governed by Laws and Rulers of their own; not only, during the Time of their Judges and Kings, which was their more flourishing Estate, but even after their Captivity, for a Time, by the Afmonean Race, who were of the ancient Levitical Blood; and afterwards by the Herodian Family, who, though they were only Jews by Religion, yet they maintained their Laws and Difcipline as well, as if they had been originally fo. But about the Coming of Chrift, that is, a few Years after his Afcenfion, the Scepter of the Jews was perfectly taken away, and they have had no National Government ever fince: Jerufalem, the Metropolis of their Nation, was about that Time utterly deftroyed, and rafed to the Ground; and fuch a Difperfion of that People made all about the World, as no Hiftory can parallel. For, though the Romans conquered Spain, and Gaul, and Britain, &c. yet they never fo chafed these Nations out of their Country, as they did the Jews; but fuffered them to incorporate with their own Colonies; fo that those Countries feemed to be the fame People ftill, though their Government was fomething altered by the Introduction of Roman Laws. But, ever fince Titul's Devaftation of that City and Country, there has been no Face of a Common-wealth among the Jews, either in Jadah, or in any other place; and therefore, I fay, this total Diffolution of the Jewish Common-wealth, is the departing of the Scepter, which is mentioned in this Prophefy. Now when we confider, that all the ancient Jews took this Paffage as a Prophefy of the Meffias, and that a Scepter fhould be among the Jews till the Time of the Meffias, when there fhould be an End of it; we may reasonably conclude, that our Saviour was that Meffias. Becaufe at that Time no Body; befides our Saviour, had any Colour or Pretence to be the Meffias; and because that great and fatal Period of the Jewish Scepter or Go ernment happened juft after his Appearance: Therefore, I fay, it must be concluded, that the departing of the Scepter was the wonderful Diffolution of that Government or Polity: And that our Saviour (about the Time of whofe Appearance up

The whole

on Earth this came to pafs) is the Shilo, or the Meffias that is here predicted.

Phil. But by the Way, Sir, this is a little too much forced, to go down with us. How comes the Tribe of Judah, or the Seed of that one Patriarch, to fignify the whole Nation of the Jews, of which this was but a Twelfth Part?

Cred. Why, during all the Time of the Jewish Efta Nation of blifhment, the Tribe of Judah was the moft eminent; the Jews and had a Precedency of the reft, not only by Reafon properly underfood of their Wealth and Number, but upon Account of their by Judah. Primogeniture. After they had Kings, the Monarchy was entailed upon that Tribe: And after the Captivity, that was the only Tribe in a Manner remaining, and all the Ifraelites that are now known to be in the World, and that have been ever fince the Captivity of Babylon, are denominated Jews from that Tribe. For if there are any of the other Tribes among them, as to be fure there are many of the Tribe of Benjamin, and perhaps of fome of the reft, they are all engrafted upon the Stock of the Tribe of Judah, and therefore do very properly bear its Name. As at firft the primitive Inhabitants of the City of Rome, only bore the Name of Romans from their firft Founder Romulus; yet afterwards the Sabines, and other People that were incorporated with them, had the fame Name likewife. And why may not all the Ifraelites, which were built upon the Stock of Judah, be called as properly by his Name, as all the mixed Citizens of Rome, by that of Romulus? Now, unless we should expect, that Jacob, in this prophetick Bleffing of Judah, fhould be fo nice, as to defcend to all the particular Variations of the Jewish Government, he could hardly exprefs the whole national Felicity of all the Tribes, (among whom that of Judah fhould make the greateft Figure, and at laft be all in all,) more properly, than by the Scepter's not departing from Judah.

Phil. Well! but if this be fuch a manifeft Prophefy of Chrift, how came it never to be mentioned by the Writers of the New Teftament, who are wont to amafs

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together Prophefies, which are not more to the Purpose? Or how come the ancient Fathers, to put fuch a different Senfe upon the Words, and to make the Prophefy to have its Completion in Herod?

Cred. As to the former Part of your Queftion, why why this this Prophefy was not quoted by the Writers of the New Prophesy not quoted Teftament? This I know has been ftarted, and endea- in the New voured to be answered by feveral learned Men. Pererius Teftament. * fays the Reafon was, because this Prophefy only proved the Time when the Meffias fhould come; but did not prove that Chrift was the Meffias. Monf. Huet's + Reafon is, because this Text fingly of its felf does not prove Chrift to be the Meffias, but only in Conjunction with others. But I think this to be the truer Account of the Matter; that though the Evangelifts were not bound to quote every Text of the Old Teftament, which referred to the Meffias, in Proof of Jefus's being the Chrift; for that would have obliged them to have transcribed almost the whole Law and the Prophets, Luke xvi. 29. Yet they would have hardly omitted this remarkable Paffage, if it had been proper to have alleged it, either when the Gofpel was preached by our Saviour, or when most of the Gospel-Hiftories were wrote. If our blessed Saviour had alleged this Text in Proof of his being the Meffias, and laid the Scepter was departing from Fadah upon his Coming, this would have been apt to have raised too many Jealoufies in the Heads of the Jewish Government; which might have prejudiced them against his Doctrine too much, and have hindred his Preaching. Neither was it a convincing Argument in the beginning of Chriftianity, before Jerufalem was deftroyed, and the People were fo difperfed, as they were never like to return again. Now Men could not be abfolutely fure, that the Scepter and Legiflator were perfectly departed from the Jews, till a confiderable Time after the Gofpels were wrote; and therefore I take this to be a very probable Reason, of this Prophefy being omitted by them.

How the

As to your fecond Queftion, Why we interpret this ancient Fa- Place contrary to the ancient Fathers, who understood it thers inter- of Herod? I Anfwer: It is true that most of the ancipreted this Frothely. ent Fathers did interpret this Place of Herod, it may be, from the mistaken Opinions of fome of the Jews who lived in Herod's Time, who from this Prophefy ill-applied, did flatter him that he was the Meffias; which was that Sect of the Herodians, mentioned in the Gofpel, Mat. xxii. 16. Mark xii. 13. as Tertullian, Epiphanius, and other of the Ancients inform us.

This gave Occafion to many of the primitive Chriftians to think, that there were fome Marks of Herod's Government in this Text; and though it could not be referred to Herod as the Meffias, yet they thought it referred to Chrift, as born in the Days of Herod; who' being an Idumean, and not of the twelve Tribes, they fuppofed, that then the Scepter was departed from Jus dah. But upon the moft impartial Confideration, we muft needs allow, that the Scepter's departing from Judah must have a higher Senfe than to fignify a bare Idumean Few's coming to the Crown; for he was a few however, and zealous for their Law, and that Nation lived in à great deal of Splendor under him, nay made a greater Figure than they had done in fome Ages before; fo that this must be a very jejune Senfe, to put upon that Expreffion of the Scepter's departing from Judah, or the Jews; because, I fay, the Jews enjoy'd the Benefit of a Scepter of their own, more eminently, than they had done a great while before.

But the Devastation of the City; and Difperfion of the People, in Titus's Expedition, was a departing of the Scepter in good Earneft; and therefore this does much better fuit with the Words of the Prophely, than the Succeffion of Herod. And this was the Opinion of fome of the most confiderable of the Ancients too, as particularly of Justin Martyr, who in his Colloquy with Trypho the few, has thefe Words: There is none of you who can be fo confident to affert, or are able to fhew, that there was ever wanting a Prophet, or a Erince, in your Nation,

from

from the very beginning of it, till after the Time when this fefus Chrift was born, and had fuffered. For though you fay that Herod, under whofe Reign he was born, was an Askalonite; yet you muft needs allow, that you had an High-Pricft of your own Race, who offered up Sacrifices, and perform'd other Things according to your Law, and there was a Suce ceffion of the Prophets down to John. And when, after the Subduction of your Country, your People were carried away to Babylon, and all your Holy Veffels taken away, the Prophet among you did not ceafe, who was your Lord, and Leader, and Governour. For the Spirit, which was in your Prophets, did anoint and appoint your Kings. But after the Appearing, and the Death of our Chrift, who was of your Blood, you never had, nor have now, any more a Prophet; nay, ever fince you have ceafed to be governed by a King of your own.

So that, you fee, this holy Martyr refers the Complee tion of this Prophefy to the Time after the Death of Chrift, when the Jewish Government ceafed ; and fets afide the other Opinion, which referred it to Herod's being an Askalonite.

Nay, that the Mahometans themselves took this Text in the Sense as I have now explained it, I will give you a remarkable Inftance out of an Arabick Writer, Ahmed Ibn. Idris, quoted by Hottinger, Thefaur. Phil. lib. 1. cap. 2. The Text of the Law confirms the Prophesy of Jefus, upon whom be Peace, when he fays, The Scepter fhall not depart from Judah, nor a Law-giver from his Feet ill the Mellias come. Which has come to pass, for there were not wanting Kings to the Jews, nor an Empire, till Meffias's Time, upon whom be Peace. But then they became a vile Opprobry and a captive People, which is fo true they cannot deny. And this is an evident Argument for the Truth of the Prophefy concerning Ifa, or Jefus, upon whom be Peace. For Mofes, of pions Memory, did foretell, That they fhould be addicted to Vanity or Lying, and that the Meffias should bring Truth, which fhould drive away Vanity or Lying. This is a very furpri fing Teftimony from an Infidel, in behalf of our Religion; and fince you Deifts, and the Mahometans, have been fo gracious of late, I defire you would learn of them,