The later Apoftates, fuch as Mofes Maimon &c. have forged the Schemes of making the Sacrifices of Brutes fufficient nay, fince they had no Sacrifices, Repentance fufficient: And our Free-thinkers are but the Spawn of the latest Writers of thefe Apoftates; and take all their Argunients from them, or from the latest and moft ignorant of the Heathens, who knew nothing of any God.

The Western Churches, or that of Rome, who likewife did not understand the Hebrew Scriptures, but fubfifted by Tradition, &c. only escaped. And tho' I have shewed that most, if not every one, of the Errors in that Church, came from the Apoftates, though they may have improved upon fome of them; yet they took chiefly fuch as made for the Hierarchy, Power, Grandeur, Riches, and Pleafure of the Ecclefiafticks, and to subject the Laity; but none of their diabolical Doctrines, which totally deftroy the Being of Christianity, and which afford no Advantage either to Ecclefiafticks or Laity; fo kept up the Foundations of Christianity, and the Face of it with Ceremonies, &c.

I have fhewed, that when the Northen Churches fubject to many Kings, petty Princes, States, and Common-wealths,

fa

fo disjoint, protested against the Hierarchy and Errors of Rome, and pretended to fettle their Doctrine from the Scriptures; they knew nothing of the Hebrew Tongue, but what and as the Apoftate Jews thought fit to teach them; they did not know what was in the Hebrew Bible, or fo much as fufpect; or that there was fuch clear Evidence for every Article in Christianity, Philofophy, &c, So to avoid the Authority of the Pope, who pretended to the Right of conftruing the Bible, they put themselves into the Power of the Apoftates, and made their Translations accor ding to their Constructions, Pointing, &c. And their Youth, confequently their Minifters, were educated to conftrue the Scriptures as the Apoftates do, and to have the fame Sentiments of every Text, fome very few excepted, as the Apoftates have. Indeed we have had Heads of the Church, fo had no Occafion to turn Apoftates for fear of the Pope.

The Romans not only endeavour to infufe the Traditions they have taken from the apoftate Jews, into the reform'd Churches, to which the Reform'd have an Averfion, and Policy keeps them out; but where these will not take, Free-thinking, Atheism, nay downright Immorali

ties, and Debaucheries, are propagated by them, as they pretend, to confound the Reformed, who they call Hereticks fo bring them back to their Subjection. The apoftate Jews endeavour to infufe their pretended Traditions; not only

those which the Romans have accepted, but fince their Works have been published, those of the most malignant Nature; to misconstrue all the Evidence in Scripture of the Trinity, and every Article of the Chriftian Religion; to destroy the Evidence and confound the Faith of the Reformed Churches; and prevail much more than the Romans. Why should we not believe the Traditions the Pope has taken from them, and made them his; as well as those which are worse, and only are the Traditions of the apoftate Jews?

How did we quit the Romish Errors, but by fearching the Scriptures?

How

fhall we get quit of the Reft? When the Reformations begun, petty Princes were many of them not reform'd;

fhifted this way and that way,

marry'd; and do fo at this day.

Perfon may be Head of a

many have

and interThe fame Proteftant

Church, and Prince or King in a Romish Country; and if there were any thing

to

to be got in the Jewish Difperfion, or in the Mahometan State, doubtless there are fome who would comply a little, rather than lofe it; fo no Guides. And the Reformed under fuch, could not tell how to interpret the Scriptures, nor how to withstand the Pope's pretended Right of interpreting; which might force them back: fo ftruck in with the Apoftates, took all their Pointing, Interpretations and Doctrine, by Wholefale. the South the Jews, for the Benefit of Trade, conform; and if ever they offer a Propofition of their old Doctrine to a Christian, which the Reform'd in the North have admitted; they burn him and feize his Eftate.

In

Thefe Conftructions &c. have been imported from the reform'd Germans, as they call themselves, by Buxtorf, and all their Writers, into the Church of England, from the first Reformation to this Day: foon after its coming was drop'd, but has lately eradicated the Tenets of Christianity, till at this Day neither Root, Stem, Branch, or Fruit; fcarce a Leaf is left.

Broughton upon the Apocal. &c. with great Infolence endeavour'd to maintain the Talmudique, and its manner of conftruing,

ftruing, not only the Hebrew Bible, but the New Teftament; and oppofed Elias, who denied the Points; for which p. 87. they thanked him; and propofed, That if he would allow them this, aud translate the Bible into their Chaldee Language, which they profered him to do that then they might conftrue those Words by the Words of their own Book, which are each studiously levell'd against the Truth; and though, to avoid Ale im, Malack, &c. they own'd, p. 76. That they prayed to Angels; if he would also allow them that the Pope, and not thefe Apoftates, was Antichrift, they promised they would make any Conceffions he could demand.

When we had no Head but a Common-Wealth, though the Rabbinical Arabian Books had been attempted to be introduced fooner; thefe, and they, as moft confiftent with their Government were received, ftudied, and cited as Evidence; and Men were fent into Turkey to learn Chriftianity. There has almost ever fince been an Apoftate to teach in each University; and thofe who were for coming at things without Study, have followed their Conftructions. In the North, upon thofe Terms of admitting

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