A is used in a vague fenfe to point out one fingle thing of the kind, in other refpects indeterminate the determines what particular thing is meaned.bar ou

A fubftantive, without any article to limit it, is taken in its widest sense; thus man means all mankind; as, (3 ni neini

"The proper ftudy of mankind is man." Pope. Where mankind and man may change places, without making any alteration in the fenfe. Aman means fome one or other of that kind, indefinitely; the man means, definite ly, that particular man, who is fpoken of: the former therefore is called the Indefinite, the latter the Definite, Article [3].

effort in the conformation of the parts of the mouth, as does not easily admit of the article an before them. In other cafes the article, an in a manner coaleices with the vowel, which it precedes: in this, the effort of pronunciation feparates the article, and prevents the dilagreeable conféquence of a fenfible Kiatus.

[3] “And I perfecuted this way unto the death.” Acts xxii. 4. The Apostle does not mean any particulår fort of death, but death in general: the Definite Example:

Example: "Man was made for fociety; and ought to extend his good will to all men:

Article therefore is improperly ufed. It ought to be unto death, without any Article: agreeably to the Original, axes Javale. See alfo 2 Chron. xxxii. 24. axę

"When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." John xvi. 13. That is, according to this tranflation, into all Truth whatsoever, into Truth of all kinds: very different from the meaning of the Evangelift, and from the Original, &ç wacai Tabar, into all the Truth; that is, into all Evangé

lical Truth.

"Truly this was the Son of God." Matt. xxvii. 54and Mark xv. 39. This tranflation supposes, that the Roman Centurion had a proper and adequate notion of the character of Jefus, as the Son of God in a peculiar and incommunicable fente: whereas, it is probable, both from the circumstances of the Hiftory; and from the expreffion of the Original, (vio, sv, a Son of God, or, of a God, not è vios, the Son,) that he only meaned to acknowledge him to be an extraordinary perfon, and more than a mere man; according to his own notion of Sons of Gods in the Pagan Theology. This is alfo more agreeable to St. Luke's account of the fame confeffion of the Centurion; "Certainly this was dixatos, a righteous man;" not à Axios, the Juft One. The fame may be obferved of Nebuchadnezzar's words, Dan. iii. 25. "And the form of the fourth is like the Son of

God:" it

but

but a man will naturally entertain a more particular kindness for the men, with whom

ought to be expreffed by the Indefinite Article, like a Son of God; poia vi 8, as Theodotion very properly renders it: that is, like an Angel; according to Nebuchadnezzar's own account of it in the 28th verfe: "Bleffed be God, who hath fent his Angel, and delivered his fervants." See alfo Luke xix. 9.

"Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?" Pope. It ought to be, the wheel; used as an inftrument for the particular purpose of torturing Criminals as Shakespear;

"Let them pull all about mine ears; present me Death on the wheel, or at wild horses heels." "God Almighty hath given reason to a man to be a light unto him." Hobbes, Elements of Law, Part I. Chap. v. 12. It fhould rather be, "to man," in general.

These remarks may ferve to fhew the great import ance of the proper ufe of the Article; the hear affinity which there is between the Greek Article and the English

I

Definite Article; and the excellence of the English Language in this refpect, which by means of its two Articles does moft precifely determine the extent of fignification of Common Names: whereas the Greek has only one Article, and it has puzzled all the Grammarians to reduce the ufe of that to any clear, and certain rules.

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