give, came from him. Then the Priest, by divine Inspiration, answered the Question propofed. SUCH are our learned Author's Notions touching the Urim and Thummim mentioned in Scripture, which he defcribes with the fame Minutenefs as if he had been the Artificer that formed them. He propofes, and refolves a great many other Queftions concerning his pretended Evangelical Tables, which we willingly omit, fince from the little we have already faid (which, may be, fome will think too much) the Reader may judge of the whole Work. Perhaps if he should happen to perufe it, in obferving the Barrennefs of our Author's Genius, and, at the fame time, the whole Work thick interlarded with Hebrew, he would conclude with Hudibras, That Hebrew Roots are found ARTI. |