letvr Traditions about the coming of the MMefsiah. 20 realm therefore in this evafion,which they invented to countenaneethemfelves in their obstinate blindnefs and unbelief. But our Author yet adds an Inilance, whereby he hopes to reinforce and confirm sl. 13: hisformer anfwer : faith he, Deus per manias Salamanafrani décem tribus in captivitatem paps eif abduci in regiones nobis incognitos féxaentis'fere annis ante deJfrultionem Templi fecund.', hoc ell anteprefentem bane nvltram captivitatem, necdum in hodiernam Banc diem in terram foam reverts ant dominio fro refiitute flint, 9uæ omnia #eciali Dei Providentia nobis its ev:nerunt ne quit csufsm hujus neyiree captivitatic #eciali stunt peccata fish fcun- da Aurae eommii impaetaret : Cum decem tribus qui tam abfùerunt captivitatempoi debent fexcentd aweis longiorem. God ficfre, red the ten Tribes to be carried captive by Sala:nanal br into Countreys unknown to us fixhundred years before the deejtruition of the fecond Temple, and our prfnt captivity : neither are they yet returned to their own Land, or reffored to theirfirmer rule, all which things have happened unto us, by the eftiecial Providence ofGod. That none might impute the cauf of the captivity unto any fin committed under the fecund Temple, Peeing the ten Tribes that were then abfntmullendúre.a captivityfixhundredyears longer. Neither will this in lance yield then' thelcáft relief. For (t. ) le was be- fore granted that the fins under thefecond Templewere even greater then thole under thefi,J{, whence the punifhment of them was revived, which is here denyed, tnani- filling that this is anevafion invented to Gave the prefent turn. ( z. ) *hat ever is pretended, no impartial manthat owns the fpecial relation of that people unto God, and his Covenant with them, can but grant, that their 'prefent rjee`fion is fur fume' outragious tins breaking the Covenant under the fecond Temple , and continued in by themfèlvesunto this day ; ( 3. ) The cafe of the ten Tribes, after they had pub!ickly rcjeéhed all that WorfhipofGod, and all that Government of.the. people, winch was appointed to Typeout, and to continueunto the bringingof the Mesb, is different from thatof the other Tribes, to whomthe.Promifes.cvert appedpriated in Judah,and in the houfeof David; fo that their rejeéîion implies no difannulling of the Covrtzaut. ( g.) As all of the two Tribes came not up to Jerufztcm at the return from the capti- vity ofBabylon , to very great numbers of the ten Tribes appear fo to have done, which 'being added to thole multitudes of them, which before. that had fallenaway _ to judah, partly upon the accountof the Worship ofGod, partly upon the account of outward peace, when their own Land was walled, makes the condition of the body of the people to be one and the fame ; and the-fe men committed, and their pofferity continue in the fins on which we charge their prefent difperfion and cap- tivity. (5. ) Theremant of that people difperfcd amongfl firange. Nations, forms voluntarily to have embraced their manners and ctilloms, and utterly to have forgot- ten their own Land, whereas thofawith whom we have to do, daily expe&, detire, and endeavoura return thereunto : fo that neither doth this evafion, yield our pre- fent Jews any relief, and we may return to the notions of their more antient Matters. For a Clofe then of theft confiderations, I thatl add fome of the coufefhons -óf the Jews themfelves, which the evidence of the Truth contended for bath at fevers! feafons extorted from them. And this I [hall not do, as though they were of great importance in themfelves, or unto us , but only to difcover their entanglements in contending again([ the light : for the prefent Mailers of their unbelief; are more per- plexed with the cotavidfions of their Predeceffors then with the plaintif trilfmonies of the Scripture. TheAuthority of their Predeceffors being equal with them unto, if not more facred then that of the word ofGod its fëlf. Firs then, Being preffed with theTelhimonies before ratified on out of Flsggai con- cerning theglory of the fecond Temple, and the coming,of the dJrre of allNations thereunto, they have a Traditionthat the Mefflab was born the fame day that the fe- cond Templewas destroyed. The tlory indeed which they make it up with, is weak, fabulous and ridiculous, and he who is offended with the citatiónof filch things out of their TalmrdiealDeetors,is defired only to exercife patience until hefhall beablehitn- felf to report from them things more ferrous and ofgreater importance; and yet from themmutt we learn the perfwafions and conviffionsof the Antient Jews,or be utterly ignorant of them. Be their Emits what they will alfo, the powerful! convincing Evi- dence of Truth, and the miferable fhifts that the poor wretches are put unto, to keep off the Efficacy of it from their minds do fufhciently appear in them. The Tradition mentioned, they give us in TraBtit. Bezaroth. diJtinip. Hajakorr; in .4, 14 thefe words ; TY prct1 era rim i=ra 11 ri;tuo 1ti i W t1i`3 UTht ' Otu1 r-m r nth D d Rabbi
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