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to God's exprefs Promife: And the Samaritans themfelves had this Notion of the Meffiah, that he was to give full Inftructions in all things relating to the WorThip of God, Joh. iv. 25. And the Prophecies concerning the Birth, and Life, and Death of Christ, in all things neceffary to prove him the true Meffiah were literally fulfill'd in our Saviour, and those things which concern the Nature of his Kingdom, have been explain'd by him and his Apoftles. So that it being. fully proy'd, that Jefus is the Chrift by the Accomplishment in Him of the Ancient Prophecies concerning the Meffiah, we ought to reft fatisfy'd in his Authority, both for the Ceflation of the Law of Mofes and for any Explication which He and his Apostles have given us of it. The Jews acknowledge, that the Prophets had Authority to difpenfe with the Law in all things, but Idolatry; notwithstanding the Prohibition, neither to add to it, nor diminish from it, (Deut. iv. 2.) though no Exception is made of any Privilege to be granted to the Prophets more than to other Men in this cafe. But they fay, that the Power of the Prophets reach'd only to a Temporary Difpenfation, and gave them no Warrant to abolish any part of the Law. Which is true: But this Power in the Prophets, who were but Types of Chrift, fignify'd, that the Meffiab himself was to have a more extensive Power, and to come with full Authority to inftitute a New Covenant instead of the Law, which was but a Type of it, as Mofes was of Chrift. But this is not

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Atque fic didicimus per Traditionem à prifcis Sapientibus. In qualibet re, cum dixerit tibi Propheta: Tranfgredere verba legis, ficut Elibu fecit in monte Carmel, audi eum, præterquam in Idololatria. cum videlicet aliquid pro certo tempore futurum eft. Sicut Elihu obtulit holocauftum in extraneo loco, licet Jerufalem ad hoc electa effet. Maimon. de Fundam. Legis, c. ix. §. 6.

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Si mandaverint omnes Prophetæ, ut violemus Præceptum pro tempore, tum audiendi funt; un vero dixerint, verbum hoc in æternum excifum effe, tunc ftrangulandi funt, quia Lex femper nobis no ftrifque filiis loquitur. 1b. §. 7.

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all, we are able to prove against the Jews from the Books of the Old Teftament, that their Law was to cease, when the Meffiah was come.

The Gospel is fo far from containing any thing contrary to the Law, that it is the Fulfilling and Accomplishment of it. The Moral Precepts are improv'd and advanc'd, and the Ceremonial and Ritual Part was not properly abrogated and abolish'd, but it continued for as long time as it was defign'd to do, and then expir'd of it felf; it ferv'd thofe Ends for which it was instituted, and afterwards must of confequence ceafe. The Ceremonial Worship therefore was permitted to the Jews, who became Converts to the Chriftian Faith, till the Destruction of their City and Temple, and then it was no longer practicable, but muft of neceffity ceafe; and the Ceflation of the Law of Mofes, when once it had its Period and Accomplishment, was as much the Will of the Legislator, at its first Inftitution, as its former Obligation could be.

The Jewish Law being Figurative and Typical, it follows, that it was to cease of course, when the Things prefigur'd and typify'd by it, fhould be brought to pass, that is, when the Meffiah fhould come. For then the Types and Figures being fulfill'd, could be of no longer ufe, nor the Law which enjoin'd them, of any longer continuance, when once this principal Reafon of it ceas'd, and all other ends defign'd by it might be better attain'd without it, by the Worship of God in Spirit and in Truth. And this Law was fo contrived, as not only to expire upon the fulfilling of it by the Meffiah, but to become impracticable and impoffible to be obfery'd afterwards. I fhall therefore prove the Ceffation of the Jewish Law; I. Because the Meffiah is come, in whom it was fulfill'd. II. Because it was foretold by the Prophets, that the Law fhould ceafe upon the coming of the Meffiah. III. Be

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caufe after the coming of the Meffiah, it was to become impracticable and impoffible to be obferv'd.

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I. The Meffiah is come, in whom the Law is fulfill'd. As the coming of the Meffiah was prefigur'd in the various Types and Ceremonies of the Law, which were therefore to receive their Accomplishment in him, fo it is manifeft that our Saviour is the Meffiah, fince the Prophecies concerning the Messiah have been all fulfill'd in Him. This has been already prov'd at large; and the Prophecies of Zechariah and Malachi are fo very plainly and undeniably fulfill'd, that fome of the Jews, to evade them, have been forc'd to fay, that the Messiah was born before the Destruction of the fecond Temple, tho' he doth not yet appear; but that he was feen at Rome, and has ever fince lain conceal'd, as Mofes did in the House of Pharaoh; and that the time will come, when he shall require the Difmiffion of the Jews from the Pope, as Mofes demanded of Pharaoh the Difmiffion of the Children of Ifrael. But they say, that he defers the Manifestation of himself, by reafon of their Sins; and upon this account have made many folemn Humiliations, to implore his Help, and haften his Coming; particularly A. D. MDII. they appointed a publick Humiliation for Young and Old, Men, Women and Children, in all parts of the World, for nigh a whole Year together. Trypho did not deny that Chrift was born, and might be fomewhere unknown, but faid, that he could not know himself to be Christ, nor work Miracles, till Elias had anointed him, and manifested him to the World. Others have faid, that there is to be a Third Temple, and during the time of the laft, the Meffiah will come, only because Abrabam call'd the Place where the Temple ftood, a Mountain, Ifaac a Field, and Jacob an Houfe. Some are of Opinion, that their Sins hinder his Coming; fome a

Munfter. de Meffia.

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Juft. Martyr. Dialog. f Munfter. ib.

gain think, that they are neither finful enough, nor righteous enough: For," say they, he must come in a Generation altogether finful, or altogether righteous. The fecond Temple appear'd as nothing in comparison of the Glory of the firft, when Haggai foretold, that the Glory of this latter Houfe fhould be greater than of the former, Hag. ii. 3,9. It has been a conftant Tradition among the Jews, that the fecond Temple was in five refpects inferior to the firft; fince it had neither the Fire from Heaven, nor the Anointing Oil, nor the Ark, nor the Holy Ghost, or Spirit of Prophecy and Miracles, nor Urim and Thummim. So that the fecond Temple being in all these respects inferior to the firft, could, according to Haggai's Prophecy (ch.ii.9.) excel that, only in the Privilege of Chrift's Prefence in it. This is an Argument, fays "one very converfant in the Rabbinical Writings, to which the Jews. can find nothing to reply. And a Rabbin of great Note has, from more Ancient Expofitors, declar'd the Glory of this latter House, to be meant of Spiritual Glory.

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The Prophecy of Daniel's Weeks is fo punctually in all its Circumstances fulfill'd, that not only Fosephus and the modern Jews apply it to the Destruction of Jerufalem by Titus, but fome of the Jews, when they could not deny the Computation to be true, and to agree exactly with the time of our Saviour's Birth have even dar'd to fay, that Daniel himself was miftaken in the Account; others have confefs'd that all the Terms of Time affign'd for the coming of the Meffiah are past, and that now their only Hopes of Delive

8 Non veniet filius David, nifi ad generationem, cujus omnes vel funt puri, vel impuri. Abravanel de cap. Fidei, c. xiv.

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h Bochart. Hieroz. Pi. 1. 2. c. 35.

i R. Mofes Elfach Comment. in Hag. ii. apud Vorft. Not. in Abravanel. de cap. Fidei, c. xiv.

Jofeph. Antiq. Jud. 1. x. c. 12. Secundum Scriptum Judæi apud Limborch. Lud. Viv. de ver. Fid. 1. iii.

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rance and Redemption are to be placed in their Repentance. But Rabbi Nehumias who liv'd fifty years before Chrift, declared that the Coming of the Meffah, according to Daniel's Prophecy, could not be deferr'd beyond the fpace of fifty years longer, as Grotius has obferv'd from the Talmud. We are " told that the Jews are all agreed in the Thirteen Articles of Faith drawn up by Maimonides, in his Commentary upon the Mifna; infomuch that whoever disbelieves any one of these Articles, has renounced his Religion. And the Twelfth Article contains, that no Time for the Coming of the Meffiah is to be prefix'd, or determin'd, from any Explication of Scripture, inafmuch as the P Rabbins had denounced a Curfe upon all, who fhould prefume to compute the Time. 9 One, who is believ'd to have been too much addicted to Judaism, has declared that the Talmudifts and modern Jews, to maintain their Religion against Christians, have perverted both Chronology and Hiftory, in Contradiction to Philo and Jofephus, as well as to all other Authors. Divers of the Jews place the Paffion of Christ fixty nine years before our common Account of the year in which he truly fuffer'd; others pretend another different Account without the leaft Reason for ei

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Grot. de Verit. lib. v. §. 14. & inter Sarrav. Epift. n Leo Moden. c. ult.

Rabb. Abraham Jagel Catechifm. Jud. p. 6.

Quemadmodum dixere Sapp. cel.m. in cap. Cheleck. illaqueet ur animus fupputantium terminos. Maimon. apud Abravanel. de cap. Fid. cap. i.

Talmudici fuæ fectæ nimium addicti, ut divinas fortes' & oracula fuo judicio interpretarentur, ducentos annos de ætate mundi detraxerunt, ne cum Chriftianis convenirent. Bodin. Method. Hift. c. viii, Nimis enim pertinaces Hebræi juniores tempora Danielis depravârunt, ut contra omnium Scriptorum fidem enumerent quinque duntaxat imperatores Perfarum. fed id fecerunt, ne ab oraculis Prophetæ perperam intellectis recedere viderentur. Hos igitur refellere neceffe eft tum Jofippi & Philonis autoritate, tum etiam orbium cœleftium motu, &c. Ibid.

Bishop Pearfon on the Creed, Art. iv.

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