or an Infidel do more, to overturn the authenticity of the Gospel? for if one part of it is spurious, and another improbable, and that in the most effential part of Christianity. I say the most effential part, for if Chrift's divinity is falfe, and he did not come to suffer for the redemption of mankind, as Chriftians hold, (whether that redemption was neceffary, is not now before us,) he came for nothing. For according to your opinion, he did not come to abrogate the Mofaical difpenfation, nor did he come to reclaim our nation from any particular fin, as idolatry, &c. Or denounce vengeance against them in cafe of difobedience, as we find the other prophets did. And therefore, if the most effential part of the Gofpel is fpurious or improbable, where are we to draw the line? Or who at this diftance of time can pronounce one part of the Gofpel to be more authentic than another? the Jew will in confequence reject the whole. And thus I am confident, Chriftians in general would argue against the Mofaical difpenfation, if the Jews were to cavil about its authenticity, by pronouncing one part of it authentic, and another not. And, here I must take the liberty to remind you of the error, which you have fallen into, and confequently the fallacy of the argument, you have from thence drawn. For you obferve, (page 43 of your firft letters,)" As you acknowledge any man to be a believer in the religion of Mofes, who admits his divine miffion, nothing ff is is requifite to denominate any person a Chriftian, but his believing the divine miffion of "Chrift;" and to the fame purport, do you exprefs yourself in your fecond Letters, page 8. : As you here evidently inculcate, that the fimply believing the divine miffion of Mofes, or Chrift, is what conftitues Judaism, or Christianity, I must take the liberty to inform you, that if you have no better authority for the latter, than you have for the former, it must appear clear to every impartial perfon that, by the fteps you have taken to prove the fpuriousness of part of the Gofpel, which teaches the divine miffion of Chrift, you have forfeited all claim to the appellation of a Christian i. e. a true believer in the religion of Chrift. This, you will fay, is harsh language, but the love of truth obliges me to deal fincerely with you. And therefore, I hope, you will not conftrue this expreffion as proceeding from difrefpect, but on the contrary, from a fincere regard for your future happiness, by leading you into the path of truth, of which, I am confident, you entertain the greateft regard. I muft therefore tell you plainly, that we are fo far from acknowleding any man to be a believer of the religion of Mofes, who (only) admits his divine * miflion, that on the * For are not Chriftians in general believers of the divine miffion of Mofes, and yet, they are not believers of his religion; any more than the Mahometans are of that, or Christianity; although they allow both Mofes and Jefus to have the contrary, if a Jew once calls in question the authenticity of any part of the Pentateuch, by obferving, that one part is authentic, i. e. was delivered by God to Mofes, and that another part is not authentic, i. e. was not fo delivered to him, but he derived it from fome other fource, as Pamphilus, (which I think is your fignature) hath thought proper to affert, (Theological Repofit. vol. iv. page 27, &c.) he is no longer accounted a Jew, i. e. a true beliver; but is called D, A denier: i. e. one that denies the word of God. And is alfo included in the following fentence, Numb. xv. 31. Because he hath defpifed the word of the Lord. For every Jew is obliged according to the eighth, article of our creed, to believe, that the whole law or five books, emphatically called then, is from God; i. e. was delivered by him to Mofes: and that there is no diftinction (in point of authenticity) between find the children of, וּבְנֵי חָם כּוּשׁ וּמִצְרַיִם,the paffage Ham were Cup and Mifraim, Gen. x. 6. And All have been prophets, and of courfe admit their divine miffion. Confequently, it is not fimply believing the divine miffion of Mofes, that conflitutes any man a believer of his religion, but a thorough conviction that the whole of the Pentateuch is of divine authority, as I shall presently fhew. This This, Sir, is what every Jew is obliged to be The הלכות יסודי התורה lieve, See Maimonides in conftitutions of the fundamentals of the law. And Gemara, Chelek. fol. 98. Hence you may clearly perceive, what the unanimous opinion of our nation is, concerning the word of God; and that as soon as a Jew begins to trifle with it, by calling in queftion the authenticity of any part thereof, he is no longer confidered as a Jew in the ftrict fenfe of the word: and in like manner, I am clear, that whoever calls in queftion the authenticity of any part of the New Teftament, cannot with propriety be called a Christian in the strict sense of the word. And it is but juft, that it fhould be fo; as the real intention of either in making their objections is, to destroy the authenticity of the whole, (although they may not openly avow it) for if any part is but once proved to be spurious, a door will be opened for another, and another without end. Hence, if you have any authority to choose for yourself, what part of the New Teftament you will believe and receive as authentic, and what not, I can fee no reafon, why another perfon may not do the fame, and fo on ad infinitum, till the whole is pronounced to be fpurious. And therefore, if once the partition wall is thrown down, who shall be able to draw the line, and fay, fo far thou shalt go and no farther? The Chriftian in such case, would be led to difbelieve the law: the Jew reject the Gofpel; and the deift both. Second, Second, according to your doctrine, Jefus was the legitimate fon of Jofeph and Mary: but this I apprehend is contrary to the Gofpel; fo that either you or the Gofpel must speak falfe. For I think I can clearly prove, that the Gofpels teach the divinity of Chrift: hear Sir what they fay. "For "the Father judgeth no man: but hath committed "all judgment unto the Son: that all men should " honor the Son, even as they honor the Father," &c. John v. 22, 23. "And if ye fhall see the "Son of man afcend up where he was before?" ibid. vi. 61." "No man taketh it from me, but "I lay it down myfelf. I have power to lay it "down, and I have power to take it again.” ibid. X. 18. "I and my Father are one." ibid. 30. "He that hath feen me, hath feen the Father.” ibid. xiv. 9. "Believe me that I am in the Fa"ther, and the Father in me." ibid. 11. "With "the glory which I had with thee before the "world was." ibid. xvii. 5. "For he knew "what was in man." ibid. ii. 25. ibid. ii. 25. Nay, do not the Gofpels call Jefus God? "God with us." Matt. i. 15. "To feed the church of God, "which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts xx. 28. See alfo Romans, xiv. 10, II. Again, is not Chrift exalted above the angels, Heb. i. 6. And called God? "But unto the "Son he faith, thy throne O God, is for ever and "ever." ibid. 8. He is alfo called the true God. "And we know that the Son of God is come," &c. "This is the true God, and eternal life." |