66

"forth to them a glorious kingdom, and a beautiful crown from the Lord's hand; now by it "Moses obtained a good report, became the servant of God, and commissioned by him to dispense his mercies and judgments; the sea opening a passage for the Israelites, and closing again to overwhelm Pharaoh and his army; the former sustained miraculously with manna for forty years, and drinking of the brook which flowed from the hard rock, and the Egyp "tians perishing through the calamity of their river stained with foul blood; the former covered with a cloud from the scorching of the mid day sun, and conducted by night with a light "of fire, and the latter perishing by a continued darkness, whose horror was encreased by the glare of spectres and apparitions; an army of hornets marching before the people of God, to "drive the Canaanites from their possessions, and the Egyptians destroyed by as dreadful a persecution of locusts: The clouds, at several times, converted into a shower of hailstones "to overthrow the wicked, and, at other times, the elements suspending their Known quali"ties in favour of God's chosen." Such important facts recorded in this book, manifesting God's displeasure against sin, and his acceptance and reward of obedience, shew the great usefulness of it, and that it was not without reason approved of by the church, and appointed to be read in it, for instruction and edification. And hence we may presume, Dr Raynolds, who wrote so learnedly against the authority of the Apocryphal Bocks, was induced to speak so fayourably of this, and Ecclesiasticus, calling them, "Valde bonos et utiles, et omnibus trac tationibus præferendos," (which is the language also of St Austin, De Prædest. Sanct. lib. i.) proximumque illis locum deberi post Scripturam Sacram." Præl. vii. lxxiv.d?

66

The original text of this book is in Greek, nor are there reasons sufficient to induce us to conclude, that it was ever extant in Hebrew: but though the author wrote Kwell, an was acquainted with approved writings, both of philosophers and poets in that language, yet, in all the editions which I have carefully consulted and compared, there seem to be many faulty and suspicious passages.. Junius has the like observation upon all the Apocryphal Books,. "Permulti ubique inveniuntur loci varii, distorti, depravati. Depravati autem! imo profli gati, æquè in contextu Græco atque in Translationibus, quos quidem locos partim ex Canonicorum Scriptorum Authoritate, partim ex ipsorum authorum secum, aut aliorum cum ipsis comparatione, partimque ex judicio necesse fuit emendare." Præf. ad Lib. Apoc. From him therefore I promised myself no little assistance; but neither Junius, nor the many commentators I have occasionally consulted, give that light which one might have expected in the most dif ficult passages. And though they could not but perceive, and often do acknowledge the Greek. text to be corrupt, yet they content themselves with giving a general guess at the author's meaning, without strictly and minutely examining the original, whether it would warrant and justify such a sense, or might be, by some happy conjecture, altered to afford a better. There is indeed thus much to be said in the behalf of some of them, that being Catholic commentators, the very text itself was sacred to them; but why the few Protestant expositors, whom we find among the Sacred critics, should be generally so sparing of their learned labours, as to attempt scarce a single emendation, when the badness of the original text in so many places called for their assistance, can be resolved into no truer cause, than what is mentioned before, viz.. that the Apocryphal books having been too much extolled by the Romanists, and even made a part of the Canon, and many of their erroneons tenets pretended to be warranted from thence, these have been as remarkably regardless of them, and through an over-cautious delicacy have gone into the other extreme; which probably may be the reason, joined to the scarcity of useful notes and observations upon the Apocryphal books, that the learned Poole has taken no notice of these in his Synopsis. But as this way of reasoning against the general usefulness of a thing from a particular abuse of it, is allowed on all hands to be illogical and inconclusive, there is the less occasion to enlarge on this head.

As there are many passages which to me seem faulty in the original, and have hitherto passed unaltered, and even unattempted, I have endeavoured to restore these by the most easy and natural helps; sometimes by a different point only, sometimes by the change of a few letters; mistakes, which might arise probably at first from the carelessness of transcribers, or the like. ness and affinity of sound; but I have been cautious of indulging too much liberty and wantonness this way, and when any criticism is attempted, and an emendation of the original text of fered, which I was induced to, either by the sense of the context, or the badness of the present

construction, or the authority of the ancient versions, which I have constantly consulted, I have always supported such an alteration with reasons, at least probable, and have not obtruded any favourite criticism dogmatically, but submitted it, with great deference, to superior judgment, being ready to retract any mistake, and to acknowledge my obligation for any friendly informa tion. Nor have I boldly attempted any transposition, however inclined or induced to it, by the confusion and perplexity of some passages in their present state, such as ch. i. 16. ch. xii. 27. not having authority from MSS or the ancient versions; for though a conjecture of a transposition may be sometimes admitted in books which are confessedly written in prose, yet as some learned men have been of opinion, [see Grabe's Prolegom. tom. ult. chap. i. 2. Calmet's Diction, in voce WISDOM,] that this book, and that of Ecclesiasticus were originally written in metre, and there may perhaps seem some countenance for it from the many poetical terms here used, and from their being wrote stitche-wise in the Alexandrian MS, in the same manner as the book of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Canticles are, to which some of the old Latin translations, and Dr Grabe, in his late edition, probably for the same reason, has joined them; I was, on this account, less disposed to indulge any conjectural transposition, as in metrical books, mistakes of that nature could not so easily happen; though nothing certain can be built upon this, even though we should suppose with some others, that this book was originally wrote in Hebrew. Thus much I can assert with great truth and sincerity, that as it was my design: to make the work useful in all possible particulars, I have purposely confined myself, to explain,. as indeed all expositors should, the most difficult passages, nor have I designedly left any one difficulty which respects either the sense, or the reading of the original text itself, unattempted at least. And this I have done by minutely examining the Greek text, collating the several editions and their various readings, consulting the Oriental versions, and the several ancient English translations, comparing the author's account with the Scripture History, and collecting what was parallel, or would give an additional light, from Josephus, Philo, Spencer, Selden, &c. and to these helps I have occasionally added some material notes and observations of those celebrated Commentators Messieurs of Port-Royal, and Galmet. The former give us the sentiments. of the fathers, and their exposition and reflections upon particular important points; and the latter, in the explanatory way, exceeds all the Commentators that went before, and almost su-persedes the use of any other. Such as would see a short marginal paraphrase upon this book,. will probably find satisfaction from a small one in 12mo, published in 1706. And that the fol-lowing sheets may be useful to every class of readers, I have likewise studied plainness and clearness, and inserted, in their proper places, many moral reflections, such as arose naturally from: the subject, which, as they tend to discourage vice, and shew the fallacy of libertines of Epicurean principles, so they serve likewise to enliven the work, and are a sort of relief and entertain-. ment after a dry criticism.

The English translation of the Apocryphal books, which the church now uses, is that which was made by the command of King James I. but though seven very considerable persons. were employed in the work, and among them the learned Dr Duport, the then Greek Profes-sor in the university of Cambridge, yet it is surprizing to observe in how many places it is. faulty and: imperfect. In that of the Book of Wisdom, the language is not only bad, but the sense often obscure and intricate; and though some allowance may be made upon account of the faultiness of the original text, which might in particular passages, occasion the obscurity of our version, yet often where the original is pure, clear, and intelligible, the translators have not. only fallen short of the force and beauty of it, but have unaccountably mistaken the sense;. and where the Greek happens to be equivocal, and will admit of different meanings, have frequently taken the worst, and most foreign to the context. The translation of the first part is much the best executed, but the three last chapters betray great negligence, and seem to I come from a hasty, I had almost said, an unskilful hand. In all such faulty instances I have helped our version, and given the true rendering; nor is the number of emendations attempt mitted to the judgment of the learned; but hope it will meet with the more candour, being the If what I now offer to the public shall be favourably received, I shall be induced to publish, in due time, the like Commentary upon the book of Ecclesiasticus, which is already in some forwardness..

ed

first

essay.

:

THAT nothing might be wanting that could give any insight into the book itself, or contribute to the discovery of its Author, I have prefixed two Dissertations of Calmet's, which I purposely translated from the French, as they are drawn up with great judgment, and will be found very useful for the better understanding this writer; one upon the book itself, the other containing the opinions and conjectures of learned men about the Author. In the former, the style, sentiments, method, and subject matter of the Book of Wisdom, are so judiciously treated of, that it is needless to attempt to add to it; but as the conclusion contains some bold assertions of the canonicalness and inspiration of the apocryphal books, which are not warrantable, and which unanswered, through the authority of so great a name, might have done harm, I mean his appeal to those pretended councils, in whose decrees the Romanists take shelter, and this learned commentator so much triumphs in, I thought it incumbent upon me, however unequal to the challenge, to examine and confute this pretence; which I have done in the clearest manner, that the nature of such a controversy will admit of, and, by authorities and reasons so full and cogent, that, I trust, an antidote is provided against any possible poison that can be conveyed. In the latter, he recounts the several supposed authors of this book mentioned by antiquity, and the arguments urged in their behalf, but, at length, he leaves the point undetermined; so that from him we rather learn who is not, than who is the real author of it. But the reasons which he produces in favour of Philo the Jew, it must be confessed, are very strong; so strong, that it seems not improbable he would have adjudged this book to him, if the canonicalness of it would not have been endangered thereby. The two principal arguments urged against Philo by him are, his not being inspired, and the difference of style. The former he himself acknowledges is of no force to such as do not own the canonicalness of this book; and the latter he has answered, when he observes, that this may be occasioned by the difference of the subject matter, according to which, the same writer often varies his style, and seemingly differs from himself; which is particularly true of Philo, for sometimes his pieces are allegorical, sometimes literal, sometimes between both extremes, and yet from some resemblance in the features, one may easily know that they belong to the same parent.: Facies non omnibus una,

Nec diversa tamen, qualis decet esse sororum.

Such a variation of style, therefore, if there were no other arguments against him of more weight, no more concludes against Philo, than a change of dress, according to the exigency of a man's business and occasions, infers a real change of his person.

St Jerom acquaints us, that many of the ancients supposed this book to be wrote by Philo, Prol. in lib. Sap. and some very considerable moderns are of the same opinion. Dr Raynolds contends that it was wrote by Philo in the time of the Emperor Caius, who would have his statue set up and adored in the temple of Jerusalem, Sueton. in vit. Calig. 22. and that the Jews sent this very Philo, as their ambassador to intercede with him not to profane their temple, but the Emperor ordered Petronius to see the orders about his statue complied with. This, he says, is perfectly agreeable to the argument and drift of the Book of Wisdom; and from hence he accounts for those precepts in the first and sixth chapters, which contain the duty of princes, that they were inserted with a view to Caius, to admonish him how he ought to act, or to instruct his successors. Hence likewise those fine observations upon the reward of virtue, the happy exit of good men, and the torment which awaits the wicked, especially those in power, in the second, third, fourth, fifth chapters, designed, as he supposes, for the comfort of the distressed Jews, and as a warning and terror to evil and tyrannical princes. Hence, lastly, those severe remarks upon the original, progress, mischief, and downfal of images and idols, and those threatenings against them, their makers and worshippers, which are to be found at large in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters. Cens. Lib. Apoc. tom. i. Præl. 22.

JUNIUS thinks the Book of Wisdom was composed from some fragments of Solomon, and that it is an extract from his writings, which the seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters may seem to favour, and that Philo was the compiler; and so takes the middle way, between those who assign it to Solomon, and those who ascribe it to Philo. Bishop Cosin concurs in giving this book to Philo, Schol. Hist. sect. 36. and refers in the margin to the following authorities, as confirming this opinion, S. Basil Ep. ad Amphiloch. S. Hier. Præf. in lib. Sol. Beleth de Div. Offic. c. 60. Jo. Sarisbur. Epist. 172. Aquin. in Dionys. de Divin. Nom. c. 4. Lect. 9. Bonavent. in lib.

Sap. Lyran. in eundem. These farther authorities in favour of Philo, joined to Calmet's arguments, though stronger than any hitherto alledged for any other person, must yet be allowed to amount only to a bare probability.a

As there is not sufficient light for determining, with any certainty, the real author of the Book of Wisdom, or the precise time in which he wrote, I shall set down only what is most generally agreed on with relation to this book, viz. that it was not wrote by Solomon, though the title carries his name, nor originally in Hebrew; that it was wrote by a Hellenist Jew, for the style shews that it was a Greek that composed it, as St Jerom observes, Stylus ipse Graecam Eloquentiam redulet, Prol. in lib. Sup and from some circumstances in the book itself, it seems most probable to be wrote by a Helenist Jew of Alexandria in particular. That it was wrote long after Malachi, and the ceasing of prophecy, even a considerable time after the LXX interpreters, and therefore not by one of them. We may, I think, come still nearer its true date, if we place it after the times of the Maccabees, and, consequently, that it is much later than the Book of Ecclesiasticus: For what Grotius urges from its being placed in all the copies before that of Ecclesiasticus, is of little weight to determine its Era, nor is the order of books as it occurs in our bibles, any rule for settling the precedence in point of time. For does not the book of Job follow after the Pentateuch, and other books confessedly later? And yet the learned suppose it to be wrote before, any of the books of Moses, and probably the oldest book we have now remaining. See Origen, cont. Gels. lib. i. Euseb. Demonst. Evang. lib. i. c. 6. Selden De Jure. Nat. &c. c. 11. Bishop, Sherlock. Dissert. II. In a word, allowing the uncertainty of the author, and of the exact time when this book was wrote, yet, as it certainly precedes the most primitive ecclesiastical writings in point of time, and cannot, without manifest injury, be supposed inferior to them in point of worth, it ought at least to be put upon the same level with them, and challenge as . high a regard.

WHAT a late learned Metropolitan says of the authority of the writings of the apostolical fa-thers, belongs in an equal, if not a higher degree, to the apocryphal books, especially the didactical ones: "We cannot doubt but that what was universally approved of, and allowed, not by a few learned men, but the whole church in those days, what was permitted to be publicly read to "the faithful for their comfort and instruction, must, by this means have received the highest "human approbation, and ought to be looked upon by us, though not of equal authority with "those books, which the same church has delivered to us as strictly canonical, yet as standing "in the first rank of ecclesiastical writings." Archbishop Wake's Prelim. Disc. to the Transl, of Apost. Epist. p. 119.

ཅན་

[N. B. In this Edition of the. Commentary of the Book of Wisdom, the Reader will observe, that the many Additions communicated to the Author by a very learned Friend, are included in Hooks, which he designed to have melted down into the body of his Work, and to have acknowledged, no doubt, his Obligations to the Person that sent them. But he had executed this Design in Part‹ only, the Observations being transcribed no further than Chap. ix. and the original Copy of them not found among his Papers. This Loss has, by good Fortune, been supplied by another Friend, through whose hands the Observations were transmitted to him, and who was indulged the Liberty of taking a Copy of them for himself; from whence they are now given to the Public. They correct often Mistakes of the Author, which it was thought proper to continue as he left: them, that the Reader might the better judge of the Force of the Remarks, and that a Liberty might not be taken after his Death, which himself only, while alive, had a right to make use of 1

CALMET'S PREFACE TO THE BOOK OF WISDOM.

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.

NUSTOM, and the language of the church, have always given to the books attributed to Solomon, the title of Sapiential Books. The fathers often cite them under the general name of" The Wisdom of Solomon ;" and, in Ecclesiastical language, the Book of Wisdom comprehends, not only all the undoubted works of that prince, but likewise Ecclesiasticus, and that which we are now going to explain, which, by a peculiar privilege, hath been called, by way of eminence, The Book of Wisdom; or, as the Greek expresses it, The Wisdom of Solomon. Not that Solomon was the author of this Book, scarce any learned men are of that opinion; but it has been looked upon as a summary of his sentiments, and as containing some of his most weighty and important maxims. Some of the ancients quote it also by the Greek name Panaretos, i. e. a treasury of all virtue, or a collection of useful instructions to bring us to it. And in this sense, we must understand wisdom in this author, as synonymous to religion, piety, justice, and the fear of God; a sense widely different from that in which wisdom is understood in the writings of the heathen philosophers where it has but little concern or connection with. religion, and the practice of real virtue, aiming only to enlighten and improve the understanding, and to give it a sort of fruitless knowledge of general truths of a very imperfect morality founded wholly upon nature.

The principal end proposed by the author of this book is the instruction of kings, nobles, and judges of the earth; he addresses his discourse to them, accommodates his rules to their circumstances and occasions, and exhorts them to a serious and diligent study of wisdom. And to incline them the more effectually to it, he assumes the name of Solomon, and speaks to them as in his person with an air of authority, but without haughtiness or affectation. He proposes this great prince to them as a pattern, and recounts by what means he arrived to that height of glory, riches, knowledge, and eloquence; he declares that it is to wisdom alone he is indebted for all these blessings, and that whoever will imitate him, may arrive to the same happiness and perfection. And to engage them the more effectually to the pursuit, he assures them that the means of attaining wisdom are not difficult, that to gain her is only asking her of God, that she even prevents those that seek her, and hastens to meet those who sincerely desire her.

He discovers to them, at the same time, the obstacles that they may meet with in the study and pursuit of wisdom, which he shews are chargeable on men themselves, rather than on God; that therefore they wrongfully accuse nature, and to no purpose urge their own weakness and infirmities. For death and sin made not their first entry into the world through the will of God, but by the fraud of the devil, and through the fault of men themselves. At first, man was created pure, innocent, and immortal, and was himself the cause of forfeiting these great blessings and prerogatives. But notwithstanding his fall, wisdom is still possible to be attained by him, and, through the assistance of God, he may acquire it. But to engage God to be his friend, he must avoid, above all things, sin, debauchery, and deceit; for God will be served faithfully, and with an upright heart, nor will wisdom ever enter into, or dwell in a deceitful and corrupt soul.

He expressly confutes those who believe the soul to be mortal, and who place their sovereign happiness in the pleasures of sense; and says, they deservedly brought death upon themselves, by siding with the devil, and ranging themselves in his party, who, through envy, brought men into this degenerate and unhappy state. He represents the righteous man as reviled, hated, persecuted, condemned unjustly, and, at length, put to death, and in such terms as suit admirably with the sufferings and passion of Jesus Christ. He threatens the wicked with the judgments of God, and extreme punishment in another life, and represents them in a state of despair at seeing the happiness of the just, which they shall be witnesses of. On the other side, he describes the blessed condition of the saints in a future state, as a condition of joy, peace,