There are hut tivo Things nvhich Mankind do n.'janty A Cruji of Bread, and Draught of fpringing l^'^ater* Both Hjchich are near, andnjoill fuj^ce for Life, And Luc an.
There is enough of Bread and Drink for aU.
And Arijlides.
We n.vant no thing but Cloaths j Houfes, and Food, {h) Difinguijhed the Dinjine XI. ch 17, i8 19. See al(b "Nature, &c.] See Flato^ E- Q/vTs Hid, IVth, and Vlllth piflle to Dionyjius. Plato C2i]\s BooksSigSLmii Julian. Cha/cidius the firft Principle the Father; on Timaus, calls the firll the the fecond Principle, the Caufe Supreme God; the Second, the or Governor of all Things, in Mind, or Providence; the hisEpiftle toHermias, Erafus, third, the Soul of the World, and Corifcus. The fame is cal- or the Second Mind. In anoled the Mirid by Plotinusy in ther Place, he diHifiguKhes \\h 'Book 0/ the three Principal thefe three thus. The Con- Suhfances. Numenius calls it triver, the Commander, and the Workman, and alfo the the EfFedler. He fpeaks thus Son; and Amelius the Wordy as of the fecond: The Reafon of you may fee in Eufebius, Book God.iiGod conjuUingthe Affairs fiQ6 Of the "Truth of Book IV.
pivine Nature into the Father; the Father's Mind, which he alfo calls a Branch of the Deity, the Maker of the World; and the Soul, which com« prehends and contains all Things. That the Di- vine Nature could be joined with the Human, {a) Julian^ that great Enemy to the Chriftians, be- lieved; and gave an Example in Mfculapins^ who he thought came from Heaven to deliver to Men the Art of Phyfick. Many are offended at the Crofs of Chrifl; but what Stories are there, which theHea- then Authors do not tell of their Gods? Some were Servants to Kings, others were (truck with Thun- der-Bolts, ripp'd up, wounded. And the wifefl of them affirmed, that the more Virtue coft, the more delightful it was. {h) PlatOy in his lid Republick.
publick.
of Alen; ivhlch is the Caufe of Mens I't'vuig "Mell and happily ^ if they do not negleSt that Gift, nvhich the Stipyeme God has he- jlo^ved onthem. TT'^ Pythagore- ans ajp.gn to the Supreme God^ the 'Number Three, as perfeSl, fays Ser'vius, on the feventh Eclogue. Not much differing from which, is that of Ari- jlotky concerning the fame Pythagoreans, in the Beginn- ing of his IIl Book of the Hea- vens. (This is more large hand- led, by the very learned R. Cudiuorth, in his JE'^o'///^ Work of the Intelledual Syilem of the World, Book I. ch. 4 vvhich you will not repent conluking, he Cierc.)
[a) Julian, fhatgreat Enemy to the Chrijiians^ &c.] Book VI. ♦* Amongft thofe Things ^' which have Underftanding, ** Jupiter produced JEfcula- " pins from himfclf, and cauicd ** him to appear upon Earth, *' by means of the fruitful Life '* of the Sun; he, taking his ** Journey from Heaven to ** Earth, appeared in one Form " in Epidaurus.'''' Thus Por- phyry, as Cyril relates his Words in his forementioned Vlllth Book: There is a cer^ tain kind of Gods, n,vhich in a proper Sea/on, are transformed into Men. What the Egyptians Opinion of this Matter was, fee Plutarch, Sympof VIII. ^o'Ji. I. to which may be added that Place of Aas XIV.
(b) Plato, in his lid Repub- lick, &c.] The Words are thefe» t ran flated from t.\\t Greek. He ivillbe fcourged, tormented, howid, his Eyes burnt out, and die by Crucifixion, after be has endured all thofe E'vils. Whenc e he had that, which he relates in ids Hid Book of Rcpublick. ♦* That SecTr. 12. the Chriftiaji Religion. 207 publick, fays in a manner prophetically, that for a Man to appear truly good, it is ncceffary that his Virtue be deprived of all its Ornaments, fo that he may be looked upon by others as a wicked Man, may be derided, and at lad hanged: And cer- tainly to be an Example of eminent Patience, is no ptherwife to be obtained.
** That good Man will be *' Man, who though his Body ** tormented, furioufly treated, ** fuffer Torments in every •* have his Hands cut ofF, his ** Part; though the Flame •* Eyes plucked out, will •' enter into his Mouth, tho' *• be bound, condemned, and ** his Hands be extended on a ** burnt." La6iantiui in his " Crofs; does not regard wW Inilitutions, Book VT. ch. 17. ** he fufFers, but hon.v n.t3eliy has prcferved this Place of Se- Such an one Euripides reprcneca. ** This is that virtuous fents to us thtfe Verfes.
Burn, fcald this tender Fle/h; drink your full Glutt Of purple Blood. Sooner may Heaven and Earth Approach each other, and he join d in one. Than 1 to you exprefs a flattering Word.
To which that of JF.fchylus, mentioned hy Flato^ in the fore- cited Place, exa«^ly agrees.
He Ji rives to be, not to be thought y the bejl. Deep rooted in his Mir.d he bears a Stock, IJ'hfncf! all his nvifer Counfels are deritted.
BOOK BOOK V.
Sect. I. A Confutation ofjudaiffn^ beginning with an Addrefs to the Jews.
NO W we are coining out of the thick Darknefs of Heathenifm -, the Jewijh Re- ligion, which is a Part and the Beginning of Truth, appears to us, much like Tv/iiight to a Perfon gradually advancing outof a very dark Cave: Wherefore I defire the Jews^ that they would not look upon us as Advcrfaries. We know very well, {a) that they are theOifspring of Holy Men, whom God often vifited by his Prophets and his i\ngels; that the MefTiah was born of their Nation, as were the firfl Teachers of Chriftianity: They were the Stock, into which we were grafted; to them were committed the Oracles of God, which we refped as much as they; and with Paul put up our hearty Prayers to God for them, befeeching him that that Day may very fpeedily come, {b) when the Veil which now hangs over their Faces, being taken off, they, together with us, may clearly perceive {c) the fulfilling of the Law; and when, according to the antient Prophecies, many of us, who are Strangers, fhall lay hold of {d) the Skirt of a Jew, (a) That they are the Off- {c) The fulfilling of the Laix:, fpring of Holy Men. &C ] Tnis, &:c.] Rom. III. 24. VIII. 14.
and what follows, is taken out X. 4. XIII. 8. Gal. III. 24. of the IXth, Xth, and Xlih of [d) The Skirt of a Jeiv, &c.]
the Romans; to which may be Ztchar. VIII. 20 and followsdded M«^ XV. 2. ing. Ifaiahli.z. XIX. 18, Sefl:. I, 2. the Chrijlian Religion. 209 praying him, that with equal Piety, we may wor- Ihip that One God, the God of Abraham^ IfaaCy and Jacob, Sect. II. nat the.Jtv/s ought to look upon the Miracles of Chrift^ as fujjiciently attefted.
First therefore, they are requeited not to efteem that unjuft, in another's Caufe, which they think juft in their own: If any Heathen fliould aflc them, why they beheve the Miracles done by Mofes \ they can give no other Anfwer, but that the Tradition concerning this Matter, has been fo continual and conftant amongft them, that it could not proceed from any Thing elfebut the Teftimo- ny of thofe who faw them. Thus, {a) that the Widow's Oil was increafed by Elijloa^ (h) and the Syrian immediately healed of his Leprofy; {c) and the Son of her, who entertained him, raifed to Life again; with many others •, are beheved by the Jews for no other Reafon, but becaufe they were deH- vered to Pofterity by credible WitnefTes. And concerning {d) Elijah's being taken up into Hea- ven, they give Credit to the fingle Teftimony of Elijha^ as a Man beyond all Exception. But {e) we bring twelve Witneffes, whofe Lives were un- blameabie, (7) of Chrift's afcending into Heaven; and many more, of Chrift's being feen upon Earth after his Death; which, if they be true, the Chri- Hian Hian [a) That the M'idonvs Oil into Heaven, &c ] Ch. II. of ivas increafed, &c.] 2 Kings the forecited Book.
ch. IV. [e) IVe bring twelve Witnef- [b) And the Syrian imme- fes, &c ] Mark XVI, 19. diately healed, &C ] Ch. V. Luke XXIV. 52. Jdsl.
[c) And the Son of her nx^ho (f) OfChrifsafcendinc^into entertained him, &c ] In the Heaven, &c.] A/^/. XX VI IT. forementioned IVth Ch. MarkWi, LukeXXlV. 'John {d} Elijah's being taken up XX. XXI. 1 Cor. XV.
P 2 1 o Of the Truth of Book V.
flian Do6lrine muft of neceffity be true alfo; and it is plain that the Jews can fay nothing for them- felves, but what will hold as (Irong or flronger for us. But, to pafs by Tcftimonies ^ {a) the Writers of the 'Talmud.^ and the Jews themfelves, own the miraculous things doltfe by Chrift-, which ought to fatisfy them: For God cannot more ef- fedlually recommend the Authority of any Dodtrine delivered by Man, tJian by working Miracles.
Se c^T^ 111. An Anfwer to the OhjeSlion^ that thofe Miracles were done by the Help of Devils.
But fome fay, that thefe Wonders were done by the Plelp of Devils: But this Calumny has been already confuted from hence; that as foon as the Do6trineof Chriftwas made known, all the Power of the Devils was broken. What is added by fome, that Jefus learned Magical Arts in Egypt^ carries a much lefs Appearance of Truth, than the like Obje6i;ion of the Heathen againft Mofes^ which we find in {b) Pliny and (<:) Aptileius. For it does not appear, but from the Books of his Difciples, that jefus ever was in Egypt *, and they add, that he returned from thence a Child. But it is certain, that Mofes fpent a great Part of his Time, when he was grown up, in Egypt^ both {d) from his own Account, {e) and the Relation of others. But the Law of each of them, ftrongly clears both Mo- fes and Jefus^ from this Crime, (f) becaufe they exprefsiy [a) The Writers of the Tal- [e] Jndthe Relation of others^ mud, &:€.] See what is quoted, &c.] Manethon, Charemon, Ly- Book II. fimachiis in Jofephus's Ift Book [b) In Pliny, &c.] Book againft Jppion^ and Jujiin and XXX. Chap. I. lacitus.
{c) And Apuleius, &c.] In [f) Becaufe they exprefsh for- his lid Apology. bidfuchAas, &c.] Exod.y.XW.
Sedl. 3, 4. the Chrijlian Religion, 211 exprefsiy forbid fuch Arts, as odious in the Sight of God. And if in the times of Chrift and his Difciples, there had been any fuch Magical Art any where, either in Egypt ^ or other Places, where- by thofe things, related of Chrift, could be done-, fuch as dumb Mens being fuddenly healed, the Lame walking, and Sight given to the Blind; the Emperors, {a) Tiberius^ {b) Nero^ and others, wha would not have fpared any Coft, in enquiring after fuch things, would undoubtedly have found it out. And if it be true, {c) what the Jews re- port, that the Counfellors of the great Council, were fl^illed in Magical Arts, in order to convidt the guilty -, certainly they who were fo great Ene- mies to Jefus, and fo much envied his Reputation, which continually increafed by his Miracles, would have done the like Works by fome Art; or have made it plain by undeniable Arguments, that his Works could proceed from nothing elfe.
Sect. IV. Or by the Power oflVords.
Some of the Jews afcribe the Miracles of 7^^^/j to a certain fecret Name, which was put into the Temple by Solomon^ and kept by two Lions for above a thoufand Years, but was conveyed thence by Jefus; which is not only falfe, but an impu- dent XV II 1 7. XX 1. 6 Acts X [I I. greater Coji; for thefe things he [a] Tiberius, &c.] Tacitus, nor Difpojition to learn. Pre- Annal VI. Suetonius in Lis fently after, he reUtes how he Ijih, Ch. LXIiland LXIX. v.as iniriated into rhe Magical [b] Nero, &c,j Concerning Suppers by King Tiridates. whom P%-, Book XXX. Ch. {c) What the Jews report, XI. in his Kiilory of Magick &c.] Sec the T'^/w.v^ entitled, fays, He had vot a greater De- Concerning the Council; and fire after Mufck and Tragical that concerning the Sabbath, Singing. And afterwards: No P 2 212 Of the T^riith of Book V.
dent Fidion. For, as to the Lions, which is fa remarkable and wonderful a thing •, neither the Books of the Kings ^ nor the Chronicles^ nor Jo- fephtis^ mention any thing of them: Nor did the Romans^ who before the times of Jefus entered the Temple with Pompey^ find any fuch thing.
Sect. V. ^loat the Miracles of Jefus were divine^ proved from hence^ hecaufe he taught the Worfloip of one God, the Maker of the World, Now, if it be granted, that Miracles wefbdone by Chrift, which the Jews acknowledge -, we af- firm, that it follows from the Law di Mofes itfelf, that we ought to give Credit to him: For God has faid in the XVlIIth Chapter o^ Deuteronomy, that he would raife up other Prophets befides Mofes, which the People were to hearken to j and threatens heavy Punifhments if they did not. (a) Now the mod certain Token of a Prophet, is Miracles; nor can any thing be conceived more flagrant. Yet it is faid, Deut, XIII. that if any one declares him- felf to be a Prophet, by working Wonders, he is not to be hearkened to, if he intices the Peo- ple to the Worfliip of new Gods: For God per- mits fuch Wonders to be done, only to try, whether his People be firmly edablilhed in the Worihip of the true God. From which Places compared to- gether, (b) the Hebrew Interpreters rightly colledl- ed, {c) that every one who worked Miracles, was to {a) Ko^M the mojl certain To- [c] That enjery one avhonvorkken, &c.] And the toretelliiig ed Miracles, &c ] And whofe future Events, wliich may juilly Prophecies came to pafs; this be reckoned amongll Miracles, Argument is ftrongly urged in Deut XVllI. 22. ChryfoJhm\ Vth Difcourfe a- [b)TheUthxt\vInterprete}i, gainll the Je-zvs; and in his Sec] See Mo/es, Maimonidcs, Dilcourfe concerning Chrill's and others quoted in A/^7;^^y^j's Divinity, \l, Tom* Savit. Conciliator, i^o'jL IV.onDeut* Sed:. 5, 6. the Chrijiian Religion. 213 to )be believed, if he did not draw them off from the Worfhip of the true God; for in that Inftance only, it is declared; that no Credit is to be givea to Miracles, though never fo remarkable ones. Now Jefus did not only not teach the Worfl-iip of falfe Gods, but on the contrary {a) did exprefsly forbid it, as a grievous Sin •, and taught us to reverence the Writings of Mofes^ and thofe Pro- phets which followed him: So that nothing can be objedled againft his Miracles; for what fome ob- jed, that the Law of Jefus in fome things differs from that of Mofes^ is not fufficient.
Sec t. VI. An Anfwer to the OhjeElion^ drawn from the Difference, betwixt the Law <?/Mofes, and the Law vfChrift; where it isftoown^ that there might he given a jnore perfect Law than that ^/ Moles.
For the Hebrew Dodors themfelves lay down this Rule {b) for the Extent of a Prophet's Power, that is, of one that works Miracles; that he may fecurely violate any fort of Precept, except that of the Worfhip of one God. And indeed the Power of making Laws, which is in God, did not ceafe upon his giving Precepts by Mofes; nor is any one, who has any Authority to give Laws, thereby hindered from giving others contrary to them. The Objedion of God's Immutability, is nothing to the Purpofe; for we do not fpeak of the Nature and JElTence of God, but of his Actions. Light is P 3 turned [a) Did exprefsly forbid it, entitled, Concerning theCoun- &c.] Matt. XII. 29, 32« John cil. Thus at the Command of XVII. 3. Jfis XV. 28. I Cor. Jo^fhiia, the Law of the Sab- V. 10, u, 18. VI. 9. X. 7. bath was broken, 7<5/: v. And XII. 2. 2C5;-. VI. 16. xT^heff. the Prophets often facrificed, I. 9. I John V. 21. out of the Place appointed by [b) For the Extent of a Pro- the Law, as Samuel, I Sam, pbet's Po'-wer, Sec] This Rule VII. 17. XIII. 8. and E/ijah, is laid down in the Talmud, i AT/V/^j XVllI. 38.
214 Of the Truth of Book V.
turned into Darknefs, Youth into Age, Summer into Winter; which are all the aS:s of God. Formerly God allowed to Adam all other Fruit, (a) except that of one Tree, which he forbad him, 'viz. becaufe it was his Pleafure. He forbad kil- ling Men in general, {h) yet he commanded Abra- ham to flay his Son j {c) he forbad fome, and ac- cepted other Sacrifices, diftant from the Taber- nacle. Neither will it follow; that becaufe the Law given by Mofes^ was good, therefore a better could not be given. Parents «ire wont to lifp with their Children, to wink at the Faults of their Age, to tempt them to learn with a Cake: But as they grow up, thejr Speech is corrected, the Pre- cepts of Virtue inftilied into them, and they are fliown the Beauty of Virtue, and what are its Rewards, (d) Now that the Precepts of the Law, were not abfolutely perfed, appears from hence; that fome holy Men, in thofe times, led a Life more perfed: than thofe Precepts required. Mofes^ who allowed revenging ap Injury, partly by Force, and partly by demanding Judgment; when himlelf was afflicted with the worft of Injuries, (e) prayed for his Enemies. (/) Thus David was wilhng to have his rebellious Son fpared, (g) and patiently bore the Curfes thrown upon him. Good Men are no where found to have divorced their Wives, though {a) Except that of one Tree, migs, kc] Expi- XXXII. 2, (b) Yet he commanded AhTZ.- XII. 13. XIV. ^^. and followham, &c.] Gen. XXII 2. ing Verfes, XXI. 7, 8. Deut.
(r) He forbad fame, and ac- IX. 18, 26. XXXIII.
£rpted oihery &-c.] As was faid (f) Thus DRv'idnvaswilling, ;uil before. &€.] 2 Sam. XVIII. 5.
(d) Konij that the Precept: of {^\ And patiently bore the (ej Prayed for his E?ie- ic.
Scft. 6. 7. the Chrijlian Religion. 21 c though the Law allowed them to do it. {a) So that Laws are only accommodated to the greater Part of the People; and in that State, it was rea- fonable fome things Ihould be overlooked, which were then to be reduced to a more peried Rule, when God, by a greater Power of his Spirit, was to" gather to himfelf a new People out of all Na- tions. And the Rewards which were exprefsly promifed by the Law of Mofes^ do all regard this mortal Life only: Whence it muft be confefTed, {h) that a Law, better than this, might be given; which fliould propofe everlafting Rewards, not under Types and Shadows, but plainly and open- ly, as we fee the Law of Chrift does.
Sect. VII. ^he Law of Mofes was ohferved by Jefus when on Earthy neither was any Part of it ah olijhei afterwards^ hut only thofe Precepts which had no intrinfick Coodnefs in them.
We may here obferve, by the way; to Ibew the Wickednefs of thofe Jews^ who lived in our Saviour's time •, that Jefus was very bafely treat- ed by them, and delivered up to Punifhment, when they could not prove that he had done any thing Qontrary to thcj l^aw* r (^) He!wa8!ci^xum- {a) So that Lanjos are on^" what' is agreeable *to mod accommodated, &c.] Origen a- •' Men, who meafare Good gainft Qlfus, Book III. *' Js " and Evil by external things ** a certahi Lawgiver faid to *' which concern the Body: ** one nvho afied him, if he " If, I fay, with this View, ** ga<ve to his Citizens the moji *' they make Laws; what In- *' perfed Laivs-^ not, fays he, " jury is done to Life, if any " the mo/l perfeSl inthemfelves, " one- adds foniething more ** hut the hefi they can bear:"* *' exxellcnt than this?" Porphyry, Book I. againft eat- [b) That a Law belter than ing living Creatures, concern- this,kz^ Heb.Vil. 19, 22. ing Lawgivers, fays thus. "If VIII. 6. 2 Tifn. I. 10. *' they have regard to the (r) Ht <^vas circumcifed, &c.] " middle fort of Life, called Luh II. 21. •* Matural, and according to P 4 2i6 Of the Truth of Book V.
cifed, [a) made ufe of the Jewijh Meats, {b) was cloathed like them; {c) thofe who were cleanfed from their Leprofy, he fent to the Priefts, {d) he religiouQy obfervcd the Paflbver, and other Fefti- val Days. If he healed any on the Sabbath-Day, he made it appear, {e) not only from the Law, (/) but from their received Opinions, that fuch Works were not forbidden on the Sabbath. He then firfl: began [g) to difcover the abrogating fome Laws, when he had overcome Death, was afcend- ed into Heaven, had endued his Difciples with remarkable Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and had fhown by thofe things, {h) that he had obtained a Kingly Power, {i) in which is included an Autho- rity to make Laws, according to that Prophecy of Danieh Chap. Ill and VIII, the VIII and XI, be- ing compared together; who foretold that after the Overthrow of the Kingdoms of Syria and Egypt ^ (the latter of which came to pafs under Juguftus) God would give to a Man, (I) who fhould appear to be an ordinary Peribn, a Kingdom -, extending to the People of all Nations and Languages, and which fhould never have an End. Now that Part {d) Made ufe of the fewifh {g) To difcover the abrogating^ {b) Has cloathed like them^ {h) That he had obtained a &c.] Matt. IX. 20. Kingly Po'iver^ &c ] Ads IL &c.] Matt. WW. ^. Markl. (i) l:i avhich is included,8cc1 (d) He religioufly ohfer<vedthe {k) Who Jhould appear to be Paffover, &€.] Luke II. 41. an ordinary Perjon^ Sec '^ Dan. Johnlh 13, 23. XI. 56. XII. II.4;.yiI. M. FortheSon J. 'John V II. 2. of y^an, exprtf^es in Hebreiv, a (e) Not only from the Laiv^ certain Meannefs; and fo thp &C.3 Matt. XII. s- Prophets are called, compared (f) But from their recei<ved with Angels, as is obferved by Opinions, kc ] Mat;. XU- ix. Jackiades ^ on Da^. X. 16.
Sed. 7. the Chrijlia??. Religion. 217 Part of the Law, the NecefTity of which was taken away by Chrift, did not contain in it any thing ia its own Nature virtuous •, but confifted of things indifferent in themfeives, and therefore not unal- terable: For if there had been any thing in the Nature of thofe things, to inforce their Pradice, God would have prefcribed them {a) to all the World, and not to one People only; and that from the very Beginning, and two thoufand Years and more after Mankind had been created. Abel^ Enoch, Noahy Mekhifedech, Joh^ Abraham, IfaaCy Jacob, and all the eminently pious Men, who v/ere fo beloved of God, were ignorant of all, or almoft all this Part of the Law; and yet neverthe- lefs they received Teftimony of their Faith to- wards God, and of his divine LiOve towards them. Neither did Mofes advife his Father-in-Law Jethro to perform thefe Rites, nor Jonas the Ninevites, nor did the other Prophets reprove the Chaldeans, Egyptians, Sidonians, Tyrians, Idum<eans and Moab- ites, to whom they wrote, for not embracing them, though they particularly enumerate their Crimes. Thefe Precepts therefore were particular, and in- troduced either to hinder fome Evil, {b) to which the {a)To alltheWorld, andnot to terpreted the Law of Sacrifices, one People only, hz, 1^0 i2ixixQm in the fame Manner. The that,thatfomeLavvs,fuchasthofe Tla/w/^^ entitled, concerning the of Firft Fruits, Tythes, AfTem- Councils, and that entitled bling upon Feftivals, relate ex. Chagiga^ tell us, that the Law pri;f5ly to the Place of Jud^a of Mofes was given to the Heonly, whither it is certain all bre^os only, and not to Stran- Nations could not come. See gers. See Maimonides on Deut, Exodus XXXIII. 19. and XXXJIL and Bechai.
XXXIV. 26. Deut. XXVI. \b) To n.vhich the Jews -werg 2. and what follows. Alfo efpecially inclined, &c.] Being Deut. XIL 5. and following, very much addifled to Ritec, XIV. 23. and following. Alfo and, on that Account, prone Exodus XXIII. 17. XXXIV. to Idolatry. This the Pro- The moll ancient Cullom, in- cially EzekielXVl.
2 1 a Of the Truth of Book V, the Jews were efpecially inclined, or for a Trial of their Obedience, or to fignify fome future things. Wherefore there is no more Reafon to wonder at their being abolifhed, than at a King's abrogat- ing Ibme municipal Laws, in order to efl-abiifh the fame Ordinances all over a Nation: Neither can there be any thing alledged to prove, that God had obliged himfelf to m^ke no Alteration herein. For if it be faid, that thefe Precepts are {tiled per- petual; {a) Men very often make ufe of this word, when they would fignify only, that what they com- mand in this manner, is not limited for a Year's Con^ tinuance, (b) or to a certain time; fuppofe of War or Peace, accommodated to the Scarcenefs of Pro- vifion -, now this does not hinder but that they may appoint new Laws concerning thefe Matters^ whenever the Publick Gqod requires it. Thus the Precepts which God gave to the Hebrews^ were fome of them temporary, {c) only during the Con- tinuance of that People in the Wildernefs j {d) o- thers confined to their Dwelling in the Land of Canaan. That thefe might be diftinguifhed froin the other, they are called perpetual; by which may be meant, that they ought not to be negle6ted any where, nor at any time, unlefs God fhould fig- nify his Will to the contrary. Which manner of fpeaking, as it is common to all People, the He- brews ^ {a] M en very often mak'! ufe '* changed with the times; of this IVordy &c.] L. Hac E- ** thole that are made in the i/u'la/i Cod. de fecundis Nupiiis. ** time of Peace, are abrogated L. Hac in perpetuum. Cod. de *' in War; and tliofe made in di'verjis Pro'dis Libra XT. and " War, abrogated in Peace." in many other Places. [c] Only during the Continu- [b] Or to a certain Time, hz ] ance, &c.] As Exodus XXVII.
Z. Valerim in Un)y, XXXIV. Tieut. XXIII. 12. ** The Laws which particular (d) Others confined to their ** times require, are liable to Dnvellingy &c.] Deut\ XII. I, •* be abolifhed, and I find are 20. Numb, XXXIII. 52.
Secft. 7. the Chrijlit7?i Religwi. 219 brews ought the lefs to wonder at, becaufe they know that in their Law, that is called (^ ) a per- petual Right, and a perpetual Servitude, which continued only from Jubilee to Jubilee, {b) And the Coming of the MelTiah is by themfelves called the fulfilling of the Jubilee, or the Great Jubilee. And moreover, the Promife of entering into a new Covenant, is to be found amongft the old Prophets, {c) as Jeremiah XXXI •, where God pro- mifes that he will make a new Covenant, which fhail be writ upon their Hearts, and Men will have no need to learn Religion of each other, for it Ihall be evident to them all: And moreover, that he would pardon all their paft Tranfgreflions: Which is much the fame, as if a Prince, after his Subjects had been at great Enmity with each other; in order to eftablifh a Peace, lliould take away their different Laws, and impofe upon them all, one common Law, and that a perfecSt one; and for the future, promife them pardon for all their pad Tranfgreflions, upon their Amendment. Tho* what has been faid might fuffice •, yet we will gQ through every Part of the Law that is abolifhed, and fhew that the things are not fuch, as are in their own Nature well-pleafing to God, or fuch as ought to continue always.