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Now pursuant to this firft change he reads virgin, according to the Septuagint, and not young woman; tho' the original hebrew word (b) fignifies, as appears by its use in other places, and by the prefent context, as he allows, a young woman, who might, or might not be a virgin.

But what will Mr. W. get by thefe changes, except a poffible application of words, taken by themselves without their context, to the event of MARY'S conception of JESUS? Which will never convince a reasonable man, that the original, obvious, and literal fenfe of ISAIAH, was to prophefy of the conception of Jesus by the virgin MARY.

Nothing will be obtain'd, even by reading (instead of young woman's being with child) virgin's being with child: for that expreffion afferts no miraculous or extraordinary conception, fince it does not neceffarily imply, that a virgin fhall conceive without the concurrence of a man; or, if it does, points not obviously and primarily at the virgin MARY. Nor will any thing be obtain'd, by fuppofing the claufe beforemention'd to be diflocated or taken from its proper place and added to this prophefy, befides the taking away one demonftration out of feveral that appear in ISAIAH, that

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the prophet had the birth of a male child of a virgin, or young woman in the time of AHAZ, and not the birth of Jesus by the virgin MARY in his first thoughts. For the whole context will still speak against him, and even in his opinion, not perfectly ferve his pur pofe. For after he has corrected ISAIAH as abovemention'd, and after he has divided ISAIAH'S prophefy into feveral prophefies, and made thofe prophefies independent of one another, he confeffes, that (c) the prefent order of the parts of thofe prophefies and their prefent coherence and context will still make them look diforder'd. Mr. W. must therefore, if he will go on to endeavour to make this quotation pertinent, make further alterations; for what he has done already, does not, by his own confeffion, place it to full fatisfaction.

V.

That the Jews have not corrupted the Old Teftament in refpect to the paffages cited from thence in the New.

MR.W. endeavours to fhow, that (d)

the Jews have greatly corrupted the Old Teftament, and more efpecially, as to

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the quotations made from thence in the New Teftament.

To prove this last point he (e) produces fome paffages cited by the apostles, which are not apply'd according to the obvious meaning which they fignify in the places where they stand in the Old Testament; fome paffages, which feem not exactly cited by the apostles; others (f) wanting in the hebrew; and many (g) paffages, fuch as He shall be called a Nazarene, &c. which, he fays, are intirely wanting in all copies of the Old Teftament. He also urges the following paffage of JusTIN MARTYR to prove his charge against the Jews.

"I would have you know, fays (b) JUSTIN to TRYPHO, That your Rabbins have in"tirely taken away many texts of scripture " from that version which was made by "the elders that were with PTOLOMY, "wherein it was exprefly declar'd, that this "JESUS, WHO WAS CRUCIFY'D, WAS GOD

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AND MAN, AND WAS TO BE CRUCIFY D cr AND DIE. Which texts, because I know, "that all thofe of your nation do reject, I "do not infift upon fuch inquiries; but shall ce content myself in these debates with ma"king ufe of those texts, that are still exGC ❝ tant

(e) Whifton, p. 87, &c. 103, 129, 229, 321. (f) p. 63.

(g) p. 104-110.

(b) p. 140.

"tant in your allow'd bibles. For as to "what texts I have hitherto alledg'd to you,

you allow of them all; excepting that "fhort citation, behold a virgin shall be "with child." Then TRYPHO faid, "I ૮ 1 "defire, that you will firft tell us, which are "those texts of fcripture, that you say have "been corrupted. To which I reply'd; I "will do as you defire me. From what ESDRAS explain'd concerning the law of "the paffover, they have taken away this

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part of his explication. And ESDRAS faid "to the people; This passover is your fa"viour and your refuge and if you will "confider it, and it come into your heart, "that we shall humble him for a fign, "and afterward shall believe on him, "then this place shall not be made defo"late for ever, fays the Lord of bofts. “But if you shall not believe on him, nor hearken to his preaching, you shall "be rejoyced over among the nations, "And from the words (i) of JEREMIAH,

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they have cut off this: I was an (inno "cent) lamb, that was led to be facri"fic'd. They deviz'd devices against me, faying, Let us caft wood into his bread, and let us thruft him out of the "land of the living; and let his name "be remember'd no more. Now this text,

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(i) Jer. 11.19.

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which is taken out of the words of JERE MIAH, is ftill found written in fome copies, "that are in the Jewifh fynagogues: for they "have taken them away but a little while "C ago; and that on account of the demonftration that arifes from them, that the "Jews would take council about CHRIST himself, to take him away by crucifying "him; and that after fuch council they "have crucify'd him. Befides, they have "in like manner taken away what follows "from the words of the fame JEREMIAH; "The Lord, the God of Ifrael, remembred thofe of his, that were dead, that

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were afleep in the duft of the earth; "and he defcended to them, and preach'd “bis falvation to them. They have alfo "taken away thefe few short words from "the Pfalms of DAVID, (k) from the tree. "For when the words were thefe, Say ye

among the Gentiles, that the Lord bath "reign'd from the tree; they left it thus, "Say ye among the Gentiles that the "Lord bath reign'd" Mr. W. (1) further fupports this charge against the Jews, byproducing a paffage from the fame JusTIN, wherein is contain'd a quotation out of the prophet ZACHARY, which, he fays, is not now to be found in ZACHARY, JusTIN'S

(k) Pla'm 46. 10.

Whilton-144

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