[Sidenote: The translation of the Old Testament out of the Hebrew into Greek. _See St. August. lib. 12. contra Faust. cap. 32._] While God would be known only in _Jacob_, and have his name great in _Israel_, and in none other place; while the dew lay on _Gideon’s_ fleece only, and all the earth besides was dry; then for one and the same people, which spake all of them the language of _Canaan_, that is, _Hebrew_, one and the same original in _Hebrew_ was sufficient. But when the fulness of time drew near, that the Sun of righteousness, the Son of God, should come into the world, whom God ordained to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood, not of the _Jew_ only, but also of the _Greek_, yea, of all them that were scattered abroad; then, lo, it pleased the Lord to stir up the spirit of a _Greek_ prince, (_Greek_ for descent and language,) even of _Ptolemy Philadelph_ king of _Egypt_, to procure the translating of the book of God out of _Hebrew_ into _Greek_. This is the translation of the _Seventy_ interpreters, commonly so called, which prepared the way for our Saviour among the _Gentiles_ by written preaching, as St. _John Baptist_ did among the _Jews_ by vocal. For the _Grecians_, being desirous of learning, were not wont to suffer books of worth to lie moulding in kings’ libraries, but had many of their servants, ready scribes, to copy them out, and so they were dispersed and made common. Again the _Greek_ tongue was well known and made familiar to most inhabitants in _Asia_ by reason of the conquests that there the _Grecians_ had made, as also by the colonies which thither they had sent. For the same causes also it was well understood in many places of _Europe_, yea, and of _Africk_ too. Therefore the word of God, being set forth in _Greek_, becometh hereby like a candle set upon a candlestick, which giveth light to all that are in the house; or like a proclamation sounded forth in the market place, which most men presently take knowledge of; and therefore that language was fittest to contain the Scriptures, both for the first preachers of the Gospel to appeal unto for witness, and for the learners also of those times to make search and trial by. It is certain, that that translation was not so sound and so perfect, but that it needed in many places correction; and who had been so sufficient for this work as the Apostles or apostolick men? Yet it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to them to take that which they found, (the same being for the greatest part true and sufficient,) rather than by making a new, in that new world and green age of the Church, to expose themselves to many exceptions and cavillations, as though they made a translation to serve their own turn; and therefore hearing witness to themselves, their witness not to be regarded. This may be supposed to be some cause, why the translation of the _Seventy_ was allowed to pass for current. Notwithstanding, though it was commended generally, yet it did