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throughout exemplify this great character, the moft illustrious, and fingularly refpectable. Yet this great favourite, prieft, and friend of God, pays tithes and receives Melchifedech's bleffing, the most demonstrative proof of inferiority. The caufe is evident. Melchifedech reprefenting Chrift in his facerdotal character and facrifice of the new covenant was entitled to this homage from Abram. The Royal prophet fpeaks of the profound reverence paid to Chrift at his birth. Let all the angels of God adore him and in the Perfon of the Father. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

Thy Throne, O God, is for ever and ever a fceptre of juftice, is the fceptre of thy kingdom. The whole fcripture is an inexhausted store of praife, thanksgiving and adoration to God the Son.

Mofes. Ifaiah 9th chapter. The people that walked in darkness have feen a great light they that dwell in the land of the fhadow of death, upon them hath the light fhined. Thou haft multiplied the nation, and not increafed the joy for every battle of the warriour is with confufed noife, and garments rolled in blood; but this fhall be with burning and fuel of fire.

This is manifeft to us by tradition, &c. that the new or chriftian covenant was fettled with a few of the lower clafs of men; for though the Jewish nation was wealthy and populous, and at that time expected the manifeftation, or birth of Chrift, yet, as the prophet obferves, he was rejected, and the joy of falvation confirmed to few. Chrift was derided, rejected, and cruci

fied forty years after the temple and city were destroyed, the inhabitants either maffacred or fold flaves. The whole nation of the Jews, according to the fcripture prophecies and prediction of Chrift, were and remain involved in the determined defolation this day. This cataftrophe began with the maffacre of the children in Bethlehem, by the order of king Herod, and ended in the deftruction of the Jewish nation, ungoverned race. The kingdom of Chrift, through our own mifconduct, is transferred to the Gentiles, as we are witneffes, to our eternal infamy.

Mordecai, Abfalom. Are you (an old master in Ifrael) fo far ftraggled from the fheep-fold to be ignorant that if Adam had not eat of the tree of knowledge, we should have retained the Tree of Life; and can you plead ignorance, pretending not to know that circumcifion is an injunction of obedience to Ifrael, as forbidding the tree of knowledge to Adam; for both were exacted under the virtue of obedience. Confider this matter maturely. Can a fubject appear with greater fubmiffion in the prefence-chamber than with a bald head, uncapping announce the most humiliating refpect? Caiphas, Annas, John, Alexander, and moft at that time of note, both prefts nnd rulers, who sharpened their tongues, and put Jefus Chrift to death, were men renowned by their nation, were Sadducees, and placed their hope in circumcifion. And will Aaron and Eleazar dare tell us, that thefe great worthies were an inadequate tribe, not being Pharifces?

Moses.

Mofes. For unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is given, and the government shall be upon his fhoulders, and his name fhall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there fhall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order it and to' eftabl:fh it with judgment and with juftice, from henceforth.even or ever, the zeal of the Lord of Hofts will perform this.

Mordecai, Abfalom. This is blafphemy. The Lord of Hofts, the God of Ifrael, born a child. This is death by our law, and it was by this law Jefus Chrift, for affuming this infinite title, fuffered death.

Aaron, Eleazar. Are you so abandoned to accufe the fcripture of blafphemy? your ignorance fhames us. From the From the beginning it was never known that Ifrael ever had it in idea that her prophets blafphemed.

Mordecai, Abfalom. You understand not, firs, what you would be at. Will you answer a civil queftion? Under whofe rod fell the prophets? Ifaiah was fawn afunder, Jeremiah was thrown into a dungeon, and in like manner happened with the reft; fo that not one but was hated by Ifrael. From this I will prove that Ifrael and her prophets were of oppofite religions, which did not fquare, but was much out at the elbows.

Mofes. Lift up your heads, O you gates, and be you lift up, you everlafting doors, and the King of Glory thall coine in. Who is the

King of Glory? The Lord ftrong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates, even lift them up, ve everlasting doors, and the King of Glory fhall come in. Who is the King of Glory? The Lord of Hofts. He is the King of Glory.

Aaron, Eleazar. You will not accufe the Royal Father of our Meffiah of blafphemy. He fpeaks of the immenfe glory Christ should be honoured with, and pofitively avers that he is the Divinity.

Mordecai, Abfalom. We declare Aaron and Eleazar guilty, with Mofes, of blafphemy, and according to the high-prieft, Caiphas, worthy of death.

Moses. 1 proclaim and announce Jefus Chrift God and the promised Meffiah, myself his creature and a Chriftian.

Aaron, Eleazar. Dear Rabbi, for the honour and cause of our forefathers, retract thofe words, and do not fuffer these mischievous wranglers influence to warp reafon and religion.

Mofes. I have no caufe againft my nation; fo far from it, I would, and I think I fpeak my fentiments, offer my life to fee my nation chriftian.

Mordecai, Abfalom. You need not fear our influence over Rabbi Mofes. You fhould rather be fearful of his two affociates, Lutherand Calvin.

Mofes. There was little danger from either of you, as I at all times abhorr'd mal-contents Fofbua, Nehemiah. Six of us, dear Rabbi, formed a confederacy to confute the chriftian

tencts;

tenets; but when we engaged, both scripture and reafon difarmed and compelled us to yield. We therefore confefs ourselves vanquished, and with you affirm Chrift our Lord and Meffiah. We defire to put an end to this Conference, and repair to the chriftian priesthood for inftruction.

Boy. It will be proper, before we break up the conference, to know the chriftian faith in the Godhead, Incarnation, Death and Refurrection of Chrift. Here it is.

Whofoever will be faved, before all things it is neceffary that he hold the Catholic Faith; which faith, except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he fhall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the perfons, not dividing the fubftance. For there is one perfon of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghoft. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft is all one; the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, fuch is the Son, and fuch is the Holy Ghoft. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghoft uncreate. The Father incomprehenfible, the Son incomprehenfible, and the Holy Ghoft incomprehenfible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghoft eternal; and yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal. As alfo, there are not three incomprehenfibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehenfible. So likewife the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy

Ghost

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