ies.

_Sect._ 9. But Bishop Andrews goeth about to prove by six reasons, that
the days of Purim were holidays, and not days of civil joy and solemnity
only.(845)

First, saith he, it is plain by verse 31, they took it in _animas_, upon
their souls,--a _soul matter_ they made of it: there needs no soul for
_feria_ or _festum_, play or feasting. They bound themselves _super animas
suas_, which is more than _upon themselves_, and would not have been put
in the margin, but stood in the text: thus he reprehendeth the English
translators, as you may perceive.

_Ans._ The Bishop could not be ignorant that _nephesch_ signifieth _corpus
animatum_, as well as _anima_, and that the Hebrews do not always put this
word for our souls, but very often for ourselves. So Psal. vii. 2. and
Psal. lix. 3, we read _naphschi_,--_my soul_ for _me_; and Psal. xliv.
25,--_naphschenu, our soul_ for _we_; and Gen. xlvi. 26,
_col-nephesch_--_omnis animae_, for _omnes homines_.

What have we any further need of testimonies? Six hundred such are in the
holy text. And in this place, Esth. ix. 31, what can be more plain, than
that _nighal-naphscham, upon their soul_, is put for _nghalehem, upon
themselves_, especially since _nghalehem_ is found to the same purpose,
both in ver. 27 and 31.

If we will make the text agree well with itself, how can we but take both
these for one? But proceed we with the Bishop. Secondly, saith he, the
bond of it reacheth to all that _religioni eorum voluerunt copulari_, ver.
27, then, a matter of religion it was, had reference to that: what need
any joining in religion for a matter of good fellowship?

_Ans._ There is no word in the text of religion. Our English translation
reads it, "all such as joined themselves unto them." Montanus, _omnes
adjunctos_; Tremellius, _omnes qui essent se adjuncturi eis._ The old
Latin version reads it indeed as the Bishop doth.

But no such thing can be drawn out of the word _hannilvim_, which is taken
from the radix _lava_, signifying simply, and without any adjection,
_adhaesit_, or _adjunxit se_. But let it be so, that the text meaneth only
such as were to adjoin themselves to the religion of the Jews, yet why
might not the Jews have taken upon them a matter of civility, not only for
themselves, but for such also as were to be joined with them in religion.
Could there be nothing promised for proselytes, but only a matter of
religion?

Alas! Is this our antagonist's great Achill