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never render a foundation valid, which is in itself invalid; can never make a falfe inference true; can never make a prophesy fulfill'd, which is not fulfill'd; and can never mark out a MESSIAS, or JESUS for the MESSIAS, if both are not mark'd out in the Old Teftament. Befides, miracles, faid to be wrought, may be often juftly deem'd falfe reports, when attributed to perfons, who claim an autority from the Old Teftament, which they impertinently alledge to fupport their pretences. God can never be fuppos'd often to permit miracles to be done for the confirmation of a falfe or pretended miffion : and if at any time he does permit miracles to be wrought in confirmation of a pretended miffion, we have directions from the (b) Old Testament not to regard fuch miracles; but are to continue firm to the antecedent revelation confirm'd by miracles, and contain'd in the Old Testament, notwithstanding any miracles; which (in the opinion of fome divines, (c) as fplendid gifts as they are, are no demonftrations of the truth, but) under the circumstance of attesting something contrary to an antecedent revelation, confirm'd by miracles, are certainly no proofs of the truth. No new revelation, however prov'd

by

(b) Deut. 13. 1, 2.

(c) Hickes's Apol. Vind. of

the Church of England, p. 23, 24. Stiling fleet's Orig.

n.

Sacræ, l. 2. c. 5. 2.7.

by miracles, ought ever to be receiv'd, unless it confirms, or does not contradict the preceding standing true revelation.

Moreover, (c) Thofe among the Jews, who expected a MESSIAS or Deliverer (for all the Jews did not (d) in our Saviour's time, and perhaps none before the captivity) ever expected a real or temporal deliverer.. Such the (e) apoftles before the death of JESUS expected he would be. Such they expected he would be after his refurrection, when they asked him, whether (f) at this time he would reftore again the kingdom of Ifrael; in which notion he feems to leave them, by not fetting them right as to the reftoration of the kingdom of Ifrael; but taking their notion for granted, he only answers as to the time, by telling them, that it was not for them to know the time, when he would restore the kingdom of Ifrael: and all the primitive chriftians were, for a confiderable time after the afcenfion of Jesus, in the vulgar error of expecting him to come in the clouds, and reign perfonally and triumphantly upon earth in a kingdom that was at hand. The Jews expected a MESSIAS, who was to change their miferable condition into a happy and to govern them by their own law; with

one,

D

(c) Luke 2. 38.

Ib. Hift. Eccl. p. 4.

(d) Le Clerc, fur l'endroit (e) Luke 24.214

(f) Acts 1.6: See Tillotson's Sermons, Vol. 10: p. 226:

without the leaft imagination of a mere (g) spiritual deliverance or any alteration of their divine law, (which they thought was (b) to · be eternal) in virtue of a new legislative power conferr❜d on him by God. Pursuant to which they thought the perfon and doctrines of Jesus to be fo far from being held forth in the Old Teftament, that they (i) knew not whence he was, and look'd on him to be in many refpects different from the CHRIST they. expected from thence; and thought (k) no greater contradiction could be form'd, nothing in nature or terms more irreconcilable, than affirming the fame perfon to be CHRIST (that is, a triumphant prince) and to be crucify'd. Wherefore the numerous and wonderful miracles wrought by Jesus, tho' equal (1) to what the Jews expected from their MESSIAS, were no proofs to them, that he was the MESSIAS. They did not take him for the MESSIAs on (m) account of them; but on the contrary they procur'd him to be crucify'd for pretending to be the MESSIAS, (n) not knowing the Lord of glory, from his miracles.

Nor

(g) Scripta Judæi apud Limborchii Amic. Collat. P. 76, 115.

(b) Whitby's Note on Gal. 4. 21.

(i) John 9. 29.

(k) Stanhope's Boyl. Lect. First Sermon for 1700. p.7,8.

(1) John 7. 31.

(m) Luke 2, 34.... (n) Acts 3. 17.
It

1

Nor had his miracles any effect on his own (o) brethren, and kindred, and family, who feem to have been more incredulous in him, than other Jews. Nor had they the effect, which naturally they fhould feem fitted to produce, among his immediate followers, and difciples fome of whom did not (p) believe in him, but deferted him, and parti cularly had no faith in him, when he fpake of his fufferings; and thought he could (9) not be the MESSIAS, when they faw him suffer; notwithstanding his miracles and frequent declarations to them, that he was the MESSIAS. And the Jews were fo rooted in their notion of a temporal deliverer, even after the refurrection and afcenfion of Jesus, and the progrefs of chriftianity grounded on the belief of JESUS to be the MESSIAS, that they have in all times of distress, and particularly in the (r) apoftolical times in great numbers follow'd impoftors, who have fet up for the MESSIAS with force and arms, as the way to restore the kingdom of Ifrael. So that the Jews, who mistook in this most impor→ tant matter, and after the most egregious

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manner

(0) Mark 6. 4. John 7. 5. (p) Ib. 6. 94, 66. Mark 8.-31. (9) Luke 24. 21. (r) Jofeph. Antiq. 1. 20. c. 2. & 6. Ib. De bello Jud. 1. 3. c. 23. Lent De Pfeudo Meffiis.

Vandale Dif

1. 7. c. 30. fert. de Origine Idol, &c. p. 22%, &c. Tillotfon❜e Sermont, Vol. 13. p. 116-119, 15x..

manner the meaning of their own books, might, 'till they were fet right in their interpretations of the Old Teftament, and were convinc'd from thence, that Jesus was the MESSIAS, as juftly reject Jesus afferting his miffion and doctrine with miracles, as any other Perfon, who, in virtue of miracles, would lead them into idolatry, or into any other real breach of the mosaick law. And the Gentiles, who ought regularly to be converted to Judaifm, before they could become chriftians, and ought to ground their christianity on the Old Teftament, had a right to the fame fatisfaction; and might want it (as (s) CELSUS did) no less than the Jews, whom they might perhaps allow to understand their own books better than the apostles, who manifeftly put new interpretations upon them, and thofe not agreeable to the obvious and literal meaning of thofe books, and contrary to the fenfe of the Jewifh nation. And for this both Jews and Gentiles might plead the example of the apoftles; who, at firft, did, like other unbelieving Jews, expect a temporal prince, and did disbelieve Jesus to be the MESSIAS On account of his fufferings, notwithstanding his miracles; who continu'd in thofe thoughts till they came to understand the fpiritual fenfe

(s) Origen contra Celfum, p. 78, 343

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