[2.] Secondly, he conceives MATTHEW alluded alfo to this Paffage of ISAIAH, (k) And there fhall come forth a Rod out of the Stem of JESSE, and a Branch (Netfer) shall grow out of his Roots. Where the Argument lyes in the Word Netfer; which is by the Hebrew Doctors call'd, an Argument drawn from the Similitude of Words, without Regard had to the Senfe of the Place; the Term Netfer approaching to, and therefore enigmatically fignifying Nazarene. So that JESUS's dwelling at Nazareth, which intituled him to the Name Nazaréne, fulfill'd the Prophefy, He shall be call'd a Nazarene, or Netfer.

[3.] Thirdly, he cites another (1) Text, wherein the MESSIAS is call'd Temah, That is to fay, a Branch. Now the Word TSEMAH having the fame Signification with Netfer, Netfer may be put in the Room of Temah, whereby the Prophet may be faid to call the MESSIAS Netfer, which is to call him Nazarene.

Thefe Texts of the Old Teftament are fome of those, which my Author, after the Jewish Doctors, fuppofes referved for Explanation till the Times of the MESSIAS; when the Enigmas contain'd in them were to be unriddled, or the Prophefies contain'd in them were to be fhown to be fulfill'd.

IV, The next Prophefy cited by me as not fulfill'd literally, but myftically and allegorically, is contain'd in our Saviour's (m) making

(A) Iaiah, 11. I. (7) Zach. 6. 12.

See Lightfoot's Works, Vol. 1. p. 498.

(1) Matt. 11. 14.

JOHN

JOHN the Baptift to be the ELIAS prophefy'd of as to come before the MESSIAS. My Author (n) fays, there was a Tradition among the Jews, that ELIAS was to come before the MESSIAS; and because He was not come, they could not believe the MESSIAS was come. JESUS knowing This, told them, that JOHN the Baptift was the ELIAS; who was very justly to be deem'd ELIAS, as having the (0) Virtues of ELIAS. And to confirm this Interpretation, my Author refers to (p) one of his Thefes, where he fhows, that, by proper Names, the Jews did not always mean thofe very Perfons, who are fo named, but thofe, who refemble them in their Lives and Actions.

V. As to the Prophecy of ISAIAH, cited by JESUS (9) as fulfill'd in the Jews of his Times, By hearing ye fhall hear, and shall not underftand; That, according to my (r) Author, is fulfill'd as typifying, like all the Jewish History, something to happen in the Times of the MESSIAS. For the Ignorance and Obftinacy of the Jews being the fame in our Saviour's Time as in the Time of the Prophet ISAIAH, was the Anti-type to the Type, or the Completion of ISAIAH'S Prophefy.

Thus, I hope, I have given fuch a State of the Cafe from (s) SURENHUSIUS, as may qualify the Readers to judge of that Scheme and its Rules, which the Apostles follow'd in

(•) See Luke 1. 17.

(n) Surenbufius, p. 329-331. (P) 15 Thef. de Modis interpretandi. (9) Matt. 13. 34, 35. (r) Surenbufius, p. 241, 242. (s) See Oakley's Letter at the End of Wotton's Preface to Mifcellaneous Difcourfes, &c.

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arguirg

arguing from the Old Testament, and to underftand the Force of the Apoftles Arguments, which were grounded thereon. But if not; I refer them to the Treatife itfeif of SURENHUSIUS; wherein the moft ingenious and learned Author has fet in the justest Light the Rules of Reafoning ufed by the Jews and follow'd by the Apostles, and shown the Pertinency of all the Quotations made by the Apoftles from the Old Testament, according to thofe Rules; and confequently has truly defended Chriftianity, by fhowing how the Apostles grounded it on the Old Teftament, beyond what any Author ever did before him. It is indeed poffible, that in the Application of the Jewish Rules, of Interpretation and Reasoning, to the Paffages cited and urged by the Apostles out of the Old Testament, he may not always have hit upon those peculiar Rules, which the Apostles had, in every Citation, more particularly in View; for many of those Rules will equally ferve the fame Purpofe; and therefore thofe, which he does not on fome Occafions make Ufe of, may have been the Rules, which the Apostles had in View, as also those, which he does make Ufe of, may not fometimes be the Rules, which the Apoftles had immediately in View. But yet nothing can be plainer, from the Reasonings of the Apostles, and from the common Way of Reasoning used among the Jews, known both by their Practice and Rules, as they are both explain'd with the greatest Clearness by SURENHUSIUS; than that the Apoftles, who manifeftly argued not by fcholaftick

fcholaftick Rules, and interpreted not the Poffages they cited out of the Old Testament according to the obvious and literal Sense they bore therein, did proceed by fuch (t) Rules as are fet forth by him.

XI.

An Answer to an Objection, that the allegorical Reafonings of the Apostles were not defign'd for abfolute Proofs of Chriftianity, but for Proofs ad Hominem, to the Jews, who were accuftom'd to that Way of Reasoning.

T

may be objected, from divers learned Authors, to what I have advanced, that Christianity is not grounded on the prophetical or other Quotations made from the "Old in the New Testament; but that those "Quotations, being allegorically apply'd by "the Authors of the New Teftament, are

only Arguments ad Hominem, to convince

"the Jews of the Truth of Christianity, who "allow'd fuch a Method of arguing to be "valid; and are not Arguments to the Rest "of Mankind.

"

To which I anfwer

1. First, that this Diftinction is the pure Invention of thofe, who make the Objection, and has not only no Foundation in the New

(t) Le Clerc Bibl. Choif. Tom. 25. p. 413.
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Teftament,

Teftament, from whence only it should be taken, but is utterly fubverted by it. For the Authors of the Books of the New Teftament always argue abfolutely from the Quotations they make out of the Books of the Old Teftament. MOSES and the Prophets are every where represented to be a juft Foundation for Chriftianity. And PAUL exprefly fays that (u) the Gospel, which was kept fecret fince the World began, was now made manifeft by the Scriptures of the Prophets (wherein that Gofpel was fecretly contain'd) to all Nations, by the Means of the Preachers of the Gofpel, who gave the fecret or fpiritual Senfe of thofe Scriptures. Befides, the Authors of thofe Books, being convinced long before the Publication of them, that the Gospel was to be preach'd to the Gentiles as well as Jews, must be supposed to defign their Books for the Ufe of all Men, for Gentiles as well as Jews. To both whom therefore they reafon'd allegorically in those Books; as particular (w) Apostles alfo did in their Sermons, therein recorded, with greater Succefs on Gentiles than on Jews; and as PAUL did before FELIX, when he said, he took his Herefy or Christianity from (x) the Law and the Prophets, and as He did alfo before AGRIPPA. It should therefore feem ftrange, that Books written to all the World by Men equally concern'd to convert Gentiles as well as Jews, and Difcourfes made exprefly

(u) Rom. 16. v. 25, 26 (w) Acts 13. v. 15—48. c. 26. v. 23, 23. c. 10. v. 37–43. (x) Ib. 24. 14. Ib. 26. v. 6, 7, 22, 23.

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