took about the facred books; numbering not only the verles, but the words, letters, confonants, and points, and marking the various readings, and every thing that was peculiar either in the words or fenfe. Had thefe criticks lived after Christ, they would have had fome temptation to have corrupted their books, that they might not have appear'd too plain in favour of Christianity; but as they wrote long before this, and fo could have no inducement to alter them, 'tis reasonable to think, that their fcrupulous care about the facred books was the effect of the deepeft veneration for them, and a defire to preserve them free from the leaft corruption. Since therefore it appears probable, that no confiderable alterations happened to the books of the Old Testament before Chrift, and our author himself will not allow to Mr. Whiston that they were corrupted after, in order that he may fix on the Apostles the charge of citing and applying them allegorically and impertinently; I think I may reasonably conclude, that the many prophecies contain'd in them, re

lating to the Meffiah, having fo exact an agreement with the character of our bleffed Lord, and being literally accomplished in him, do fufficiently prove all that they are ever cited to prove, viz. that he was the Meffiah whom the Jews expected, and therefore abundantly justifie us in acknowledging him as fuch, and in believing and obeying his Gofpel.

Poffibly fome may think I have been too long on this head, and that our author ought to have affigned the reasons for his fuppofition, that the fcriptures are corrupted, and tell us when and where, and by whom, and with what view this was done, before he deferves any reply. I confess that general charges and unfupported fuppofitions ought to have no weight or regard with any confiderate perfons. But as he feems to think that he hath given fome fhrewd hints upon this occafion, and speaks with the greatest affurance of the corruption of scripture as a thing certain and undeniable; I was willing to examine into this matter with the greater carefulnefs; and I own that

the

the more I think of it, I am the more fully convinced, that the books of the Old Teftament are, as to the main and material parts, genuine and uncorrupted, tho in leffer matters poffibly fome errors may have happened to them.

СНАР.

СНАР, Х.

Concerning the particular Prophecies applied by CHRIST to himself

T

HE reader will observe that the particular prophecies I have infifted on, in the foregoing chapter, as relating to the Meffiah in the Old Teftament, and applied to and verified in Chrift, and in him only, are fuch as refpect principally those great events of his fufferings, death, refurrection, and universal kingdom over Jews and Gentiles. That these things fhould fome time or other come to pass, is foretold in the most plain and express manner;

and

And of

and they are fpoken of as circumstances to diftinguish, from all other, fome one particular person and season, confequence when they all of them agree to, and are verified in any one particular perfon, and fuch a one declares himfelf to be the very perfon intended by fuch prophecies; thofe prophecies then become proper and certain proofs that he was the perfon fpoken of, and are therefore justly urged and applied as fuch.

as proper

I therefore add, and I think 'tis an obfervation of fome weight in this controverfy, that the prophecies of the Old Tef tament, which Chrift applies to himself, and demonftrative proofs of his being the Meffiah, are fuch only as relate to thofe great events of his fufferings, refurrection, and univerfal kingdom. 'Tis evident indeed that he doth upon other occafions make use of scripture paffages; but we fhall then find, that he cites them in a more lax and general manner laying, but little ftrefs upon them, and not urging them as certain and convincing proofs of his being the Meffiah, but with some