feeming Abfurdity of the Rabbins. But, fays "when I faw St. PAUL do so too, my Anger was appeased.

he,

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In the third Book, which treats of the Manner of interpreting the Scriptures, he fhows," how the Authors of the Gemara, "and the ancient allegorical Writers, and "others, interpreted the Scripture in fuch a Manner, as to change the mean literal Senfe "of the Words into a noble and fpiritual "Senfe. To that End the Jewish Doctors "ufed ten Ways of citing and explaining "the Old Teftament;" which, for their Curiofity and Importance, I fhall here recite at large after my Author.

1. The first is, " reading the Words, not "according to the Points placed under them, "but according to other Points substituted in "their Stead; as we see done by PETER, "Acts 3. 3; by STEPHEN, Acts 7.43; and by PAUL, I Cor. 15. 54; 2 Cor. 8. 15; "and Heb. 3. 10; 9. 21; 12.6."

2. The second is, " changing the Letters, "whether thofe Letters be of the fame Organ (as the Jewish Grammarians fpeak) or no; as we fee done by PAUL, Rom. 9. 33; I Cor. 11.9; Heb. 8. 9, and 10. 5; and by STEPHEN, A&ts 7.43."

3. The third is, " changing both Letters "and Points; as we fee done by PAUL, "Acts 13. 41; and 2 Cor. 8.15."

4. The fourth is," adding fome Letters and taking away others."

E 3

5. The

5. The fifth is, " transposing Words and

"Letters.

"

6. The fixth is,

<< two.

7. The feventh is, " adding other Words to thofe that are there, in Order to make "the Senfe more clear, and to accommodate "it to the Subject they are upon; as, is ma"nifeft, is done by the Apostles throughout

"the New Teftament.

8. The eighth is, changing the Order of "Words; which he fhews to be done in many Places of the New Teftament.

9. The ninth is, "changing the Order of "Words, and adding other Words; which "are both done by the Apoftles in citing Paffages out of the Old Teftament."

10. The tenth is, changing the Order of Words, adding Words, and retrenching "Words; which is a Method often used by "PAUL."

9

Thus, by a moft lucky Accident of Mr. SuRENHUSIUS'S Meeting and Conference with a learned allegorical Rabbin, are the Rules, by which the Apostles cited and applied the Old Teftament, difcover'd to the World; to which they had been for feveral Ages loft, as has been obferved from the Rev. Drs. STANHOPE and JENKIN, above-mention'd. Which Conference feems not, in its Nature and Confequence, much unlike That between LUTHER and the Devil. LUTHER reports himself to have had frequent Conferences with the Devil;

in

in one of which he pretends he received from him the Arguments for the Abolition of the Sacrifice of the Maßs, which he urges in his Book, De Abrog. Miff. Privat. The Rabbin eftablishes Chriftianity; and the Devil Protestantism !

X.

The Nature of allegorical Reasoning farther Shewn by Application of it to feveral particular Inftances cited from the Old Teftament and urged in the New Testament.

my

O compleat this Account of the Nature of myftical or allegorical Reasoning, I fhall conclude with fhewing, how Author applies fome of the Thefes, laid down by him in his three first Books, to the Prophefies cited above by me as not literally, but myftically fulfill'd.

1. The first Prophecy is contain'd in thefe Words of MATTHEW, (m) all This was done, that it might be fulfill'd, which was Spoken by the Prophet, faying, "behold a

Virgin fhall be with Child, and fhall bring "forth a Son, and they fhall call his Name

"IMMANUEL.

Mr. SUREN HUSIUS (n) obferves, that MATTHEW urges the Quotation from the

(m) Matt. 1. 22, 23.

(n) Surenbufius. p. 150, 151.

E 4

Prophet,

Prophet, as a Confirmation of what is faid juft before (0) by the Angel to JOSEPH. AS if the Angel had faid, "what I have faid to

you concerning your Wife MARY being " with Child by the Holy Ghoft ought not to appear fo wonderful and unheard of a Thing to you; for it was foretold of the Lord, by the Prophet ISAIAH, that a "Virgin fhould be with Child without the "Concurrence of a Man, whofe Off-spring "fhould be call'd IMMANUEL. This Paffage

ought not to have been unknown to you, " but fince you did not know it, I refer you to it, and bid you carefully confider it, that you may more easily apprehend the unusual Conception of your Wife MARY, and take "her Home to you.' And he proves This to be the Senfe from the Form of quoting. For he obferves, that the Form of Words," that "it might be fulfill'd, which was spoken, often (p) fignifies, according to the Gemarick Doctors, "that it might be confirm'd, which "is faid." So that the Senfe of the Place is as if the Evangelist had said, By this means, by what has now happen'd in MARY, is "confirm'd this Place of ISAIAH, where it is

foretold, that a Virgin fhall conceive with"out the Concurrence of a Man." And he adds, that the Defign of the Evangelift was not to oppose the Jews, and prove to them, that JESUS was the true MESSIAS; but to fhew to thofe, who did believe JESUS to be the true

(0) Matt. 1. 20.

(1) Thefis zda de Formulis allegandi. MESSIAS,

MESSIAS, how the whole divine (g) Oeconomy of former Times, having always the CHRIST, as it were, in View, had form'd all Things to refemble him. Which Notion (r) my Author fuppofes to have prevail'd always among the Jews, and makes to be the general Key, whereby to understand all the Old Testament, and especially this Prophecy before us, which he explains at large by this Key, as we shall fee by and by. So that the Reader may obferve how the Virgin's Conception in Isaiah, as applied by MATTHEW, relates to the Virgin MARY in an allegorical Senfe, viz. as a Type, like all the Ceremonies of the Law, and the Paffages of History in the Old Testament, which are all deem'd Types of JESUS, as representing before-hand what he was to go through and ordain; and, in particular, like (s) SARAH'S Conception, in her old Age, of ISAAC, which by the Antients and Moderns is made a Type of the Virgin MARY'S Conception of JESUS; like (s) ABRAHAM offering up ISAAC, which was a Type of CHRIST'S being offer'd up on the Crofs; like (s) ISAAC'S carrying the Wood on his Shoulders, which was a Type of CHRIST's carrying his Crofs; and like the (s) lifting up of the brazen Serpent in the Wildernefs, which was a Type of CHRIST's being lifted up on the Crofs.

(9) 1 Pet. 1. 20. 2 Cor. 10. II. Gal. 4. (r) Surenhufius. p. 159, 160.

of Chrift. demonft. p. 132, 133.

Eph. 1. (s) Lefley's Truth Jenkin's Remarks on Whiston's

Sermons. p. 54. Ib. Reasonableness of Chrift. Rel. Vol. 1. p. 235.

But