CHAP. I. Annotations upon the Epiſtolarie diſcourſe of Rabbi Samuel the Iſraelite, born in a Citie of the Kingdome of Marocco.

IN the firſt Chapter, and in many other, he mentions the continuance of their Captivitie, from the vaſtation of Ieruſalem, to be in length a thouſand years, and upwards, ſo that it ſeems the Booke being Tranſlated about the year 1239,Alſtedius placeth him about the year 1090 in Chronol. Theol. So has the Note before the Book in Micropreſbeutico. had been hid and kept ſecret by the Jews, from comming into publique light ſome 230 years, and above. It may appear, more then by conjecture, that it was firſt writ about the thouſand years after the entrance into their Captivitie, and the Jews ſeeing it like a lightſome houſe, and full of Candles, clearly ſhewing Chriſt to be the Meſſias, and that he was already come, and by them had been Crucified, they fearing if it came into open view, it might pluck away the Jewiſh vail of oppoſition to Chriſt, from many hearts, as plainly demonſtrating their ſinne, and the hidden veritie of Chriſt the Saviour, they put this Candle or Torch under a Buſhell, and kept it cloſe many years, till this Tranſlator lighting upon it, did publiſh and ſet it on a Candleſtick, that it might give light to the whole houſe, both of Jews and Gentiles, in the Roman language, which is become almoſt oecumenicall, underſtood of all ſorts. For they thought of this Book, as their wicked forefathers thought of Lazarus, It were good to put him to death, becauſe by reaſon of him (being raiſed from the dead by Chriſt) many of the Iewes would go away from them, Iohn 12. 10, 11. and beleeve on Ieſus.

The Hebrew Doctors inquire earneſtly what this ſinne ſhould be, few of them have ſo much fleſh and ſoftneſſe in their heart, as to yeeld with our Samuel, that it was the ſinne of ſlaying Chriſt, for they invent vaine effugia's, and wayes of avoidance of the thought of this ſinne. R. Salomon runnes back to the Wilderneſſe, and ſayes, The molten Calfe is ſtill puniſht, God is yet ſcourging them for that Idolatry. Hereupon one teaches the Jews, in every miſery of theirs, to think of it. No puniſhment lights on thee O Iſrael, in which there is not put an Ounce of the molten Calf. But this ſin God had pardoned long before Chriſts time. Others of them do name ſome great ſinnes of ſome Particular men, but looke not at the great ſinne of the whole Nation. Some conclude it to be a ſecret and hidden ſin, which is not known, that brings all theſe knowne puniſhments upon them at this day.

The great Rambam, the Oracle of Jewiſh Learning, the excellent ſecond Moſes, ſpeaks his minde,Ieſus Nazaretus viſus eſt eſ • e Meſſias, ac ſententia ludicum interfectus, cauſa fuit ut deſt. ueretur I • rael glad • o. Marfil. Fic • n. in lib. d • Chriſt. Relig c. 27 as he is quoted by Ficinus, out of of his Book of the Ordinary Judges; Ieſus of Nazareth ſeemed to be the Meſsias, and being put to death by the ſentence of the Judges, was the cauſe why Iſrael was deſtroyed by the ſword. But Ficinus is miſtaken, for he meanes not honeſtly there, but as a Jew, hating Chriſt and Chriſtians; his meaning is, That Chriſt was the Ring-Leader to rebellions and raiſing of ſeditions, ſtirring up the people to ſhake off the Romane yoke and Empire, which brought the Romanes to deſtroy them with • he ſword. This was his poyſonous meaning, • hough one of the beſt of the Jews. The learned Coch in his Annotations to the Gemar. Sanhedrin, Chap. 11. ſect. 37. thus ſenſes it far from Ficinus his meaning.

This Jew rightly collects,The firſt Digreſſion▪ and concludes, • hat that ſinne which brings a longer plague, and heavier judgement, than any that went before, muſt needs bee a greater ſinne than • hat which brought their 70 years Captivity, and what can be greater than Idolatry, and ſlaying of the Prophets, ſave their ſlaying of their Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, the Sonne of God, the Prince of the Prophets, and the Center in whom all the Prophecies meet?

He ſaith further, that none of the Prophets do tell of their return out of this Captivitie, he is more to blame then,Nondum omnium ••• rum 〈◊〉 , occiderunt. that at the end o • every Chapter doth ſay, Notwithſtanding whatſoever fall out, we belong to God. If no Prophe • ſhew, that, being thus caſt off, they belong to God, 〈…〉 quo que 〈…〉 . Cecidiſſe • os, non ex • idiſſe c • rtum eſt. why doth he without the ground of Prophecies build upon ſuch a thing? But herein he is in an errour; many, yea, all the Prophets d • ſpeak of their return, and the Calling of th • Jews. As Moſes, Gen. 49. 18, 19. Deut. 30. 3▪ 6, 8. Eſay 11. 11, 12. Eſay 45. 22. and 25▪ Eſay 59. 20, 21. Vt el • ganter Cunaeus de Repub. Ierem. 16. 14. Ierem. 23. 3, 4▪ Ier. 31. 31, 32, 33, 34. Ezek. 36. 26. Hoſea 1▪ laſt verſe. Hebr. Lib. 1. cap. 18. Hoſ. 3. 4, 5. Mic. 2. 12. Mic. 4. 6▪ Mic. 5, 5, 6, 7. Medras ſir Haſſirim, Rab. Iſaac ut habetur apud Porcherum in victor. Zephan. 3. 11, 12, 13. & 19. 20. Amos 9. 14, 15. Zach. 11. 16. And among ou • Prophets, none ſo full as Paul, Rom. 11. Beſides, as Paul ſpeaks to them in Titus, One of themſelves, a Prophet of their own hath ſaid it.Cont. Heb. p. 2. c. 10. Upon theſe words in the Canticles, Open to me my Siſter, my Love▪ my Dove, my undefiled, they write thus, The holy and bleſſed God ſaid to Iſrael, O my Children, ſet open to me but one little Cranie of repentance, though it be no bigger than a Needles eye, and I will ſo largely open a way to you, that ſhall let in your Chariots and Carriages with foure Wheels. Out of Rabbi Levi they have this alſo, If Iſrael would but repent one day, they ſhould forthwith be redeemed, and preſently their Meſsias the Sonne of David ſhould come unto them. And indeed, their impenitency is their hardeſt Propheſie againſt them. Let them but repent, and it will turn the Captivitie of Zion.

Note the Concluſion of every Chapter,The 2. Digreſſion. and the beginning of every Chapter are the ſame. Every Chapter begins with I feare, O Maſter. Their great Rabbies were called Maſters by the reſt, who admired their learning, ſat at their feet, received their inſtructions, as the Oracles of wiſdome. About our Saviours time they begun not onely to inlarge their Phylacteries, but to inlarge their Titles of Dignitie alſo, and to advance their Doctors with great names, as Rab, Ribbi, Rabban, Rabbi, which makes our Saviour note their pride in it. Thoſe that had taken degrees in learning, and were ſet into a Doctors or Teachers place to teach others, then had the name of Rabbi, their great Maſter, or learned Doctor of the Chair, for ſuch taught in Chaires, and their Schollers ſat at their feet, learning, and hearing their Documents, • hachanim. as Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel. Sometimes they call them their wiſe men, ſometimes Maſters, ſometimes Fathers.Conſtan. • Emper. in Commen. ad •• chiadae Paraphraſ. in Daniel c. 1 Buxto • ff. • un. in vit. Moſis Maimon praefix. More Nevoch. Comment. in Middoth cap. 3. ſect. 5. Rambam, Rabbi Moſes Ben Maimon, & Ramban, which is Rabbi Moſes Ben Nahman, theſe two famous ones were called duo Domini, The two great Maſters. And this Moſes Maimonides was ſo famous for learning, that they adde to his Titles, and ſome called him The Doctor of righteouſneſſe, and the great light of the Captivitie. A Doctor among them R. Judas is of ſuch fame, that they call him, by way of eminencie, Ribbi, or Hannaſi the Prince, Haccadoſh, R. Judas the Holy. So among the Pontificians, they Idolize their great doctors, one muſt be the Maſter of the Sentences, another muſt be the Angelicall Doctor, a third the Seraphicall Doctor, this the Profound, and that the Irrefragable Doctor, another the Doctor of Subtilties; one is called Gomeſtor, the great devourer of the Scriptures, as if he had eaten up the Bible for his many Quotations of it. another is called Speculator, as Durandus Hales, or Alenſis the Engliſhman, the Maſter of Bonaveuture and Aquinas, he was (to his high praiſe in thoſe times) called,Alſtod. in Chronol. Fons vitae, The Fountain of life, and the irrefragable Doctor. So that to the praiſe of Engliſhmen,Scolaſt. ad cap▪ • 7. by the confeſſion of the Learned of other Nations, it is upon Record, that not onely Bonaventure and Aquinas, and the reſt, carry all the glory of Angelicall and Seraphicall learning, but even our Englimen have been Tutors to the beſt of them, and have been as it were Fountains to their Seraphicall Streams: though Fons vitae be a Title too Hyperbolicall, and too near to Blaſphemie.

Petrus Cluniacenſis and Bede our Countreyman too, go not in any Writings without their Title of Venerable Peter of Clunie, and Venerable Bede. Dionyſius a Rickel, he is the Ecſtaticall Doctor, Alanus he is the Univerſall Doctor. All Religions, Sects, and ſorts of People are ready to get their Doctors and Teachers into too high Chairs of eſtimation and praiſes, even to Homar and Hali among the Turks and Perſians, Chud and Tzalet or Salech, Synaip and Hedres, Dualkiphil and Locman, of which laſt the Proverb is, He is as wiſe as Locman, Saracen. when they will name a ſecond Salomon. Chatechiſ. The very deceived of our dayes do name their Teachers Apoſtolicall men, and men as full of new light as any, when it is indeed old darkneſſe and deliration: though their breath be poyſon, and their doctrine blaſphemie, and their viſions made up of boldneſſe and impudence, yet their deceived Proſelites are ready to call and count them as that marble Statue of Rome,Io. Iac. Boiſard. in Topogr. Romae. Buccam Veritatis, the very mouth and cheeks of Truth. Among the Jewiſh dotages this is none of the leaſt, that what their great Rabbins and Maſters write,Buxtorff. in Synagog. Iud. cap. 1. ex▪ Tractat. Erubhin. and ſet down they muſt beleeve, as this hard Statute of theirs will make it appear. Thus they write, Whoſoever mocks at, or deſpiſes what our wiſe men and great Rabbins have ſpoken, he ſhall be tormented in hote boyling dung in Hell. This is to make a Statute of doating. Some of them ſay, They that give themſelves to the ſtudie of the Bible, there is ſome little vertue in it, or rather none at all; but they who ſtudie Tradition, or the ſecondary Law of the Fathers, there is vertue, for which a reward is due, They who ſtudie the Gemara, the Talmudick Writings, there is more excellent vertue for them than others. We are furniſht by them with Stories for this: as that R. Eleeſer being ſick, his Diſciples viſiting him, ſaid to him, O maſter, teach us the wayes of life, that we may obtain the life of the world to come. The ſick Doctor anſwered thus, Be admoniſhed to honour your fellow-ſchollers, and draw back your children from the ſtudie of the Bible, and place them betwixt the Knees of the wiſe maſters. Aegroti ſomnia! We leave theſe dotages, and pray they may recover their right ſenſes, which will lead them to theſe three Rules. 1.Eſay 8. 20. To the Law and to the Teſtimonie, &c. 2. In vain do they worſhip me, Mat. 15. 9. teaching for Doctrines the Traditions of men. Iohn 5. 39. 3. Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternall life.

Yet would I not have any build upon this thoſe bold and blinde out-cries,The 3. Digreſſion. Away with the Rabbins and all Hebrew writings, it is loſt labour and learning to ſtudie them, there is nothing ſound, all is fabulous and vain in them, of no uſe for a Divine. Give that Head ſome Hellebore to purge folly. It is as if one ſhould ſay, What ſhould a man do ſowing Seed, for there are much Straw, Chaffe and Weeds that grow up with it?Non coeco zelo in fans ipſe, ut aiunt, una cum lavacri ſordibus eſt effundendus. But a wiſe Husbandman will ſay, I get much good Corne, and therefore I will beſtow ſome labour for the Cornes ſake, to threſh and winnow it, and rid • it of ſtraw, chaffe and Weeds. Though there be much Chaffe in the Hebrew Doctors,Schickard. apud Glaſſiam. yet there is much good grain and fruit of profitable uſe; and why may we not, as husbandmen, learn to threſh, and winnow them, and read them with a fanne?

For that kinde of learning the leſſe I know • it the more I admire it, and wiſh time and leaſure to recover what former years have loſt,Paul Fagius in praefat. Eliae Thisbi. • icking the glaſſe without, when I cannot come to the precious liquor within. I judge in the want of it,Iunius in Orat. de ling, Hebr. Antiq. & praeſt. one piece of a compleate Divine is awanting. Now we are ſubject to deſpiſe it, becauſe Hebrew and Jewiſh learning requires more ſtudie and judgement,Tom. 1. then looking upon ſome common Latine and Engliſh Authors,Glaſſius in Orat de Hebr. ling. util. an eaſie kinde of ſtudie, and almoſt vulgarly attainable. Good account may be given of this by ſome reaſons, that will make it appear to be that which ſhould bee above the contempt of ignorance. 1. In other Authors, Schoolmen, Commentators, Jeſuites we uſe to read and ſtudie, in which there is Chaffe enough, yet there we uſe to ſeparate the precious from the vile with an hic magiſter non tenetur. Nihil aliud eſt Theologus, quā Grammaticus verbi Divini. 2. Of all tongues and learning it will challenge ſuperiority, as being more near neighbour to the Divinitie of the Old Teſtament; therefore it is called lingua ſancta, the ſacred and holy Language,Druſ in Epiſt ad Senat. Antverpienſ. as being uſed by God He was no Pamphlet nor triviall Doctor that ſaid, A Divine was nothing elſe but a Gramarian of the Word of God, the Bible being the Grammer of Divinity. 3. There are many ſound and rare Writings of great uſe among the Rabbins, among which eſpecially the great Moſes Maimonides carries the palme,Scaliger ad S •• ph. Vbert. Buxtorf. in praefat. ad Mor. Nevoch. having freed himſelf from many Jewiſh dotages, fables and Traditions. The Heroes of learning Scaliger, Caſauben, and others, will tell us his Booke of More Nevochim, or Doctor perplexorum, is as good as the weight in Gold, and is exceeding neceſſary for Chriſtian Divines. 4. There are divers places both in Old and New Teſtament, cannot bee well underſtood, unleſſe wee borrow Candle-light from the Hebrew Doctors, as Exod. 6. 3. Ruth 4. 7. Eſay 1. 29. Eſay 12. 13. Ier. 16. 7. Ezek. 8. 14. Ezek. 9. 4. Matth. 5. 22. Matth. 21. 9. Matth. 23. 7, 8. Matth, 26. 23. Mark 7. 11. Rom. 5. 7. Iohn 7. 37. Iohn 3. 29. 2 Tim. 3. 8. Revel. 3. 4. and an hundred more, in which a man ſhall ſtray & ſtumble, unleſſe he uſe their help. Ask Ainsworth, Selden, Weemſe, whether they borrow not much light from them. 5. It is confeſſed in Jewiſh matters, Rites, Cuſtomes, Sacrifices, Syrian gods, we get beſt helps from them, and why may we not rather chuſe to have them at firſt hand,A ſaepius collectis, ac transfuſis collectaneis, velut è decima lacuna ſuffurari, ut pene nihil reſipiant ſui fontis. Eraſ. in compend. Theolog. R. Ioſe. then to take them at a ſecond, or rather a tenth hand? Water in the very Spring is better had, then to bee glad of it after it runne thorow ten Chanels. It is better to ſee with our owne eyes, then to have our Spectacles hang at other mens Girdles. We may to good purpoſe make uſe of that Jewiſh ſaying, Let my ſoule be among the Collectors of Almes, rather than among the Diſtributors of them. Or as Valla, I had rather be a Bee that flies farre to gather matter for Honey, then a Piſmire, that gathers but from the next Corn field. 6. Were it not a rare thing (laſtly) to be ſo skilled in the Jews Tongue and Writings, that one might be able to lay before them their owne vaineſt Fables, and confute them out of their own Books and Doctors, as many have done? This would put the Jew to a ſtand and admiration,Iulian apud Theodoret. and to crie out with a friend of theirs, Proprijs calamis configimur. What a glory was it to thoſe two Chriſtian Divines,Vatablum & Mercerum Lutetiae docentes ipſi Iudaei ſunt admirati. Mercer and Vatablus, that when they were Profeſſors at Paris, the very Jews did admire them for their great skill in the Hebrew, and being ſo perfectly ready and read in all their Writings?

Thus I have endeavoured to ſhew,Chamier. de Authen. edit Can. Panſtrat. l 12. c 9. that Jewiſh queſtions and vanities, being avoided, their learning is of much uſe in Divinitie, whatſoever is ſaid by ſome;Allo glaux, allo corone pthengetai. The Crow cries one thing, and the Owl another. Every Chapter alſo ends with this, Attamen Dei ſumus, Yet we belong to God, in all eſtates we Jews are Gods peculiar people. There is a truth in it, they were Gods people by Covenant at firſt, and they ſhall bee called home to the Covenant of Grace at laſt, when they ſhall looke upon Chriſt whom they have pierced: but for the preſent ſtate of them, ſtanding out againſt God, and hating Jeſus Chriſt, God calls them Loammi, Hoſ. 1. 9. Not my people. As concerning the Goſpell they are enemies,Rom. 11. 28. but as concerning Election, they are beloved for the Fathers ſake.

CHAP. II.

IN the ſecond Chapter the Jew reaſons the caſe, inquiring why they obſerve ſome Legalities, as Circumciſion, Sabbath, and others, but omit Sacrificing, Altars, Unction and Incenſe. He happily gueſſes, that they retain theſe Legall Rites now, as received not from God, but from their Fathers that were under Gods wrath. 2. That God has given them no precept now to uſe them; for indeed the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, and the Temple, the place of their worſhip, the taking away of their Kingdome and Prieſthood, is argument enough to tell them God hath aboliſhed their Legall obſervances, and delights no more in them, nor in that kinde of Government. By this he rightly acknowledges all their Jewiſh ſervice is againſt the heart of God, and his command, and is will worſhip; not Gods will-worſhip, but mans will-worſhip. 3. He takes away a reaſon that might be given by ſome, why they uſed not Altars, and Incenſe, becauſe they were ſtrangers, and under the Government of Kingdomes, and States, that would not ſuffer them to have that libertie. But this he anſwers to, that it is no good reaſon; for Kings and States that ſuffer them to have Synagogues and meetings, and communion in a Jewiſh manner, would permit them this alſo as well as the former: they who grant a greater thing, in all likelihood will not deny them a leſſer matter. So that the concluſion he would make, is this, God in his anger hath bereft us of King, Prieſt, Temple, Altars, Sacrifice, the great things of our Law, therefore he would have us leave all other our Iewiſh Rites alſo, becauſe it is manifeſt for our ſinnes he would have us deprived of all, and beſides turn us to Chriſt, who hath put an end to all Iudaicall obſervances. Many of the Jews acknowledge, that Sacrifices and Ceremonies were not to be perpetuall, but to continue for a time onely, and by the Meſſias to be abrogated. In their Talmud they have this to that purpoſe,Hieron. de S. fide in Hebraeom. l. 1. c. 9. Ex Bereſcit R •• ba. In the world to come all ſacrifices ſhall be annihilated, except the ſacrifice of Confeſsion, i. e. of praiſe. So the Aegyptian Moſes writes, that in the time of the Meſſias all things ſhall be licenſed, which were prohibited: According to that ſaying, The Lord looſeth them that are bound up, and there cannot be a greater proof than this, that even mulier menſtruata ſhall be licenſed by God at that time. In the Talmud, ſpeaking of unclean things, as the Sow, it is queſtioned, Why is a Sow called Hazer? It is anſwered, Becauſe God will return it once to Iſrael, that is, give them libertie to eat of it; Hazire ſignifying reverſion or returning. Wherefore, by the judgement of divers of their Doctors, they doe at this day unlawfully in counting any meats unclean by the old Rule of their Law, ſeeing the Meſſias was beleeved ſhould ſet theſe very Creatures at libertie, that they ſhould not be bound up from free uſe by any Bond of Ceremoniall uncleanneſſe, as they were heretofore. When the Vail of the Temple was rent, all Legall Ceremonies were to be rent alſo.

The Jews acknowledge they have nothing to do now with Sacrifices,The 4. Degreſſion. as their Anceſtors had, becauſe they are ſcattered from their own land, and their Temple is deſtroyed, which was the place deſtined for Sacrifices to be offered up to God, yet inſtead of Sacrifices they will do ſomething, they redeem their Sacrifices with words, and comfort themſelves with this, as if God did accept it as well as any Sacrifice, that they read over Gods precepts in the Law about the kindes and manner of Sacrificing, and ſo they make uſe of, or rather abuſe thoſe words of the Prophet, We will offer up to God the calves of our lips; Hoſ. 14. Wofgang. Which were a good Sacrifice,Capito in Hoſ. 3. if they were good lips, confeſſing Chriſt, and guided by holy hearts, onely relying, and truſting in the all-meriting Sacrifice of Chriſts blood. Their R. Simeon ſaith, they deſpiſed three things, and caſt them off in that ſpeech,2 Sa. 20. 1. We have no part in David, nor have we inheritance in the ſonne of Ieſſe: 1. The Kingdome of Heaven. 2. The houſe of David. 3. The Temple of the Lord. But the later Jews have caſt off theſe three things farre more deſpitefully, in caſting off Chriſt; And having thrown off God and his Temple, why may he not throw away them and their ſacrifices?—The concluſion is againſt the Jews, that they do againſt ground and reaſon retain ſome part of their Jewiſh ſervice, and let other parts be loſt; as that of Altars, oyntment and ſacrifice. If one be good, all is good, becauſe all is of the ſame root. If God have aboliſhed ſome, he would have them aboliſh all; and he grants the Jews are non-pluſt, and have nothing to ſay in this argument, when it is urged by the Chriſtians.

CHAP. III.

IN this Chapter the Tranſlator tells us he findes much diverſity in the Phraſes of the Scripture, as they are in the Originall Hebrew, and as he findes them quoted by his Rabbi Samuel, who being among the Turks follows the Arabicke Bible, and therefore he would have the Reader note, that he quotes the Scriptures according to R. Samuels Book, that he may prove himſelf a faithfull interpretour.

It is a pretie note of R. Samuel, that the firſt Captivitie is called but a Tranſmigration, or a paſsing over into another Land; which ſeems to be a word of hope, that promiſed them they ſhould come back again. But this laſt is named by a hopeleſſe name, a deſolation, to let them ſee it is a perpetuall Captivity. That of tranſmigration or removing, may bee ſeene 2 King. 17. 23. 2 King. 24. 3. But this is a deſolation, Dan. 9. 27. and the abomination of deſolation.

A twofold miſery he findes to purſue this Captivitie more than the other.

1. In the other they had Prophets in Babylon, to comfort them, Ezekiel, Haggai, Zacharie; but in this Captivity, no true Prophets preach deliverance: Prophecie and Viſion ceaſeth.

2. Again, in that other Captivity they were all together in one Kingdome, and company of known friends & Countrey-men, breaks the ſtrong waves of an evill; but here they are diſperſed into all Countries, and can converſe with few of their own, but meer ſtrangers, both by Countrey and Religion. And this is a ſad thing, that they ſit ſolitary like a Sparrow upon the houſe top. This the Lord threatned, to make their Chaine heavy: The Lord ſhall ſcatter thee among all the people from one end of the earth even to the other, Deut. 28. 64. &c.

This Samuel acknowledges,The 5. Digreſſion. and calls Daniel a Prophet of God, which divers of the great and learned Jews will not admit, yet he all over honours him, and quotes his Prophecie in this matter of the Meſſia. It ſeems this man had rather cleave to Chriſt, who calls him a prophet, Matth. 24. 15. then to his great Talmudiſts and Rabbies, who will needs be great, by leſſening ſome of Gods greateſt Prophets. Porchetus, a great and deep inquirer into Hebrew Learning, proves by Jewiſh Tradition, that Daniel was held by them a Prophet; and be further faith, that among the Jews none could be found ſo ſtrangely fooliſh, to deny the Spirit of Propheſie to Daniel, but onely one wicked Sadduce, called Porphyrius; who being convict with the clearneſſe of his Prophecie concerning Chriſt, he falls like a bitter Dogge a barking againſt the truth and ſanctitie of Daniels Propheticall teſtimony. Of this Porphyrie Hierome ſpeaks in his Epiſtle proaemiall to the Comment on Daniel, Porchet. victor. contra Hebr. part. 1, c. 3. to Pammachius and Marcella, where he ſaith this Porphyrie writt his twelfth Book againſt Daniel, whom Euſehius confuted in three Volumes. But beſides Porphyrie, Porchetus might have ſeen ſome more denying Daniel properly to be called a Prophet of God, as the great Moſes Ben Maimon, who ſaith, our Nation with an unanimous conſent hath placed the book of Daniel in Kethubhim, among the holy Writers,More Nevochim. part. 2. c. 45 but not among the Prophets. And the ſame account and reckoning they make of Davids Pſalms, Salomons Books, Eſther, Iob, and the Books of Chronicles. In annotat. ad Rab. They ſay theſe were writt as they were moved by the holy Spirit,Iacchiad. in Paraphr. in Daniel, cap. 1. annotat. 1. but it was not vera & pura Prophetia. But who will may ſee againſt this, Daniel proved to be a Prophet of God, out of Moſes Ben Maimons own Characters of a Prophet, by Conſtantine L' Emperour.

Againſt this opinion, which makes Daniel a Prophet, but metaphorically, or by way of Tranſlation, Guil. Vorſtius may be lookt after alſo, in his Annotations on Maimonides de fundam Legis ad cap. 7. Cunaeus de Repub. Hebr, lib. 3. cap. 7.

CHAP. IV.

HE rightly ſpeaks of the blindneſſe of the Jews, ſo their eſtate in the new Teſtament is called: Ioh. 9. 39. For judgment am I come into this world, ſaith our Saviour, that they which ſee not, might ſee, and that they which ſee might be made blinde. God hath given them the ſpirit of ſlumber, eyes that they ſhould not ſee, &c. Blindneſſe in part is hapned unto Iſrael,Rom. 11. 8. & 25. untill, &c. That which is here ſaid, that it is perpetuall, Paul ſaith better for them then R. Samuel, It ſhall not be alwayes, but till the fulneſſe of the Gentiles be come in, and then all Iſrael ſhall be ſaved.

CHAP. VI.

IN this Chapter he is very earneſt to apply that prophecie of Amos, the ſelling of the Righteous for Silver, to be Iſraels ſinne, in ſelling Jeſus the Righteous Sonne of God for thirty pieces of Silver.Micronym. Our Chriſtian interpretors and Expoſitors,Carthuſ. do not go that way, to apply it onely to Chriſt,Parcus Tarnovius. but make it to be the ſin of injuſtice, & cruell oppreſſion againſt the poor and needy, ſelling away their perſon and Cauſe for Bribes. Some have a glance at this Jewiſh expoſition,A lapide in loc. yet cannot fully like it: though this Jew found the Chriſtians in his dayes much bent to expound it as he does, and let him be wittie this way, to apply all to the Jews ſinne, if ſo be it may heal their ſore.

CHAP. VII.

THe ſeventh Chapter ariſes out of his former diſcourſe, and he layes it downe, that the Prophet Amos his Juſt man ſold for ſilver, is Jeſus the Juſt, the Saviour of the Chriſtians, he beleeves it is meant of no other, This indeed is true, 1. That Jeſus the Juſt was ſold for ſilver. 2. That this was the Jews ſinne. 3. That this ſinne of ſelling and murdering Jeſus is the Gate, that lets in all their miſerie. Onely here the Jew in a fourth thing has us not ſo fully agreeing, that the Prophet Amos doth directly and eſpecially point at this ſin in this place. Here the Jew is more againſt his own Jews, than the Chriſtians are, and it ſhews his pious intention, to finde out the grievouſneſſe of their ſinne, that takes up any Scripture, that may ſeem to indigitate it, to bring his people to repentance.

In this Chapter he admirably, and with a Beam of Chriſtian light, applies the 53 of Eſay to Jeſus Chriſt, & as a Chriſtian Expoſitor, opens divers things in it. As likewiſe that excellent and Torchlike place of Zacharie, which gives clear light in this truth,Zach▪ 12. undenyably looking at Chriſt.The Chaldee Paraphraſt and Gen • ara. For other Scriptures look at his good meaning, and pardon his Application.Babylon. That 53. of Eſay exceedingly ſtraitens the learned Jews,Grotius de veritat. and puzzles them in their Expoſitions,Chriſt Relig. in annotat. ad lib. 5. to make it fit for ſome other, rather than Chriſt Jeſus, but divers of them are enforced to apply it to Chriſt.

Of the Application of the 53 of Eſay to Chriſt the Meſſias,The 6. Digreſſion. Hieronymus de ſancta fide, a converted Iew, gives us his ſure word, that divers of their Rabbins go that way;Hieron. de ſanct. fid. in Hebraeo. as R. Oſua in Sanhedrin, and R. Joſe Galiaeus in a Book called Zifrat. Maſt lib. 1. cap. 11. Lord Morney brings in others of their Doctors, fitting this Chapter to him, as R. Ʋla, veniat, ſed abſit ut videam, Let him come, but farre be it from me that I ſhould ſee him, meaning, his wounds and ſufferings will be ſo grievous, as men will hide their faces from him.Mornaeus in cap. 30. lib. de verit. Chriſt. Relig. And upon Ruth, on theſe words, Dip thy morſell in the Vinegar, their Midraſch, or Commentary hath it, The morſell is the bread of the King Meſsias, who ſhall be broken for our ſinnes, and ſhall indure great torments, Porchetus. as was foreteld by Eſay. To ſtop the mouthes of all Iewes, R. Simeon the ſonne of Johni, a chiefe one of them, writes as if he were cloathed with the Sunne: Wo (ſaith he) to the men of Iſrael, for they ſhall ſlay the Chriſt. And, God ſhall ſend unto them his ſonne, cloathed with mans fleſh, that he may waſh and cleanſe them, and they ſhall ſlay him. R. Iohanan pitches truly upon the very time of Ieſus Chriſts exerciſing his Miniſtery upon earth, agreeable to the Hiſtorie Evangelicall of his life: Three years and a half (ſaith he) the preſence of God did crie upon Mount Olivet, Seek the Lord while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near. Which is • uſt the common computation of the time of Ieſus Chriſts preaching, from his Baptiſme to his Paſſion.

Here let it be noted once for all,The • . Digreſſion. that this Doctour doth altogether call Chriſt the Iuſt or Righteous One,Poſtel. de Orb. Ter. concord. an excellent name agreeing with the Scripture, that calls him ſo, proving, in him there was no ſinne, no unrighteouſneſſe, • o guile, and therefore he was fit to be Jehovah Tſidkenu, The Lord our Righteouſneſſe. Acts 3. 14. Peter preaching to the Iews concerning Chriſt, ſaith, They denyed the holy One, Acts 7. 52. and the Iuſt; and Stephen in his Sermon calls him the Iuſt One. So Ananias called Chriſt that Iuſt One.Acts 22. 14 Among the Iewiſh Doctours it is ordinary, to call Chriſt by this name,Vide Porchet▪ in Victor contr. by way of excellency. The earth (ſaith one of them) ſtandeth but upon one Pillar, Hebr 〈◊〉 . 2. cap. 11. and the Iuſt One is his Name; as it is in the Book of Proverbs, Chap. 10.

In the end of the Chapter the Iew alledges the agreement of the Goſpels relation to the Prophets prediction, concerning Chriſts death, wherein like a Chriſtian he flies from the Iews, and cloaths himſelf with the Chriſtians Armour of light, beleeving the Goſpell, which profeſſed Iews hate with an indeleble hatred.

CHAP. IX, X, XI.

IN theſe Chapters he proves that Chriſt ſhall have a double comming; Firſt, in baſenes and humility; then ſecondly, in Majeſty and glory. Sometimes onely he teaches Scripture to ſpeak more then is intended; as in that place of Eſay, becauſe it is ſaid, Awake, Awake, twice, he will have it to mean Chriſts double Comming: And that of David, For he commeth, for he commeth, is twice repeated, becauſe Chriſt ſhall twice appear, ſaith R. Samuel. But the truth is clearer, then that he need theſe witty (though ſometimes weak) allegations.

That Chriſts ſecond comming ſhall be to judgement, and with Fire, and glorious Majeſtie, he rightly and Orthodoxly holds and proves. It is a rare Teſtimony to the credit of our Chriſtian Baptiſm, that he calls it the Well of ſalvation, Eſay 12. ſpoken of by Eſay the Prophet. Nay further, behold this Jew turned perfect Chriſtian, for he confeſſes the ſummary of the Goſpell, the chief ſentence of it, to be very true, which is this, This, without all doubt, (ſaith he) is to be held, that none are ſaved, but thoſe that beleeve Chriſts firſt comming, and thoſe that beleeve not, there is no ground for them to hope for ſalvation at his ſecond comming. This is the maine matter of faith in the New Teſtament,Matth. 16. ſo that this Jew confeſſes like Peter, Thou art Chriſt the Son of the living God. And I ſee no reaſon, but it may bee ſaid to him, as to Peter, Bleſſed art thou Samuel the Iſraelite, for fleſh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in Heaven. He affirms the very ſame that is affirmed in the Goſpell,Iohn. 3. 3 • . He that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlaſting life, 1 Iohn 5. 11, 12. and he that beleeveth not the Sonne, ſhall not ſee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

In the tenth Chapter we have ſome places brought in to prove the ſecond comming of Chriſt,The 8. Digreſſion. which will not bear it, and yet divers of our Chriſtian Expoſitours have taken leave to be miſtaken, as well as this Jew, or rather worſe; and ſo much the worſe, becauſe they crie out of all, which will not ſing to their Violl,Cramer in Schol Prophet. claſ. 3 when they themſelves are out of tune. Cramer undertaking the clearing of Prophecies concerning Chriſt, finding fault with thoſe that do not make Zach. 14. 3, 4, 5, &c. to be meant of Chriſts Aſcenſion, and the cleaving of the Mount of Olives, &c. to be meant of the Apoſtles ſending out to the Gentiles, he names among the reſt our Marochian, in this place applying Zachary to the ſecond comming of Chriſt. Surely it is not meant of Chriſts ſecond comming, but (as Calvin hath it) of an illuſtrious preſence, and manifeſtation of God in his power and might, evident to all, that Jeruſalem ſhall not be in a ſhady Valley, but ſhall be conſpicuous, and open to a glorious view for all Nations to ſee it,Haec particula ad poſteriorē adventum accommodari poteſt: proprie tamen pertinet ad priorem: quia de nuntio foederis loquitur id eſt, de inſtitutione Legis Evangelicae. Fe • . à Figveiro in Malach. and admire it. It is true, Samuel is miſtaken, and ſo is Cramer too, for becauſe there is mention of the Mount of Olives, it doth not follow, that therefore Chriſts Aſcenſion muſt be pointed at. But the Lutherans, Cramer, Hunnius, and others, plow deep furrows upon Calvins backe, becauſe he will not ſwear to their Interpretations. Our Chriſtian Moore makes uſe of the third of Malachie too, to prove Chriſts ſecond comming; But who may abide the day of his comming? Divers of ours are alſo to be blamed for this, that whereſoever in Scripture they meet with a terrible day of the Lord, they preſently apply it to the day of Judgement: yet he ſees little that ſees not this to be meant of Chriſts firſt comming, whoſe preaching, and pure doctrine of Goſpell, was terrible to prophane ones, and Hypocrites, Scribes and Phariſees. Beſides, it ſignifies the miſery, ſorrow and captivitie, which ſhould befall the Jews in, and after the comming of Chriſt, not by Chriſts fault, but by their impietie and infidelitie, rejecting Chriſt: ſo as his comming proves terrible to them.

In the end of the 11 chapter, he hath two excellent things concerning Chriſt, wherein he ſpeaks Chriſtianiſme moſt Chriſtianly, and bruſhes himſelf clean of the leaſt Jewiſh moat.

1. He concludes it from Scripture, that Chriſt, and Chriſt alone, is the True and Righteous One: All men, beſt of men, were ſinners, but Chriſt was ſinnleſſe. And in this he preferrs him before Moſes, and all other holy Ones, which no Jew will do, juſt as Chriſt is preferred in Hebr. 3.

2. He makes diſobedience and infidelitie in Chriſt, the damning ſin. This he proves as the Authour to the Hebrews proves it: compare his words and thoſe of Hebr. 10. 28, 29. and you ſhall ſee ſuch an agreement, as if he had propoſed thoſe words, and that Text to be followed, He that deſpiſed Moſes Law, dyed without mercy, under two or three witneſſes. He has it like to that: If they were worthy of death who beleeved not Moſes, who was two degrees behinde Chriſt, he was but a temporary Saviour, and hee was a ſinner; Of how much ſorer puniſhment ſuppoſe ye ſhall he be thought worthy, &c. how much more (ſaith our Samuel) are they worthy of this Iudicatorie of fire, who beleeve not, nay, who blaſpheme this Chriſt, who is a Righteous One, and who ſaves eternally. O that this lightſom beam of truth had pierced the hearts and breaſts of all the dark-ſpirited Jews! O that all of them ſaw with Samuels eyes! The Lord perſwade theſe Iſraelites to dwell in the Tents of Samuel, and to come and ſee.

CHAP. XII.

THe Aſcenſion of Chriſt he proves and beleeves, which no ſtone-hearted Jew will by any means admit into thoughts of probability; for they are ſo farre from beleeving his glorious Aſcent into Heaven, that they make his Deſcent into Hell their chief and unqueſtioned Article, with the moſt horrible blaſphemy affirming, that our Chriſt is tormented in Hell, in boyling and ſcalding (Zoah) Dung, becauſe he rejected, and deſpiſed the Traditions and Doctrines of their holy Elders and Chachamims. Yea, they make him a falſe Prophet, and to be a prophane wretch, as Eſau. And in the moſt ſecret Books and Papers kept among the Jews, (which they will not let every eye ſee, but ſuch as are rightly Jewiſh, that is, ſtiffe enemies of Jeſus) this they teach and write, That the ſoul of Eſau entred into the body of Chriſt, and ſo he was juſt ſuch a wretch as Eſau, or Edom. And this may perhaps be one main reaſon, why they call all Chriſtians Edomites, as thinking wee follow, and put our truſt in Chriſt, who is as Edom with them.The 9. Digreſſion. He applyes the 24 Pſalm to the Aſcenſion of Chriſt, which divers Chriſtian Expoſitours by Propheſie will have pointed at, and by allegory allude to. This Author makes ſome ask the queſtion, Who is this King of glory? And he ſets the Angels to anſwer the queſtion,Hieronym. in Pſalm. The Lord of Hoſts he is the King of glory. This way Ierome goes, making a Dialogue betwixt Angels and Devils.Stapulenſis Schol. in Dyonvſ. Areop • g • t. Who is the King of glory, ſay the Devils? The good Angels anſwer, The Lord of Hoſts, mighty in Battell, Baptiſt Folengius in Pſal. he is the King of glory. This Jew (it ſeems) had ſtudyed not onely the Chriſtians Goſpell,Barth. a Koppen. in Pſa. 24. but Chriſtian Interpretours, and Expoſitours of the Bible. And though this be no ſtrong proof of Chriſts Aſcenſion,Piſcator. in Pſal. (but rather Davids Song about the building, and ſetting up the Temple, and the glorious gates thereof, for the Lord of Hoſts to come enter and dwell in it) yet the Jew ſhews us how willing he is, to admit the doctrine of Chriſts Aſcenſion, and to follow Chriſtian Doctors.

This Jew, though he ſometimes uſes the Scriptures,The 10. Digreſſion with meanings and applications ſcarce genuine, yet in his application of the 63 chapter of Eſay, verſ. 1. to the exaltation and triumph of Chriſt over his enemies, he hath done more rightly, than many of our writers and Chriſtian Preachers, who commonly do apply this place (by a vulgar and received errour) to the Paſſion of Chriſt. How often have we heard theſe words quoted thus, He trodd the Wine-Preſſe of his Fathers wrath alone, that is, He alone ſuffered, and underwent his Fathers wrath for us? If it had been meant of Chriſts Paſſion, it would have been paſſively, I was trodden in the Winepreſſe alone; and not Actively, I have trodd it. It is the Grapes that ſuffer treading and preſſing, not he that treads. 2. Again, he is ſaid to be glorious in his apparell, when he comes from treading the Wine-Preſſe. Now Chriſt in his Paſſion was either quite naked, as many think; or elſe but in one part very ſlenderly covered. Now if his Body, or that mean Cloth were ſprinkled with his own Blood, this was no very glorious apparell, for one to appear thus miſerably. But for Chriſt in his Aſcenſion to appear, and in his Triumph to ſhew himſelfe, with garments all ſtained with the Blood of his Enemies, this is glorious raiment indeed. The triumph of the righteous is,Pſal. 58. 10 they ſhall waſh their feet in the blood of the wicked. 3. Obſerve the phraſes in this Prophecie, which ſhew not Chriſts Paſſion, but his enemies Paſſion, travelling in greatneſſe of his ſtrength, that is, ſtrongly conquering, and deſtroying his adverſaries. Mighty to ſave, that is, to preſerve his; he doth not ſay, Mighty to ſuffer. Garments like him that treadeth the Wine-Fatt; the blood of enemies, like the juyce of Grapes preſſed, are ſprinkled on him that preſſes them. I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury. If it were of Chriſts Paſſion, it ſhould be, I am trodden in Gods anger, and trampled in his fury. The day of vengeance is in my heart, that is, Like a Conquerour I will now take vengeance of mine enemies. 4. This phraſe of treading as in a Winepreſſe, is uſed in Scripture elſwhere, to ſhew what they ſuffer that are trodden, as Lament. 1. 15. Now Chriſt ſaith, He trod, and was not trodden. 5. He is ſaid to come from Edom, and Bozra: by Edomites conquered and deſtroyed, he ſets out, under that particular name, Chriſts univerſall conqueſt and triumph over all the enemies of the Church. And in this Expoſition, this Jew applies the Propheſie better then many among us. It is true, divers of the Ancients have ſwallowed this without chewing,Of the Ancients, yet Origen in Matthaeum 15. Tract. applies it to Chriſts Aſcenſion & triumph. to be meant of Chriſts Paſſion, but whoſoever looks into the Text, and the Phraſes of it, will ſee it rather points at Chriſts Reſurrection and Triumph, then his Paſſion. We are too prone to take theſe 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 upon truſt without examination. The Fathers were more excellent, and ſo the Ancients, for ſound pietie, then for ſound Expoſition, and dextrous Application of Scriptures. Why may not David ſometimes lay by the Spectacles of his ancient Fathers, and ſay, I have more underſtanding than my Teachers. Pſ. 119. 99. The learned and judicious Mercer confeſſes,Noſtri minus recte de paſſione Chriſti exponant. Ioan. that our Divines are aſleep, when they expound this of the Paſſion of Chriſt. Daniel Cramerus quotes the very place of R. Samuel, to maintain this Propheſie,Mercer in Comment. ad Cantic. c. 5. v. 10. as appertaining to Chriſts, againſt the Jews. He handles the controverſie of the Blood here, whether is meant the Blood of Chriſt,Cramer. in Schola prophet. Claſſ. 3. Paſſions or of his Enemies Paſſion, and would reconcile both, as making Chriſts victory to begin with his own Blood, and end with his enemies blood: and referres to the diſputes of Lyra and Burgenſis about it. Onely in an heat he falls foul upon Calvin, as did Hunnius, and muſt needs be very angry with him, becauſe he will not altogether expound Scriptures, as they do. Praeſtat, ſaith he, ut Calvinum, qui ſolus ſapere vult, ſolum relinquamus, ut ſolus ſapiat. But his paſſion clouds his eyes, for others beſide Calvin have ſeen that common way to have but poor grounds, as Junius and Tremelius, Mercer, Tarnovius, Muſculus. This I ſay, not to diſallow and throw by the Ancients in all things, but onely to ſtirre up Divines that have eyes, to uſe their eyes.Vide Ta • novium in excitat. Biblio. pag. 418. edit. 2 Pelargus and others have cited divers of the Ancients, applying this to the Croſſe, and make it, Torcular paſsionis Chriſti; but their meaning is no way literally or directly to be found here.

Obſerve how fitly this Jew applies it to their Captivitie,The 11. Digreſſion. Whom hath he trod in his wrath but us Jews? We are they that have been in the Winepreſſe this thouſand years. Yet O the fearfull wiſh of this Jew, that though he be convinced to be a Chriſtian, yet he wiſhes the Candles of conviction were blown out; here he ſpeaks like a Jew indeed, that hates the clear propheſies of Chriſt. Would to God (ſaith he) when we ſlew the Prophet Eſay, we had blotted out this teſtimonie of his, ſo manifeſtly pointing at Chriſt, that it might not be read and ſeen againſt us. Here he writes out of an exceeding naturall love to his countrey-men and kinred the Jews in an extaſie of Paſſion. The Apoſtle Paul has an extraordinary vote and deſire another way,Rom. 9. and beyond rule, when he thinks of the miſerie of his countrymen and kinred the Jews. This is to be beleeved, the Jewes will not loſe, nor blot out any part of the Old Teſtament, no not that which ſeems moſt againſt them, though this man in a paſſion write thus; for they moſt charily preſerve it as their lives, and will not ſuffer it to be corrupted or mutilated in a word, ſyllable, or letter: Yea, ſo religiouſly do they devote themſelves to the letter and writing of the Bible,Sal. Glaſsius in Philolog. Sac. lib. 1. tract. 1. de Text Hebr. in vet. Teſt. puritate. that they ſay, if a man through ignorance, malice or impietie, ſhould change one word in the Bible, there is great danger the Lord for that inexpiable offence ſhould throw the world back againe into its ancient indigeſted Chaos of confuſion, becauſe God created this world onely for the Scriptures ſake.Spanhem. in Dub. Evang. p. 2. • ub. 88, 89 So exact are they, that no part of the Bible be either loſt or corrupted, that they have noted down in their Maſora, which they call The Hedge or Fence of the Law, not onely every word how oft it is uſed, but how oft it is in the whole Old Teſtament to be found with ſuch a Pricke, or with ſuch an Accent. Nay further, and which is a miracle of diligence and faithfulneſſe, they have ſet downe how many Verſes there are in every Book, and have numbred how often every letter is uſed in the Bible. As the letter Aleph or A is found by number to bee 42377 times. Beth or B 38218 times, and ſo have they taken notice of the reſt, to remember how often each letter is uſed. This doing, quickly would be diſcovered their unfaithfulneſſe in leaving out or corrupting the Scriptures, and that by the Candlelight of their own induſtrie. Hereupon Auſti calls the Jews Capſarios noſtros, Auſtin in O • at cont. Iud. Pagan & Arian. The Chriſtians Library or Bible-keepers, becauſe they with marvellous diligence have preſerved the Old Teſtament from corruption and loſſe, even in corrupting and loſing times; and are as woodden Candleſticks to the Gentiles, holding out the light of the Law. He quotes the 49 Chapter of Geneſis, which he calls the Booke of the Generation of the Creatures of Iudah, that is, Of the Children and Off-ſpring of Iudah. Well may I here take occaſion to give a reaſon, why men onely ſometimes are called the Creation, and the Creatures, and whence it ariſes. To which purpoſe our underſtandings may well and ſoundly take hold on this, that the word which ſignifies creatures, properly in common uſe among the Hebrews, ſignifies onely men ſometimes, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as being the excellenteſt of ſubſolar Creatures. The ſame Phraſe and manner of ſpeaking is much taken up in the Orientall Languages.Iſaac Caſaub. in Epiſt. lib. Car Labbaeo, Epiſt. 24. ſee Schindler in pentaglott. in Bara. I ſhall call in my Witneſſe, and he may ſtand for two or three, he is of ſuch ſtanding and perfection in the Academie of moſt exquiſite learning, it is Hortibonus, or Caſaubon. In the Arabick Geographie (ſaith he) in abundance of places we finde the frequencie and fulneſſe of Cities thus deſcribed, the Author ſaith, that in them there are many Creatures, Plerum que de hominibus maxime in plurali uſurpatur Coch. in Tit. Maccoth. c. 3. that is to ſay, Men. This may well agree with our Samuel, who writ in Arabick, and this may be a good note affixed to the latter end of the 16 Chapter of Marks Goſpell, to the illuſtration of it, Go into the whole World, and preach the Goſpell to every Creature.

CHAP. XIII.

THe corporall Aſcenſion of Chriſt he goes about to prove by thoſe Scriptures, that ſpeaks of the exaltation and elevation of God, which he ſaith muſt properly be meant of Chriſt, according to his humane nature, becauſe the meer Deitie is ſubject to none of theſe Sites or Poſtures. That of Pſalm 68 is applyed to the Aſcenſion of Chriſt by S. Paul, Epheſ. 4. ſo that R. Samuel the Jew is not aſhamed to follow S. Paul the Apoſtle of the Gentiles,Epheſ. 4. in beleeving and aſſerting the ſame truth.

He quotes ſomething out of the Prophet Aſer in his ſecond Chapter,The 12. Digreſſion but he forbears the proſecution of it upon this reaſon, becauſe that Propheſie is loſt, and is not to be found. The Tranſlatour he brings his judgement about the Prophet Aſer, and reproves the ignorance of R. Samuel, that he ſhould think the Prophet Aſer to be loſt, when he is not. And his reaſon is, that the Prophet Aſer and Haggai are all one, onely Haggai is the Hebrew Name, and Aſer the Arabicke name of the ſame Prophet, which R. Samuel did not know, or at leaſt did not call to minde when he writ ſo. Now it were good to unpire the matter betwixt Alphonſus the Spanyard, and Samuel the Jew, and upon looking into it, the Tranſlator will be found in ſome fault. Suppoſe there be ſome agreement betwixt Haggai and Aſer, in their ſignification. Haggai ſignifying one that ſolemnizes and keeps a holy, and joyfull day of ſolemnities, that rejoyces feſtivally: and Aſer comming of a Verbe that ſignifies to make bleſſed and happy, which may accord in this, that the dayes of re-edifying the Temple, and Jeruſalem, in which times Haggai prophecied, were holy, feſtivall and bleſſed dayes. Though there be ſome ſimilitude, muſt there be Identitie? How doth Alphonſus know that Aſer and Haggai in the Arabick Tongue are the ſame Prophet? This may be diſproved two wayes. 1. Becauſe R. Samuel writ in Arabick, lived among the Arabians, and being both a Jewiſh and an Arabick Doctor, he was likely to know as well as Alphonſus the names of Prophets in the Old Teſtament, both in Hebrew and Arabick. 2. If Aſer and Haggai be all one, then let the Spanyard ſhew us this that he quotes in the Prophecie of Haggai, of a man aſcending from the midſt of the Sea, and comming up to Heaven. He muſt coyn a new Prophecie of Haggai, if he will finde this in it, for our Old Prophet, neither in firſt, or ſecond, 〈…〉 Chapter has any ſuch thing. However we ſpeake of this obſcure Prophet Aſer, which cannot be found what he was, yet we may well conclude for the Authour againſt the Tranſlatour, that theſe words are not to be found in the Prophet Haggai.

Since theſe Notes I have found ſomething that is like this which is quoted, but neither in R. Samuels obſcure Aſer, nor Alphonſus the Tranſlators Haggai chap. 2. but in the Apocryphals of Eſdras, 2 Eſd. 13. 2, 3. Lo, there aroſe a winde out of the ſea, and lo, that man waxed ſtrong with the thouſands of heaven. Iunius reads it, Quidam ut ventus, A certain man as the winde came from the ſea. It ſhould be tranſlated a Man, not a winde that did riſe out of the Sea; ſo the third Verſe intimates, that man waxed ſtrong, not that winde. For riſing of the winde is not the thing, but the compariſon accompanying and illuſtrating the appearance of the man. I think (pardoning the errour of the Authors and Tranſlators Quotation, both of the Name, and the Book, and Chapter) I am the Oedipus of this Riddle. And it may well be his meaning was of this place, for in this book he doth (beſides this) make uſe of the Apocrypha, as Chap. 19. he quotes a place out of Jeſus the ſonne of Syrach, and in chap. 20. he has out of the ſame Book. Beſides, he is ſubject to ſome miſtakes, for in that 20 chapter he cals it Salomons writing, when it is the Sonn of Syrachs: and in this 13 chapter he quotes a place in Eſay, when it is in Ieremie,—Aliquando bonus dormitat Hebraeus, calling Eſdras Aſer.

Among thoſe were aſſumed into heaven, he names Methuſalem, and takes it for a thing granted and known among the Jews. But we muſt beleeve Moſes, who ſaith, that Methuſalem when he had lived nine hundred ſixty nine years,Gen. 5. 27. dyed, he doth not ſay he was tranſlated, which he had newly ſaid of Enoch his Father.Auguſt. de Civ. D. lib. 15. cap. 11. The Greeks errour is, that he lived 14 years after the floud, and was with Noah in the Ark, which errour comes out of the Septuagints falſe computation. And ſome of the Jews (it ſeems) are in this errour, that becauſe his Father was taken into heaven in his body and ſoul, ſo was Methuſalem too. But they that compute and reckon according to the Hebrew numbring of the years, do agree, that Methuſalem dyed that very year the flood came. Others think he dyed ſix years before the floud. He concludes the Chapter with aſſerting the wonderfull birth of Chriſt, born of a Virgin, without a man, to be a very truth, and plainly foretold by the Prophets of God. Wherin he grants for a truth one of thoſe ſix things, which are the main Controverſies betwixt the Jews and Chriſtians.Ludovic. He takes indeed one place to prove the birth of Chriſt by a Virgin,Carret. in Epiſt. ſeu libro viſor. divin. which I dare not ſay flatly that the Prophet did ſpeak it with any relation to the birth of Chriſt.Ierem. 31. It is that of Ieremies, The Lord ſhall create a new thing upon the earth, a woman ſhall compaſſe a man. I know the ſtream of Expoſitours runn that way, to make it point at Chriſts Incarnation, both ancient and modern, which made that Lutheran Beadle provide ſo terrible a whip for Calvin, and laſht him with Calvinus Iudaizans, Calvin turn'd Iew, becauſe he knew no reaſon why theſe words (and other places of Scripture) ſhould be thought a plaine Prophecie of Chriſt. Neither the conſequents, or the Antecedents do give any great light to that ſenſe. And let a man perpend and conſider it well, whether the interpretation of Calvin be ſo ſtrange a thing to the meaning of the Prophets diſcourſe and Sermon. He is ſpeaking of Gods delivering his people from the power of Chaldeans, and it ſhall be ſo wonderfull,The word Sabab do • h not onely ſignifie to embrace lovingly, but in an hoſtile manner as an enemy, to encompaſe, beſiege and ſtraiten▪ So is the word uſed in Pſa. 22. 13. and 17. It is alſo plainly taken for beſieging Eccles. 9. 14. that he ſaith A woman ſhall compaſſe a man; that is, the weak and low-brought Iſraelites, that may ſeem to be compared to women, being furniſhed with new ſtrength from God, ſhall prevail againſt the Chaldeans their potent enemies, that are ſtrong men; and thus women may be ſaid to bring men into ſtraits. Others beſides Calvin have thought this ſence to be more litterall and proper to that place then to expound it of Chriſts Birth. The L. ſhall create a new th. up. e. a w • m. ſhall comp. a man: that is, This wonderfull and new thing will the Lord bring to paſſe, the Church of the Jews, that like a wandring and ſtrange woman is departed from the Lord by rebellion and Idolatry, to whom ſhe was betrothed once, 〈…〉 ſhe ſhall come with bitter repentance, returning to her firſt Husband, & embracing him again gratiouſly whom ſhe had vilely forſaken. This is that new and wonderfull thing that the Lord ſhould create in this impenitent and wicked people, a new heart to return unto him. This is commonly called A new Creation. And if in this Calvin play the Jew, then Luther was a Jew, and divers others, who could not with their beſt eye ſight, ſpie the Incarnation of Chriſt plainly and clearly in that Text of the Prophet. And if we do not take that peece to confirme Chriſts ſpotleſſe birth, yet do we not want clear proofs and Prophecies againſt the gainſaying Jews, to make it appear as noon-day.

Againſt the applying of the Scriptures unduly and unproperly to Chriſt, the words of the ancient Peluſiot are ponderous, and precious; This courſe (ſaith he) puts harneſſe upon the Gentiles and Heretiques in their contentions with us; for when we torture and wreſt the Scriptures, which are not meant of Chriſt, to bring them to point at him, we bring ſuſpicion upon thoſe other Scriptures, which (without any wreſting or wringing) do lay plainly their meaning in Chriſts boſome.Thom p. 1. 〈…〉 And the great Schoolmaſter Aquinas writes with a Quill of the ſame Wing, Qu • madmodum advocatus cauſam perd 〈◊〉 vulgares & triviales concionatores ſaepe numero concionem habent cō tra hereticos, & eos imprudenter adjuvāt. Sic arma capienda ſunt ut hoſtis vulnera ſētiat. Nic. Clenard. epiſt. Abbati Tongellarenſi lib 1. Feſae. When a man, (ſaith he,) going about to make proof of the Chriſtian faith, ſhall bring reaſons whoſe clearneſſe is not convictive, and in a ſort coactive, that they cannot be denyed, he layes himſelf open to the ſcorn and deriſion of Infidels and unbeleevers, for they will preſently conclude, that we lean upon theſe Reeds, and that theſe weak reaſons are the inducements to our faith, and the grounds our belief lies upon. Whence we draw a Theologicall Canon, That Divine truths muſt be urged and confirmed by indubitate and clear Teſtimonies, elſe it turns to the detriment of the ſayers, and it will not convince the gainſayers.

CHAP. XVI.

SPeaking of Jews reprobation, and Gentiles election, he tels of the Jews proud boaſting that they are the ſonnes of Iacob and Iſrael; pride and contempt of all people in the world beſides themſelves,R Iachiad. in Paraphraſ. in Dan. cap. 7. Conſtant l' Emper. in Annotat. ad R. Iachiad ubi citar Abrabane 〈…〉 . is the proper fault of the Jews. He reaſons the caſe here well, Why ſhould they thus contemn and ſcorn the Gentiles? They ſay, they onely are Gods portion, and onely fall under the care of his Providence; and the Gentiles run at large without the guidance of Gods Providence:There is a ſaying much in the mouth of the Iews, Omnes ſectarij ſubito pereant. yea, their Land of Canaan is the onely fit and apt place in the world to be the ſubject of Gods providence. With them, onely the Jews ſhall riſe again, and the Gentiles ſhall have no reſurrection. David ſhall confirm this their opinion in his firſt Pſalm.In Maimonides his 13 Articles, he ſaith, They ſhall all periſh that do not beleeve them Grotius in Annotat. ad lib. 2. ver. Chriſt. Relig. In their Talmud they ſay, It is not murther if a Jew kill a Gentile; nor is it perjury if he falſifie his promiſe to him, confirmed by oath. Yea, their Talmud commands them to hold the Chriſtians in eſteem as bruit beaſts, and no otherwayes to uſe them, then as they uſe beaſts. Theſe, and many ſuch like, lets us ſee how the Jews pride themſelves, and caſt the Chriſtians & Gentiles low enough in the Court of honour.

A learned Jew of theſe times treating of the Reſurrection,Menaſ • h Ben Iſrael, de Reſur. lib. 2. cap. 9. has a Chapter on this Head, An etiam Gentes reſurgent, Whether the Gentiles ſhall riſe again, or no; he indeed concludes, they ſhall. What is the reaſon that the Jews every year on the eight day of the moneth Tebeth, which anſwers to our December, 〈…〉 . do keep a ſolemn Faſt, ſorrowing and humbling themſelves, in the remembrance of the Scripture tranſlated by them into the Greek at the inſtance of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus? Do they execrate and abhort the memory of that act? It ſeems it is out of meer hatred and envy that any good, or any knowledge of God ſhould be ſcattered among the Gentiles.Act. 22. 21. 22. We hear of old they could not endure to hear Paul to ſpeak one word more,1 Theſ. 2. 16 when they heard this from him, that the Lord ſaid to him, Depart, for I will ſend thee far hence unto the Gentiles; ſo ſoon as this is mentioned, then they crie out Away with ſuch a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he ſhould live. In their Stories,Pet. Clu •• . ac. ex Talmud. as that of R. Ioſue Ben Levi, that was up and down heaven and Hell, he findes Chriſtians, and abundance of all Nations in Hell, but we hear tell of no Jews there. It is well that God follows not the Jews rule, that ſcorn all but their own people, But in every Nation he that fears God, and works righteouſneſſe, and Gentile as well as Jew, is accepted with him.

CHAP. XVIII.

HE admirably agrees with S. Paul in the Application of the nineteenth Pſalm to the preaching of the Goſſpell by the Apoſtles, Their ſound is gone out into all the earth, and their words into the ends of the world.

CHAP. XIX.

HE applies the Prophecie of Ioel about the Old men dreaming dreams, and the young men ſeeing Viſions, to the Apoſtles, and the abundant knowledge of God they had above former times, juſt as S. Peter applyes it Acts 2. ſo that he is an Aſſerter of the truth with Paul, he applyes the predictions of the Prophets Evangelically with S. Peter, and will needs diſcover himſelfe a Chriſtian every way. He makes one notable obſervation concerning the faith of Chriſt, That of the Apoſtles of Chriſt that embraced the Faith, not one of them did ever recant and return to embrace the Jews faith any more. Ioſephus the Jew does highly applaud the followers of Chriſt for their conſtancy. Writing of Chriſt, he ſaith, There was at that time one Ieſus a wiſe man, if it be lawfull to call him a man. Mark how this Jew inclined to think there was a Deity in Chriſt, and ſomething ſuper humane. He proceeds. This ſame Ieſus did bring to paſſe incredible works, and he was a Maſter to men that did receive the truth with much delight and pleaſure in it. 〈◊〉 . Antiq. • ud lib. 1 • . cap. 14. Many Iews, and many Greeks did he draw unto him. This is he that was called Chriſt, whom when Pilate had cauſed to be crucified, being accuſed of the chief of our Iewiſh Nation, yet they that loved him at firſt, would never give over loving him, and cleaving to him. A rare teſtimony is this of the conſtancy of Chriſtian Diſciples and Followers of Chriſt. I omit that he ſaith of him, that he appeared alive again after three dayes, according as the Divine Prophets had foretold theſe, and many other admirable things concerning him. Is not Ioſephus here turned Chriſtiſtian too, making this to be him the Prophets ſpoke on?

CHAP. XX.

IN the twentieth Chapter he commends the purity and cleanneſſe of the Chriſtian Rites and ſervice by Bread and Wine, and prefer • s it before the medling with the fleſh and fat of Beaſts ſlaughtered for Sacrifice by Jews. He makes Scriptures of the Old Teſtament plainly before-hand point at the bread and Wine in our Sacrament of the Lords Supper. Onely he puts in Water as well as Bread and Wine into that Sacrament, and will make good that new practiſe of mixt Wine by an old proof from Salomons Proverbs, where Wiſdome propounds mixt Wines: and ſo it was applyed to his hand long before him by S. Cyprian. Cyprian Epiſt. 4. Caecilio lib. 2. And Cyprian indeed doth ſpeak of mixing Wine with the Water in the Sacrament, and in that Epiſtle Dominica Traditio ſervetur, at which the Papiſts ſhout for joy more then Boyes when they have found the black in the Bean, as imagining this to be a ſtrong ground for their weak opinion of unwritten Traditions. But herein our Romaniſts run away like Boyes with a wrong errand, for though Cyprian commend the mixing of Wine & Water, as Dominicam Traditionem, yet doth he not mean an unwritten Tradition, for he goes to prove it from the Scriptures,Ration. Divin. offic. lib. 2. c. 30. as from that of Water and Blood iſſuing from our Saviours ſide on the Croſſe. And he ſaith at the Inſtitution our Saviour gave a mixed Cup.Conſecratio valida eſt cum ſolo • ino. You may ſee Durands, and the Papiſts fooliſh myſteries in their mixing of water with their Wine.Tolet. lib. 2 de Inſtitut Sacerdot. cap 25. In vino ſanguis Chriſti, in aqua populus repraeſentatur. And it is very true the Fathers in former times of old did uſe Vinum baptizatum, Whitaker 〈◊〉 d • ſput. de Sa •• Scrip cont. 1. Quaeſt. 6. cap. 12. or Crama Euchariſticum, Wine tempered with Water, as ſome call it, becauſe in the places where they lived the Wine was ſo ſtrong it had need to be well-tempered with water, at thoſe times eſpecially when they ſtudyed the moſt ſobriety and temperance, in drawing near into fellowſhip with Chriſt. Now Cyprians intent was not ſo much to prove, that we ought to uſe Water with our Wine, as to diſprove the judgement and practiſe of the Water-Heretiques,Theod. Balſamon in ſchol. ad Synod. in Truilo Can. 32. the Aquarii, that did contend onely water was to be uſed in the Sacrament, and ſo did celebrate. Theſe Aquarij were alſo called Hydroparaſtatae, an ancient Hereſie, that defended water was onely to be uſed in the Sacrament. The Armonians that ſaid, onely Wine without water was to be uſed, were both in ancient times counted Hereticks. Moreover, beyond all this, the Ancients ſome of them did not onely mixe cold Water, but (which ſome not acquainted with antiquity will wonder at) they did mixe hot water, or boyling water with the Wine. And this hot water they thus infuſed in way of devout ſignificancy, to minde the faith of the Receivers, that the Blood and water which flowed from Chriſts Side, were not dead and cold Elements, but that they were lively and effectuall; even hot water and blood, iſſuing from one, had yet the heat of life in him.

CHAP. XXIII.

HE hath a notable way to follow Allegories, and indeed the Genius of thoſe times made many Chriſtians in their writings on Scripture altogether Allegoricall. That of Salomon, Better is a morſell of Bread with love, then a ſtalled Oxe with hatred, is a Pool well fiſht, when he can catch this Fiſh in it, that it means the Chriſtians bread in the Sacrament is more acceptable to God, then the Jews killing a fat Oxe for a Sacrifice. This Jew, as ou • Saviour ſaid of the young man that came to him, and anſwered prudently, may well have it ſaid of him, Verily he is not farre from the Kingdome of Heaven; for here he commends the New Teſtament, and gives an Epithite as high as he can to the Goſpel of S. Matthew, calling it, The glorious Goſpell. And in it he praiſes that Statute of patience our Saviour will have obſerved by his ſubjects, If any man ſmite thee on the one Cheek, 16. Digreſ. turne to him the other alſo. This is better teſtimony, and fairer language, then the rabble of the Rabſhakeh Jews, both curſing and curſed, do commonly give, who call the Goſpell which is Evangelium, in ſcorn, Aven Gillaion, the Volume of lies, or va • ities. His perfidious fellow Rabbins will • ot thank him for writing ſo to the credit of the Goſpell,Munſter. in Annotat. ad Hebr. or praiſing any of the Pre • epts or Leſſons of Chriſt;Evangel. they can read • im another Lecture out of a Book among • hem called Toledoth, Matth. c. 1. Ieſus, Sed patibulo affixus interiit. wherein they • each to blaſpheme high enough,Quid iſtud ad cauſam? and then they ſpeak (as they think) well enough of Chriſt.Arnobius. That book is full of blaſphemies,Wolſius in memorab. lect. Tom. 2 centen 16. calling Chriſt Talui, De voce Halma Virgine & Iudëorum conv. tijs vide Iunium in Parallel lib. 1. par. 4. A Gallows Clapper, or A hanged Thief; Mariam, Harriam, Mary the bleſſed mother of Chriſt they call An • heap of Dung. In their calling Mary (as my Author has it) Harriam, I know not whether he doe not rather meane Chorim, which is obſcene and filthy in the ſenſe of it. As for Hariah it ſignifies A woman great with Childe, and if they call her ſo, they do it to blot her Virginity, as if ſhe were begot with Childe by man,Munſter. in Annotat▪ ad. Hebr. and ſo (with mouthes running over with blaſphemy and lies) they call her Sonah, Evangel. a Whore, or unchaſte woman, Matth. c. 1. the polluted one of the world. Sonah is the word by which Rahab is called 〈◊〉 . 2. 1. The Apoſtles and Martyrs of Chriſt they call Lenones: the Bread in the Sacrament, A polluted Body; the Church, Errour, and Preaching, Howling. They call our Feſtivall of the Lord Day, the day of ruine and deſtruction; Domus cloacarum diruat Deus Hieron. de ſanc. fid. the Chriſtians little ones they call Vermine, or creeping things. They are commanded when they paſſe by the Churches or Oratories of Chriſtians, to ſay this, The Lord deſtroy theſe houſes of Office. Out of the word Jeſu they make the number by the Letters of 316. and there they have Curſes and blaſphemies ſcarce to be named. O • the patience of the juſt Jeſus, that endures theſe wretches Helliſh Blaſphemies, & doth not ſuddenly let the Ocean of his wrath on earth carry them with a ſtrange Wave to the Ocean of everlaſting fire in Hell.

CHAP. XXVI.

IN this Chapter, that God hath let the Jews fall from him by a flatt Apoſtaſie, is the thing he would leave as a true concluſion in the concluſion of his Book, drawn from all the pre-cited Authorities, for them deeply to weigh and conſider. Two things I ſpecially minde in his Confeſſion, which are meer Jewiſh vanities. 1. The firſt, that they very earneſtly, though very idlely, do look for another Meſſias then Jeſus Chriſt, but all their expectations miſcarry, proving abortive and uncomfortable. 2. The ſecond is, that the Jews in their empty imaginations among themſelves in their Synagogues, do whiſper this as a truth, which is a clear lie, That their Meſſias was born in the Babylonian Captivity, though he do not yet manifeſt himſelf to Iſrael. For the firſt of theſe, how vainly they look after other Saviours, I ſhall prove by an Hiſtoricall exemplification annexed to that ſpeech of our Saviours to the Jews, Iohn 5. 46. to verifie it, I am come in my Fathers Name, and ye receive me not, if another ſhall come in his own name, him ye will receive. Our Samuel could give us in a large Catalogue, how oft the Jews have been gulled with Pſeudo-Meſſiahs, and falſe-Chriſts, that came in their own name; and the poor Jews have madly doted on them, as the only promiſed Meſſiah. 17. Digreſ. I ſhall endeavor to give ſome account of the notableſt deluſions that that people has groaned under in this kind. There were of theſe falſe-Chriſts, ſeducing many, ſome before the deſtuction of Ieruſalem, and ſome after, which for methods and orders ſake, we will in that manner reckon up.

1. There was one Theudas mentioned in the Acts of the Apoſtles,Acts 5. 3 • ▪ who roſe up, boaſting himſelf to be ſome body, to whom a number of men, about 400 joyned themſelves, who was ſlain, and all, as many as obeyed him, were ſcattered and brought to nought. Gerhard. Harmoniae Evangel. cap. 100. There is ſome difference about the time when this was, & whether Gamaliel mentioning one Theudas, & Joſephus writes of another, not this ſame. This Theudas that Ioſephus ſpeaks of was when Cuſpius Fadus was Preſident of Syria, about the 46. year of Chriſt, and this in the Acts, it is thought, was of another, & of another time. Ioſephus & Euſebius out of him, relates it thus, One Theudas a Magitian perſwaded a great multitude of people,Euſeb. hiſt. that taking all their wealth with them,Eccleſ. l. 2. c. 11. they ſhould follow him to the River Iordan, and he being a Prophet, (at leaſt inſpired ſo with his owne boaſtings) they ſhould ſee him divide the Streams with a word of his mouth, whereby they ſhould eaſily paſſe over; with which promiſe he deceived very many. But Fadus ſent ſome Troups of Horſe out againſt them, that they gained little by this dotage, for they ſuddenly ſetting upon them, ſlew many, took many alive, and among the reſt Theudas himſelf, whoſe head being cut off, they brought to Ieruſalem. Iudas of Galilee was a captain to ſome Rebels alſo,Hegeſip. excid. Hieroſol. lib. 3. cap. 14. promiſing to free the people from paying ſervile taxes to the Roman Emperour, whom they followed; but I know not whether he may be accounted among the falſe Chriſts. I omit another,Ioſeph. Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 5. that (as a cunning Impoſtor) led abundance of people after him to Mount Garazin, and deceived many Samaritans, whom Pilate ſet upon, and ſlew them, and brought their buſineſſe to nought.

The famous falſe Meſſias, was Barcochah, or Benchochab, that is, The ſonn of the Star, for he made himſelf the Meſſias, and ſaid that Scripture was ſpoke of him,Numb. 24. 17. There ſhall come a Starre out of Iacob, &c. Rabbi Akiba, a famous Doctor among them as any in thoſe times, when he ſaw him, he ſaid, This is the King, the Meſsias. Of this Akiba they ſay Moſes ſpoke that, O my Lord, ſend I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou wilt ſend. Now this Barcochab was in Ieruſalem before the deſtruction of it, as is ſaid, and Akiba applyed unto him that of the Prophet Haggai, The deſire of all Nations ſhall come. This mans ariſing and reigning they judge was not long after the Paſſion of Chriſt.Galatin. l▪ 4 de Arcan. Cathol. ver. c. 20. To him not onely the common people, but the chief Doctors and Rabbies did give conſent and counſell, and did aid him againſt the Romans, untill he periſht, and cauſed many to periſh, ſo as afterwards they ſaid his name was not Bencochab, but it was Bencozbi, The ſon of a lie.

Simon Magus would needs act the part of a falſe-Saviour,Hierom. in c. 24. Matth Aug de Haereſ. and carryed many after him, exceedingly bewitching and ſeducing the Samaritans and many others, ſaying of himſelf that he was the great power of God,Daneus in Aug. the Word of God, the faire one, the Comforter, the Almighty, the All things of God. He ſaid of himſelf, That he was God the Father that gave the Law on Mount Sinai;Hegeſipp. excid Hieroſol. lib. 3. c. 2. that Chriſt did not ſuffer really in the fleſh, but he himſelf was Chriſt, and he called a Whore that went about with him, one Helena, the Holy Ghoſt.

After the deſtruction of Ieruſalem ſome 48 years and an half,Porchet. was that other notable Cheat called Bencozbi, Galati • . a ſecond famous Impoſtor of the ſame name with the former;Gen. brard. ſo blinde and madd were the Jews,Gerhard. that they never remembred how ſore they paid for the entertaining of the other, that had the ſame name and folly. I know the Jews write ſomewhat confuſedly concerning theſe Barcochabs, and for moſt part mention little of the firſt, but attribute all to this laſt; yet others finde out there were two of them, and that out of their Writings. Very much is ſaid of this laſt, whoſe doings ſwallow up the memory of the firſt. The Jews that remained after Jeruſalem was deſtroyed, made a Citie called Bitter, the Metropolis and chief ſeat of the Kingdom, and took this falſe Chriſt for their King. Nay, R. Akiba, they write, was blinded the ſecond time, and proclaimed this Barcochab the Meſſias alſo. The Emperour Adrian beſieged them in the Citie Bitter three years and an half, at length he took it, and the head of Barcozbi was ſmitten off: in which War 45000 Jews were ſlaughtered; but make room for the Jew, his mouth runns over, and he cannot ſpeak a lie, but it muſt be of the firſt magnitude, and exceed all lies, for they write, that the Emperour Adrian ſlew in Bitter four hundred times ten thouſand, till the blood of the ſlain, like a river, rolled great ſtones in the ſtream of it, and carryed them into the Sea, which was four miles diſtant from the Citie. Nay, that all lyars may take a pattern, the Emperour Adrian (they ſay) had a Vineyard 18 miles in length, and 18 in breadth, and yet he hedged it about with the bodies of them that were ſlain in Bitter. Many other Hyperboles, none of the leaſt, they have about this Barcozbi, which I omit. In the Talmud they write, that Barcozbi ſaid to the Rabbins,In Gemara Sanhedrim. cap. 11. ſect. 15. ex verſ. Io. Coch. I am the Meſſias. The wiſe Maſters of the Jews ſaid to him again, It is written of the Meſſias, [quod odorans erit & judicans] Hee ſhall ſmell and judge, R David. Ganz Porchet. in victor. cont. hebr. part. 1. cap. 10. Eſay 11. 3. That is, he ſhall judge by ſmelling who is innocent, and who is guiltie; Let us ſee therefore whether thou beeſt able to judge by ſmelling; and when they ſaw his ſmelling was without this judgement, they ſlew him. This will ſcarce agree with ſo great a ſlaughter of Barcozbi, and all his people, by Adrians Forces. But certain it is, many Jews were now ſacrificed to the Romans furie by their ſword, that the Lord might thorowly execute his wrath upon them. This falſe Chriſt, they ſay, his reign and rule was ſome thirty years and a half, and ſome make it foretold in thoſe words of Daniel, Dan. 11. 34▪ Rab Iachiad paraph. in Daniel. paraphraſing them thus, Now when they ſhall fall (that is, the Iſraelites in the deſtruction of the Temple under Titus) they ſhall be holpen with a little help in the Kingdom of Bitter, (which remained to the 52 year after the deſtruction of the Temple) and many Iſraelites ſhall joyne with them in Bitter: but with flatteries, &c. Of this Barcozbi all our writers make mention, that ſpeak of thoſe times, and ſay, he tormented Chriſtians (whiles he had power) with all kinde of puniſhments,Iuſtinus Martyr. and put many to death,Euſeb. hiſt. lib. 4. cap. 8. if they would not deny and blaſpheme Chriſt. He is called by Euſebius, Barchochebas, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . He is called by Hierome in his Catalogue of Church Doctors,Hierom. in Catalog. that were Writers of Books,Mellific. hiſtor. P • tavius in Rationar. in the life of one Agrippa, ſurnamed Caſtor, Chocibus; and in that Book made Greek by Sophronius, Temp. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ; others call him Cuziba, Mornaeus. but under all theſe names is meant this ſonn of a lie,Io: Phiſon. Barcozbi, who named himſelf the ſon of a ſtarre; Dugo in Chriſtian. Inſtitut. if he were, it was like the bitter Starr Abſynthites, or Wormwood, that in the Citie Bitter brought ſuch ſore deſtruction upon his Countreymen. And yet Rabbi Lipman, the moſt blaſphemous of all Jewiſh Doctors, was not aſhamed to write, that this Bencozbi was one of the lawfull and right Princes of Iſrael, and of the familie of David; and his reaſon is, becauſe when he ſaid, I am the Meſsias, the Rabbins never asked him, Art thou of the Family of David? He judges they took it for granted, that he was ſo. But this may well beſeem the lying lip of Lipman, Writ about the year 1549. who hath writ a Book called Nitzachon, Buxtorf. in Biblioth. or, his book of victory and triumph over the Goſpell of Chriſt; Rabbinica. in which the blaſphemous Spider will needs finde lies, falſhoods, and vain things, and poyſonous untruths, to make Chriſt and our Religion ridiculous. Some learned Chriſtians have anſwered blaſphemous Hebrew, aud his Nitzachon, as Munſter in his Annotations to the Hebrew Goſpell of Matthew. Poſtellus follows Munſter, and we ſhall ſhortly ſee with us the learned Conſtantine L'Emperour, fully confuting this Nitzachon, ſo as to make ſuch blaſpheming Jewes leave all their curſed croaking and coaxation, 〈◊〉 . and make them as mute as the Seriphian Froggs, and give no croaking ſounds at all. Of Rabbi Akiba they write, that his Companions ſome nine were taken with him when Gozbi periſht, and they were put to cruell deaths, • . Gen • . in Annotat. ad Moſ. Maimon. 〈…〉 . for Akiba (if we durſt beleeve them) was put to death by an Iron Comb, with which his fleſh was torn off his body. And thus farr we have gone to ſhew the Tragedy of Bencochab, and Jewiſh dotage.

In the Reign of Theodoſius the ſecond, came Moſes of Crete to act his part of a falſe Saviour,Ann. 434. giving out he was ſent from Heaven, and was a ſecond Moſes, he would lead al the Jews that followed him, thorow the ſea to the Continent, dry-ſhod. For a year together he perſwaded them in their Cities and Townes, to leave all their riches and follow him, & he would carry them to the promiſed Land. At an appointed day to paſſe the Sea, great multitudes of men, women and Children repaire to him, whom he brings to an high Promontory hanging over the Sea, he bidds them caſt themſelves down, which multitudes did,Soc • a. hiſt. and periſht, being daſht in pieces on the Rock,Eccleſ. lib. 7. cap. 3 • . or drowned in the Sea. Many were ſaved, that were about to caſt themſelves down, by ſome Chriſtian Merchants and Fiſhers, that diſſwaded them from ſo madd and murderous an Act, and who helpt to draw many out of the Sea, and ſaved them from drowning. The Jews ſeeing the great Deluſion, thought to lay hands upon the Impoſtor, but their falſe Moſes, as if he had been a true Devill, was gone and vaniſht they knew not whether, nor how. This was an occaſion to bring many Jews to embrace the Chriſtian faith, and to leave the way of Judaiſm, ſubject to ſuch dangerous and coſtly deceits.

Of another falſe Prophet Moſes Mamonides makes mention, who aroſe in the Southern parts, and told the people he was the fore-runner of the Meſsias, and that in thoſe parts he ſhould ſhortly appear, and he invited them, Come ye with me, and let us goe meet the Meſsias, Ex Epiſt. R. Moſ. ad Iudae • s in Marſili • . for he hath ſent me unto you, that I may prepare the way before him. After a year he was taken, they that did cleave to him fled away, and an Arabian King that took him, asking him why he did this, and he anſwering, I did it by command from God: he further demanded, What Miracle or wondrous thing canſt thou do to confirme this? He replyed, My Lord the King, cut off my head, and after that I will riſe again, and live as I did before. The King ſaid, Thou canſt not do a greater thing then this, bring but this to paſſe, and then I and all the world ſhall beleeve thy ſayings are true and good, and that our Anceſtors have inherited vanity and lies, which profited them not. His head by the Kings appointment was cut off, but he never yet was as good as his word, to appear alive again, though ſome Jews are ſo devoid of judgement, as to expect his reviving, and look for his appearing. 〈…〉 .

There was Rex Thaborius, one called the King of Thabor, that would needs be a Meſſias, whom Charles the fift cauſed to be burnt. Maimonides reckons up four more obſcure falſe Chriſts, that did ariſe among the Jews in Spain and France, and brought miſery upon themſelves aud the Jews.

Among theſe Impoſtors was David El-David, Ann. •• 35 or David Elroi, in the Citie Omadia, ſubject to the King of Perſia; he had ſome Power by Praeſtigiation and Magique, whereby he did work great Signes, and marvellous things, and gathered people to make warre with all Nations.Buxtorf ex lib▪ Scheb. Iud. Some ſaid this great power of his was from the ſpeciall vertue of God in him, and as he called himſelf,Gul. Vorſt. ex Moſe Maimon. ſo they counted him the Meſsias, as he ſaid to the King of Perſia, I am the Meſſias, and God hath ſent me to deliver the Children of Iſrael. The King caſt him in Priſon, and ſaid, If thou canſt deliver thy ſelf; I ſhall know thereby whether thou be the Chriſt or no: if thou doſt not deliver thy ſelf, I will put thee to death, becauſe thou art a fool. But the Jugler got from Bonds, and though the King ſent Horſmen, and great ſtrength to take him, yet they returned, and ſaid, they could do nothing; for they fable, that in one day he could paſſe over as much ground as would ſerve one ten dayes ordinarily to travell, by the Art of Schemamphoras. Hereupon the King himſelf and his Nobles did aſſay to overtake, and take him, and comming to a rivers ſide they called on him, though they ſaw him not; he anſwered, Are ye not fools? Behold, I go my journey, if you have any power, follow me. He ſpread his Handkerchief upon the flood Gozan, and ſo he preſently paſſed over, the King and his ſervants ſeeing it, and beholding it. Then the King broke out, No man can do this, but he whom the King of the world hath ordained King; and he would needs make him King, but that his Nobles endeavoured to perſwade him, that many ſuch things might be done by meer Magique, & eye-deluſion. At length the Jews (to prevent the great miſery that was comming upon them by reaſon of him) uſed means to get him to a Feaſt and banket;Benjamin. in Itinerar. after which (being aſleep in his drunkenneſſe) his head was cut off, and there was the end of the cheat-Saviour.

I name but another crack in the Jews brain,Pet. Cluniac. lib. contra Iud. c. 4. and then I leave this doting upon falſe Chriſts. A King in Africa made warre againſt the King of Marocco, who oft having the day, (to get a better part in the hearts of his people) by a fained humility, he would needs ride alwayes upon an Aſſe, which got him a name, that he was called The King of Aſſes. The fame of which, meeting with the Jews ears, (moſt ſhut to the true Chriſt, moſt open to falſe Chriſts) they preſently erect their hearts with hope, and are ready to ſay as Andrew, VVe have found the Meſſias. Many of them affirmed, the King of whom Zacharie propheſied,Zach. • . he ſhould come riding upon an Aſſe, was now come. Thus the Oxe knows his owner, and the Aſſe his Maſters Cribb, but the Jews will not know, nor conſider, but are ready to follow every Aſſe, ſooner then to embrace Chriſt. I ſuppoſe, one may probably gueſſe, this may be he that was called Bejezid, Leo African. in deſcrip. Afric. the Preacher; who was famous for this Title, Aſininus Eques, the Knight of the Aſſe, and had an Army of 40000. By this time we have made R. Samuels words good, that they have in vain looked for a Saviour, and yet all their profit hath been put in a bagge with holes.18 Digreſ.

I fall upon a ſecond note, their concluſion maintained among them, That their Meſſias is come, and was born in the Babyloniſh Captivitie. Our Chriſtian Jew well confutes this, becauſe none ever lived a thouſand years upon earth, by the confeſſion of all men. Methuſalem, the greateſt Heir of gray hairs & long life upon earth, had his thred ſpun forth to 969 years, none had more. But if Chriſt were born in the deſolation of the ſecond houſe, at the time of Samuels writing his Book, he ſhould be a thouſand and fifty years old, and who but a Jew can have a faith bigge enough to receive and beleeve ſuch a fable? Divers do beleeve their Meſſiah was born then, and that he is kept ſecret by God, and muſt hereafter be manifeſted to Iſrael.Munſter. de fide Iudeor. Well, where is this Meſſiah all this while? Some ſay, God keeps him in the Garden of Paradiſe, till the time appointed come; and in Paradiſe, if one could get in, they might finde him faſt tyed to the hair of a woman, nay, and they have Scripture for it too in Canticles 7. 5. Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like Purple, the King is held in the Galleries. You muſt here favour their Interpretation, and take the Galleries for Paradiſe, and take the King for the Meſſias; and then you muſt ſuppoſe, when its ſaid. He is held in the Galleries, that he is held by a womans hair, which is here ſaid to be like Purple. Rabbi Salomon, though he have a wiſe name, is not aſhamed to have too much reſpect to this wiſe Expoſition. Others ſay he is all this while about the City of Rome, in Gemara ſanhedr. c. 11. ſect. 33. and he ſits among the Beggars, and Lepers, and ſuch as are full of ſores and botches; or he lies in Vaults, and places under the earth, rent and gnawed by Dogs; and he ſhews his wounds, the effects of thoſe gnawings▪ and that he ſuffers all this for the iniquities and ſinnes of the Jews, Pet Cluniac. contr. Iud. c. 3. according as they ſay it is written, He was wounded for our iniquities, for our ſinnes was he bruiſed, Eſay 53. Mark how they ſee, and yet are blinde; they ſee that Propheſie points at Chriſt, and will not ſee it fulfilled in our Chriſt. Many blinde gueſſes, & bold predictions they have had, ſetting down a year, when the Meſsias ſhould appear, but all of them have left them lyars, and added to their miſery perpetuall fruſtrations. Rabbi Salomon gave them hopes, that their new Law ſhould begin at the devaſtation of the Temple, about 1390. but herein he had Daniel his ſtrong adverſary, and they failed in their waiting.Poſtel. de concord. orb t •• rae lib. 4. One Zaadias gave them hopes at the year 1200, but there their Egg was addle alſo, and brought them forth nothing but winde. They had a generall appointment of a publick repentance among all the Jews, men, women and Children, old and young, all over in the Captivitie,Munſter. kept almoſt a whole year in humiliation, never ſuch humbling ſo ſolemnly, ſince their humbling in the year of Chriſt 1502, for the comming of their Chriſt; and yet all this was anſwered with a nullity of any Signe, Miracle, Whiſper, concerning any new Saviour; and they were forced to conclude, All our ſupplications, humiliations, and prayers are nothing but emptineſſe, and rejected of God. Rabbi Abraham Avenares ſet down a year for their Meſsias to come 1444,Voſſius de Orig Idololat lib. 2. c. p. 48. when Iupiter and Saturn ſhould meet in Cancer; but his Aſtrologie was a meer Cancer, proved Cripple, and creeping too ſhort of performance. Abravenel ſets down another year in the conjunction of Piſces, and they caught no fiſh in their Net that year 5224. At length they are come to a wiſe reſolution,In Gemara Sanhedr. cap 11. ſect. • 0. Let their Bones be broken, and let them breath their laſt, Vae determinantibꝰ tempus adventus Meſſiae. that compute years, and ſet down any periods or limits of time. They have been ſo often gulled, they will hearken to no conjectures any more. It were well they would make this Reſolution as Braſſe,Mornaeus de verit. and ſtrong as Iron.Chriſt. relig. cap. 29. Themſelves in this Confeſſion grant they are in a Cloud of confuſion, and and that they are blinded of God, and know not what to do. Nor are they ſuch as deny large Confeſſions of the blindneſſe of their times; for if the firſt were the ſonnes of men, we are, they ſay, meer Aſſes, nay, we are not ſo good as an Aſſe. R. Afhu, being asked when the Meſsias ſhould come by a prophane and wicked man,Porchetus ex R. Zera. he anſwered, Then when darkneſſe ſhall poſſeſſe you. He ſaid to him, Thou curſes me; but he replyed again, It is the word of the Scripture, Behold, darkneſſe ſhall cover the earth, and groſſe darkneſſe the people, but the Lord ſhall ariſe upon thee, Gemar. and his glory ſhall be ſeen upon thee, Eſay 60. 2. Sanhedr. cap. 11. ſect. 36. In which he plainly confeſſes, no marvell if the Jews ſtumble, becauſe they ſhall be left in a thick ſpirituall Myſt of blindneſſe.Eſay 6. Blindneſſe in part is happened to Iſrael,Ro. 11. 25. untill the fulneſſe of the Gentiles be come in.Figveiro in Malac. They frame their faith into an imagination of two Meſſiahs that ſhall come,Porchet. the one the ſonne of Ioſeph, the other the ſonne of David; His glorie is like the firſtling of a Bullock, Deu. 33. 17. that is, the ſonne of Ioſeph. Zach. 9. 9. He is lowly, riding upon an Aſſe, and upon a Colt the Foal of an Aſſe; Buxtorf. this is their Meſſias the ſonne of David. Both theſe they will needs finde in the 32 of Eſay, Bleſſed are ye that ſow beſide all waters, Man •• s • h Ben Iſrael. de reſur. mort. l 3. c. 5. that ſend forth thither the feet of the Oxe and the Aſſe. Theſe two are both but one Ieſus Chriſt, for he was the ſonne of Ioſeph that was betrothed to his Mother, his ſon, not by the fleſh, but by education and bringing up.Rurſus l. 3. c. 11. Beſides, he was the ſon of David by the glorious Virgin his Mother, who by the fleſh deſcended from the Seed of David. Meſſias the ſon of Ioſeph being dead, Meſſias the ſon of David (they beleeve) ſhall raiſe him again. Their Meſſias ſhall make them great Feaſts, and Marry a Wife, Kings daughters ſhall be among his honourable women: on his right hand ſhall ſtand his Queen in Gold of Ophir. The Kings of the world will think themſelves highly honoured, if any of them could get the Meſſias to marry their daughter. He ſhall beget Children, and ſee his childrens children, and after he ſhall die as other men: but his children ſhall rule and reign over Iſrael. And whiles they are thus under their Meſsias, the Chriſtians ſhall do all their works & drudgery without any wages, Earth ſhall bring forth fruits for them preſently after they are ſown; all kinde of pleaſure & peace ſhal they have, &c. Thus they grow up from dotage to dotage, and wander without end, in the framing to themſelves a carnall Saviour, and a ſenſuall ſalvation. Let the 11 Chapter of the Gemara of the Sanhedrin be peruſed, and there is enough from the Jews to ſtop the mouthes of the Jews concerning the expectation of any other Meſſiah beſides Ieſus Chriſt. My intentions are not a f • ll confutation of them, but onely the confirmation of Samuels Arguments.

CHAP. XXVII.

HE pleads againſt the Jews, that they (through incredulity and obſtinacy) will not receive Chriſt, by the teſtimony of Saracens and Mahumetans concerning him: Whence we note,19 Digreſ. that Chriſts bittereſt and blaſphemouſeſt enemies are the Jews, his own Countreymen, and Brethren after the fleſh. Venit ad ſuos, & ſues eum non receperunt, as the Waldenſes in their Writings have it.Socra. hiſt Eccleſ. l. 5 c. 20. They are pertinacious and ſt • ffe-hearted, nothing will convince them. Sabbatius a Jew was baptized and made a Chriſtian Miniſter,R. David Ganz. in Tzemach David, ſeu Chronol. ſacro prophan. he yet afterwards did ſecretly abide in his Jewiſh infidelitie. When any of their Zealots are put to death for ſome pranks againſt Chriſt, and Goſpell, as blaſphemy or perfidiouſneſſe, yet if their Writers mention it, their evill deaths are commonly ſet out with this phraſe,Idem▪ He was ſlain [propter ſanctificationem Dei] for the ſanctifying of God; Hebrae • quidam contra a •• mi 〈…〉 tentiam baptizat • abluerunt baptiſmū Cedren ad Imperat I • eon. 〈◊〉 reg • . Hector Pintus in Ezechiel, c. 1. 16. as they ſay of R. Mordechai at Norenberge. R. Ganz relating how five thouſand Jews were put to death, he ſaith they were burnt in fire [propter ſanctificationem Dei, neque ſtultitiam vel peccatum tribuerunt Deo] nor charged they God with ſin or folly, that is, They did not renounce their Judaiſme. R. Amnon publikely ſanctified the Lord by his death. So Rabbi Abraham ſanctificavit ſeipſum propter nomen proprium, ſeu Dei. A Chriſtian diſputing with Jews at Rome, when by Scripture he clearly convinced them, yet they remitted nothing of their pertinacie; nay one of them anſwered, Although thou ſhouldeſt ſhew it to me as clear as the Noone-dayes light, that Chriſt is the Meſsias, yet I am reſolved of one thing, I will not beleeve it.

It is reported at Coleine there was a Jew (as was thought) converted to the Chriſtian Faith, initiated by Baptiſm, growing up to many years, a little before his death he rejected with execration the Chriſtian Religion, and profeſſed his Jewiſh miſ-belief, which, it was judged, he had abandoned. Hereupon dying they made this Embleme be infixed on his Tomb;Lau Bayer link. in theatr. Mag. a Mouſe is repreſented purſuing a Catt, with this Inſcription, Quando mus felem capiet, Iudaeus etiam converſus manebit Chriſtianus; VVhen a Mouſe ſhall catch a Cat, then a Jew, converted to be a Chriſtian, will remain a firme Chriſtian. By which it is in a manner concluded, that it is amongſt incredibles, to think that any Jew will heartily convert and turn to Chriſt. Yet God has a time, and a power, and a way to raiſe up theſe ſtones, and make them children to Abraham. Ʋſquequo Domine. O for the time when the Jews ſhall be ſeene mourning over Jeſus, whom they have pierced!

The laſt thing is induction of Alcoran Teſtimonies concerning Chriſt, ſome have done it beſides this man, as Dionyſius à Rickel. It was the good intent of the Jew, to ſhame his Countreymen any way out of their infidelity, and might be provoked by the very Turks to think and ſpeak better of Chriſt.20 Digreſ. But here is the Poyſon, if they write one ſyllable of truth concerning Chriſt, they line it with ſo many Lies, as makes it abominable.Euthimius in Panopl. Dogmat. Sylb • rg • i Saruc • nica ſeu Mahometica. Poſtell. Concord. Orb. Terrae This is one of their ſentences concerning Chriſt, The Word of God, and his Spirit entred into Mary the ſiſter of Moſes and Aaron, and ſhe without Seed did bring forth Ieſus Chriſt, who was a Prophet and ſervant of God. Mark what non-Divinity is here, not ſpeaking as the Goſpell ſpeaks, The Word of God and Spirit entred into Mary. Mark what non-ſenſe and non-reaſon is here, that Mary the Mother of Chriſt was the ſame with Miriam the ſiſter of Moſes and Aaron, whereas that Miriam lived thouſand • of years before Mary Chriſts Mother was born. I could alledge ſome good ſayings of theirs concerning Chriſt, but that the Devill is to be rebuked ſpeak he never ſo well.Ex lib. Suneh In So • a E • neſae. They ſay Jeſus the ſon of Mary ſhall deſcend from Heaven to earth in the day of the Reſurrection, and ſhall judge the world in it with juſt judgement.In Teſchere Elimam. Again, Ieſus ſhall ſlay men, and ſhall bring forth Gog and Magog, and they ſhall die, but Ieſus ſhall remain alive, and they that partake of his faith. What ever they ſay of Chriſt it matters not, for though they make him great, yet they put him but as a Servingman to Mahomet, whom they alwayes exalt higher. It is verily beleeved, they ſay, by many wiſe and learned Heads,Richard. ord. Praedicat. in confutat. Alcorani c. 13 even in Arabia, and followed with reaſons to prove it, that the firſt Author of the Alcoran was not man, but the Devill, exceedingly envying the Faith of Chriſt in the Orientall Parts very much ſpreading, and Idolatry decaying, to the deſtruction of which Chriſtian faith this Helliſh invention he ſuppoſed might mightily prevail. A Religion it is full of vanitie, ſo as their Alcoran may well without tongue-ſtumbling be called Acheron, there are ſo many both doltiſh, and Devilliſh untruths and vanities in it. This we write not from vain hearſayes, and far off reports, their Alcaron, and other Mahumetan Volumes of Divinity being tranſlated long ſince into the Latine Tongue, and to be found amongſt us.The like did Poſtellus undertake. Yet if any deſire ſufficient witneſſe, the learned Clenard of Lovan will be admitted by all to ſpeak truth in this, as being beyond exception, who lived amongſt them a long time, ſpending his laſt ſtudies and age in Africa, of purpoſe to learn the Arabick Tongue,Clenard. in Epiſt. ad Carolum Cae • arem Auguſt. and to confute the Alcaron in its own Language, if God had given him extent of life to perfect his intents. Theſe he relates as parts and Parcels of their Divine Volumes. 1. That Mahomet had a far greater ſpirit of propheſie then Chriſt. 2. That Mahomet had but juſt 14 white Hairs in his head and Beard. 3. That there ſhall be far more women in Paradiſe then men. 4. That an old woman praying to Mahomet, he would commend her to God, and give her a place in Paradiſe, he ſmiled on her, and ſaid, not one old woman enters Paradiſe. Not to name the Paradiſe promiſed to them to be like a pleaſant place provided for luſts of Boyes, and fair women; that the Sunne and Moon ride upon Horſes; that when the Moon was in pieces Mahomet ſewed it together again. In the Chapter Elgem is written, that the Devils are pleaſed with the Alcoran, and much delighted in it. It is much for their credit to make their Alcoran the Devils, and to ſay it pleaſes them. Such as this is their Divinity, or Vanitie rather, which ſhould call for our Tears rather then our Laughter, conſidering how farre this Doctrine of Soul-deluſion,Quid enim eſt hod • è Chriſtiani • mus, ſi ſp • ctes Gentes Mahometi? nimirum quod olim Iudaea comparata mundo reliquo. Clenard lib. 1. and Damnation is ſpread. For profeſſion of Chriſtianity, if we look at Mahometan Kingdomes, and Countreys, carries no larger bulk, then as Jewrie once compared to the whole world beſides. And now (to our ſhame) theſe latter times are become the ſink of all Hereſies, ſome are become ſo unchriſtian, as they are almoſt Mahometans by faith and doctrine. For are there not amongſt us that are Arians, Epiſt. Iac. La •• mo praeceptori. Socinians, Puccians, Antitrinitarians, and do not all theſe conſpire in divers points of Religion with the very Turkiſh Alcoran? Was it not Sergius a Neſtorian, and John an Arrian, that helped to compile and make the Alcoran? Do not the Arians and Socinians ſay as ſcornfully of the eternall Godhead of Chriſt, as the Mahometans do, How could God have a ſonne ſince he has not a Wife? Did not Servetus (a father of the Socinians) ſay,So • in. in epiſt. • . ad Dudith. that the Alcoran of Mahomet, and the Doctrine of the Church might well be reconciled,Puccius de univerſ. Redemp. if the doctrine of the Trinitie were but left out? Our Puccians, Socinians, and others among us, ſay, that all men, whether Lutherans, Calviniſts, Anabaptiſts, Arians, ſo they live piouſly and honeſtly, without doubt ſhall be ſaved? So ſaith the Turkiſh Alcoran, that every one of good life,See Rutherfords Survey. whether Jew or Chriſtian, and that worſhips God, ſhall be made partaker undoubtedly of the Divine love.

Immortality of the ſoul is more ſleighted by ſome of ours,Azoar. 12. then ever it was by the Mahometans. Beza ep. 81▪ Me • ch. Adam in vita Gerlachii. And this is notoriouſly known in the world amongſt Divines, that if any Chriſtians turn Mahometans, they begin with Arianiſme, and Socinianiſme, and then Turciſme is not ſo ſtrange a thing.Calovi • s in Pſeudo Theol. Socin. ort. Iohn Paul Alciat, and Adam Neuſer, after (with Socinus) they had oppugned the Doctrine of the Trinitie, they turned Turks, and embraced the Doctrine of Mahomet. It is the juſt hand of God, that they who curiouſly and ſcornfully touch that flaming myſterie of Faith, God manifeſt in the fleſh, and the high Doctrine of the Perſons, whiles they cannot finde it in reaſon, they burne both their reaſon and religion in the flame,Mortuis autotibꝰ hujus veneni, ſcelera tamen eorum, & doctrina non moriuntur. and chuſe to deny the doctrine, becauſe they cannot deſcrie it by humane reaſon. Thus the ancient Monſters of Blaſphemie, though they be dead, yet their errours and wickedneſſe die not. I conclude with that of Petrarch, which,Phaebadius Epiſc. in lib contra Arian. O that it had the like or better operation in our hearts, and if our hearts be right, they will thus riſe; The more, ſaith he, I hear ſpoken againſt Chriſt, it makes me love Chriſt the more, Petrarc. de ignorantia ſuiipſ. & multor. and grow firmer in the Faith▪ [Saepe me Chriſtum ipſum Teſtor de Chriſtiano Chriſtianiſsimum Haereticorum fecere blaſphemiae;] I call Chriſt to witneſſe, oftentimes the blaſphemies of Hereticks of Chriſtian have made me moſt Chriſtian; have brought me from a leſſe degree, to a more high degree in the Chriſtian Faith.

To ſumme up all, conſider but how this Jew hath (like a Chriſtian) profeſſed Chriſts ſinnleſſe Conception and Birth of a Virgin, his Divinitie, that he is the Son of God, the Righteous One; that he lived poorly, by the Jews was miſerably Crucified, that he was Buried, roſe again, aſcended into Heaven; that he ſhall come again gloriouſly to judge the world; that hee hath caſt off the Jews becauſe they will not beleeve in him; that he beleeves the Goſpell to be a glorious truth, and the Chriſtian Religion onely pleaſing to God, and all Jewiſh Rites abominable: and laſtly, that he writes none can be ſaved that do not beleeve this, that Chriſt is the Sonn of God, and the alone promiſed Meſsiah; and for not receiving this, the Jews are captived and accurſed, and under Gods great wrath, whiles they look for ſalvation by any other. All this conſidered, what hinders but we may be bold to ſay of R. Samuel, Behold a Chriſtian Iſraelite indeed, in whom remains no Jewiſh guile.

Tertul. lib. de Anima.Solem Aquila confitetur, negat Noctua.

The Creed of Rabbi Samuel, or Articles of his Faith,21. Digreſ. accordingly as he profeſſes them in this Book, as may be found diſperſed in the Chapters, out of which I have reduced it into this form.

1. I Beleeve there are two commings of Chriſt. 2. And that in the firſt comming Jeſus Chriſt was born of the Virgin Mary without ſinne, and without Man. 3. And that he was crucified and ſold to death by our Forefathers the Jews, unjuſtly, cruelly and bloodily. 4. I beleeve that the Jews are in a great ſin, for which they are under the wrath of God, in a long captivity, & that this ſin was the ſelling of that Juſt Jeſus. 5. I beleeve they are full of blindneſſe, and all their Sacrifice and ſervice is abhominable to God, and that the Gentiles are received in their ſtead, by faith in Jeſus Chriſt; & that the Service and Sacraments of the Gentiles (according to the Goſpell) are acceptable to God. 6. I beleeve the Jews do blindly and vainly wait for another Saviour, and that we ſhall never be delivered from our miſery, till we look upon him whom we have pierced. 7. And that all this curſed ſtate of the Jews was plainly foretold by the Prophets, and begun to come to paſſe after the death of Jeſus. 8. I beleeve, the Chriſtians Apoſtles come in room of the Jews prophets. 9. And that the Jews do in vain finde fault with, and blame the obſervances of the Chriſtians. 10. I beleeve that Jeſus Chriſt is riſen from the dead, and 11, Aſcended into Heaven. 12. I verily beleeve he ſhall come again to judge both Iew and Gentile, and that the unbelieving Iew cannot be ſaved, but muſt go into everlaſting death; and they that beleeve in Ieſus Chriſt into everlaſting life.

Iohn 1. 41. & 45.

VVe have found the Meſſias, which is, being iwterpreted, the Chriſt.

VVe have found him of whom Moſes in the Law and the Prophets did write, Ieſus of Nazareth the ſonne of Ioſeph.

Vivit in excelſis Chriſtus, nec vivere vellem, Si non Immanuel viveret ille meus.

A Poſtſcript Addition to the Annotations. Adde this to the reading of the third Digreſſion in the firſt Chapter.

TOuching Hebrew learning, and ſtudying Jewiſh Authors, it is to be taken heed by us, that want of inſight into them do not make us blindly to condemn all that is in them. Towards which well may we ſet down what a Roman Doctor once ſaid of this way of Learning; He being asked what the Cabala was, (which is the Jews Theologie, Ore tradita, Aure accepta) he anſwered, it was a certain perfidious and devilliſh man,Io. Picus Mirand. in Apolog. ad Concluſ. 5. whoſe name was Cabala, and this man had written many things againſt Chriſt; hereupon the followers of this man were afterward called Cabaliſts. This man was out of all danger of what was ſaid of Paul, that too much learning ſhould make him madd. Ignorance, the leſſe it judges, the more it accuſes and ſpeaks evill. Whether the Jews live among us, or no, it is very expedient we ſhould be able to defend our ſelves, and confute them out of Scriptures, and out of their Writings too, for how great a blott would it bee to have them ſtop our mouthes. Pellican, that famous German Divine,Melch. Adam. in vit. the great Magazine of Hebrew Learning,Pellicani. confeſſes, that ever ſince he was a Boy of eleven years age, he much longed to learn the Hebrew Tongue, and that which ſtirred up his earneſt appetite was this: He at that age, being among ſome other Boyes, heard a Doctour of Divinity diſputing with a Jew about the Chriſtian Faith, and the Chriſtian Divine was much confounded in making his anſwers to the Jew; yea, and withall a Jewiſh woman ſet upon him, and ſet him very hard alſo. Hereupon he was much aſtoniſhed, and exceedingly grieved at it, as a ſtumbling-block of offence to his conſcience, ſeeing the Chriſtian Faith by this Doctour underpropt with ſuch unſolid and weak Arguments, as Iews could overthrow them in the diſputes of learned Divines. This made him long to be more deeply ••• red into Hebrew letters, and more able to maintain the onely truth, in which he grew like Saul, he was higher then moſt of the Divines of his time in this Learnings ſtature.

Additions to the ſixt Digreſſion in the ſeventh Chapter.

THough we have ſhewn the fifty third Chapter of Eſay to bee meant of Chriſt the Sonne of God, and that out of the Confeſſions of Iews; yet becauſe we have light upon more lightſom evidence ſince that was firſt Writ, I thought good to adde ſomething here, becauſe that Chapter is a clear Starre as it were, ſet in heaven by God, to guide the Iews to Ieſus, if they be not in love with wilfull blindneſſe. Let us hear him that was once a Iew ſpeak, and tell us how, and by what means he was induced to lay hold on the Chriſtian Faith, and convert to Chriſt, and this is Iohannes Iſaacus a German Iew, and after a Chriſtian Profeſſour at Coleine in the year 1558. theſe are his words, This I do ingenuouſly profeſſe, that that very Chapter, the fifty third of Eſay, Ioan. Iſaac. in defenſ. did draw me to the Chriſtian Faith. For more (ſaith he) then a thouſand times have I read that Chapter thorow, Heb. verit. ſacr. Scrip. contr. Lindanum, l. 2. and I have very accurately compared it with many Tranſlations, by which I have found there is an hundred times more myſterie concerning Chriſt contained in the Hebrew Text, then can bee found in any other Tranſlation. And then he declares, how at Frankford he diſputed with five Rabbins, whom, with arguing out of that Chapter, he ſo did drive into ſtraits, and ſtop their mouthes, that they had not a word to anſwer againſt his Arguments and Reaſons.

Diego Payva Andradius, the great Defender of the great offending Councell of Trent, Andrad. in defenſ. brings us in more Iewiſh witneſſe for this Chapter againſt the Iews; Concil. I know here ſome (ſaith he) of no vulgar learning among Hebrews, Trident. lib. 4. that inhabit the inner Africa, that were induced by the reading of the fifty third Chapter of Eſay onely, to leave houſe, Countrey, friends, fair Eſtates, Parents, and with inflamed deſires of ſoul to conſecrate themſelves to Chriſt. I asked (ſaith he) ſome of theſe Iews, that came out of Africa into Portugall, to be entred among Chriſtians by Baptiſm, what it was in that 53 of Eſay, that did ſo much trouble them, that they could not deny thoſe things to be true concerning Ieſus Chriſt the Sonne of God, which are delivered by us, to which they returned me this anſwer, alwayes that which we tranſlate & read percuſſum à Deo, ſmitten of God, they uſe to interpret, percuſſus Deus ipſe & humiliatus, God himſelf was ſmitten and humbled. By which words they aſſure themſelves, that whole Chapter is to be underſtood not of of ſome man, but of God himſelfe made man, that he might blot out our ſinnes.

I conclude this with that of A Lapide the Jeſuite,Cor. à lap. in Iſai. cap. 53. that which (ſaith he) is tranſlated by the Syrians percuſſum Dei, or à Deo, ſmitten of God, out of the Hebrew may be turned thus, percuſſum Deum & humiliatum, God ſmitten and humbled, Mucke elohim umeunne. This very ſame thing (ſaith he) did a famous Jew tell me himſelf at Rome. We ſee when God opens Jews eyes, they ſtand not ſo much upon Grammer, but here neglect that, to pitch upon the ſubſtantiall truth, and aske not leave at the Rules of Art, when God is bringing them to the Rule of Faith.

FINIS.