vided they did not impose the Observation of it, as necessary, upon Strangers, to whom the Ritual Law was never given; which one thing sufficiently shews, that the Jews very unjustly reject the Doctrine of Jesus, under Pretence of the Ritual Law. Having answered this Objection, which is almost the only one commonly opposed to the Miracles of Jesus, we come now to other Arguments suited to convince the Jews.

SECT. XIII.

A Proof against the Jews, taken from their own Confession of the extraordinary Promise of the Messiah.

BOTH they and we are agreed, that in the Predictions of the Prophets, there is a Promise; that amongst the many Persons who should make known to the Jews, from Heaven, very great Advantages, there should be One, far exceeding the Rest, whom they call the Messiah; which, though a common Name, did more eminently agree to this Person only. We assert, that he came long since; they expect that he is yet to come. It remains therefore that we put an End to the Controversy, from those Books, the Authority of which is equally acknowledged by both.

SECT. XIV.

That he is already come, appears from the Time fore told.

A

DANIEL, (a) Testimony of whose great Piety Ezekiel affords us, could neither deceive us, nor

be

(a) Testimony of whose great Piety, &c.] xiv. 14. xxxviii. 3. Josephus concerning Daniel, at the End of the Tenth Book, says, "That the Spirit of God was with him." And

after

be deceived himself by the Angel Gabriel: And he, according to the Direction of the Angel, has left us upon Record, Chap. ix. that there should not pass above six hundred Years between the Publication of the Edict for rebuilding the City of Jerusalem (a) and the Coming of the Messiah. But there are above two thousand Years passed, since that Time to this Day, and he, whom the Jews expect, is not yet come; neither can they name any other, to whom that Time will agree. But it agrees so well to Jesus, that (b) a Hebrew Teacher, Nehemiah, who lived five hundred Years before him, said openly then, that the time of the Messiah, signified 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 this is, (c) that a Government over all Nations should be ap

pointed

afterwards, "That he was endued with every Thing in an "incredible Manner, as being one of the Greatest of Prophets. In his Life-time he was had in great Honour and Esteem, both by the Kings and the People: And after his "Death he was had in everlasting Remembrance; the Books "wrote by him, and left to us, we read at this Day, and their Testimony convinces us, that he had a Communication with "God."

(a) And the Coming of the Messiah, &c.] The great Hebrew Doctors, such as Solomon Jarchi, Rabbi Josue, quoted by Abenesdas, and Saaida, agree, that the Son of Man in Daniel, is the Messiah: Thus Rabbi Josue, who saw the razing of the Temple, said that the Time of the Messiah was then past, as R. Jacob in Capthor testifies.

(b) A Hebrew Teacher, Nehemiah, &c.] Grotius ought to have told us whence he had this. If I remember right in some Epistle of his to his Brother William Gratius, he says he received it from a Jew. Le Clerc.

(c) That a Government over all Nations, &c.] R. Levi Ben Gerson tells us, that that Stone, by the Blow whereof that Image which represented the Empires should be broken to Pieces, was the Messiah. Rabbi Solomon, R. Abenesdras, and R. Saaida, say, that that Kingdom, which would consume the

Rest

pointed from Heaven, after (a) the Posterity of Seleucus and Lagus should cease to reign; the latter of which ended in Cleopatra, not long before Jesus was born. A third Token is in the forementioned Chap. ix. of Daniel; that after the Coming of the Messiah, the City of Jerusalem should be razed; which Prophecy of the Destruction of that City, (b) Josephus himself refers to his own Age. From whence it follows, that the Time limited for the Coming of the Messiah was then past. To this may be referred that of Haggai, Chap. ii. where God comforts Zerubbabel, a Heathen Prince, and Joshua the Son of Josedech, the High-Priest, upon their Sorrow, because the Temple built by them, did not answer the Greatness of the former Temple, with this Promise; that there should be greater Honour done to that Temple, than to the former: Which could be said, neither of the Bigness of the Work, nor of the Materials, nor of the Workmanship, nor of the Ornaments, as is very plain from the History of those Times, in the sacred Writings, and in Josephus, compared with that of the Temple of Solomon: To which we may add, which is observed by the Hebrew Teachers, that there were wanting two very great Endowments in the latter Temple, which were in the former, Rest of the Kingdoms, was the Kingdom of the Messiah. R. Levi Ben Gerson and Saaida affirm the Son of Man in Daniel, to be the Messiah.

(a) The Posterity of Seleucus and Lagus, &c.] See the Annotations upon this, in the First Book.

(b) Josephus himself refers to his own Age, &c.] Book X. Chap. 12. "Daniel wrote concerning this Time, and con-. cerning the Roman Empire, and that (our Nation) should be destroyed by it. God" having discovered all these Things "to him, he left them us in Writing; so that whoever reads "them, and considers what has come to pass, cannot but ad-. "mire the Honour God did to Daniel." Jaccides also upon Dan. ix. 24. tells us, that the seventy Weeks of Years were finished in the Destruction of Jerusalem.

viz. (a) a visible Light, as a Token of the Divine Majesty, and a Divine Inspiration: But wherein this latter Temple was to exceed the former, God briefly declares, when he says, (b) that he would establish his Peace, that is, his Favour and Good-will in that Temple, as it were by a firm Covenant: This is further prosecuted by Malachi, Chap. iii. Behold I will send my Messenger, who shall prepare my Ways; (c) and the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his Temple (now Malachi lived after the latter Temple was built,) Even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in. Therefore the Messiah ought to come while the second Temple stood, (d) in which Account, is reckoned by the Hebrews, all the Time from Zerubbabel to Vespasian ;. for the Temple in the Time of Herod the Great, was not rebuilt from the Foundation, but only (e) gradually renewed by Parts; notwithstanding which Alteration, it might be called the same

(a) A visible Light as a Token, &c.] In the Title concerning Instruction, and the Jerusalem Gemara, Chap. 3.

(b) That he would establish his Peace, &c.] We must observe what goes before. "The Desire of all the Nations shall come " and I will fill this House with Glory." Which wonderfully agrees with what we have taken out of Malachi; so that these two Prophets may serve for Interpreters of each other. Rabba Akiba, and many others, as Rabbi Solomon testifies, were of Opinion, that the Messiah ought to come in the second Temple.

(c) And the Lord whom ye seek, &c.] This Place of Malachi, the Jews commonly explain of the Messiah,

(d) In which account is reckoned, &c.] As in the Talmud, Chap. the last, concerning the Council; and that entitled Jorna, and that entitled Roch. Hasschana.

(e) Gradually renewed by Parts, &c.] Philo, concerning the World: "That is not corruptible, all the Parts of which are "corrupting gradually; but that all the Parts of which are destroyed together at the same Time." Add to this, L. proponebatur. D. de Judiciis, & L. quid tamen. Sect. in navis D. quibus modis ususfructus amittatur.

Temple.

Temple. And indeed there was so firm an Expectation of the Messiah at that Time, amongst the Hebrews, and their Neighbours, (a) that Herod was thought by some to be the Messiah, (b) Judas Gaulonita by others, (c) and some more by others, who lived about the Time of our Saviour.

SECT. XV.

(With an Answer to what is alledged, that his Coming was deferred upon the Account of the Sins of the People.)

THE Jews see themselves put to Difficulties by these Arguments: That they may elude the Force of them; therefore, some say that their Sins were the Cause why he did not come at the promised Time. Now not to mention, (d) that in the fore

cited

(a) That Herod was thought by some, &c.] These were the Herodians, Matt. xii. 16. Mark iii. 6. viii. 13. xii. 15. Tertullian, in his Enumeration of Heretics; " Amongst these were "the Herodians, who said that Herod was the Christ." And Epiphanius says the same of them: Agreeable to which, is that of the ancient Scholiast on Perseus; "Herod reigned amongst "the Jews, in the Time of Augustus, in the Parts of Syria; "therefore the Herodians keep the Birth-day of Herod, as they do the Sabbath, upon which Day they put lighted "Candles crowned with Violets on their Windows."

46

(b) Judas Gaulonita by others, &c.] See Josephus XVIII. 1, Acts v. 36.

(c) And some more by others, &c.] Acts xxi. 38. Josephus has many Instances in the Time of Felix, and some after the Destruction of Jerusalem.

(d) That in the forecited Prophecies, &c.] This is expressly affirmed by R. Jochnaan in Schemoth Rabbi, and R. David Kaimchi, on Psalm cviii. 5. Josephus, Book X. towards the End, says well of Daniel: "That in his Prophecies, he "not only foretold what was to come, like the other Pro"phets; but he determined the Time in which those Things "should come to pass. That the Decree of the Messiah's