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SECTION XIII.

THERE

HERE is one paflage more occurs, 521. from whence, in confequence of mis-translation, it seems that falfe conclufions have been drawn.

It is this :

Jude, ver. 4.

4. Παρεισέδυσαν γάρ τινες ἄνθρωποι, οἱ πάλαι προγεγραμμένοι εἰς τᾶτο τὸ κρίμα, ἀσεβεῖς, τὴν τῇ Θεᾶ ἡμῶν χάριν μετατιθέντες εἰς ἀσέλγειαν· καὶ τὸν μόνον δεσπότην Θεὸν, καὶ Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησῶν Χρισὸν ἀρνέ

μενοι.

The tranflation, in our version of the 522. Bible, is :

4. For there are certain men crept in unawares, WHO WERE BEFORE OF OLD ORDAINED TO THIS CONDEMNATION, ungodly

men,

men, turning the grace of our God into lafcivioufnefs, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift.

And from hence occafion has been taken to draw conclufions in favour of the doctrine of Predeftination, in its harsheft fense; whilst yet there is really no foundation for any fuch conclufions at all.

For goygapa is plainly and fimply, in its trueft etymology, prius fcribo, or ante fcribo; I write beforehand, or write against.

Thus we find St. Paul faying, in his Epiftle to the Ephefians,

Ch. iii. ver. 3..

Καθὼς προέγραψα ἐν ὀλίγῳ.

As I have before written unto you in brief.

And therefore προγράφομαι is ante fcribor, or prius fcribor, I am written against, or have before been written to. And προγεγραμμένοι plur. par. præt. paf. is, most literally, having been written again, or having been before

written to.

Again: eis, with an accufative, is as truly propter* (on account of) as ad (to).

And xgíua is opinio (opinion): and, in truth, 523. no otherwise, judicium, or damnatio; judgement, or condemnation, or damnation; than as judgement, and condemnation, is founded upon just opinion, and discerning;—for xgivw, κρίνω, from whence the word is derived, is difcerno, cenfeo; I difcern, or am of opinion. And xgion, which alfo fignifies sometimes judicium, or damnatio, just as much as xgiua, is also (as H. Stephens has well remarked, on the authority of Aristotle,) fententia quæ fertur de re aliqua.

Thus we find, in the Second Book of Kings, ch. i. ver. 7. when Ahaziah enquired what fort of a perfon it was who met his meffengers, the expreffion in the Septuagint 1s, Τις ἡ κρίσις τῷ ἀνδρὸς, what is the idea to be formed of the man?

So in the Book of Judges, chapter xiii. ver. 12. when Manoe enquires what shall be

* See Vigerus de Idiotifmis Græcæ Dictionis, p. 473. His words are: Sumitur interdum pro dia, propter, maximèque cum de laude, vel reprehenfione, aut contumelia fermo eft. And he cites a very strong paffage to the purpofe, from Thucydides.

the

524

the manner of the child, or the idea to be
formed of him? the words are, Ti çaι Tò
κρίμα το παιδαρίε; and the Vatican copy has
κρίσις, inftead of κρίμα.
This then being the

cafe, furely we may

venture to tranflate in fuch manner as follows; which at once removes all difficulties:

4. For there are crept in privately certain men, who have been before written against on account of this very opinion [of theirs.] Indevout men, turning the grace of our God into lafcivioufnefs, [or fubftituting a most perverse injurious doctrine in the room of the favour of our God;] and denying the only Ruler, God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift.

Although the tranflation here offered, of the latter part of this verfe, is not what needs to be infifted upon; yet I trust that it also will be found to deferve fome fupport, as well as that of the former part.

For, as the words are in the tranflation in our Bible, the whole contents of the verse are almoft unintelligible; efpecially as no one was ever found, in the Christian Church, who denied the existence of Almighty God.

But,

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