1798: 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magexine. 
STR, , ( 
E. in endeavouring to réconcile the 
e inconfiftency of the authors of Ge- 
wefis and Exodus (p. 93 of your Iaft 
Magazine), propoies that the Englith 
text of the fcripture should be the ftand- 
ard for confideration. It mutt furely oc- 
cur to §. E. that no biblical criticifm can 
deierve attention, which is not founded 
on the original language of feripture. 
Would he be fo abfurd as to criticife 
particular words, or phrafes, in Homer, 
from Pope’s tranflation of them, without 
looking at the Greek words in which they 
are exprefled? If the Englith tranflators 
of the Bible have dextroufly applied the 
proning rors or the plane; and, after 
levelling all afperities, or refractory pro- 
jections, have covered the mutilated ftock 
with a fmooth, uniform varnifh, are we, 
therefore, for ever to be precluded from 
enquiring into the primary ftate of the 
tree of our religion, and trem afcertain- 
jng.its genuine fruits? a 
The afiertion of a. bifhop, 
Jearned, made without any proof, not 
countenanced by any paffages: of {crip- 
ture,’ will have no more weight than 
S. E.’s own authority. Nothing can be 
more’ exprefs than the words quoted from. 
Exodus, chap. vi. 3. ‘* I appeared unto 
fbrabam, unto Ifaac, and unto Jacob, 
(under the title, or denomination of) ‘F]- 
Shaddai, but by my name Jehovah was I 
Hot known to them,”’ 
4 ftrange mifunderftanding, or a mere 
evafion, to deduce any -other meaning 
from thefe plain words, than what they 
ufually convey. They are, therefore, di- 
rectly contradictory to the texts cited 
from Genelis (fee Monthly Magazine 
for July, page 19); and jikewife to many 
other paflages.. Thus, if S. E. willailow 
the reference to the Hebrew Bible, he 
may find the title of Jehovah applied to 
the fupreme God before the flood. “* And 
Eye conceived, and bare a fon: and fhe 
faid, J have gotten a iman {rom Jehovah.” 
Gen.iv. 1. In the fame chapter, verfe 
a6, itis faid, “ Then dcgan men to-call 
on the NAME OF JEHOVAH.” Again, 
** Noah: faid, Bleftd be Jehovah, the 
God of Shem;” chap. ix. 26. And, 
© ke faid unap Albraham, I am Jehovah, 
w © brought thee out of Ur, .ef the 
» >! ] > 7. 
Chaldecs, to give thee this land. And 
Abraham faid, Aconai Jehovah (Lord 
Jehoyah), whereby fhali [ knew that I 
Ipell imherit it ;°? chap. xv. 7, 3. In 
chap. xxvii. 20, “¢ Tiaac faid unto his 
fon, How js it that thos hat found the 
On the Appellation  Fehsvab”. 
however. 
It muit be either 
anf 
venifon fo quickly? ‘and he faid, Be- 
caufe Jehovah, thy God, brought it to 
me.” In chap. xxvili..13, ‘° And bes 
hold Jehovah ftood above the ladder, aad 
aid, Lam Jehovah, the God of Abra- 
ham thy father, and the God of Hfaac,** 
&c. Werle 21, Jacob himfelf fays, “Lf 
I return to my father’s houfe in peace, 
then foall Fehovah be my God.” 
S. E. may now confider how thefe pafe 
fages agree with the pointed affertion jn 
Exodus, vi. 3. And I afk him, -om 
what authority, from the Hebrew lan- 
guage, he, or Dr. WARBURTON, fhould 
maintain that the word Shem (name) Sgr 
nifies, in Exodus vi. 3, ‘a title of ho- 
nour,”’ but only implies a fimple deno= 
mination in all the other paflages, evem 
where it is conneSted with fimilar words? 
Can he fuppefe that Noah, after his great 
deliverance, when he builded an altar to 
Jehovah (Genetis viii. 20.) and blefied 
him, annexed lefs honour or reverence te 
the name than was paid to it by Mofes and 
his fucceffors?’ When the words, ‘ I am 
Jehovah, the God of Abraham, and of 
Ifaac,”’ Genefis xxvill. 13, were ad- 
drefled to Jacob, does S. E, think they 
were not intended to command the fame 
refpegt from Jacob as from’Moles ata 
future period 2 ek to 
It feems-here not amifs to flate the 
opinion of the moit refpeCtable among the 
antient Rabbins, who-muft furely have 
underftood the purport of Hebrew words 
better than Dr. WARBURTON. In direét 
oppofition to the notion of this learned 
prelate, they, im all times, have cenfi- 
dered the word Jehovah as the proper 
dijlinétive name ot the God of the Jews, 
and the adjun&ts to it, or the other ap- 
pellatives in holy writ, as deferiptive of 
his attributes. When to the name Je- 
hoyah, are added the terms, El Elioun, 
Abir, Shaddai, El Hafhamaim, E] Ho- 
lam, that is, moft-high, all-fufficient, 
mighty, omnipotent, the God of heaven 
and earth, the eterna! ; and many others 
quoted by the Rabbins from Exodus 
uxxiv. 6, 7. &c. thefe certainly, and not 
the fimple name, mult be deemed ‘* titles 
of honour.”” 
S. E. may fee another clear diftinétion 
between the ufual name and an afflumed 
<¢ title of honour,”” in Exodus, chap. iil. 
14, 15. When the children of Tirael, 
long domiciliated in Egypt, had forfaken 
the worfbip of their anceftors, and adopted 
the Egyptian divinities, Ifis, Onis, 
Apis; &ce. Mofes is campiffioned by 
Elohi, angel, or prince of the Elohim, 
ina burning buh, yerfe 3, te remind 
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