.I 3Z TheFaithoftheAntient ,Churchof the f eks fling of this Fable is, that the death of thisfi&itious Meßiab, mutt among(1 thembear all that is fpoken in the Scripture, orcontinued by Tradition concerning the Humilia- tion, fuffering, and death of the true Mefsiah of theLord. yí. 16. Weneed not flay long in the removal] of this Mormo out of our way. Should they invent twenty otherMeßiahr, as they have done this , and which on the fame grounds, and with as good , Authority they may, the cafe would hill be the fame. Who gave them power to fùbliitute themfelves in the place of God, to give 1Ve v Promues, to appointNew Saviours, and to invent new way çof Deliverance ? The Scripture is utterly filent of any fuch perfou, nor have they any AntetatmudicalTra- dition concerning him., Andwhat their Mailers have invented in the Talmuds, is of no moreAuthority,then what theycoin everyday themfelves; The truth is,this whole (key ofArmillusandBen Jofiph is a Talmudical Romance, the one theGiant , the other the Knight. But theft fiélions fëria ducunt. Poor creatures are hardened by them unto their eternal defirué}ion. But is the world- bound to believe whit everyone whom they are pleaíèd to call Rabbi can imagine, though never fo contrary to the Principles of that Religion which themfelves pretend toown°and prof&? fo indeed fomeof them fay, that if their Mailers teach the right hand to be the left, yea, Hea, ven to be Hell, yet their Authority is not to be queüioned ; and as I remember others fay Come fuch things of the Pope. But Goal I hope of his Goodnegs, will not fìiffer poor mankind to be alwayes fo deluded. All thePromifis.of God, all the Prophefies from the foundation of the world, concern only one Meßiah, of the Seed of Abraham, vf. the Tribe of,3udab, and of the family ofDavid. All the faith of the Church of old us we have proved refpeéied that one only. And who will lay any weight upon what is fpoken, foretold, or promifed concerning him,' if the Jews havepower to inventanother at their pleafure? 4, 17. Again Their Mailers have not only dealt difhonefily and blafphemoully , but foolijhly alfo in this matter, in that they have not fitted their own creature unto the Ends for which they have made him. The End as was fhewed before, why they ad- vanced this imagination, was to givecountenance unto what is fpoken in the Scri- ptures or retained by themfelves in Tradition, concerningthe fufferings of the Meßiab. And it is tomewhat firange to me, that having railed up this Ben Joféple, they did not Life him worfe then they have done, but by a little 12441 Pity have fpoiled their own whole defign. They have a Tradition among themfelves that the Meßiab mutt bear a tbird part of all the afli£lionr, or perfrcutions , that ever were, or fhall be in the . world. Andwhat proportion dotla a mans beingpin in battel where his Army is viétorious, which is all the hardlhip this Ben Jofeeph is tomeet withal], bear unto the Afflidions which befall the Church in every Age ? And for the Scripture it is mete loft labour to compare the death of this Warriour, with what is delivered therein concerning theAfferinks of theMeah. Every one not judicially blinded mull needs fee that there is no affinity between them. Thefrfry third ChapterofIfáiah is acknowledged by their Targum and fundry ofthe principal Maffers of their faith to be a Prophetie concerning him , and we (hall al- terwards undeniably prove it fo to be. Now the Perlon there fpoken of, is one, whom the Jews are to .rejefi and dtfpife,whomGod is to a liiì and braife, bycaufing thefins of the wholeChurch to meet upon him. One who by his fitfferings is to fulfill the'pleafyre of the Lord, making his Soul =Offering for fin, )ullifying the Elet f, and conquering Satan by his Death. This fillitioar Me[Cab is to be honoured of all the Jews, to raife Armies, to fight a Bartel, and therein after the manner of other men to be (lain. So that a fiory was never woríè told , nor to leís purpofe. Noother ufe can be made of it, that I know of, but onlyto confider in it the blindneßof poor obflinatefnners given up unto hardnefs of heart, and a fpirit of folly , for the re- jeéüon of him whomGod fealed,annointed,and Pent to be the Saviour of the world. Leaving them therefore in the embraces 'of this cloud, wo may confider the. other expelled Mef bab , whom they call Ben David, in whom principally they place their confidence. 4. lg. The Endlefs Fables of thejemr about their Meßiah , as they have been in part difçovered byothers, foI defign not hereat large to recount them. The chief Matters ofthem in the Talmud are full of difputes and contradiéiions about him, and thofe of after Ages Cucceed them in their uncertainties.. Such will the conceptions of all men be, when they take up fancies and opinions of their own in matters of Divine Revelation. But Come things there areWherein they all generally agree, and thofe re- lating
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