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the Jewish people now altogether unacquainted with the Greek literature. Their three sects of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes, had occasioned disputes and controversies, and spread the knowledge of the things of religion among them.

It is amazing that a prophet who teaches men a reasonable doctrine, and works many miracles, all useful and beneficent, should be rejected. And it would be still more amazing, were it not that we are in some measure able to account for it, by the bad dispositions before taken notice of. Jesus gave no sign from heaven to induce them to expect from him (what suited their carnal and ambitious views) a deliverance from the Roman government. And all other works of mighty power and of great goodness, were slighted and despised. Thus prejudice and passion prevailed against evidence. And it is a great aggravation of the guilt of any men, who are knowing and discerning, if they reject the truth of which good evidences are set before them. Our Lord having made some remarks after the cure of the man born blind, and after his being excommunicated by the Pharisees, John ix. 39-41, some of them who heard him said unto him: Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them: If ye were blind ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."

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Thus they were incurable. And these evil dispositions prevailing in them, brought on that great sin of rejecting and crucifying the Lord Jesus, which God has required of them.

The destruction therefore of the city of Jerusalem, and the temple, and the continued dispersion of the Jews, are a cogent argument for the truth of the Christian religion. They confirm the history of the New Testament and every part of it. If they had not sinned, as they are there said to have done, these calamities had not befallen them. Their sufferings bear witness to the spotless life, and excellent doctrine, and wonderful works, of the Lord Jesus. They testify that there had been one among them greater than Jonah, and wiser than Solomon; but they slighted all his wisdom and repented not, as the people of Nineveh did at the preaching of Jonah.

They confirm particularly the history recorded in Luke xxiii. 1-25: "And the whole multitude of them" [that is, many of the Jewish council] " arose, and led him unto Pilate, saying: We found this man perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cæsar, saying, that he himself is Christ, a king. Pilate then asked him, saying: Art thou the king of the Jews? And he answered him, and said, Thou sayest it." [It is as you say.] "Then said Pilate to the chief priests, and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, saying: He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place." He then sent Jesus to Herod, who sent him back again to Pilate." After which, when Pilate had called together the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people, he said unto them: Ye have brought this man unto me as one that perverteth the people; and behold, I having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching these things whereof ye accuse him. No, nor yet Herod; for I sent you to him. And lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast. And they cried out, all at once, saying: Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas (who, for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison,). Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying: Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time: Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him. I will therefore chastise him and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified: and the voices of them and the chief-priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they desired : but he delivered Jesus to their will." Or as in Matt. xxvii. 24, 25, 26. “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying: I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said: His blood be upon us, and our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them. And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified."

To these things the destruction of Jerusalem, and the present circumstances of the Jews, bear witness; as also to the resurrection of Jesus, and his ascension to heaven, and to the plentiful effusion of spiritual gifts afterwards upon his apostles, and others; whereby they were enabled to preach the heavenly doctrine, in which their Lord and Master had instructed them. He commanded them to "preach repentance and remission of sins in his name, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke xxiv. 47. And that they did so, preaching repentance toward God, and

faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ:" or, that they did earnestly call upon the Jewish people in Judea, and elsewhere, to repent of their sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus; and that they did not receive their instructions and warnings, but killed some of them, scourged others, and persecuted them from city to city:' To all these things, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, and other calamities brought upon the Jewish people, bear witness: and thus they filled up the measure of their iniquity.

The argument, upon which I have now insisted, is not new; it is old; and has been well managed by divers ancient Christian writers. I shall place below the observations made upon the long captivity of the Jews by Jerom* and by Prudentius in their own language. I believe they will be perused with pleasure by some of my readers: and I refer to a place of Chrysostom which was formerly quoted more at large. I likewise refer to Origen.

Nor can it be said that God has been unrighteous in his dealings with them. All these judgments befell them, according to the original plan of providence concerning them, and according to the prophetic denunciations of their lawgiver Moses. Nor can it be said that their continued dispersion is unrighteous, since they persist in the sin which first occasioned it, and reject Him, whom God has sent unto them; and not only reject him, but reproach and revile him, so as no other people do. And, finally, whenever they repent, they may obtain forgiveness, and be received into the church of Christ, and partake in all the privileges of it, and in the end obtain everlasting life, which God through Jesus Chrst has promised to all those who love him. "For God has not cast away his people whom he foreknew; and if they abide not still in unbelief,” they will be graciously received. Rom. xi. 2, and 23.

The circumstances of the Jewish people deserve the attentive regard and serious consideration of all mankind, Jews, and Christians, and the men of all nations and religions, where their history is known as it now generally is, from the books of the Old and New Testament, and from Josephus, and other writings.

The writings of the apostles and evangelists, contained in the New Testament, are faithful records of the life of Jesus, and the promises of the gospel. And the continued subsistence of the Jewish people in a dispersed condition, all over the earth, bears testimony to the truth of every thing related by them. Thus God, the Sovereign Lord of all, in his great wisdom, has provided a perpetual and universal living monument to the memory of the transactions and sufferings of Jesus in Judea; and of his own veracity in " performing the mercy promised to their fathers, and the oath which he sware to Abraham." Luke i. 72, 73. Gen. xxii. 15-18. and, that "when the fulness of the time was come, he sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem mankind from idolatry, and all vice, and from all burdensome rites, whether of Jewish or Heathen original. Gal. iv. 4, 5.

The circumstances of the Jewish people confirm the faith of Christians, and are a loud call

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• Multa, Judæe, scelera commisisti; cunctis, circa te servisti nationibus. Ob quod factum? Utique, propter idololatriam. Quamque servîsses, crebro misertus tui est Deus: et misit judices et salvatores, qui te de famulatu Moabitarum et Ammoritarum, Philistiim quoque et diversarum gentium liberârunt. Novissime sub regibus offendisti Deum; et omnis tua provincia, gente Babylonicâ vastante, deleta est. septuaginta annos templi solitudo permansit. A Cyro rege Persarum est laxata captivitas. Esdras hoc et Nehemias plenis sime referunt. Exstructum est templum sub Dario rege Persarum a Zorobabel filio Salathiel, et Jesu filio Josedec, sacerdote magno. Quæ passi sitis à Medis, Egyptiis, Macedonibusque, non enumero. Nec tibi adducam in memoriam Antiochum Epiphanem, crudelissimum omnium tyrannorum; nec Cn. Pompeium, Gabinium, Scaurum, Varum, Cassium, Sosiumque replicabo, qui tuis urbibus, et præcipue Jerosolymæ, insultavere. Ad extremum sub Vespasiano et Tito urbs capta, templumque subversum est. Deinde civitatis usque ad Hadrianum principem per quinquaginta annos mansere reliquiæ. Post eversionem templi paullo minus per quadringentos annos et urbis et templi ruinæ permanent. Ob quod tantum facinus? Certe non colis idola; sed etiam serviens Persis atque Romanis, et captivitatis pressus jugo, ignoras alienos deos. Quomodo clementissimus quondam Deus, qui nunquam tui

oblitus est, nunc per tanta spatia temporum miseriis tuis non
adducitur ut solvat captivitatem, et, ut verius dicam, exspec-
tatum tibi mittat Antichristum? Ob quod, inquam, facinus,
et tam exsecrabile scelus, avertit a te oculos suos? Ignoras?
Memento vocis parentum tuorum. Sanguis ejus super nos,
et super filios nostros. Et: Venite, occidamus eum, et nostra
erit hæreditas. Et: Non habemus regem, nisi Cæsarem.
Habes quod elegisti; usque ad finem mundi serviturus es
Cæsari, donec gentium introëat plenitudo, et sic omnis Israel
salvus fiet; ut qui quondam erat in capite, vertatur in caudam.
Hieron. ad Dardan. T. 2. p. 610, 611.

b Quid mereare, Titus docuit: docuere rapinis
Pompeianæ acies, quibus exstirpata per omnes
Terrarum pelagique plagas tua membra feruntur.
Exiliis vagus huc illuc fluitantibus errat
Judæus, postquam, patriâ de sede revulsus,
Supplicium pro cæde luit, Christique negati
Sanguine respersus commista piacula solvit.

Prud. Apoth. ver. 219, &c:

• Adversus Judæos Or. vi. T. i. p. 652, 653. d Contr. Cels. 1. 2. sect. 13. Bened. p. 69. Spenc. 1. 4. sect. 22. Bened. p. 174. Sp. et sect. 73. Ben. p. 212. Sp. 1. S. sect. 42. Ben. p. 405. Spenc. seu Cantab.

to themselves to think, and consider, and repent, and believe. And it should in a like manner affect and awaken all other people. It is a voice which may be heard by those who have not yet seen the gospels, and perhaps are averse to them; and it should induce them to look into them, and carefully examine them.

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That Jesus is the Christ, is manifest from his agreeing to all the prophetic descriptions concerning that great person, which are recorded in the Jewish scriptures, that he might be known. when he came. He is the seed of Abraham, and the son of David: "the rod out of the stem of Jesse―And the spirit of the Lord rested on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and of might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. And to him the Gentiles have sought." Is. xi. 1, 2, 3, 10. He was born of a "virgin," Is. vii. 14. " at Bethlehem in Judea." Mic. v. 2. "In him all the families of the earth have been blessed," according to the promise made to Abraham, Gen. xii. 3, xviii. 18. xxii. 18. He is "the servant of God, whom he upheld, his elect, in whom his soul delighteth," [or God's well beloved Son,] "and hath brought forth judgment to the Gentiles." Is. xlii. 1. "He hath been a light to lighten the Gentiles, and salvation to the ends of the earth." Is. xlix. 6. "The isles waited for his law, and have received it." Is. xlii. 4. "And the earth is now full of the knowledge of God, as the waters cover the sea." Is. xi. 9. We have a new heaven, and a new earth." Is. lxv. 17. "All the gods of the earth have been famished." Zeph. ii. 11. Heathen idolatry, once so general, and so much delighted in by princes and people, is now no more in this part of the world; their temples are demolished, or put to other uses; their oracles are silent; nor do they receive human or other sacrifices. And God himself, the Lord of heaven and earth, is no longer served with sacrifices of animals, or oblations of fruits of the earth, but with prayers and praises, and good works of righteousness and mercy; nor is his worship now confined to any one particular place. The time is come, "when men should neither at Mount Gerizim, nor at Jerusalem, worship the Father: and when the true worshippers of God shall worship him in spirit and in truth,' John iv. 21-23. And "in every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him." Acts x. 35. Jesus had "the words of eternal life." John vi. 68. And "God has poured out of his spirit upon all flesh." Joel ii. 28. Is. xliv. 3. Acts ii. 17. And "all men now know God from the least to the greatest of them." Jerem. xxxi. 3, 4. All have just sentiments, and are able to discourse rationally concerning God, the Creator of all things, and his overruling Providence, and future rewards and punishments. We now worship God on earth, through Jesus Christ, in a reasonable, spiritual, liberal manner, in hopes of obtaining hereafter, perfection of holiness and happiness in the kingdom of our heavenly Father.

Jesus, then, is the promised Messiah who was to come. Nor is there any reason why we

should look for another.

I have formerly repeated this subject. But the large and copious testimony of Josephus to the fulfilment of our Saviour's predictions concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, and the miseries coming upon the Jewish people, and the repeated acknowledgments of the destruction of the temple in the Mishnical and Talmudical writers, have compelled me to enlarge here, as I

have now done.

Finally, to put an end to this long argument; if we have obtained the invaluable treasure of the gospel, that "pearl of great price," let us be thankful to God who has so enriched us by Jesus Christ. And let us be careful to keep it entire, and in all its purity, unalloyed with base mixtures, and undisguised by false colourings. Our own glory and the credit of our religion depend upon this.

As for the Jewish people, I believe all good Christians will readily join with the apostle Paul, and say: "Our hearts' desire, and prayer to God for Israel, is, that they might be saved." Rom. x. 1. Nevertheless I acknowledge that I see no immediate prospect of their general conversion ; and must assent to what the same apostle says in another place, who had great dealings with them, after his conversion to the Christian faith, as well as before, and had full experience of their untractable temper, which is still too much the same that it was in his time: "But their minds were blinded; for until this day remaineth the same vail, untaken away, in the reading of the Old Testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away." 2 Cor. iii. 14-16.

God grant that we may all know and mind the things which are conducive to our true interests both here and hereafter!

VOL. III.

The circumstances of the Jewish people an argument for the truth of the Christian religion.
4 G

TESTIMONIES

OF

ANCIENT HEATHEN AUTHORS.

CHAP. I.

The Epistle of Abgarus king of Edessa to Jesus, and the Rescript of Jesus to Abgarus.

As the authority of these epistles depends entirely upon Eusebius, I shall here transcribe his account at length, which is in the thirteenth, or last chapter of the first book of his Ecclesiastical History.

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A History concerning the Prince of the Edessens.'

The divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,' says Eusebius, being every where talked of by reason of his wonderful power in working miracles, it drew after him many people from other countries, and some very remote from Judea, who were filled with hopes of relief under all sorts of pains and sicknesses. For which reason king Abgarus, who with honour governed the nations beyond the Euphrates, labouring under a grievous distemper, incurable by human skill, when he heard of the fame of Jesus, which was much celebrated, and his ⚫ wonderful works attested by the unanimous testimony of all men, sent a letter to him by a messenger, entreating him to cure his distemper. But he did not then comply with his request, ' yet he vouchsafed to write to him a letter, wherein he promised to send one of his disciples who should cure his distemper, and also bring salvation to him, and to all with him: which promise was not long after fulfilled: for after the resurrection of Christ, and his ascension to heaven, Thomas, one of the twelve apostles, moved by a divine impulse, sent Thaddeus, one of Christ's seventy disciples, to Edessa, to be a preacher and an evangelist of Christ's doctrine, by whom all things promised by our Saviour were fulfilled. The evidence of this we have from the records of the city of Edessa: for among the public records, wherein are entered the antiquities of the city, and the actions of Abgarus, these things are still found preserved to this day. It will therefore be worth the while to attend to the letters, as taken by us [or for us] from the archives, and translated word for word from the Syriac language.

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The Copy of the Letter which was written by Abgarus the Toparch to Jesus, and sent to him at Jerusalem by the Courier Ananias.

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Abgarus, toparch [or prince] of Edessa, to Jesus the good Saviour, who has appeared at 'Jerusalem, sendeth greeting. I have heard of thee, and of thy cures, performed without herbs, ' or other medicines. For it is reported that thou makest the blind to see, and the lame to walk; that thou cleansest lepers, and castest out unclean spirits and dæmons, and healest those who are tormented with diseases of a long standing, and raisest the dead. Having heard of all these things concerning thee, I concluded in my mind one of these two things-either that thou art. 'God come down from heaven to do these things, or else thou art the Son of God, and so performest them. Wherefore I now write unto thee, entreating thee to come to me, and to heal my distemper. Moreover, I hear that the Jews murmur against thee, and plot to do thee mischief. I have a city, small indeed, but neat, which may suffice for us both.' Now let us attend,' says Eusebius, to the letter which Jesus returned by the same courier, short indeed, but very powerful. It is in these words.'

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The Rescript of Jesus to the Toparch Abgarus, sent by the Courier Ananias.

Abgarus, thou art happy, forasmuch as thou hast believed in me, though thou hast not seen 'me.' John xx. 29. For it is written concerning me, that they who have seen me should not. 'believe in me, that they who have not seen me might believe and live. As for what thou hast 'written to me, desiring me to come to thee, it is necessary that all those things, for which I am sent, should be fulfilled by me here: and that after fulfilling them, I should be received up to him that sent me. When therefore I shall be received up, I will send to thee some one of my disciples, that he may heal thy distemper, and give life to thee, and to those who are ' with thee.'

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To these epistles,' as Eusebius goes on to say, are subjoined the following things, and in the Syriac language-That after Jesus had been taken up, [or after his ascension], Judas, called . also Thomas, sent the Apostle Thaddeus, one of the seventy; who, when he came to Edessa, ' took up his abode with Tobias, son of Tobias. When his arrival was rumoured about, and he had begun to be known by the miracles which he wrought, it was told to Abgarus, that an apostle was sent to him by Jesus, according to his promise. Thaddeus therefore by the power ' of God healed all sorts of maladies, so that all wondered. But when Abgarus heard of the great and wonderful works which he did, and how he healed men in the name and by the power of Jesus Christ, he was induced to suspect [EV UTOVOIR YEYOVEV, that he was the person about whom Jesus had written to him, saying, "When I am taken up, I will send to thee some one of my 'disciples, who shall heal thy distemper." Sending therefore for Tobias, at whose house he was, he said to him: "I hear that a man, endowed with great power, and come from Jerusalem, is at thy house, and that he works many cures in the name of Jesus." To which Tobias answered, "Yes, Sir; there is a stranger with me, who performs many miracles." Abgarus then said: Bring him hither to me." Tobias coming to Thaddeus, said to him: "The prince Abgarus, has bid me bring thee to him, that thou mayest heal his distemper." Whereupon Thaddeus said: "I go; for it is upon his account, chiefly, that I am sent hither." The next day, early in the morning, Tobias taking Thaddeus came to Abgarus. As he came in, the nobles being present, there appeared to Abgarus somewhat very extraordinary in the countenance of Thaddeus; which when Abgarus saw, he worshipped Thaddeus; which appeared strange to all present; for they did not see that brightness which was discerned by Abgarus only. He then asked Thaddeus, "If he were indeed the disciple of Jesus the Son of God, who had said to him: "I will send to thee some one of my disciples who shall heal thy distemper, and give life to all with thee." Thaddeus answered: "Forasmuch as thou hast great faith in the Lord Jesus, therefore am I sent unto thee: and if thou shalt increase in faith in him, all the desires of thy heart will be fulfilled according to thy faith." Then Abgarus said to him: "I have so • believed in him, that I would go with an army to extirpate the Jews who crucified him, if I 'were not apprehensive of the Roman power." Then Thaddeus said: "Our Lord and God 'Jesus Christ has fulfilled the will of his Father: and, having fulfilled it, he has been taken up ' to his Father." Abgarus then said: "I have believed in him, and in his Father." And thereupon said Thaddeus: "Therefore I put my hand upon thee in the name of the Lord Jesus." And, upon his so doing, Abgarus was healed of his distemper. And Abgarus wondered, that as it had been reported concerning Jesus so it had been done by his disciple and apostle Thaddeus; insomuch as he had healed him without herbs, or other medicines. Nor did he heal him alone, but also Abdus, son of Abdus, who had the gout. For he came to him, and fell down upon his knees before him, and by the laying on of his hands with prayer he was healed. The 'same apostle healed many other citizens of the same place, and wrought many and great miracles as he preached the word.' After which Abgarus spoke to this purpose: "Thou Thaddeus doest these things by the power of God, and we admire thee. But I beseech thee to inform me about the coming of Jesus, how it was, and of his power, and by what power he did all those things which we have heard of." To which Thaddeus answered: "Now I forbear, though I am sent to preach the word; but to-morrow gather together all the citizens, and then in their hearing I will preach the word, and sow in them the word of life, and will inform them of the coming of Christ, how it was, and concerning his mission, and for what cause he was sent by the Father, and concerning the power of his works, and the mysteries which he spoke in the world, and by what b • Όπερ ίδων Αβγαρος προσεκύνησε τῳ Θαδδαίῳ. p. 33. D.

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* Ο τοπάρχης.

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