VI. Moreover, as the ceremonies were not instituted for themselves, but for fomething elfe, as we have just had Maimonides confeffing, the fame wisdom, wherewith they were inftituted, requires, that when the reafon of the inftitution ceases, they should ceafe alfo. But when the Meffiah is once manifefted, we fhall in its proper place make it appear, by invincible arguments, that thofe reafons ceafed, for which the ceremonies were inftituted. I am only now fhewing, that the ceremonies may be abrogated without any, even the least blemish on the wifdom and unchangeableness of God.

VII. But let us now proceed to the fecond head; namely, that God really intended they should ceafe in their appointed time. This is evident from the following arguments: First, The very institution of the ceremonies leads us to this: for, fince they were given to one people, with a limitation to their particular state, country, city, and temple, the legiflator never intended, that they should be binding on all whom he favours with saving communion with himself, and at all times and in all places. But this was really the cafe. And the Jews have always boafted in this, that the body of the Mofaic law was only given to their nation," even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob," Deut. xxxiii. 4. And God confined it to their generations, Gen. xvii. 7. Lev. vii. 36. and Lev xxiv. 3. But as these generations are now confounded, and the Levites, by no certain marks, can be distinguished from the other tribes, or the defcendants of Aaron from the other Levites; it follows, that the law ceafes, which was confined to the distinction of generations, which almost all depended on the tribe of Levi, and the family of the priests. God alfo appointed a certain country for the obfervation of the ceremonies, Deut. vi. 14. Deut. iv. 1. and Deut. xi. 31, 32. a certain city and houfe, Deut. xii. 5, 13, 14, 16. Since therefore the prophets all along foretold, that the church should afterwards be enlarged, by having many nations added to it; who as they belong not to the generations of Ifrael, fo neither could they inhabit the fame country with them, nor meet in the fame city, much lefs houfe; it is evident, that the lawgiver never intended, that his people fhould, at that time, be bound to the practice of the ceremonies. For, as we fhall more fully prove in the fequel, the condition of the Ifraelites could not then be different from the other nations, fince all were to be united in one body with Ifrael.

VIII. This argument will have further ftrength when we fhall have obferved, that the reasons of most of the ceremonies were altogether peculiar, and taken from the fpecial confid

eration

ération of those times, and of the countries bordering on that of the defcendants of Abraham, from whose errors and worship, God would have his own people to keep at the greatest distance. Abraham, the patriarch of the nation of Ifrael, came forth from among the Zabians. God therefore generally fo framed his ceremonies, as to be directly oppofite to the rites of the Zabians. Maimonides has frequently infifted upon this, and acknowledges, that he came to know the reason of many laws, from the alone knowledge of the faith, rites, and worship of the Zabians. For instance, these idolaters offered only leavened bread; made choice of fweet things for their offerings, which they used to anoint with honey, but made ufe of falt. God therefore prohibited to offer either leavened bread or honey, but exprefsly commanded, that falt should be used in all facrifices, Lev. ii. 13. Again, when these worshippers of the fun; were to pray, they turned themselves to the east: and hence the holy of holies was placed in the weft. Again, the Zabians did eat blood, though they looked upon it as a most impure thing; for they imagined it was the food of devils, and by eating it, one might attain to fome familiarity with them: God therefore, under a fevere threatening, prohibited the eating of blood, Lev. xvii. 10. Nor did God prefcribe rites, contrary to the Zabians alone, but alfo to the other neighbouring nations. The Egyptians worshipped the fign of the ram, and therefore were forbid to kill sheep. But in the facrifices of the Ifraelites no beafts were more acceptable, and more frequent than sheep. Plutarch affures us, that rabbits and hares, on account of their fwiftness and the perfection of their natural fenfes, were facred to the Egyptians. But God would have his people to account all thefe unclean and profane. The worshippers of Baal-peor adored their idol by uncovering their nakedness: and hence the priefts of God are commanded to make to themselves breeches to cover their nakedness, Exod. xxviii. 42. with many other things to the fame purpose, which Maimonides has collected. in More p. 3. c. 45, 46. and after his example Hottinger in Hift. Oriental. lib. 1. c. 8. and Selden de Jure nat. &c. Lib. 2. c. 7. And we now quote them, to make it appear, that thefe and the like commandments were given to one nation only, for reafons peculiar to them, and appropriated to those times, without affecting other nations in fuch a manner, or having now that weight as formerly, the madness of the ancient fuperftitions! being now long fince abolished.

IX. Secondly, We argue from the prophecies, by which the abrogation of the ceremonies is very clearly foretold; but these are either more general, or more fpecial. In general, Mofes

himself

himself has prophefied concerning this thing, Deut. xviii. 15, 18. Where God, and Mofes in God's name, promise to Ifrael a prophet from among their brethren, like unto Mofes himself: into whofe mouth, God fays, he would put his words, and threatens to take vengeance on the perfon, who should not hearken to the words of that prophet.

As

X. For understanding that place, and the force of our argument taken from it, we must obferve the following things, Ift, Mofes forbids Ifrael to have any communion with foothfayers and diviners, holding forth himself and recommending the law given by his ministry, which contained every thing neceffary to be known for that time. And leaft they should pretend, that upon his removal, fomething more would be granted them in this matter, he intimates, that his law would be fufficient till God fhould raise up another prophet, like unto himfelf, to whose words they were afterwards to give diligent attention. 2dly, That prophet was to be like unto Mofes: but it is without all difpute, that there was never any in Ifrael equal to him, except this, of whom we are now fpeaking, Deut. xxxiv. 10. Moreover that likeness and equality was not to confift in fome minute circumftances, or fuch qualities, as the following prophets had in common with Mofes; but principally in the authority and exercise of the prophetical office. Mofes by the authority of God had polished the more grofs worship of the ancients, and reduced it to a more perfect form; fo himself was to change that carnal worship of Mofes into another more spiritual. 3dly, God promises, that he would put his words into the mouth of that prophet, not only in that fenfe in which all the true prophets fpoke the words of God, as his faithful minifters: but thofe words, which God had referved to be fpoken by himself in the last days, and which none but God can speak, fee John iii. 35. Hence it follows, that prophet was not to be a bare interpreter of the law of Moses, but the true Lord of the law, and to fpeak those words of God, which were not hitherto spoken in that manner. 4thly, That prophet can be none but the Melfiah, whose prophecy, according to Abarbanel in Prophet. fol. 27. col. 1, was in the highest pitch of prophetic degrees; and who, according to the faying of the Rabbins, which he fubjoins, "is more exalted than Abraham, higher than Mofes, and more fublime than the miniftering angels," compare Acts iii. 22. 5thly, The fcripture all along infifts upon it, fee Ifa. xlii. 4. and the Hebrew doctors do not deny it, that the Meffiah was to bring in a new form of doctrine. See Ifa. xlii. 4. Jonathan thus paraphrafes on Ifa. xii. 3. " and you fhall receive a new doctrine.

with

with joy from the chofen from among the juft." Kimchi gives a remarkable reason why the paraphraft called this doctrine new; "because really that doctrine will be new: and then they shall learn the knowledge of the Lord in fuch a manner, as none ever learned before that time." 6thly, God commands them to hearken to that prophet, and to fubdue and captivate every thought, which exalts itself against him. Baal Hatturim has obferved, that ver. 15 contains ten words, to set forth, that "he is to be obeyed equally with the decalogue." Though this obfervation be a fpecimen of Jewish fancy, yet the thing is certain: for, the words of that prophet are as much the words of God as the decalogue. 7thly, God threatens to take vengeance on every one who fhould disobey him. The stubborn and rebellious Jews have experienced this; for they obftinately contended for the difcarded ceremonies of Mofes against Jefus and his difciples. All this tended to recommend to Ifrael another prophet, who was to inftitute a new form of worship, just as Mofes had done before.

XI. Let us now take a view of the principal exceptions of the Jews. ft, This promife contains God's gracious answer to the prayers of the Ifraelites at Horeb, when they entreated, that God would fpeak to them by a mediator, leaft perhaps the glory of his majesty should overwhelm them. But it is certain that at Horeb they did not ask for a prophet, to substitute another law, when that of Mofes was abrogated. Thus Lipmannus Sepher Nitzachon, No. 137. 2dly, By the prophet is here understood the whole order of prophets in every age, and who may be faid to be like unto Mofes in point of authority and faithfulness, as they declared the words of the living God, as Mofes had done: and the Ifraelites had fuch a number of them that they had no occafion, in doubtful cafes, to confult foothfayers or diviners. The fame author. 3dly, If any one is pointed out in particular, he was either Joshuah, of whom it is said, Deut. xxxiv. 9. " and the children of Ifrael hearkened unto him," as feems to be the opinion of Aben Ezra and Bechai; or Jeremiah, because the words, no, I will raife up a prophet to them, are by the Gematria, equal in number to these

this is Jeremiah, according to Baal Hatturim. And Aberbanel de præfat. ad Perenniam, least he should be thought he had nothing to fay, runs the parallel between Mofes and Jeremiah, in fourteen particulars. 4thly, Our Jefus cannot be here intended, because, neither according to us, nor according to the Jews, was he like unto Mofes. Not according to us, because we believe him to be God: but Mofes was a mere man not according to the Jews, who firmly maintain, that

there

*

there never afterwards was a prophet equal to Mofes. But it is abfurd, a lefs fhould abrogate the ordinances of a greater, Lipmannus. 5thly, The fame author likewife fays, that our explication contradicts the words of Chrift, who protested, that he came not to deftroy the law, Mat. v. 17. XII. To the first of thefe we anfwer. ift, God, indeed, by this prophecy, answers the petition of the Ifraelites; for though they did not did not directly pray for the abrogation of the Mofaic manner of worship; yet that was no reafon, why God might not promise a prophet, who was to do and teach, what they had not once thought of in their petition. For God frequently hears the prayers of his people, fo as to grant them more than they had either afked or thought of. The Ifraelites had prayed, that for the future God would fpeak to them by a mediator: he promises that he would not only do this, but also, by giving the character instead of the proper name, he promises them a certain prophet equal to Mofes, who would perform as great, nay greater things for the true Ifrael. We are to confider well, what was tranfacted, when the Ifraelites presented this their petition to God: they certainly expected, after hearing the decalogue, that God would publish more laws, and statutes, which they were as yet ignorant of, and in a word, give them a model of a new and complete formulary of religion, Deut. v. 33. They prayed, that thefe might be declared to them, not as the decalogue was, by an awful an immediate manifeftation of the divine majefty, but by the intervening ministry of Mofes. God complies with their request, ver. 37. but does not stop there: for he promifes to deal with them in a like manner, when a like cafe fhould fall out. As in forming the old economy hè made use of the miniftry of Mofes; fo at the time, when the new fhould fucceed the old, and be much more glorious than the former, he promifes to make use of an interpreter, who should vail the awful majesty of the deity, and deal with them in a way of and grace As God mercy. therefore constituted Mofes a mediator, when he was refolved, in the place of the ancient plain way of religion, to institute a more burdensome kind of worship; fo when he promises another prophet, equal to Mofes, he intimates that by him he would do fomething, like what he had done by Mofes, in reforming the Mofaic economy: which remarkable goodness of God Mofes here inculates.

XIII. To the fecond I anfwer. That indeed for ordinary, Ifrael was not without prophets, whom they might more piously VOL. II.

3 C

and

* This I apprehend, is the fenfe of the author, whofe words are, ayrovouŵ pollicetur.