"I beg your acceptance therefore of my warmest thanks, thus publickly of fered, for the many inftances of your goodness, fo publickly conferred; and efpecially for your leave to honour myfelf with the mention of your names in my present appearance before the world. An appearance, this-arifing only from the perfuafions of fome of you, to whofe judgment I pay a profound deference; and from the fondness of an opportunity to make known that duty to you all, which (if kindness, if charity can at all oblige), you have fo richly deferved; and which will, I hope, be the character iftic of my life, 'till ingratitude become

a virtue.

"You are entitled, by the ftrongest claim, to the labours as well as the acknowledgments of my life; and have abundantly more right to the production now before you, than to the fruit of a tree tranfplanted into your own garden. I have the greatest reafon to with there may be found fomething ufeful, and therefore agreeable, in the following Differ tations, on your account as well as my own. And as I doubt not of their containing fome mistakes, it may be decent to obferve-that many of you have not yet perused what is here prefented you; and therefore have condefcended to be the patrons of the Author only, and not of his performance.

"The fubjects however will appear, I prefume, of confequence, and to be worthy of careful confideration. This indeed is evident from the first view of them in themselves; and it may be far ther ftrengthened and ascertained by obferving, that our great countryman Mr. Mede had minuted them both down for his confideration; but death deprived the world of his valuable explanation of them.

"What this celebrated writer propofed, I have ventured to confider. The principal observations, on which the main part of each Differtation turns, occurred to me in confidering the ori ginal text; and I humbly fubmit the whole that is here built upon them to

the judgment of yourselves, and the reft of the learned world; hoping for your. favour and their pardon.

"May this little prefent, offered only as an earnest of my grateful wishes, be, thought not unworthy your acceptance! The defign you will approve, from that principle of religion which animates, your actions; and forgive the manner of its execution, from that principle of candour which I have fo frequently experienced in the favours received from you all. And may the Giver of every good and perfect gift, who alone is able to recompence fuch a profufion of goodnefs, reward you an hundred fold for every act of generosity conferred on

"Your very dutiful

"And most obliged humble fervant, "BENJAMIN KENNICOTT *.”.

The approbation of the learned in general followed this performance, though there were not wanting fome who did not agree with the Author, and more answers than one made their appearance. The learning difplayed in it was however univerfally applauded, and the vacancy of a fellowship at Exeter College occurring before he could qualify himself to be a candidate by taking his first degree, the Univerfity, as a mark of favour, conferred on him the neceffary diftinction before the usual period. The following is the letter from Lord Arran, the Chancellor, to the Convocation on this fubject:

« Whereas it hath been represented to me that BENJAMIN KENNICOTT, scho lar, of Wadham College, is a perfon well deferving of your favour; particularly on account of a book lately publifhed by him, entitled "Two Differtations," &c. For a further encourage ment to him in the profecution of his ftudies, and as an incitement to the youth of your univerfity to follow fo laudable an example; I give my confent that the degree of B. A. be in the fullest manner conferred upon him, without fees. "I am, &c.

"ARRAN."

Са

In

In confequence of this letter, on Saturday June the 20th, 1747, the Univerfity unanimously agreed in convocation to confer on him the degree of B. A. without examination, determination at Lent, or fees. Soon after he was elected fellow of Exeter College, and on the 4th of May 1750 took the degree of M. A. Purfuing his ftudies with great diligence, he in 1753 published "The State of the printed Hebrew Text of the Old Teftament confidered. A Dissertation in Two Parts. Part the First compares 1 Chron. xi. with 2. Sam. v. and xxiii. and Part the Second contains Observations on feventy Hebrew MSS. with an Extract of Mistakes and various Readings," 8vo. Oxford. In this Work he first exhibited the utility and neceffity of a collation of the Hebrew Text with the various ancient MSS. exifting.

At this period the University of Oxford was much tainted with difaffection to the reigning family on the throne, and Tory, if not Jacobite principles, were very prevalent there, and met with much encouragement. In the rage of party it was not likely that any active member fhould efcape the diforders of the times. Mr. Kennicott adhered to the fide of Government, and in confequence much of the abufe, then liberally distributed amongst the friends of what was called the new intereft, or Whig party, fell to his fhare. He defended himself however with spirit and acuteness in the pamphlet we have already quoted, and, as it was fuppofed, in a Newspaper then published, entitled The Evening Advertifer. About this time he was appointed one of the Preachers at Whitehall.

In January 1757 he preached before the University of Oxford a Sermon, which being mitreprefented, occafioned its publication under the title of "Chriftian Fortitude." Between this period and 1760 he was prefented to the vicarage of Culham in Oxfordshire.

He had now employed himself for feveral years in fearching out and collating Hebrew MSS. It appears, when he began the ftudy of the Hebrew language, and for feveral years afterwards, he was ftrongly prejudiced in favour of the integrity of the Hebrew Text: taking it for granted, that if the printed copies of the Hebrew Bible at all differed from the originals of Mofes and the

few

Prophets, the variations were very and quite inconfiderable. In 1748 he' was convinced of his mistake, and fatisfied that there were fuch corruptions in the facred volume as to affect the fenfe greatly in many inftances. The parti cular Chapter, which extorted from him this conviction, was recommended to his perufal by the Rev. Dr. Lowth, afterwards Bishop of London. It was the 23d Chapter of the 2d Book of Samuel.

Being thus convinced of his mistake, he thought it his duty to endeavour to convince others; and accordingly, in 1753, published the work already mentioned. In 1758 the Delegates of the Prefs at Oxford were recommended by the Hebrew Profeffor to encourage, amongit various other particulars, a Collation of all thofe Hebrew MSS. of the Old Teftament, which were preserved in the Bodleian Library, and Archbishop Secker ftrongly preffed our Author to undertake the task, as the person beft qualified to carry it into execution. In 1760 he was prevailed upon to give up the remainder of his life to the arduous work, and early in that year published "The State of the printed Hebrew Text confidered, Diflertation the Second," 8vo. wherein he further inforced the neceffity of the Collation he had fo ftrenuously recommended. In the fame year he published his propofals, and was immediately encouraged by a liberal fubfcription from the Univerfities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin; the Archbishops of Canterbury, York, and Dub. lin; many of the Bishops; fome Noblemen; the principal of the Diffenting Minifters; and various Clergymen, as well as other encouragers of literature. The time he propofed to be employed in the work was ten years, and he fet about to fulfill his engagement with alacrity; determining to exert the utmoft of his endeavours to ferve the public, and not at all doubting the generofity of the public for the reward of his labours. On the 6th of December 1761 he took the degree of B. D. and on the roth of the fame month that of D. D. In that year his Majelty's name was added to the lift of annual subscribers for the fum of 2001.

The importance of the Work being generally acknowledged, numberlefs articles of information were received from

various

various parts of Europe, and the learned in every quarter feemed willing to promote the fuccefs of a plan fo apparently beneficial to the interefts of Revelation. Some however doubted the neceffity, and fome the usefulness of the undertaking, and objections foon were ftarted by different perfons, fome with a friendly view, and fome with a petulant one. Amongst others, the Profeffor of Di. vinity at Cambridge, Dr. Rutherforth, published A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Kennicott, in which his Defence of the Samaritan Pentatuch is examined, and his Second Differtation on the State of the printed Hebrew Text of the Old Teftament is fhewn to be in many inftances injudicious and inaccurate. With a Poftfcript, occafioned by his advertizing, before this Letter was printed, that he had an Answer to it in the Prefs," 8vo. 1761. To this Dr. Kennicott published an immediate reply, under the title of "An Anfwer to a Letter from the Rev. T. Rutherforth, D.D. F.R.S." &c. 8vo. 1762, in the poftfcript to which he declared it to be his refolution not to be diverted from his principal defign by engaging in any further controverfy *.

This refolution he was unable to perfevere in. An antagonist of fuperior order, whofe influence was too mighty to be treated with neglect, made his appearance. This was Dr. Warburton, Bishop of Gloucefter, then poffeffed of all his powers, and exercifing authority in the world of Letters almoft without controul. This learned writer, finding an explanation of a paffage in the Proverbs different from his own fentiments, attacked the Collation of the Hebrew MSS. in the Preface to his Doctrine of Grace, 1764, in a style not unusual with him, and calculated to make an unfavourable impreffion on the public mind. To repel the attack, Dr. Kennicott published "A Sermon preached before the University of Oxford at St. Mary's Church on Sunday May 19, 1765," 8vo. in the Notes to which he defended himelf with great fpirit, and even affailed his opponent, whofe reflections he obferved, with regard to his work, were a mere fortuitous concourfe of words, of heterogeneous and incompatible meanings, which were therefore incapable of forming any regular fyftem of oppofition,

and had therefore the benevolent faculty of deftroying one another.

In the fummer of 1766 he vifited Paris for the purpose of examining the MSS. in that place, and was received with the honours due to him on account of his learning and diligence, and of the utility of his undertaking. In November 1767 he was appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the other Electors, to the office of Radcliffe Librarian.

In 1768 he published "Observations on the First Book of Samuel, Chap. vi. Verfe 19." 8vo. These were dedicated to Dr. Lowth, the earliest and most fteady encourager of the Work. They were the fruit of his vifit to Paris, and were foon after tranflated into French.

At length, in the year 1769, the important Work was concluded within the period of ten years, originally promised. On this occafion he published the ten annual accounts of the progrefs of this laborious undertaking, by which it appeared that the whole money received from the fubfcribers amounted to the fum of 91171. 7s. 6d. on the recital of which Dr. Kennicott exclaims "Reader! What a fum is here! Let foreign nations read with astonishment this ftory of Britons and their King, joined by one foreign Prince and one foreign Academy, voluntarily contributing for ten years their feveral bounties, with a degree of public fpirit beyond all example, for the accomplishment of a work purely fublervient to the honour of Revelation; a work facred to the Glory of God, and the good of Mankind! And, under the powerful influence of this view of my work, it is impoffible for me to be futficiently thankful, either to those who have honoured with their patronage me, as the humble inftrument in beginning and completing it, or to Divine Providence for granting me life to finish it, as well as refolution to undertake it." He then flates, that after deducting his income to live on during these ten years, the money spent in collations abroad, and affiftants at home, there remained only 5col. all which was likely to be swallowed up in further expences which he had engaged to pay. His industry had been unremitted; his general rule being to devote to it ten or twelve hours in a day, and frequently fourteen; at leaft,

he

In confequence of this letter, on Saturday June the 20th, 1747, the Univerfity unanimously agreed in convocation to confer on him the degree of B. A. without examination, determination at Lent, or fees. Soon after he was elected fellow of Exeter College, and on the 4th of May 1750 took the degree of M. A. Purfuing his ftudies with great diligence, he in 1753 published "The State of the printed Hebrew Text of the Old Teftament confidered. A Differtation in Two Parts. Part the First compares 1 Chron. xi. with 2. Sam. v. and xxiii. and Part the Second contains Obfervations on seventy Hebrew MSS. with an Ex. tract of Mistakes and various Readings," 8vo. Oxford. In this Work he first exhibited the utility and neceffity of a collation of the Hebrew Text with the various ancient MSS. exifting.

At this period the University of Ox ford was much tainted with difaffection to the reigning family on the throne, and Tory, if not Jacobite principles, were very prevalent there, and met with much encouragement. In the rage of party it was not likely that any active member fhould efcape the diforders of the times. Mr. Kennicott adhered to the fide of Government, and in confequence much of the abufe, then liberally diftributed amongst the friends of what was called the new intereft, or Whig party, fell to his fhare*. He defended himself how ever with fpirit and acuteness in the pamphlet we have already quoted, and, as it was fuppofed, in a Newspaper then published, entitled The Evening Advertiler. About this time he was appointed one of the Preachers at Whitehall.

In January 1757 he preached before the University of Oxford a Sermon, which being mitreprefented, occafioned its publication under the title of "Chriftian Fortitude." Between this period and 1760 he was prefented to the vicarage of Culham in Oxfordshire.

He had now employed himself for feveral years in fearching out and collating Hebrew MSS. It appears, when he began the ftudy of the Hebrew language, and for feveral years afterwards, he was ftrongly prejudiced in favour of the integrity of the Hebrew Text: taking it for granted, that if the printed copies of the Hebrew Bible at all differed from the originals of Mofes and the

Prophets, the variations were very few and quite inconfiderable. In 1748 he' was convinced of his mistake, and fatisfied that there were fuch corruptions in the facred volume as to affect the fenfe greatly in many inftances. The particular Chapter, which extorted from him this conviction, was recommended to his perufal by the Rev. Dr. Lowth, afterwards Bishop of London. It was the 23d Chapter of the 2d Book of Samuel.

Being thus convinced of his mistake, he thought it his duty to endeavour to convince others; and accordingly, in 1753, published the work already mentioned. In 1758 the Delegates of the Prefs at Oxford were recommended by the Hebrew Profeffor to encourage, amongit various other particulars, a Collation of all thofe Hebrew MSS. of the Old Teftament, which were preserved in the Bodleian Library, and Archbishop Secker ftrongly preffed our Author to undertake the task, as the perfon beft qualified to carry it into execution. In 1760 he was prevailed upon to give up the remainder of his life to the arduous work, and early in that year published "The State of the printed Hebrew Text confidered, Diflertation the Second," 8vo. wherein he further inforced the neceffity of the Collation he had fo ftrenuously recommended. In the fame year he published his propofals, and was immediately encouraged by a liberal fubfcription from the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin; the Archbishops of Canterbury, York, and Dub. lin; many of the Bishops; fome Noblemen; the principal of the Diffenting Minifters; and various Clergymen, as well as other encouragers of literature. The time he propofed to be employed in the work was ten years, and he fet about to fulfill his engagement with alacrity; determining to exert the utmost of his endeavours to ferve the public, and not at all doubting the generofity of the public for the reward of his labours. On the 6th of December 1761 he took the degree of B. D. and on the roth of the fame month that of D. D. In that year his Majefty's name was added to the lift of annual fubfcribers for the fum of 2001.

The importance of the Work being generally acknowledged, numberlefs articles of information were received from

various

various parts of Europe, and the learned in every quarter feemed willing to promote the fuccefs of a plan fo apparently beneficial to the interefts of Revelation. Some however doubted the neceffity, and fome the usefulness of the undertaking, and objections foon were started by different perfons, fome with a friendly view, and fome with a petulant one. Amongst others, the Profeffor of Divinity at Cambridge, Dr. Rutherforth, published A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Kennicott, in which his Defence of the Samaritan Pentatuch is examined, and his Second Differtation on the State of the printed Hebrew Text of the Old Teftament is fhewn to be in many instances injudicious and inaccurate. With a Poftfcript, occafioned by his advertizing, before this Letter was printed, that he had an Answer to it in the Prefs,' 8vo. 1761. To this Dr. Kennicott published an immediate reply, under the title of "An Answer to a Letter from the Rev. T. Rutherforth, D.D. F.R.S." &c. 8vo. 1762, in the poftfcript to which be declared it to be his refolution not to be diverted from his principal defign by engaging in any further controverfy

This refolution he was unable to perfevere in. An antagonist of fuperior order, whose influence was too mighty to be treated with neglect, made his appearance. This was Dr. Warburton, Bishop of Gloucefter, then poffeffed of all his powers, and exercising authority in the world of Letters almoft without controul. This learned writer, finding an explanation of a paffage in the Proverbs different from his own fentiments, attacked the Collation of the Hebrew MSS. in the Preface to his Doctrine of Grace, 1764, in a style not unufual with him, and calculated to make an unfavourable impreffion on the public mind. To repel the attack, Dr. Kennicott published "A Sermon preached before the University of Oxford at St. Mary's Church on Sunday May 19, 1765, 8vo. in the Notes to which he defended himfelf with great fpirit, and even affailed his opponent, whofe reflections he obferved, with regard to his work, were a mere fortuitous concourfe of words, of heterogeneous and incompatible meanings, which were therefore incapable of forming any regular system of opposition,

and had therefore the benevolent faculty of deftroying one another.

In the fummer of 1766 he vifited Paris for the purpose of examining the MSS. in that place, and was received with the honours due to him on account of his learning and diligence, and of the utility of his undertaking. In November 1767 he was appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the other Electors, to the office of Radcliffe Librarian.

In 1768 he published "Obfervations on the First Book of Samuel, Chap. vi. Verfe 19." 8vo. These were dedicated to Dr. Lowth, the earliest and most fteady encourager of the Work. They were the fruit of his vifit to Paris, and were foon after tranflated into French.

At length, in the year 1769, the important Work was concluded within the period of ten years, originally promised. On this occafion he published the ten annual accounts of the progrefs of this laborious undertaking, by which it appeared that the whole money received from the fubfcribers amounted to the fum of 91171. 7s. 6d. on the recital of which Dr. Kennicott exclaims "Reader! What a fum is here! Let foreign nations read with astonishment this ftory of Britons and their King, joined by one foreign Prince and one foreign Academy, voluntarily contributing for ten years their feveral bounties, with a degree of public fpirit beyond all example, for the accomplishment of a work purely fubfervient to the honour of Revelation; a work facred to the Glory of God, and the good of Mankind! And, under the powerful influence of this view of my work, it is impoffible for me to be fufficiently thankful, either to those who have honoured with their patronage me, as the humble inftrument in beginning and completing it, or to Divine Providence for granting me life to finish it, as well as refolution to undertake it." He then flates, that after deducting his income to live on during thefe ten years, the money spent in collations abroad, and affiftants at home, there remained only seol. all which was likely to be fwallowed up in further expences which he had engaged to pay. His industry had been unremitted; his general rule being to devote to it ten or twelve hours in a day, and frequently fourteen ; at least,

he