2t. For the Law of the Sabbath, is the Deliverance out o{ Egypt. And further, this Law had regard to Servants againfb the Severity of thofe Mailers, who allowed them no Refpite from their Labours, as you find it in the forecited Places. It is true in- deed, {a) that Strangers v/ere obliged by this Law, and that for this Reafon, that there might be an univerfal Refl of all the People. But that this Law of perfedt Refl, was not given to other People, ap- pears from hence, that in many Places it is called a Sign, and a particular Covenant between God and the Ifraelites^ Exodus XX.XI. 13, 16. And further; that thofe Things which were inftituted in Memory of the coming out of Egypt, are not fuch as ought never to ceafe, we have before fhown, from the Promife of much greater Benefits. To which may be added, that if the Law concerning Reft on the Sabbath, had been given from the Beginning, and in fuch a Manner as never to be abolifhed; certainly that Law would have prevailed over all other Laws; the contrary to which we novv^ find. For it is tvU dent, (^) that Children vjcre rightly circumcifed on the Sabbath- Day; and while the Temple flood, (c) the Sacrifices were flain on the Sabbath-Day, as well as on other Days. The Hebrew Teachers themfelves fhow, that this Law is changeable; when they fay that Work may juflly be done on the Sab- bath, at the Command of a Prophet, which they prove by the Example of the taking of Jericho on the {a) Strangers nvere obliged b^ circurncifed, &c.] Thus Xh'i this La^, &c ] Not thofe H-?^7vw Proverb, The Sabbath others, who out of Judaea ob- gives nvay to Circumcifion. See ferved the Precepts given to John VJI. 22.
the Pofterity of 'Noah. This is {c) The Sacrifices nverefiain, the Opinion of the //^^r^wy. &c.] A^a'w^. XXVIU. 9.
232 ^^^-^fthe.^rutbof Book Vr the Sabbath-Day by the Command of Jojhua. And that in the Time of the Mefuah, the Difference of Days fhould be takeji away; feme of them fhow very well, from that Place of Ifaiab LXVl. 23. where it is foretold, that there fhould be a conti^ nuai Worfhip of God from Sabbath to Sabbath, from. New Moon to New Moon..bqloD Sect. XL ^nd Circumcifton of the Flejh.
We come now to Circumcifion, which is indeed anciemer than Mofes^ as being commanded to Abraham and his Pofterity; but this very Precept was the Beginning of the Covenant declared by Mofes, Thus we find God faid to Abraham^ Gene- f.s XVII. / will give unto thee^ and to thy Seed after thee^ the hand wherein thou art a Stranger^ even the Land of Canaan^ for an everlafting Foffeffion \ there- fore keep my Covenant^ thou and thy Seed for ever •, this is the Covenant betwixt me and thee and thy Seed^ every Male fhall be circmncifed. But we have before feen •, that there was to fucceed a new Covenant, iti the room of this Covenant, fuch as fhould be com- mon to all People •, for which Reafon the NecefTity of a Mark of Diftindlion muft ceafe. And this is further evident; that there was fome myftical and higher Signification, contained under this Precept of Circumcifion; as appears from the Prophets, when they command {a) the Heart to be circumr cifed, to which all the Precepts of Chrifl tend. So likewife the Prcmifes added to Circumcifion, muft of NecefTity relate to fomething further; Namely, that of an Earthly Pofifeflion, {b) to the Revelation of an everlafting PofTefiion; which was never never cifed, &c. ] Deut. X. 1 6. XXX. Heb. IV.
Se<5t. 1I5I2. the Chrijl 1(171 ReRgi on. 233 never made more manifeft, than by Jefus; {a) and that of making Abraham a Father of many Nations j till that Time, when not only Ibme few People, biiC innumerable of them, fprcad all over the World, fhould imitate that memorable Faith of Abraham towards God •, which never yet came to pafs, bun by the Gofpel. Now it is no Wonder, that when the Work is iinifhed, the Shadow of the Work that was defigned, fhould be taken away, (b) And that God's Mercy was not confined to this Sign, is from hence manifeft; that not only thofe who lived before Abraham, but even Abraham himklf, was ac- ceptable to God before he was circumcifed: And Circumcifion was omitted by the Hebrews (c) all the while they journeyed through theDefarts ofArabia^ without being reproved of God for it.
Sect. XII. And yet the Apojlles of Jefus, eafily allowed of thofe Things, There was certainly very good Reafon, why the Hebrews fliould return their hearty Thanks, to Jefus and his AmbalTadors; in that he freed them from that heavy Burden of Rites, and fecured their Liberty to them; {d) by Miracles and Gifts, no way ,7'^" J inferior ,7'^" J inferior ' [a] And that of making P^ht^- " perfe£ls Rigliteournefs; but XVII. 5. Rom. IV. II, 13, ** Pofterity might continue di- 16,17. Luke XIX. g. Gal. «• ftinguiihable. For God laid in. 7. ** to Abraham, let erery Male {b) And that God's Mercy y " of you be circumcifed, and &c.] Juftin in his Dialogue ** circumcife the Flefh of your with Trypho fays, ** Circumci- '* Forefkin, and it Ihal! be for *' fion was given for a Sign, ** a ijign of a Covenant betwixt •' and not for a Work of Righ- ** you and me."
•• teoufnefs." And Iren^us, {c) All the nvhile they jour^ Book IV. ch. 30. ♦' We learn neyed. Sec ] JoJ^. V. 5, 6.
"from Scripture, that Cir- [d] By Miracles and Gifts n9 ** cumcifion is not that which way inferior, &c.] R. l^e'vi Men 234 Qf ^^^' Truth cf Book V.
inferior to thofe of Mofes. But yet they who firil delivered thisDodrine, did not require this of them, that they Ihould acknowledge fuch their Happinefs •, but if they would perform the Precepts of Jefus, which were full of all Virtue, they eafily allowed them, in indifferent Things, {a) to follow what Courfe of Life they would; {b) provided they did not impofe the Obfervation of it, as necelTary upon Strangers, to whom the Ritual Law was never gi- ven ', which one Thing fufficiently fhows, that the Jews very unjuftly reje6l the Dodirine of 7^/^^j, under Pretence of the Ritual Law. Having an- fwered this Objedion, which is almofb the only one commonly oppofed to the Miracles oVJefus^ we come now to other Arguments fuited to con- vince the Jews, Sect. XII I. A Proof againft the Jews, taken from their own Confefjicn of the extraordinary Promife ^ cf the Mejfiah, Both they and we are agreed, that in the Pre- di6cions of the Prophets, there is a Promife; that amongft the many Perfons who fhould make known to the Jews^ from Heaven, very great Advantages; there fhould be One, far exceeding the reft, whom they called the Mefliah; which though a common Name, did more eminently agree to this Perfon only. We affert, that he came long fmce; they exped that he is yet to come. It remains therefore that we put an End to the Controverfy, from thofe Books, the Ben Gerfon faid, that the Mi- XVI. 3. XXI. 24. Rom.yAY.
racles of the Mefiiah, ought to i. i Cor. IX. 17. Gal. V. 6.
be greater than thofe 0^ Mofes ^ Colof. III. 2. which is moft evident in the (l?) Pronjided they did not im" Dead reftored to Life. pfe, &c.] Jds XV. Gal. I- {a) To folloiv nxjhat Courfe 3, 6, 1 5. IV. lO. VI. 12. o/Life they ivouldf &c.] ASl's Se£l. 13,14. the Chrijllan Religion. 235 the Authority of which is equally acknowledged by both.
Sect. XIV. That he Is already come^ appears from the 'Time foretold.
B AN IE L, {a) a Teftimony of whofe great Piety Ezekiel affords us, could neither deceive us, nor be deceived himfelf by the Angel Gabriel: And he, according to the Direilion of the Angel, has left us upon Record, Chap. IX. that there fhould not pafs above five hundred Years, between the Publication of the Edidl for rebuilding the City of Jerufalem^ {h) and the Coming of the MelTiah. But there is above two thouflmd Years palTed, fince that Time to this Day, and he, whom the Jews expecb is not yet come; neither can they name any other, to whom that Time will agree. But it agrees fo well to Jefus^ that (c) a Hebrew Teacher, Nehemiah, who lived five hundred Years before him, faid openly openly \^a) A T ejlimony ofnvhofe^rcat P/V/vA-cjXIV.ut. XXXVIIL 3. jofcphus concerning Daniel, at the End of the Xth Book, fays; " That the Spirit of God *' was with him." And after- wards: *' That'he was endued ** with every Thing, in an in- ** credible Manner, as being •* one ofthegreateftofthePro- ** phets. In his Life -time, he ** was had in great Honour and •* Efleem, both by the Kings V and the People: And after ** his Death, he was had in e- ** everlafting Remembrance; ** the Books wrote by him and *' left to us, we read at this *' Day, and their Teftimony ** convinces us, that he had a •* Communication with God.'* (1^) And the Coming of the MfJJlah, &c.] The great He- brenv Dolors, fuch as Solo- inon Jaichi, Rabbi Jofue, quo- ted by Abcnejdras, and Saaidi- as, agree, that the Son of iVian in Darnel, is the Mefliah: Thus Rabbi Jofue, who faw the razing of the Temple, faid that the Time o^ the MefTiah was then pail, as R. Jacob in Caphthor telUfies.
(f) //Hebrew TV^r/'fr, Nehe- miah, &c.] Grotius ought to have told us whence he had this. If I remember right, in fome Epiftle of his to his Bro- ther William Grotius, he fays he received it from a Jew, Le Clerc, 236 -Of the Tmth cf Book V^ openly then, that the Time of tlie Meffiah, figni- fied by Daniel^ could not be deferred above five hundred Years. There is another Mark before hinted at, which agrees with this of the Time •, and that is, {a) that a Government over all Nations, fhould be appointed from Heaven, after {b) the Pofterity of Seleucus and Lagus fhould ceafe to reicn •, the latter of which ended in Cleopatra^ not lono- before Jefus was born. A third Token, is in the forementioned Chap. IX. o^ Daniel \ that after the Coming of the MelTiah the City of Jerufakm fhould be razed •, which Prophecy of the Deftruc- tion of that City, {c) Jojephus himfelf refers to his ow^n Age. From whence it follov/s, that the Time limited for the Coming of the Mefliah, was then paft. To this may be referred that of Haggau Chap. II. where God comforts Z^r^^^^^^/, a Hea- then Prince, and Jcjhua the Son of Jofedech^ the High-Prieft, upon their Sorrow, becaufe the Tem- ple built by them, did not anfwer the Greatnefs of the the [a) That a Government o'ver {c) Jofephus himfelf refers to all Nations, &c ] R. Levi his o^n Age, &c.j Book X. BenGerfon tells us, that that ch, 12. *^ Daniel ^'xote con- Stone, by the Blow whereof " cerningthis Time, and con- that Image which reprefented *' cerning the Roman Empire, the Empires, (hoald be broken *' and that (our Nation) fhould to Pieces, was the Meffiah. *' be deftroyed by it- God Rahbi Solomon, R. Jhencfdrasy *' having difcovered all thefe and R. Saaicia fay, that that " Things to him. he left them Kingdom, which would con- *' us in Writing; fo that who- fume the reft of the Kingdoms, *' ever reads them, and confi- was the Kingdom of the Mef- ** ders what has come to pafs, fiah. R Levi Ben Gerfon and ** cannot but admire the Ho- Saaida, affirm the Son of Man ** nour God did to Daniel.'* in Daniel, to be the Meffiah. Jaccides alfo upon Dan. IX. {b) The Pofierity o/" Seleucus 24. tells us, that the feventy and Lagu?, &c ] See the An- Weeks of Years were iinifhed notations upon this, in the Firft in the Deftru^ion of Jerufa- Book. hm- Setft. 14. the Chrljlian Religion. 237 the former Temple, with this Promife; that there fhould be greater Honour done to that Temple, than to the former: Which could be faid, neither of the Bignefs of the Work, nor of the Materials, nor of the Workmanlhip, nor of the Ornaments; as is very plain from the Hiftory of thofe Times, in the facred Writings, and in Jofephus^ compared with that of the Temple of Solomon: To which we may add, which is obferved by the Flebrew Teachers, that there were wanting two very great Endowments in the latter Temple, which were in the former, viz. (a) a vifible Light, as a Token of the Divine Ma- jefty, and a Divine Infpiration. But wherein this latter Temple was to exceed the former, God briefly declares, when he fays, (l?) that he would eftablifh his Peace, that is, his Favour and Good- will, in that Temple, as it were by a firm Cove- nant: This is further profecuted by Malachi^ Chap. l\\. Behold I will fend my Mejfenger^ whojhall prepare my Way \ (c) and the Lord whom ye fceky /hall fuddenly come to his Temple (now Malachi lived after the latter Temple was built), even the Me[- fenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in. There- fore the Mefiiah ought to come v/hile the fecond Temple flood, {d) in which Account, is reckoned by by [a) A vifthie Light, as a %- fot Interpreters of each other.
cerning Inftruftion, and the as i^^r/?^/ ^o^wo^, teftilfies, were Jerufalem Gemara, ch..3. of Opinion, that the Mefiiah {h) That he n.vouId ejlablijl^ ought to come in the fecond his Peace, ScQ.'^ We mull ob- Temple...;.!...ferve what goes before. The [c] And the'TjhWwhom'^i DeJsreofallNatiovsJhallcome, feek. Szz.'\ This Place of A7aand Injoillfill thiiUoufe n.vith lachi, the J^^-t-j commonly ex- Glory. Which wonderfully plain of the Meffiah.
agrees with what we have talc- [d] In tchich Account is recken out of Malachi j fo that oved^ &c ] As in the Talmud, thefe two Prophets may ferve chap, the laft, concerning the Council; 23 S Of the Truth of Book V, by the Hebrews^ all the time from Zerubhahel to Vefpajian \ for the Temple in the time of Herod the Great, was not rebuilt from the Foundation, but only f^) gradually renewed by Parts; notwith- Handing which Alteration, it might be called the fame Temple. And indeed there was fo firm an Expedtation of the MelTiah at that time amongft the Hebrews^ and their Neighbours, {b) that He- rod was thought by fome to be the MelTiah, {c) Ju- das Gaulcnita by others, {d) and fome more by others, who lived about the time of our Saviour.
Sect. XV. (With an Anfisoer to what is alleged^ that his Coining was deferred upon the Account of the Sins of the People.)
The Jews fee themfelves put to Difficulties by thefe Arguments: That they may elude the Force of them therefore; fome fay that their Sins were the Council; and that entitled Jorna, and that entitled iiJor/6. Majfchana.
[a) Gradually renenved by Parts, &c.] Philo concerning the World. '* That is not •* corruptible, all the Parts of •* which are corrupting gra- ** dually; but that, all the Parts ** of which are deftroyed to- ** gether at the fame time." Add to this, L. proponebatur. D.deyudiciis. l^ L. quid t amen. Se£l. in naniis D. quibus modis ufusfruSius amittatur.
[b] That Yitxo^nioas thought hy fome, &c.] Thefe were the Herodians, Matt. XII. i6.
Markiii. 6. Via. 15. xiir.
13. Tertullian in his Enume- ration of Hereticks; amongft thefe fwere the Herodians, 'who fa'id that Herod 'was the Chrifl. And Epiphanius fays the fame of them: Agreeable to which, is that of the ancient Scholiaft on Perfius; " Berod reigned " amongft the Jenvs, in the •' lime of Jugufius, in the *' Parts of Syria; therefore *• the Herodians keep the " Birth-day of Herod, as they '* do the Sabbath, upon which *• Day they put lightedCandles *' crowned with Violets on *' their Windows.'* [c] Judas Gaulonita^ others, &c.] See Jofephus XVTII.
{d) And fome more by others, &c.] A^ls XXI. 38. Jofephus has many Inftances in the time of Felix, and fome after the Deftrudtion of Jerufaletn, Sed. 15. the Chrljlian Religion, 239 the Caufe why he did not come at the promifed time. Now not to mention, {a) that in the fore- cited Prophecies; what is determined by them, has no Signs of being fufpended upon any Conditions; how could his Coming be deferred on the Account of their Sins, when this alfo was foretold, that for the many and great Sins of the People, (h) the City fliould be deftroyed, a Httle after the time of the Mefiiah? Further, the Mefliah was to come for this very Reafon, (<r) that he might bring a Remedy for the mofl corrupt Age; and together with the Rules of reforming their Lives, aflure them of Pardon of their Sins. Whence it is faid in Zechary^ Chap. XIII. concerning his time; that a Fountain fhouid then be opened, to the Houfe of David and to all in Jerufalem^ to wafh away their Sins; and it is a common thing among the Jews^ to call the Mefliah, {djlscn C o p h e r, that is, the Appcafer. It is therefore very repug- nant to Reafon, to fay, that that was deferred upon the the [a)That intheforecitedPro' Covenant, zs Malachi m that pheciest ^c] This is exprefsly Place, and otherProphetsihew; affirmed by R. Jochnaan in his coming could not be fuf- Schemoth Rabbi, and R. Da- pended on the Condition of 'vid Kaimchi, on Pfalrfi CVIW. obferving that Covenant he 5. Jofephui, Book X. to- came to abolifh. wards the End, fays v<ell of [b] The City Jhould he de- Daniel: •' That inhisProphe- Jiroyed, &c.] Dan. IX. 24. ** cies, he not only foretold [c) That he might bring a " what was to come, like the Remedy, &c.] Ifaiah LIII. 4. ** other Prophets; but he de- and following Verfes. Jerem- ** termined the time in which miah XXXI. 31. and what ** thofe things ihould come to follows, EzekielXl. 19,21. " pafs." That the Decree of [d] Ifch Copher, ^IDID i:"N] the Meffiah^s being fentat that See the Chaldee Paraphrafe on time, was not fufpended upon Cant. I. 14. R. Judas in Oju- any Conditions, appears alfo fidim, and 7?. Simeon^ in Be- from Malachi III. i. Befide?, refchitb Rahbahy fay, that the feeing that the Mefliah was to Mefliah fliould bear our Sins. be the Author of the New the Account of the Difeafe, which was direftly appointed for that Difeafe.
Sect. XVI. Jlfofrom the prefe?it State of the Jews, compared with the Fromifes of the Law, As to what we faid, that the MefTiah is long fince come upon Earth, even Experience might convince the Jews, (a) God promifed them in the Covenant made with Mofes, a quiet PofTcfTion of the Land of Palejiine, fo long as they con- formed their I^ives to the Precepts of the Law: And on the contrary, (b) if tliey finned grievouQy againft it, he threatened to drive them out •, and fuch like Evils: Yet notwithftanding this; if at any time when, under the PrefTure of thefe Ca- lamities, and led by Repentance of their Sins, they returned to Obedience; he would be merciful to- wards his People, and caufe them to return into their own Country, though difperfed into the fur- thefl Parts of the World; as you may fee in many Places, particularly Deut. XXX. and Nehemiah I. But now it is above fifteen hundred Years, fince the Jews have been out of their own Country, and without a Temple: And if at any time they {c) at- tempted to build a new one, they were always hindered, (d) Nay, Ammianus Marcellinus^ who was {a) God promifed them in the linus, &c ] Book XXIII. Chry- Covenant, &c ] Exodus XV. fojiom II. againft the Jenvs.
Levit.XYlU. Levit.VlyVily Fire immediately broke out of XI, XXVIII. the Foundation, and burnt many [b) If they finned grie'voufly Men, and alfo the Stones of that againfi it, &c.] Levit. XXVI. Place. The whole Place is Deut. IV, XI, XXVill. worth reading. The fame Au- {c) Attempted to build a ne'uj thor has the like Words, in his o»^, &c.] In rhe times o't J- I Vth Homily upon M«///&^w, driany Conflantine, 2.ViAJulian, and in his Difcourfe of Chrift's Chryfoflomll. againft the Jews, being God.
(</J liay, Ammianus Marcelwas not a Chriftian Writer, reports that Balls of Fire broke out of the Foundation, and deftroyed their Work. When of Old, the People had de- filed themfelves with the grcateft Wickednefs, every where facrinced their Children to Salurn^ looked upon Adultery as nothing, fpoiled the . Widows and the Orphans, fhed innocent Blood in - great Plenty *, (a) all which the Prophets reproach them with; they were driven out of their Country; (^) but not longer than feventy Years: And in the mean time, God did not negle6l (c) fpeaking to them by Prophets, and comforting them with Hopes of their Return, (d) telling them the very time, (e) But now, ever fince they have been driven out of their Country, they have continued Vagabonds and defpifed, no Prophet has come to them, no Signs of their future Return; their Teachers, as if they were infpired with a Spirit of Giddinefs, have funk into low Fables^ and ri- diculous Opinions, with which the Books of the Talmud abound; which yet they prefume to call the Oral Law, and to compare them, nay, to prefer them above what is written by Mofes. For what we there find (f) of God's Mourning becaufe he he [a) All ^ohich the Prophets XXXI. XXXIH. Ezekiel reproach them ^ith, &c.] Ijaiah XXXVI. XXXVII.
2, 3. LIX. LXV. Jmos II. 6. time, Szc'] Jeremiah XXVi Jeremiah II. III. V. VII. 21. 15. XXIX. 10.
VIII. X. XI. XVI. XXII. {e) But no-w, enjer fince they Ezekiel II. VI. VII. VIII. ha%'e been dri'ven out, Scc.'\l.'hc XVI. XXII. XXIV. Daniel Tahmid'm Baba Bathra.
[b) But not longer than fe- See the Preface of £'<r/6rt^ i?^<&- njenty Tears, &c.] R. Samuel bathi; the like to which we makes this Objection in his find in the Talmud entitled R. Ifaac. Chagiga, in Debarim Rabba^ [c) Speaking to them by Pro- and in Berachoth. pbets, &c.] Jeremiah XXX.
R 242 Of the Uriith of Book V.
he fufFered the City to be deftroyed, {a) of his daily Diligence in reading the Law, [h) of the Behe- moth 2iX\di Leviathan^ (c) and many other things, is fo abfurd, that it is troublefome to relate them. And yet in this long Space of time, the Jews have neither gone afide to the Worlhip of falfe Gods, nor defiled themfelves with Murder, nor are accufed of Adultery ^ [d) but they endeavour to appeafe God by Prayers and Fading, and yet they are not heard: Which being thus, we muft of Neceffity conclude one of thefe two things, that either that Covenant made by Aiofes is intirely difTolved, or that the whole Body of the Jews are guilty of fome grievous Sin, which has continued for fo many Ages: And what that is, let them tell us them- felves; or if they cannot fay what, let them be- lieve us *, that that Sin is, their defpifing the Mef- fiah, who came before thefe Evils began to be- fal them.
Sect. XVII. J e fits proved to he the Mejjlah^ from thefe things that were pr edited of the Meffiah, And thefe things do indeed prove, as was be- fore faid^ that the Meffiahdid come fo many Ages fincej to which I add, that he was no other than Jefus; {a^ Of his daily Diligence, fiah, cencernlng the Revelafcc] Jhaaniih, and Aboda tions by £■//«/, concerning Hell, Zara. concerning the Kingdom of [b) Of the Behemoth, and the ten Tribes beyond the Ri- Leviathan, &c.] See the Tal- ver Sabaticus, and concerning Viud Baba Bathra, and the the Deeds of the i?^2/^^/Vj. ChaUee Paraph raft on the Song [d) But they endeavour to apoi Solomon, VIII. 2. peafc God, &c.] Whereas, if (f) Jnd majjy other things, we may believe themfelves, &c.] Many ot which, Gerfon (hey highly merit of God, for iheChriftian, hastranfcribedin rejecting a falfe MeiTiah, who his Book againft the Jenxi; fee was received by fo great a Part thofe Chapters in it concerning of Mankind. Devils, concerning the Mel- Seft. 17. the Chrljlian Religion. 243 Jefus \ for all others, who were willing to have themfelves thought the MeiTiah, or were really thought fo, left no SeA in which that Opinion continued. None now profefs themfelves to be Followers of Herod or Judas Gaulonita^ (a) or of Barchochehas^ who in the times o^ Adrian^ declared himfelf to be the Meffiah, {h) and deceive d many learned Men. But there have been fuch as owned Jefus, ever fince he was upon Earth, to this very Day, (r) and they a great many, not in one Country, but all the World over. I might here allege many other things, formerly predicted, or believed of the MefTiah, which we believe to have been compleated in Jefus, and which were not io much as affirmed of any other; fuch as thefe, (J) that he was of the Seed o^ David; (e) that he was born of a Virgin ^ (/) that this thing was dif- covered from Heaven, to him who had married that Virgin, and would not keep her in Marriage, becaufe becaufe {a) Or o/Barchochebas, <^:c.] Whom J////> ililes. The Chief of the Re^-volt of the Jews. He is mentioned by Eufebius, Je- rom, OroJtuSf in the Talmud^ entitled concerning the Coun- cil, in Berefchith P^ahbah^ by the Rabbles J ohn^xsdi Abraham Salmanticenjisf and others, in many Places.
{b) And decel'ved many learn- ed Me?j, &c.] As Rabbi Akiba, fee the Talmud entitled con- cerning the Council, and the Book Zemach David.
{c) And they a great many^ &c. ] See what is faid of this in the fecond Book.
[d) That he Hxjas of the Seed #/David,&c.] PfalmhX^XlX, remiah XX II I. 5. EzekieX XXXIV. 24. Mich, V. 2. Mat, ing Verfes. MarkX. 47. XII. A^sXllL 34. XV. 6. Rom. XXII. 16.
{e) That he 'was born of a Virgin, Scz.'] IfaiahWl. 14.
(f) That this thing nvas dij- conjered from Heaven ^ &C.J 244 Of ^^^^ 'Truth of Book V.
becaufe fhe was big with Child by another; {a) that he was born in Bethlehem \ {h) that he be- gan to fpread his Do6lrine firft in Galilee •, {c) that he healed all Kinds of Difeafes; made the Blind to fee, and the Lame to walk: But I Iball content myfelf with one, the EfFe6l of which remains to this Day; and is manifeil from the Prophecies of {d) D^vid, (e) Ifaiah, (/) Zachariah^ and [g] Ho- fea^ viz. that the MefTiah was to be the Inftrudor of all Nations •, {h) that the Worfhip of falfe Gods fhould be overthrown by him •, and that he fhould bring a vafl Multitude of Strangers to the Wor- fhip of one God. Before the Coming of Jefus, almoft the whole World was fubjeft to falfe Wor-w fhip; which began to vanifli afterwards by Degrees, and not only particular Perfons, but whole Nations, and Kings, were converted to the Worlhip of one God. Thefe things are not owing to the JewiJJj Rahbies^ but to the Difciples of Jefus, and their SuccefTors. Thus (?) they were made the People of (a) That he nvas born In Bethlehem, &c.] Mich. V. 2.
(b) That he began to fpready &c.] Ifaiah IV. I. Matt. l\. 14, 15, 16. and in many other Places.
, (r) That he heated all kinds of Difeafes, &c. ] IfaiahXXXY. 9. LXI. I. Matt. XL s- Luke iV. 18. and every where elfe. Further, he alio railed the Dead, which R. Le'vi Ben Gerfon reckons among the prin- cipal Marks of the Mefiiah.
10. XIV. I. XIX. 18.XXVIL i3.XXXV.XLII.andXLIlI. particularly XLIX. 6, LI. 5. LX. 3. and following ones, following.
(f) Zachariahy &c.] II. 1 1. VIII. 20. and following. IX, [h) That the WorJJAp of falfe XXXI. 7. XLVI. I. Zepha- 2.
[i] They nvere made the Peo- ple of God, &c.] Hofea II. 34, Sedl. 175 1 8. the Chrijlian Religion, 245 of God who were not fo before; and that Pre- didion of Jacobs Genefis X.LIX. was fulfilled, that before the Civil Power was taken from the Po- fterity of y«^<2^, Shilob fhould come, (^) whom the Chaldee and other Interpreters explain to be the Mefliah, (J?) whom foreign Nations alio were to obey.
Sect. XVIII. An ylnfiver to what is alleged^ that fome things were net fulfilled.
Here thtjews commonly object, that there were fome things predided of the times of the Mefliah, which we do not fee fulfilled. But thofe which they allege are obfcure, and may have a different Signification; for which we ought not to reje6l thofe that are plain; fuch as the Holinefs of the Precepts of Jefus; the Excellency of the Re- ward i the Plainnefs of Speech in which it was de- livered;' to which w'e may add the Miracles; and all together ought to engage us to embrace his Dodtrine. In order to underftand aright {c) the Prophecies of the fealed Book, as it is commonly called, [n] Whom /Z'^ Chaldee, &c.] Botli Jonatha?t, the Author of t\\t Jerufalem P.iraphrale, and the Writers of the Tultnnd, in the Title concerning tlie Coun- cil; Berefchith Rabbuy Jakiim- nus on the Pentateuch, Rabbi Solomon, and other?, D2*ii', which the Je^vs now would have to be a Rod of Chaftife- ir.ent; the Targurn in Chaldee explains by jiO/L!.', and the Greeks elp'^coVf a Governor; Jpii/ay ffKn-Tr'looi'f a Scepter; Sywf^achus, i^'cc'ici.t Poiver, And nVw is explained by 1J2 his Son, by the Chaldee A'.
Scloh, R. Bechat, R. S'jio.'/nn, Abenefdras and Ki?nchi. See v.hat is excellently faid con- cerning this Place in Chryfo- Jtom, in his Difcourfe, that Chriil is God.
{b) Whom foreig n Nations alfo nxere to obey, &c.] See. the forecited Place of Ifaiah XL 10. which affords light to this.
[cYLhe Prophecies of the fealed Booi,8zr,-] I/aiahXXlX. ll. chiades vpon them. SeeChfy- foftovi^ DiiTertation about this Matter, Difcourfe 11. why the Old Teilament is obfcure.
246 Of the Truth of Book V.