Late punctuation is contradictory on cause, place, and time; and contrary to Scripture's witness to points in Christ's day
(4) It is contradictory. First, as to the efficient cause — namely the Masoretes. For Buxtorf in his Tiberias and others think the points were added to the Bibles by men of the Great Synagogue — Ezra, Daniel, Zechariah, Malachi, Hananiah, Nehemiah, Zerubbabel, Joshua son of Jozadak, and so on — a council they call the Great Synagogue, in which they chiefly arranged the sacred books by the prophetic spirit they possessed and added the points to them. Others differ much from these and suspect the points were added to the bare bodies of the letters by exiled Jews after Christ's birth (Aaron of Asher's tribe and Jacob of Naphtali's at Tiberias). Finally some assign no certain authors, or are ignorant of them (Elias Levita in Buxtorf).
Second, as to place: this discrepancy depends on the former. Third, as to time: some refer the art of punctuation to what was immediately after the exit from Babylon before Christ was born; others after His birth, who yet themselves disagree (the years 236 / 436 after the temple's destruction, and so on).
(5) It is contrary to the Scriptures, because that the points existed in Christ's time is gathered from Matthew 5:18 and Luke 16:17.
Latin
4. Contradictionis est, 1. quod ad causam efficientem, nimirum Masoretas. Buxtorfius enim in Tiberiade & alii putant puncta addita esse Biblis a viris synagogae magnae — Esdra, Daniele, Zacharia, Malachia, Hanania, Nehemia, Zerubabele, Josua filio Josedec, &c. — concilio quod synagogam magnam vocant, in quo potissimum libros sacros spiritu prophetico quo pollebant disposuerint & puncta illis addiderint. Alii vero ab his multum discrepant & puncta literarum nudis corporibus addita fuisse suspicantur ab extorribus Judaeis post Christi nativitatem (Aaron de tribu Aser & Jacobus de tribu Naphtali Tiberiade). Sunt denique qui autores certos non assignant aut ignorant (Elias Levita apud Buxtorfium). 2. quod ad locum: haec discrepantia a priore dependet. 3. quod ad tempus: quidam punctationis artificium referunt ad id quod fuit statim post exitum e Babylone ante natum Christum; quidam vero post ejus nativitatem, qui tamen & ipsi dissident (anni 236 / 436 post templi destructionem, &c.). 5. Scripturis contrarium est, quia puncta tempore Christi exstitisse colligitur ex Matth. 5.18. Luc. 16.