“ faying, there fhall be no other god in thee, nor fhalt thou worthip a ftrange

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god; I am the Lord thy God, who

brought thee out of the land of Egypt. "What think you of this *?"

66

"It is grievous to me to defert the God "of the law, whom you acknowledge to "be a true god, and to worship a younger god, not knowing whence he fprungt." "Whence do you derive your faith in " the Father, Son, and Spirit, and introduce three ftrange gods." "Where "did any prophet foretel that Chrift was « to be God man, as you fay || .”

66

Why

* Μωυσης ο προφήτης, ει την πεναζευχον ανεγνως, μεγεθη καταρων τέθεικεν ημιν τοις υιοις Ισραηλ, απο θες και των αγ γελων, και των αγίων, θεις και παντα τα ςοιχεία τα υπ εξανον υπο κατάραν, ει ποτε έτερον θεον υποδεξόμεθα παρεξ το θεα των πατέρων. Τι εν λοίπον πολυπραγμόνεις; καὶ γαρ κ αύλος ο θεός δια το προφητο παρέγξνα ημίν λέγων εν σοι θεος προσφάλος, εδε προσκυνήσεις θεω αλλοτρίω. εγω γαρ ειμι κύριος ο θεός σε, ο αναγαγων σε εκ της γης Αιγυπ. τε· τι αν δοκεί σοι πρὸς ταῦτα, Ρ.36.

† Οικών βαρύ μοι εσι καταλιπείν τον θεον τε νομό, ον καὶ συ μαρτυρείς, οτι εςι θεός αληθείας, και προσκυνησαι θεω νεωτέρω, ποθεν επεισαχθεντε εκ είδως. Ibid. p. 115.

Η Πόθεν εν εξελαβεσθε πατέρα και υιον και πνευμα πιςεύειν, και εισφέρετε εις το μέσον τρεις θεος αλλοκοτας. Ibid. p. 6. Η Και το ηνίξατό τις των προφήτων, ότι θεος ανθρωπος εται ο χρισος, οι προπον λελάληκας. Ibid, p. 112.

«e did

"did not God order Mofes and the pro

66

phets to believe in the Father, Son, and

Holy Spirit, but yourfelves only, who "have lately difcovered it, as you pre"tend*.

"How do you call your Christ God, if

my God has chofen him, &c. He cannot "be a god, of whom you acknowledge it "is faid in the prophet, I have made thee frong. How can you call him your God "and Saviour, who, as the prophet witnes ❝fes, can do nothing without my God+?"

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"The doctrine of the trinity," fays the Rabbi Ifaac, in his Munimen Fidei, as "held by learned chriftians, refts on the

flightest evidence, and is contrary to the "doctrine of the prophets, the law, and

right reason, and even to the writings of "the New Teftament. For the divine "law gives its fanction to the unity of God, and removes all plurality from "him *." This writer fhews, in many places, that the doctrine of the trinity is not taught in the New Teftament. See P. 397. 403. 418, &c.

The contempt which the author of a Jewish treatife, entitled, Nizzachon Vetus, expreffes for the chriftian doctrine of God. being confined in the womb of woman, is peculiarly ftrong+. As to those who faid

*Accedit his, quod dogina de trinitate falfum eft, et a quibufdam eruditis Nazarenorum, rebus leviffimis, fine ullo vero prophetico fundamento recens fuperftructum, quodque, legi divinæ, verbis prophetarum, humanæ rationi, dictifque plurimis fcriptorum novi testamenti repugnat. Quippe lex divina comprobat dei unitatem, omnemque, pluralitatem ab eo fegregat. p. 113.

+ Quomodo igitur ifte deus effe poffet, qui fœminam plenum immunditiis ventrem habentem, ingreffus eft? Et

that Mary was not rendered unclean by the birth of Jefus, he fays the contrary is evident, from the offering that he brought for her purification*.

Having feen what the chriftians, both unitarians and trinitarians, and alfo what the Jews, thought of the doctrine of the Old Teftament concerning God, it may be fome farther fatisfaction to know in what manner the heathens decided in this case. We have the opinion of the emperor Julian on this fubject, and it is decifively in favour of the Jews, and the unitarian chriftians. He fays, "Mofes not only once, or "twice, or three times, but many times.

quem toties mater illius, novem graviditatis menfibus, co detulit, quo fatura itabat? Quique tempore nativitatis editus eft inquinatus, et fordens, involutus fecundinis, et abominabilis fanguine partus ac profluvii. Nizzachon. Vetus, p. 7.

* Quod fi dicat adverfarius: non inquinatus fuit intra vifcera ejus. Nam, cum in Maria muliebris confuetudo defeciffet, intravit eam fpiritus, exivitque fine dolore, et fine fanguinis forditic. Ad hæc refpondere licet: annon vos fatemini eam obtuliffe facrificium puerperarum, cujus immundities caufa erat? Idem enim facrificium offerebant leprofus, hæmor houfa, et puerpera, par turturum, aut duos pullos columbarum. Ibid. "commands

"commands to worship only one God, σε who, he fays, is over all. He mentions "no other God, but only angels, and lords, "and many gods," that is, the heathen gods. "This great Being he made to be "the firft, but he made no fecond, like him,

If

If you

"or unlike him, as you have done. can produce a fingle expreffion in Mofes

" to this purpofe, do it.

his, A prophet Shall the

That faying of Lord your God

raife up unto you, of your brethren, like * unto me, bear him, is not faid of the fon • of Mary. But if this be granted to you, " he fays that he fhall be like to himfelf, * and not to God, a prophet like himfelf, " of man, and not of God*.'

Θεον

* Ο τοινυν Μωσης εκ απαξ, εδε δις, εδε τρις, αλλά πλεισακνς ενα μόνον αξιοι τιμαν, ον δη και επι πασιν ονομάζει, θεον δε έλερον εδα με, αίγελος δε ονομαζει, και κυρίες, και μεντοι καὶ θεὸς πλείονας . εξαιρεῖον και τον πρωτον, αλλον δε εχ υπειληφε δεύτερον, είτε ομοιον, είτε ανόμοιον, καθαπερ υμεις απεξειργασθε. ει δε ετι τε πας υμιν υπερ τείων μια Μωσέως ρησις, ταύλην ετε δίκαιοι προφέρειν. Το γαρ, προφήτην υμίν ανατήσει κύριος ο Θεος υμών, εκ των αδελφων υμών, ως εμε· αυτά ακό σεσθε· μαλισα μεν εν εκ ειρηται περι τε γεννηθεν εκ Μαριας . ει δε τις υμων ενεκα συγχωρησειεν, εαύλω φησιν αυτον ομοιον γεννήσεσθαι, και ε τω θεω · προφήτην ωσπερ εαυλόν, και εξ ανθρωπων, αλλ' εκ εκ θες. Cyril Contra Jal. lib. 8. Juliani, Opera, vol. 2. p. 253.

VOL. III.

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It