<104r>

Another Letter
written by \to/ a friend who had perused the two former Letters.

I have read over the two letters concerning ye {illeg} corruption of the texts of Iohn 5.7 & 1 Tim. 3.16, & am so far satisfied in the discourse that {} it has put me upon the curiosity of enquiring whether the like corruptions, may not have happened in other places & upon search I find reason to suspect a great many more places of this kind then I could have beleived expected. I have subjoyned a short account of them, {& I} should be glad to have your opinion {illeg} of the matter.

Hincmarus &c –

To ye end of ye letter add.

By ye Ethiopic Version I find that {illeg} \the/ text Philip 2.6 was anciently understood in another sense then what has been is now put upon it: wch makes me suspect that some of ye other Versions have been tampered with. ffor that ye greek text is to be understood in the sense of the Ethiopic runs thus Qui eam fuit vultus Dei, non abripuit ei qui fuit Deus, &c & that the Greek is to be understood in this sense I beleive the following considerations will convince you.

ffirst \3dly/, ἰσα put absolutely wth a dative case after it is never used \not/ for an adjective of equality but always for an adverb of similitude signifying ye same thing wth ὡσπερ, sicut, instar. ffor in this sense {illeg} tis used twelve times in the booke of Iob & never in any other.

Secondly \4./ ἐιναι ἰσα θεω & ἐιναι ἰσα θὲον are phrases of like signification & in ye ancient greek language signified nothing more then ye {illeg} phrases were sometimes applied to {illeg} & then signified nothing {illeg}

<104v>

[1] {illeg} sometimes they were applied to men after death & then signified their being honoured wth {illeg} αποθεοσις & wth {illeg} honours as ye heathens gave their Gods {illeg} |{divine} worship an ἀποθέοσις & divine worship consequent thereto. So Homer of| – τορὴν τε λελόγχασιν \γαρ/ ισα θεοω honorem consecuti sunt instar Deorum.

5. Τὸ ἐιναι ἰσα θεω is usd by \therefore in the language of/ St Paul {illeg} name above every name that at ye name of Iesus \that name at which/ every {sic} |signifies nothing else then the being honoured with divine worship. ffor he {illeg}|{useth}| it for the name above every name that name at wch every| knee should bow. ffor in exhorting ye Philippians to humility he saith, Let this mind ffor he saith yt Christ assumed not {illeg} τὸ ἐιναι ἰσα θεω the being honoured as God but humb emptied & humbled himself & therefore God exalted him & gave him a name above every name yt at ye name of Iesus every knee should bow.

1 {illeg} ἁρπαγμὸν signifies not ye action of robbery but the prey, as \{though some commentators understand it as}/ is manifest by its being joyned \by apposition/ in ye same case wth τὸ ἐιναι ἰσα θεω wch is ye prey & also by the consent of the Greek commentators

2. {illeg} ἁρπαγμὸν {illeg}ἡγήσεσθαι, prædam ducere, signifies to look upon any thing wth a desire of taking it. So Tully, Omnium bona prædam suam duxit. And Heliodorus[2] when \of/ a youth \who/ resisted ye temptation of a young woman, {saith} \saith/ οὐχ᾽ ἅρπαγμα, οὔδε ἑρμαιον ηγηιται τὸ πραγμα he counts not this thing a prey & \an/ unexpected good gain. And {again} in another place[3] speaking of a thing not easy to be compassed \obteined/ he saith οὐχ ἅρπαγμα τὸ πραγμα \The thing is not a prey/. So Thucydides somewhere

And Grotius[4] informs us yt ye Syrians (in whose style ye Apostles writ) used ye phrase in ye same sense: {illeg} \Now/ yt St Paul \{illeg}/ uses ye phrase in {ye same} \this/ sense is plain by the opposition wch is put between the phrase & εκένοτεν {illeg} by meanes of ye words ἀλλα Ουχ᾽ {illeg} εκένοτεν \ἑαυτον/ he did not think \count/ {illeg} which he had not, but {illeg} on the contrary {emptied} himself of what he had.

<105r>

Let the interpretation here given {illeg} {fact} \confirmed by history/. ffor Christ was not worshipped under ye {law} {illeg} his incarnation & passion humbled himself & therefore after his death God exalted him & gave him a name above every name that at ye name of Iesus every knee should bow.

[1] τόν νυν ἰσα θεω Ι{illeg}ακησιοι ορο{illeg}ς

[2] Heliod Æthiop. Hist l 9.

[3] ib lib 4

[4] Grot. in h. l.

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Professor Rob Iliffe
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