God towards the Jews, which there feemed to be fome Remains of during the Temple; as was also their whole Apparatus for divine Service, and the Form of a Republick, fo that in all that long Space of Time, God did not fo much as once take any Notice of them. Whence, the Truth itself forced thefe Words in Berachot Fol. 32. From the Day that the Temple was laid even with the Ground, have the Jews been feparated by a Wall of Iron from their heavenly Father. To the fame Purpose is that, Pug. Fidei, 306, In Talmud-Joma.-Was it not there? Yes it was there, but fignified nothing, it was there without any Efficacy." That, during this State, a Tranflation was made into Greek, and a Paraphrase into Chaldee, as they term them, of all but of Mofes, and at leaft of fome of the eldeft. That some of the Jews came into Chrift; fome believed Chrift to be the Meffiah, but would not relinquish the Law; most of them continued Apostates; and foon after many of thofe were destroyed, the reft difperfed; and from that Time, if not before, became the Church of Satan, of Antichrift. And no more regard ought to be given to what they have writ, fince, than to what their Spawn the Mahometans write, nor even fo much.

That

That the Copies of the Scriptures were then in many Places, and in many Hands: When Chrift bid them fearch the Scriptures, did they go into the S. Sanctorum, or to the High Prieft? No they were common, all Nations had them, even the Ethiopians, as Acts viii. 28. And they came to the Christians by converted Jews, and many other ways. That they were received by the Apostles, and while the Gifts of Infpiration, the Knowledge of Tongues, &c. continued. And if there had been any Alterations in them, they would foon have corrected them. And there never was any difference finewed between the Copies the Chriftian Church had, and those the Apoftate Jews kept, which are worth naming.

The Object of the Jewish Religion, nay the Form, was fo far from being a Jeft; and the Race of Ifrael fo far from wanting Senfe, as our modern FreeThinkers affert; That, wherever the Object was known, the Jews were reverenced; that the Form in Subftance, was then the fame to all Mankind; and whereever the Jews, who perfevered, were; nay, even in Slavery, they were preferred to the higheft Trufts. As Withius in

anfwer

anfwer to Spenfer in his Egyptiaca, p. 268, &c. has fhewed.

These Apoftates, who were of the Race of Abraham; who was of the eldest Line and believed, fo had the Promise of producing the Seed, the Priesthood, the keeping of the Oracles, Types, &c. preceding Chrift; and nothing further, but in common with all Mankind, except the firft Offer to come in; are fo weak as to think, that all the Miracles which were performed to bring the Children of Ifrael out of Egypt into Canaan, and preserve them in that Land in Tribes, &c. That all the Typical Law, That the Wriings of Mofes and all the Prophets, were only for them: Quite otherwife; They were all to preferve the Memory of the Covenant; to preferve the Genealogy of Chrift; and in every Thing and Tranfaction there are Types: In every Relation there are Hints of Him, under borrowed Names, by Signs, &c. to keep up their Spirits in Expectation of Him; and when the Time drew near, exprefs Predictions of Him. All, for Evidence to all the fucceeding Races of Men, and they of right belong to all Mankind. And publishing Mofes's Book, in literal Writing, accomplished the Defign of faving Men more,

upon

upon the Heathens, than the Law did upon the Jews. The Heathens in attempting to write loft their Language, and fo confounded the falfe Religion, and brought in many times the Numbers of the Jews. But befides thefe Originals and Tranflations, which were before Chrift, thefe Apoftates offer us a Parcel of Lyes forged long after; and tell us, the meaning of thofe Books, which are now for Chriftians and no others, was privately committed to their Forefathers, and that thofe who turned Chriftians knew nothing of thofe Matters; and only those who renounced Chrift, and upon whom his Predictions are fulfilled, have kept these Secrets, till they thought fit to publish them. So far from their being able to give us any Account of any Directions, which they pretend Mafes gave them about Particulars, that none of them have ever given any Account what was the Defign of the Law: Till that is done, no Rules can be given to fhew why the ceremonial Part, in any Article, is better performed this Way or that Way; or what is the true Meaning of any Text. If the Law was, as they tell us, taken from the Heathens; we had better go to them, and know their Customs, and learn of them what Origi

nal it had; and indeed they have given us more Light in that Affair, than all these Apoftates have done. If it were typical, then we know what was defigned in it by the Completion. If it had an Inftitution prior to, and common to them both; we must search for the Meaning in the Inftitution. Sacrifice, which is the chief part, was not only by an Inftitution at Paradife; but, after the traditional Intent of that had been neglected on one Side, and mifapplied on the other, the End of the Law, the Promifes, &c. were renewed long before the Renewal in Writing; and it is Demonftration, that their whole Law depended upon that, and what is reprefented; because they could not be admitted to the Benefit of the Promises, or Covenant, nor even receive the Writing, which was an Abstract of the Terms, till the Creatures called, and which were the Type of the Purifier, were flain for them, and they sprinkled with the Blood fo typically purified, and qualified.

;

The Church of Chrift should have had no regard to any Actions or Writings of thefe Apoftates, or any other Unbelievers afterwards; but, as it has been managed otherwise, we muft ftate that Affair.