Ora11 Law d f raved, Oral! Lam which they faywas not to be written, when Mofis was commanded to write the whole Law that he had received of God ; and did accordingly. This New Law was not then coyncd, being indeed nothing but the produed of their Apoffacy from the Law which was written. 4. The foie ground and foundation of this Orall Law lyes in the imperf&ion of the WrittenLaw. This is thatwhich they plead, for the necetlityof it ; The written Law extends dot to all neceffary cafes that occurs inReligion.; many things are redundant, many wanting in it, and'hereof they gather great heaps ofInflames ; fo that theywill grant that if the Written Lawhadbeen perfeé}, there had been no need of this Tradi- tional one. But whom in this matterGall we believe, a few ignorant Jews, or God himfelf, bearing witnefs that his Law is perfeef, and requiringno more in his Worlhip but what is in that Law prefcribed ? See Pfal. 59. 8. Prov. 3o. 5, 6. Deut. q.1, 2. And this perfectionof the Written Law, though it beperfectly deftructive to their Tradi- ons, not only the Karei among themfelves doearnefily contend for, but alto fundry of their Gemariltsdo acknowledge, efpecially when they forget their own concernments out of a define tooppofe the Gofpel. And to this head belong all the Arguments that Divines make ufe of toprove the perfectionof the Scripture, againftthe New7almu- difts in Chriftianity. 5. God every where fends his people to the Written Lam of Mofes, for the Rule of their Obedience, no where unto anyKabal,Deut.'r.32.and chap.io.is,13. Chap.z8.x. :M1%1. 7, 8, Chap. 23. 6. z Chron. go. 18. Ifa. 8. zo. If there -be filch an Orall Law it is one that God would not have any man to obferve ; which he calls none to the Obe- dience of, nor did ever reprove any man for its Tranfgreflion. And many more Arguments of the like nature may be added to prove the vanityof this pretence. And yet this Figment is the bottomof the prefent fudaical Religion and ob'ftinacy. When the Apoltlewrote this Epiftle, their Apoltacy was not yet arrived at this rockof offence ; fine their falling on it, they have increafed theirblindnefs, mife- ry,and ruine.Then they werecontented to try their caufe by what God fpaketo their Fa- users in the Prophers,which kept open a door ofhope,and gavefome advantages for their Converfron, which arenow Gut upand removed, untill God fhall take this vail away from their faces, that theymay fee to theend of the things that were tobe done away. By this means principally have they for many generations both Alit out the Truth , and fasted themfelves from Conviétion. For what ever is taught and revealed in the Scripture concerning the Perfon , Office , and Work of the Mef- !jab , (being they have that which they therm a Revelation of equal! Authority herewithall , teaching them a Da-trine quite ofanother nature, and more fuited unto their carnal Principles and Expeftations, they will rather red in any evafrons, than give way to the Tefinrony thereof. And whiled they have a firm perfwafon, as they have, received by the Tradition of many Generations, that the written Word is imperfee7, but an halfRevelation of the mind ofGod, in its fell unintelligible, and not to be received or underftood but according to the fenfe of their Orall Law now re- .corded in their Talmuds, what can the molt plain and cogent TOlimonies ofit avail un- to their Convierion? And this hathbeen the fatal! way and means of the grand Apo- ffacyof both Churches, Judaical and Chriilian. How far that of the ,7ews was over- taken with it, in . the dayes of our Lords Converfationon the Earth, the Goffel dotb abundantly declare ; and how they have brought it unto its height, we have given now fomebrief account. That of the Roman Church hath been the very fame, and hath at length arrived unto almoft the fame diflue, by the fame degrees. This fòme of them perceiving, do not only defend the PharifäicalOpinionamong the Jews, about the Oral! Lawand Suceeffionof their Traditions, as confonaut to the pretenfions of their own Church, but allo Openlyavow that avery great number of their fiveral re## aye Traditions are either the fame, or that they nearly refemble one another ; as doth ex- pretlyJofephus de Voyfin in his Pro.emium to thePugio ftdei of Raimundus Martini. And becaufe it isevident, that the fame have been the way and means, whereby both the Judaical andRoman Church have ape(latized and departed from the Truth, and that they are the fame alfo wherebythey maintain and defend themfelves in their Apoltacy and refi:fal to return unto the Truth, I Gill ds C, aragdd'w, manifelt their Confent and Agreementin this Principle, about their Traditions and Authority. ofthem, which have bee:, the Ruine of them both. Rua,The Jews exprelly contend that their Orall Law, their Maß of Traditions was from God himfelf. Partly they fay it was deliveredunto Mofeen onMount Sinai, and partly 63 4. 15.
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