which has a double fignificati that fuch as have come with on. It's taken both for a this Coif into the World, were thing abrupt, broken or divided, to expect all good Fortune, eas Bulbazars Kingdom foon af-ven fo far as to become invulter was; and alfo for the Per-nerable, provided they be alfans who divided it, whom the ways careful to carry it about Caldeans call in their Language 'em. Nay, if it fhou'd by Pars, or Pharas, to whom Chance be loft, or furreptitithere is more than an Allifion oufly taken away, the Benefit in the Word. Nay, Pliny tells of it would be transferr'd to us that the Perfians were of old the Party that found it. But call'd Pharufi, which by the eatie we believe no fuch CorrefponTranfpofition of one Letter is dences betwixt the Actions of the fame with Upharfi, and Humane Life, and that Shirt; both thefe fenfes the Divine becaufe, if fo, the ordinary Interpreter clearly and fuccinct-Difpenfations of Providence ly comprizes in his Refolution thereof Thy Kingdom, fays he, is divided, and given to the Medes and Perfians.

wou'd be fruftrate, and many Actions, which according to their Tendencies wou'd be inverted, and confequently a Confufion in the fettled Chain of

Q. What are we to think of fuch as are born with Cawis a-Natural Caufes. This Opinibout their Heads?

A. Some won'd perfwade us that they are not fo ubject to the Mileries and Calamities of Humanity as other Perfons, and that fome Special Privileges are cenied the reft of Mankind which they enjoy; to this end they infinuate the Hitory of Antoninus firnamed Diadumenus related by Elius Lampridius, who being born with fuch a Coif, did afterwards come to the Soveraign Dignity of the Empire, in the Management whereof all things fuccceded according his

W fhes. Advocates in ancient
Times ufually mace ufe thereof
To gain Reputation in their
Publick Fleadings, and to that

end were in. Fee with Mid

wives, who knowing the Excellency of fuch a Cof, told it at a very cear Kate. Some have has the Vanity to believe,

on was fo ftrongly rooted in the Primitive Ages Perfuafion, that St. Chryfoftom in feveral of his Homilies fpeaks against such as made ufe thereof to gain Eteem, particularly one Pratus a Clergy-man, being defirous to be fortunate, bought fuch a Coif of a Midwife, which was very highly cenfur'd, as Balfamon aifirms in his Commentares upon the Canons of the Apostles. It fhort, we believe neither fortunate or unfortu nate.

Q. Why David's Heart [mote him when he had cut off the Skirt of Saul's Garment?

A. Becaule 'twas a fort of Læfe-Majefty: And a Violation of that Refpect he ought to have had for a King who was immediately defign'd and anointed by GOD. The Rabbies fay, That the Reafon of his being ilruck Paralytical in his

old

the Context. For the firft of the fecond's being a Confutation of the Sadduces We fuppofe 'tis mean, that Opinión of their's which denies any Angels or Spirits The Creation of whom the Querift thinks is prov'd from thofe Words Thus the Heaven and the Earth were finif'd, and all the Hoft of 'em, in which Hoft be fuppofes are included the Angels

This we take to le the ftrength of his Argument. For the illustration or Confirmation whereof we can produce more than one Text, wherein by this NOT or Hoft, are certainly meant the Angels. That in the History of Abab and Micaiah, 1 Kings 22. 20. (repeated in Chron.) I law "the Lord fiting on his Throne, "and all the Hoft of Heaven fian"ding by him. And Neb. 9. 6. Thou hait m de Heaven, "the Heaven of Heavens, with all their Hoft The Earth and all things that are "therein And thou prefer"veft them all, and the Hoft of "Heaven worffeth thee. And "Luk. 2. 13. There was with the Angel a Multitude of the Heavenly Hoft or the Hoff of Heaven Praifing Thus we have brought all the Light to this Opinion that we can, being un

A. To an errant Atheist, the the first can be no Confutation, for he denies the Suppofition on which the Authority of the Scriptures is founded, namely, the Being of a GOD- for if he dares lay there is no--GOD, he neceffarily concludes this is not his Word, nor any thing elfe -To one who believes a GOD, and pretends to believe the Scriptures, 'tis indeed a Confutation of his Atheism but he needs it not. But we fuppofe the Querit may take Atheists in a more laxe Sence, for those who pretend they own a GOD, and believe the Scriptures, or at least dare not for Shame publickly deny 'em, but yet believe the Eternity of the World, or at least the E-willing to weaken any Arguternity of Matter, which ment which any may think much the fame And to thefe tends to the Etablishment' of we think indeed the firit of Religion, tho' we here defire Genefis is an unanfwerable Conto keep our own private Opifutation, and have endeavour'd nion to cur felves. in a former Paper to make it good against 'em from the Word, and the others in

is

GOD

Q. In what Year was it that Cyrenius mentioned by St. Luke G3

Cap

David, to make his firft Appearance in the World? But there may be yet a Mystery in the very Name of the PlaceBethlehem, which, if we mistake not, fignifies "The House of Bread; and where then cou'd be a fitter Birthplace for him who was the true Bread from Heaven?

Q. In what Sense that Text is to be taken, Gen. 49.The Scepter shall not depart from Juda, nor a Lawgiver from be tween his Feet, until Shiloh come,

the People be? And whether or no was it fulfilled when Herod came to the Crown of Judea?

A. The Question is too looie- We ought to have known after what Era or Computation of Time he asks the the Year. But however we'll answer it as large as we can. He was Governour of Syria when the Taxing of Enrollment of all the World mous Bikɣusens - All the Roman Empire was commanded by Auguftus, in the fame Year that our Saviour was bornand that was as Hiftorians in-and to him shall the gathering of form us, in the Year of the World, 3970. In the Third Year of the 134th Olympiad, in the 42d Year of Auguftus, 4. We think it, notwithand the 34th of Herod. The ftanding all the Subterfuges of Truth of which Allegation is the Jews, a plain Prophecie of alfo plain from the History of our Saviour's Coming, and Jofephus, Lib. 18. Antiq. Fu-a Landmark whereby any but daic. Cyrenius, fays he, who the hardened Jews might have "had both enjoy'd the Conful-known it. "The Scepter "fhip and other Dignities, was" fhall not depart from Judafent by Cafar with a fmall" the Royal Enfigns and AuTrain into Syria, to Cefs, or "thority nor a Lawgiver, «Tax the People. "&c. partly exegetical of the Q. Why was Bethlehem ap-" former Expreffion, for the pointed for our Saviours Birth," Legiflative Power and Soverather than any other Place? "raign Authority are infeparaA. Whatever place had been" bleThe meaning is no appointed for his Birth, the more than that neither fhou'd fulfilling of the Prophefie their Line lofe the Kingdom, wou'd have directed the People nor want an Heir to fill the Throne-Until Shiloh comea Word which fignifieth,

where to have found him
But there may be fome particu-
lar Reasons why he fhou'd be
born at that Place rather than
another, becaufe 'twas the
Town of David, the Place
where Fee liv'd, and David
was born; and where cou'd be
a more proper Place for the
Stem of feffe, and him who was
both the Raat and Off-Spring of

Sent- -He that was to come--or the Meffiah, to which it exactly anfwers-The Scepter was not to depart from Juda till this promis'd Prince fhou'd come -Therefore when it did pass from him, they might be fure this Shiloh was come. And pass from 'em it did, nay,

from

from the whole Race of the Q. What we are to think of Jews, in the Reign and Perfon Jofephus his Teftimony of our of Herod whofe Father, as Saviour, whether genuine or Jofephus writes, was an Edo-no? mite, and his Mother an Arabian, and who therefore by fome of his Flatterers was cry'd up as this promifed Shiloh, which Jofephus as foolishly attributes to Vefpafian.

Q. Whether did Jacob Sin in getting Labans Cattle from him, by putting the Rods into the Gutters? &c.

4. We ne'er yet could fee any convincing Reafon to believe it otherwife. 'Tis found in his 18th Lib. Cap. 6. About this time, fays he, there was one Jefus, a wife Man, if it be lawful to call him a Man, who wrought Miracles, and taught them who embraced the Truth with gladness.- He bad A. No certainly, becaufe many followers, both Jews and 'twas but to obtain his juít Wa-Gentiles; the fame was Chrift. ges, he being befides more care- And tho Pilate by the ful of Labans Cattle than his Judgment of our Elders deliverown, and making good what-ed him to be crucified, yet he had ever of 'em was loft, as ap- thofe which from the Beginning pears by his Expoftulation with loved him. He appeared unto him after he fled from him and them alive the third Day after was overtaken-But we have bis Suffering, as was fore-told by yet a more unanswerable Ar-the holy Prophets. Not only gument that this Practice of thefe, but inumerable more wonhis was no Sin, because it ap-drous things are reported of him; pears from what Jacob tells his and even to this Day the ChriWives, that the Thing was ftians Encreafe, who took their order'd by GOD, or his An-Name from him. gel, which is in Effect the he, and let never any more lame, vide Gen. 31. 11, 12.afk the Question The Angel of GOD Spake unto me in a Dream, faying,Lift up now thine Eye, and fee all the Rams are ring-ftreaked, Speckled and grizled, for I have feen all that Laban doth unto thee And from the fame Angels it's not improbable that Jacob might learn the Art of the Rods; however, without fomething extraordinary he might long enough have put the Rods before the Sheep before they wou'd have Young like 'em at least all the Cattle

thee have conceiv'A

Thus far

why Jofephus took no Notice of our Saviours Appearance, Refurrection and Miracles, when he actually does take Notice of 'em, and that in fo noble and auguit a Manner as we have recited. Nor wants there the moft probable Arguments to prove this Paffage genuine. Fofephus was a curious and careful Hiftorian, he omits not the leaft Paffages, much lefs was he likely to do what wou'd make fo much Noife as this. He takes Notice of John the Baptift, who

was but our Saviours fore-run

ner,

do it?

and bore witness of wou'd not the Jews or Heathens him giving an Account of have loudly exclaim'd against his Birth, Preaching, Baptifm, the Chriftians for fuch a ForEnemies, Imprisonment, Death, gery, or at least against Euand even the Ends of his Per-febius for making use on't, efecutors. Befides, had he not ipecially when he gives them been at leaft well-affected to fo fair an Occafion, and which the Chriftian Religon, and in a Manner defies 'em all to therefore likely to write at that rate; how comes he not once to fpeak ill of it thro'out all his Works, which the Jews were feldom very fparing of doing? Again, Eufebius quotes at large this very Paffage in his firft Book and twelfth Chap. (according to Haumers Divifion) and after mentioning it, glories in it. What Shift or What Shift or

Q. Our Saviour afcended corporally, into Heaven: 'Tis faid no Flefh fhall fee GOD-How do thefe agree?

and live-yet we hope after Death the Juft fhall fee the Face of GOD, and their Bodies as well as Souls shall be in Heaven. There's a Place in

A. This is fo frivolous a Doubt, that were it not for the Querits importunity, we fhou'd not think it worth an Answer. It's no where faid, no Flefh fhall fee GO DRefuge, fays he, have thofe im-But no Man fhall fee my Face pudent Perfons who have forged Writings out of their own Brains contrary to thefe Paffages? Is it likely he wou'd talk of others Forgery, had he not been fecure that what he himself pro-deed fomewhat like what the duced was fincere and genuine? Querift alledges, which we are Befides, tho' we deny not that apt to believe he indeed infome forged Pieces might even tended- 'Tis that I Cor. 15, by this time be fpread about Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Church, or at leaft fuch as the Kingdom of G OD were attributed to thofe who That is, the Body of Man, were none of their Authors; in fuch a State as 'tis now, and tho' fome things might be cannot enter into Glory. ftruck out of the Fathers, but 'tis added we shall be which might not pleafe thofe changed into Angelicam fubftanwho fucceeded 'em; yet there tiam, as Tertullian calls itcannot Inftances be fo eafily we fhall be made like to Angiven of things added unto gels nay, our vile Bodies cm fo early-at leaft this fhall be like the glorious Body feems not feazible in the Wri- of Christ. tings of Jofephus, who had Q. What's the meaning of given fo many Copies abroad, that Text, Matth. 26. 29. But as he himself tells us, and I fay unto you, I will not drink whole Book it felf was placed henceforth of the Fruit of the among the Emperors in the Vine, until that Day when I Publick Library. Befides, drink it new with you in had any fuch thing been done, Ithers Kingdom ?

my Fa

A. We