CHA P. II.

These are the Teftimonies of the Old Writers, which prove Efdras to be a Prophet and his Defcription of the Creation dgrees with Mofes's and David's.

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Ofephus gives us Artaxerxes's Opinion of Efdras, expreft in his Commiffion: Thou Efdras, according to the Wisdom given thee from above, fhalt appoint Fudges to execute to the People according to your Law. And then Efdras foretold the King, that God would protect the Jews who returned with him, and therefore he required no Convoy. And this Inftance fhews, he was then efteemed a Prophet, as well as a juft Man; of great Reputation amongit the People, as well as skilful in the Law of Mofes. And in Ezra, ch. 8. it is writ, The Hand of the Lord was upon us, and be delivered us from the Hand of our Enemies, and of fuch as lay in wait by the way. And thus this Prediction of Efdras was fulfil lcd.

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There are fome Quotations in the New Teftament out of this Prophecy, Ch. 1. v. 30. I gathered you together, as a Hen gathereth ber Chickens. And Ch. 8. v. 2. There are many cre ated, but few fhall be chofen. This Book is much efteemed by the Roman Church, though they do not allow it to be Cancnical; yet they read fome of it in the Roman Offices, on the Third of Pentecoft, ch. 2. v. 36,37, and in the Solemnity of Martyrs, v. 45.

Since none of the Ancient Writers affirm that this Bock was forged, but they call Ejdrás a Prophet in their Writings, I have a lefs Value for the Opinion of the Criticks in these late Ages.

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A. D. 176. Melito, Bishop of Sardis, gives a Catalogue of the Canon of Scripture, as Eufebius relates, lib. 4. There is no mention of Ezra and Nehemiah amongst the firft Hifto-. rical Books: He fays, the Prophers are Ifaiah, Jeremiah,_one

Book

Book of the Twelve Prophets, Daniel, Ezechiel, Efdras; and then he was reckoned a Prophet as much as the reft, by Melito, a Bifhop, and great Writer, who travelled into the Eaft, and made a diligent Inquiry concerning the Canon of Scriprure: And out of the Prophecies Melito collected the Teftimonics concerning our Saviour, and fent them, with a Catalogue of the Canon, to his Friend Onefimus. And in Efdras's Prophecies there is the Revelation of God's Son Jefus, and his Death, ch. 7. and ch. 13. he rifes from the Sea, and cb. 21. he is called God's Son, and the Heathens Shepherd, who must come in the End of the World. These are plain Teftimonies concerning Chrift: But there are no Prophecies in Ezra and Nehemiah; they are pure Hiftories of their Times.

Juftin Martyr, pag. 299. fays, that the Jews rafed out of the Scripture the following Words, which Efdras wrote concerning the Law of the Paffover; Et dixit Efdras populo, hoc PaScha falvator nofter eft, & perfugium noftrum; at fi in animum induxeritis, & in cor veftrum afcenderit, quod humiliaturi cum fimus in figno, & poftea Speraturi in eum, “non desolabitur locus ifte in omne tempus, dicit dominus virtutum ; fin in eum non credideritis, neque audieritis annunciationem ejus, deridiculum eritis gentibus. Lactantius, in his Fourth Book de Sapientia, quotes the fame Words from Efdras; and he quotes this as one of the Teftimonia Prophetarum, concerning Chrift. And in the fame Book he fays, Hefdras propheta, qui fuit ejufdem Cyri temporibus, à quo Fudai funt reftituti, fic loquitur, Defeiverunt à te, & abjecerunt legem tuam, & prophetas tuas interfecerunt. This relates to the 2d of Efdras, Chap. I. Ver. 32.

Clemens Alexandrinus calls Efdras, pops, in the Third of his Stromata; and quotes this from him, as 'tis tranflated into Latin; Cur enim non fuit matris meæ uterus fepulchrum ?. ne viderem afflictionem Facobi, & laborem generis Ifrael, ait Efdras propbeta. And this is from Ch. 5. v. 35. of Efdras's Prophecy.

In the Seventh of the Stromata, pag. 329. and 342. Cle mens fays, Efdras was infpired, and that he prophefied, renew. ing all the Old Scriptures, which were loft in the time of Artaxerxes; and that none could renew, or put them in

order,

order, but by the Spirit of God. This Character is given by him, who firft mention'd this Prophecy, A. D. 200.

Tertullian cites the Fourth Book of Efdras, (lib. de habitu mulieris.) Hierofolymis expugnatione Babylonicâ deletis, omne inftrumentum Judaica literature per Efdram conftat esse refti

tutum.

St. Austin, de Civitate Dei, lib. 18. calls Efdras a Prophet, and fays, he writ after Malachi; and in lib. 17. he says, there were many Prophecies in him.

Fuftin Martyr, pag. 349. affirms, that in Efdras there were Proofs and Demonftrations concerning Chrift, as well as in Jeremy, and David's Pfalms.

The Difingenuity of the Jews in rafing out the Prophecy a bove mentioned, gives me a juft Sufpicion, that they fuppref fed the original Copy: And fince Juftin mentions Efdras's Prophecies, the Second of Eldr. Apocrypha was known before Clemens Alexandrinus's Days, though Mr. Mede afferts the contrary.

Irenæus, lib. 3. ch. 25. Deus infpiravit Eldræ facerdoti temporibus Artaxerxis præteritorum prophetarum omnes rememorare fermones, & reftituere populo eam legem, quæ data eft per Mofem. And in his Book againft the Gnofticks he lays, The Gnofticks also acknowledge Efdras as a Prophet.

St. Bafil, in bis Epiftle ad Chilonem, has this Affection; Eldras libros feripture divinitus infpirata omnes ex Dei mandato eru&avit, & expromfit.

St. Cyril quotes the Firft Book of Efdras, Ch. 4. v. 38. Veritas manet & prævalebit in æternum,

Eufebius quotes the fame Place as is in Irenæus, ch. 9. lib. 5. Ecclef. Hiftory,

St. Ambrofe quotes the Fourth of Efdras, in his Comment, lib. 21. ch.2. Revelabitur, inquit, filius meus Fefus, Eld. ch.7. and ch. 9. de bono mortis, Animarum fuperiora effe habitacula, Scripturæ teftimoniis probatur, fiquidem in Efdræ libris legi mus, cap. 7 Habitacula reddent animas, quæ iis commendata funt, & revelabitur altiffimus fuper fedem judicii. And

Ch.

Ch. 11. Unde air propbetu ad Angelum, ergo dabitur temp animalus poftquam separdiæ fuerint de corpore, ut videant de quo dixifti. Eldras, ch. 5. is quoted; Denique Scriptura habitacula illa animarum promptuaria nuncupavit. And St. Jerom, in his Book ad Helvidium, has thefe Words: Sive Mofem dis cere volueris autorem Pentateuchi, froe Efdram ejufdem inftaus

ratorem, non recufo.

A. D. 626. Ifidorus de eccléfiafticis officiis, Lib. 1. Cap. Î1. Efdras fcripfit librum fuum, omnes hos libros Eldras prophes ta poft incenfam Legem à Chaldæis afflatus Spiritu Sanao reparavit; dum Judai regreffi in Jerufalem fuiffent, cun&aque prophetarum volumina, que fuerant à gentibus corrupta, correxit, torumque Vetus Teftamentum in viginti quatuor liz bros conftituit, ut tot libri effent in Lege, quor & literæ bas benrur. By this it appears, that Two Books of Efdras were formerly one, called Libram fuum.

A. D. $80. This Teftimony Gildas de excidio Britannica, gives concerning Efdras ; Quid præterea beatus Efdras propbetaille, bibliotheca Legis, minatus fit, non parcet dextera mea Super peccatores, nec ceffabit rhomphea, fupra effundentes fan guinem innocuum. Efdras, ch. 15. v. 22. he quotes the Words of Efdras, as they are now in the Latin Copy.

Ifidorus Hifpalenfis mentions some Prophecies of Daniel, in the Defcription of his Life, which agree with Efdras's Prophecy concerning Babylon, and the Return of the Jews; Dum montes à Borca fumarent, finem inftare Balylonia, dum vifi fuerint incendio flagrare, finis erit totius mundî; item dum ad Noti partem deflexerit Tigris, regreffe crit populi ad Jerufalem. And he gives this Account of Da niel, that he was carried into Media by Darius, after he had raken Babylon; and Daniel lived an hundred and twenty Years, till the time of Darius the Perfian. Ezechiel was carried into Captivity with Daniel, in the time of Joachim, and both died in the Captivity. And the Prophecies of both were older than Efdras, Ifidor calls Efdras, Scriptor Hiftoriæ, mirer Legislator poft Mofem': Bic Legem incenfam revocavit, Hebraicarum literarum elementa invenit, bumatus in Ferafa lem. Zachary and Haggai returned with the Captivity, and were Contemporaries with Efdras.

Ef

Efdras's Defcription of the Creation agrees with Mo Jes, in afferting the Waters above the Heavens. Chapter 16. n. 59. He fpreadeth out the Heavens, like a Vault, upon the Waters hath he framed it. The fame is faid in the 148th Pfalm, verf. 4. Praise him, ye Heavens of Heavens; and ye Waters that are above the Heavens., Ver. 6. He hath eftablifhed them for ever; he hath made a Decree which thall not pafs. And Ver. 8. Dauid distinguishes them from the "Meteors, Fire, Snow, Hail, and Vapour, formy Wind. Efdras, Chapter 6. ver. 41. Upon the Second Day thou madeft the Spirit of the Firmament, and commandedft it to part afunder, and to make a Divifion betwixt the Waters, that one Part might go up, and the other remain beneath. (This is a plain Comment on the old Philofophick Notion, That the Waters are the utmoft Boundaries of our created World.)

And I cannot omit another Philofophick Opinion, mentioned by Efdxas, and other Scriptures, Chapter 16. verf. 58. He hath fhut the Sea in the Midft of the Waters; and with his Word hath he hanged the Earth on the Waters. Chapter 6. verf. 42. Upon the Third Day thou commandedft that the Waters fhould be gathered in the Seventh Part of the Earth; Six Parts haft thou dried ap. Verse 47. Upon the Fifth Day thou faidft unto the Seventh Part, where the Waters were gathered. Verse 52. Unto Leviathan thou gaveft the Seventh Part. Verje 50. And didft feparate (Behemoth and Leviathan) the one from the other; for the Seventh Part, (namely, where the Water was gathered together) might not hold them both. Chapter 57. He hath measured the Sea, and what it con. taineth; (and this Measure is here declared, the whole Quantity of the Sea is but a Seventh Part of the dry Land.) And this could be only known by Infpiration: For Mofes only fays, Let the VVaters under the Heaven be gathered together unto one Place; and let the dry Land appear. And David, in Pfalm 33. verse 7. He gathereth the VVaters of the Seas together, as an Heap: He layeth up the Depth in Store-houses. And Palm 24. The Earth is the Lord's. Verfe 2. He hath founded it on the Seas, and eftablished it on the Floods.

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