An Advertisement concerning the Fourth and Last Part of Mr. POOLE'S Synopsis Criticorum aliorumque S. Scripturae Interpretum.  
WHereas my Work was at first proposed to be comprised in Three Volumes, and in the progress of it it was found necessary to add a Fourth: In which, though the Reverend Bishops, Doctors, trusties, and others concerned in it were fully satisfied, yet I would not resolve to do it till I had given the Subscribers an Account of my Intention, and the Grounds and Reasons of it, (to which I refer them,) and wholly submitted it to their choice. Whereupon the Subscribers did generally declare their Consent to that Proposal, and did not only judge such an Addition necessary, but a considerable number of them did then and since express their Desire that I would make Two Volumes upon the New Testament, for which they freely offered to pay accordingly. And, I confess, if it had been res integra, I should have been of their mind, not for my own interest, (for I doubt not to make it evident, that the completing of the Work in Three Volumes had, all things considered, been more to my advantage then either Four or Five,) but for the peculiar Excellency and Importance of the New Testament, which did both require and deserve a more elaborate Explication. But having engaged myself in my last Proposition, that there should be no further Addition then of that One Volume proposed, and that I would require no more of the Subscribers for it then 20 Shillings, I conceived myself disabled to comply with that Desire, and obliged to put no other burden upon the Subscribers. Nevertheless, that I might gratify their Desire as far as I could without the Injury of others, and, because I perceived it was the unanimous Sense of all, that I should not straighten myself upon the New Testament, I designed to compromise the Difference; and (whereas the stated number of Sheets for a Volume was 280) to make this a Volume of 400 Sheets. But herein, I must acknowledge, there did arise in my mind many considerable Objections: That I might, without great difficulty, finish the Work (so as to keep to my own Proposals) in a Volume not much exceeding the stated bulk; that the Enlargement of it (besides the incidental Charge and Pains) would certainly cost me many Hundreds of pounds out of my own purse, a Loss which I was not in Condition to bear, because of the Emolument of my Work, which I had already reaped, a great part was swallowed up by necessary Expenses belonging to it, and the rest by some casual Infelicities; that the future Profit of it was exposed to many Uncertainties; that I should have small thanks from some, and harsh Censures from others, though what I did should be more for their, then for my own, Advantage. Against these and other Suggestions I relieved myself by the Conscience of my own Sincere Intentions in serving the Public to the best of my skill, though with the hazard of my private Inconvenience and Loss; as also of the Quality of my Subscribers, who were generally Learned and Ingenuous Persons. And, as I was content to be no Gainer by these Enlargements, so I concluded, Persons of that Character would not suffer me to be a Loser by their Benefit. And therewith having satisfied myself, I have proceeded accordingly. And because the Length of the Work would necessarily require proportionable Time, and divers of the Subscribers have, with some Impatience, expressed their Desires of the Publication of this Last Volume, and, though it were in truth but One Volume, and might be bound up together, yet the most of the Subscribers would probably bind it in Two, I thought fit (not without the Advice of some Prudent Persons, to whom I communicated my Intentions) to publish the First Part of it, which would make a moderate Volume, containing all the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. And this the Subscribers are to expect before next Michaelmas Term, without looking for any further notice, unless there happen some extraordinary cause. And those of the Subscribers who shall send up the half of their Money for this Last Volume to S. John's Gatehouse, near Smithfield, shall receive the said First Part of the Last Volume. An Account whereof, so far as concerns the Gospels (for the Acts I have not yet begun) here follows. The Authors contracted, being comprised in the Critics, printed at London, are these, Mursterus, Valla, Revius, Erasmus, Vatablus, Castalio, Zegerus, Drusius, Casaubonus, Camero, Gualtperius, Ludovicus Capellus, jacobus Capellus, Pricaeus, Scultetus, besides many others taken out of the Two Volumes of Appendices to those Critics; and Grotius. Concerning whom I must entreat the Subscribers to reflect upon my Proposal, wherein they will find nothing peculiarly promised (except the Translation of Greek Quotations) but only this declared of him in common with the rest, That I should take care to collect out of them whatsoever belongs to the explication of Scripture. Which course if I had observed in him, I am persuaded, as far as I can conjecture, I might have saved myself near Thirty Sheets in this First Part: not only because, though he was an accurate and polite Writer, yet a great number of his words might have been left out without any detriment to the Sense of the Text; but especially because he hath many large Discourses wholly extrinsecall to the Explication of those Texts where they are introduced. But because it was the concurring Desire of a great number of the Subscribers (which had with me the force of a Command) that I would take in as much of Grotius as possibly I could; and because his Discourses were for the most part so clear and solid and useful to all Divines, I have entirely transcribed them into my Work, and, I suppose, I may truly say, I have left very few of Grotius his words out of it, excepting his Quotations out of other men, wherein I have taken greater liberty, especially where they were large, or not considerable to the clearing of the Text, in which case I have made references to them: but where they were short or of any moment to the Explication of the present Text, I presume I have commonly produced them, and the Greek Quotations which were such, I have generally translated, mentioning only the first words of the Greek. In the next place, I have collected out of the Authors contained in the Biblia Maxima, as also out of Piscator, L. de Dieu, Mr. Mede, Dr. Lightfoot's Harmony, and his Chronicle, and his Horae Hebraicae, etc. upon each of the Gospels, Gataker's Cinnus, Adversaria, Anti-Pfochenius, and his Manuscript Notes, Glassius, Bochartus, etc. as in the former Volumes. And whereas I stand engaged no further by my Proposal, then to supply the Defects of the mentioned Writers out of other and larger Commentators, and I have accordingly in the preceding Volumes perused only 4 or 5 of them, I have here with care and diligence perused Camerarius, Beza, Lucas Brugenfis (consisting of Three great Volumes, and being one of the best Commentators upon the Gospels, in the Judgement of most Learned men,) Maldonate, an acute and Learned, though a Passionate, Writer, Dr. Hammond, Schmidius, the Germane Greek Professor, who writ the Greek Concordance, Walaeus his Collections out of Salmasius, Bartholinus, Budaeus, Buxtorsius, Dallaeus, L'Empereur, Selden, Montague, Petitus, Novarinus, Vossius, and divers others. Concerning whom I suppose I may say, without injury to truth or my reputation, I hope there are not many things in them of any considerable use to the Explication of any Text (except what I have out of my proper and primary Authors) that I have not endeavoured with Care to select out of them. Besides these I have made ample Collections out of that Large and Learned Comment of Chemnitius and Gerhard upon the Evangelicall Harmony and Spanhemius his Dubia Evangelica. I have also inserted many things, where it was necessary or expedient, out of Gomarus, junius his Parallels, Heinsius his Exercitations upon the New Testament, and his Aristarchus sacer, Tolet upon john, Vossius de Genealogia Christi, some small Tracts of Capellus and Cloppenburgius, and Sir Norton Knatchbull his Animadversions on the New Testament. Out of Calvin I have taken more sparingly, for the Reasons I have formerly mentioned, and especially because his Comments upon the New Testament, as they have been sufficiently recommended to the World by Learned Men of all Parties, so they are to be bought by themselves at a very low price. And for the Latter Part of this Volume, upon the Epistles and the Revelation, supposing it to be done in some proportion to this Part, (which I take for granted the Ingenuity of the Subscribers will oblige and encourage me to do,) they may expect it, if God give me Life and Assistance, about the end of the next Summer. If that time seem long to any of them, I humbly offer for their satisfaction, That this Volume will much exceed any of the former in bulk, and therefore may challenge a proportionable addition of time; that the Care of my Health, as divers know, will require at least a quarter of a years time out of that which is allotted to the Work; and especially, that two Presses cannot possibly dispatch the Work before that time. And if I keep pace with two Presses (as hitherto through God's Goodness for the most part I have done) I hope I shall not be charged with slothfulness in carrying on the Work. All which being considered, I think, I may say without vanity, I have dealt ingenuously with the Subscribers, and therefore promise myself they will not deal otherwise with me. And, I humbly conceive, if I expect thirty, instead of twenty, Shillings for the whole Last Volume, I shall not be censured by any ingenuous Person as a Transgressor of the Rules either of Justice or Modesty. But because I earnestly desire that what is done may be done willingly and without regret, I do hereby declare, that if any of the Subscribers shall insist upon my last Proposal of twenty Shillings for the whole, and proportionably shall send up only ten Shillings for the First Part, it shall be delivered to them. And, as I return my most humble thanks, in the first place, to those few Gentlemen who have been Benefactors upon the account of my second Proposal, whose Favour I shall, as I am obliged, particularly acknowledge in due time and place; and, after them, to that small number of the Subscribers who were pleased to subscribe more than twenty Shillings, so those of the Subscribers who shall think fit to send up more than ten Shillings for this First Part, it shall be thankfully acknowledged. To conclude, I must entreat the Subscribers not to fail to send for their First Part, both because it is an entire thing of itself, and especially to prevent those many hazards which Prudent men will easily forecast may befall the printed Sheets when they lie by, or may otherwise bereave them of the Work after it is done: which if it should happen, I shall satisfy myself that I have given them seasonable notice of it, and therefore am clear from any Loss or Inconvenience which may arise from their neglect.  
 
Postscript.  
THE Subscribers are desired to send for their Books to St. John' s Gatehouse in London upon the 19th day of October next, or any time within 6 weeks after, during which time the Ware-house-keeper will wait there for them every day from Two till Four of the Clock, for which he refers himself to their Courtesy, having no reason to distrust their Kindness, his Time and Pains being in effect as much as in any of the former Volumes. And whereas many Subscribers, not hearing of my last public Notice, have not yet sent for their Third Volumes, they may then also receive them upon their Payment of fifteen Shillings for each, according to the Propositions.  
If any Person desire these Advertisments for himself or his Friends he may have them gratis at Mr. Henry Mortlock's Shop, at the White-Hart in Westminster-Hall; Mr. Charles Smith's, now at the Black-Swan, but removing to the Angel near the Inner-temple-gate in Fleetstreet; and Mr. Tho. Parkhurst, at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside.