*

the Perfon here primarily intended, is Zerubbabel, being back'd with the Authority of St. Chryfoftom. But Theodoret has fufficiently confuted this Fancy, and proved that Zerubbabel was born at Babylon. To this Grotius replies, (with an Anfwer borrowed from Kimchi) that Zerubbabel was defcended from David, who was born at Beth-lehem. But then what Reafon can be given, why Zerubbabel fhould be faid to come from Beth-lehem, rather than from any other Town, where any of his Predeceffors were born? Why might not he be faid, as well, to come out of Egypt, where Aminadab and Naaffon were born; or out of Ferufalem, where fo many of the preceeding King's had their Nativity; out of Haran of Mefopotamia where Juda, or out of Ur of the Chaldees, where Abraham was born? So that upon this Account, Zerubbabel muft have had as many Places of Nativity, as he had Progenitors; and why Beth-lehem only fhould be mentioned, is very unaccountable, upon Grotius's own Suppofition. But to pafs over this; To whom, but the Meffias can be attributed this Character, Whofe Goings forth have been from old, from Everlasting; which does plainly exprefs the eternal Generation of the Son by the Father? Nor is this a fanciful Expofition of Chriftians, who have been accustomed to the Doctrine of the Trinity; but an ancient Author in the Talmud of Hierufa lem, explains this of the Generation of the Meffias, which he fays is, As a Dew from the Lord, and as Drops upon the Herb, which does not expect a Man.

Now to take all these Prophefies together, and feri bufly to confider the obvious Senfe of the Words, and the Interpretation which the Jews conftantly put upor them in ancient Times, before they were prejudiced by their Hatred to the Chriftian Religion, to fly from their old Explications, which they faw did fo plainly favour us we cannot but think, that our Saviour was manifeftly pointed forth by thefe Predictions; fo that nothing but Men's corrupt Affections, or their Prejudices, can hin

Theod. in Mic. v. 2.

der

der them from owning him to be the true Meffias, which was fo predicted. All the Offices of his Mediatorship are fo plainly foretold; the Time of his Appearance fo exactly calculated beforehand; and the whole World was in fuch an Expectation of him; the Nature of his Kingdom fo plainly defcribed; the Time and Manner of his Death is fo particularly laid down, with all the dreadful Calamities which were to befal the Jews upon it; almoft every fingle Action of his Life is, either by Type or Prophefy, fo clearly predicted; the Calamities of his Life, and the Benefits of his Death, the eternal Generation of his Godhead, his immaculate Conception, nay, the very Place and Manner of his Birth fo hiftorically, almoft, fet down; that we cannot but adore the Almighty Goodness of God, that he is pleased to make our Faith fo eafy to us, which he has promised so liberally to reward us for.

Phil. Pray, Sir, don't talk fo much of the Eafinefs of Faith in this Matter; for make the best of these Things, they are all dark myfterious Riddles. If God Almighty had a Mind to have given Mankind a previous Knowledge of the Coming of Jefus Chrift, he would have dealt very plainly with them, and not have wrapt it up in obfcure enigmatical Veils, like the Heathen Oracles, and have left Men only blindly to guess at them; he would have fet them down in Words at Length, and not in myftical Figures; he would downright have told us, That, in fuch a Year of Augustus's or Herod's Reign, Chrift would be born; that fuch a perfidious Wretch, as Judas, by Name, would in fuch a Year have betray'd him; That the Sanedrim of the Jews would have plotted his Death; and That God would, after fo many Years, be revenged upon that People for their barbarous Ufage of him, by the final Destruction of their City. This would have been more agreeable to the Simplicity and Veracity of God, than to have made ufe of fuch dark Oracles, which, like waxen Nofes, may be turned any Way a Man pleases.

Gred. Not

are fome

thing ob

fcure.

Reason why Cred. Not too faft, good Philologus. God Almighty
Prophefies defigned Faith to be a Virtue, to depend in great Mea-
fure upon the Determination of a rightly difpofed Will,
and not to be the neceffary Refult of our Intellects. The
Divine Wifdom does not think fit to make us Believers,
whether we will or no; or, by a compulfive Evidence of
Truth, force us to affent to thefe Predictions (or the
other Subjects of Revelation) as neceffarily as we must
do to fuch a Propofition as this, that Two and Two make
Four. Our Salvation is to be attained by a reasonable
Faith, which no good and confidering Man has juft
Grounds to except againft. But it cannot be expected,
that our Religion fhould be all Mathematical Demon-
ftration. We our felves are obliged to Work out our
Salvation with Fear and Trembling, and muft not think,
that God ought to make us go to Heaven, by the fame
Laws of Neceffity, as the Sparks fly upwards.
where would be the Virtue of Believing, when a Man
could not help it? There is a great deal of true Piety
fhewn, in believing and relying upon God's Promifes;
in fearching, and comparing the Scriptures; and in a
diligent Study, and Application, to underftand God's
Will; but one is never the better Man, for affenting to
a Propofition in Euclid.

For

But this is not all. It is highly agreeable to the Wif dom of God in governing the World, That thefe Prophefies fhould have fuch a Degree of Obfcurity in them, that they should not, before-hand, be understood in all their Particulars: Because that would be an Obftruction, to many of the other great Defigns of God's Providence, and would put him upon unufual Methods to bring them about, either by fufpending the Freedom of Man's Will, or violently over-turning the Power of Nature to effect them. Suppofe, that God had particularly predicted, That, upon the 25th Day of December, in fuch a Year of Auguftus his Empire, at the Town of Beth-lehem, Chrift fhould be born; and then fee, what would naturally happen upon it. The Jews would have come all in Crowds, to have welcomed this heavenly Infant into

the

the World; every one would have been officious to pay their Refpects, and to offer Prefents to him; they would have carried him about, continually, in triumphant Chariots; and would have hofanna'd him, from his coming into the World, to his going out. But then there would be one great Thing omitted, which our Saviour came into the World to teach, that is, Humility; which he could not have effectually recommended to Mankind, but only by his living under fuch a State of Poverty. Or fuppofing Judas's Name had stood in capital Letters, in feveral Places of the Old Teftament; and all his traitorous Dif fimulation had been fo perfectly defcribed, that Judas himself might have feen his own black Picture, there; and what now would have been the Event of this? Why, Judas would have been fo fhy of the Temptation, that it would not have been in the Power of the Jews, or of the Devil either,to have made him embrace it; and thirty Pieces of Silver would have been fo far, from inticing him to that Infidelity, that as many Talents of Gold would not have done it. So that God Almighty muft have been forced, to have over-powered his Will, or to have altered the Method of his own Defigns, to have fulfilled fuch an exact Prediction. Therefore I conclude, That it fhews the great Wisdom of God, in compofing these Prophefies juft as they are; to fhew before-hand, plain enough, the general Defigns of his Providence, and to leave the Particulars of them to be manifeft only, after the Event; by this prudently contriving, That, till the Coming of Chrift, God's People might have a fufficient Hope and comfortable Expectation of Him, and that the Rules of Nature, and the divine Justice, might not be unhinged, by his coming.

The Birth

Of the Lives and Actions of Chrift and the
Apofiles, as they are Recorded in Scripture.

Phil. You muft excufe me, Credentius, if, what I am now about to urge, be ungrateful to you, I defigning in my Objections to take to Pieces the Lives and Actions of thofe Perfons, whom you have the greatest Veneration for; and to fhew them to have been Men of that Complexion, as very little to deferve that high. Efteem, you are wont to pay to their Characters. I will promife you, for Civility fake, not to make fuch Sport with thefe Perfons before you, as we, of our Perfuafion, do among our felves; but I have fome Things to urge upon, this Head, which, fpoken ever fo. tenderly, may give Offence to Perfons of your Perfuafion."

To begin with Jefus Chrift, the Author of your Sect. Tis a Part of your Religion to believe that he was the Son of God, and born of a Virgin; and yet at the fame Time, you don't believe a Tittle of the Stories of Æneas's. being born of Anchifes and Venus, or of Romulus's being born of Mars and Rhea Sylvia; but look upon thefe only as fpecious Tales, to cover over fhameful Amours*. But where is the Difference in thefe Cafes? The Scripture it felf owns, that Jofeph himfelf was a little fufpicious of fome foul Play in this Matter, when he determined to put his efpoufed Wife away privately, Mati. 19. But a Man of Senfe t, who has examined thefe Matters long ago, has fifted out the very Name of a Soldier, called Panthera, and tells a very broad Story of him and. you know who.

Cred. Good God! That ever our bleffed Saviour of Chrift fhould beftow fuch an ineftimable Benefit upon Manvindicated. kind, as to be Born, and to Die for their Sins; and that

there should be any found among them, which fhould. make fuch ungrateful Returns, as to load him with the

LG

Julian apud Cyrill, lib. 8.

+ Celfus in Origine lib. 1. most