to heaven, and the angels of God afcending and defcending on it. And the Lord stood above it, and faid, I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Ifaac, the land whereon thou lieft to thee will I give it, and to thy feed; and thy feed fhall be as the duft of the earth, and thou fhalt fpread abroad unto the west, and to the eaft, to the north, and to the fouth, and in thee and in thy feed fhall all the families of the earth be bleffed; and I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places wherever thou goeft, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. According to the prophet Daniel, this prophecy was complete and full at, the coming of the Meffiah. 9th chapter: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon the holy city, to finish the tranfgreffion, and to make an end of fins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to feal up the vifion and prophecy, and to anoint the Moft Holy. By comparing and taking both prophecies in their true meaning, the first covenant gives place, and is tranflated into the new or Covenant of the Meffiah. I am with thee and will keep thee in all places wherever thou goeft, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee until I have done that which I bave Spoken to thee of; that is, Jacob's pofterity fhould be preferved a nation, and inhabitants of the promised land until the Meffiah whom, according to Daniel, juft quoted, vifion and prophecy fhould be fealed up. Esil pas I 40 of The The death of the Meffiah put the fdahando completion to the first covenant, fettled, coneg firmed andreftablished the second, which exen plains the prophecys that in the middle of thes week he fhall caufe the facrifice and athe oblato tion to iceafedo The laft of your prophets con firms the rejection of the Jewish facrifices vandi worship goand introduction and confirmation of the new Malachi ftochapter, I have no pleas Jure in you, faith the Lord of Holts, neither will's Isaccept an offering at your band for from the rifing of the fun even unto the going down of thes fame, My Name fhall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incenfe fall be offered unto My • Name and a pure offering for My Name fhall be great among the Gentiles, faith the Lord of Hofts. 2 Mofes The arguments you bring too prove the legal right of Jefus Chrift to the Meffiahfhips and confequently chriftianity to the new covenant, are our own fcriptures, which we cannot refufe our affent to. All Ifrael expected their Meffiah, according to the prophecies, nat the time Jefus Chrift appeared; but have al ways rejected him with fcorn, and, therefore, condemned him to the moft fhameful, ignos minious death, deftined for none but malefactors for the moft heinous crimes. d Luther. He was obftinate and a gainfayer. If perfons will make themselves obnoxious to the higher powers they must take the blame on themselves, and not lay it on the guardians of the laws. I am resolved, on my return, to give no refpite to gainfayers of any defcription what foeyer,but immediately to fend out the edicts or or penal laws to scrape and glean both body and goods; folthat Ishopevim afhort time to find myfelf the darling of all nations. I am refolvedė alfo to pate, clip, fqueeze, and prune my court of Doctors Commons; b will put them done a religious diet. It is the advice of the faculty that vegetables are productive of much health anddong diferoby an abfterious réform difhall reduce the number to one-third, and, putting them on a small income, will make a great fav ing to the treasury, and likewise a very large amount will be brought into my coffers by an acts of justice and charity, in bringing before my fpiritual court all Doctors, Proctors, and other abdominous, unwieldy, and paunch bellied, hungry wolves, who gather where they have not fown, and whofe hearts are flint-ftones. Another refolve is to clear St. Peter's, my. church of the abbey, horse-armoury, St. Paul's, and other places of religion, or otherwife from all images or idolatry whatsoever, to give reafonable room to my darling flocks to attend di vine service, and bring large fums, by fetting thofe idols to fale at common vendue, and amazing other riches may be acquired by prus dent, watchful and religious litigations, onun ༣ Boy. What were the crimes laid to the charge of Jefus Chrift straw gil o Mafes. Seduction, blafphemy, magic, and a common difturber and feditious culprit, which crimes and many others rendered him hatefut and obnoxious to all but a few vagrants, like himself, who were his followers, and paid: no obedience either to the law of God or man, 901 Luther. 10 A Luther. These are heavy charges, and ftand foremost in the little regard us proteftants pay to his worship; few of my cloth pay any other refpect than what is abfolutely obligatory to keep our livings; our new philofophy lays the whole afide, convincing ourselves there is no fpirit, but that productions of what kind foever, animal or vegetable, &c. return in full from whence they were produced. And fo be ita Man's nature is to eat, drink, and enjoy him felf. X Boy. What were the feductions proved against Jefus Chrift? Mofes. Seducing Ifrael from the command❤ ments and ceremonies of their law. cung ht Boy, Pray enter more minutely in this charge? Mojes. Breaking the Sabbath, by doing cures. and healing every difeafe; making the deaf to hear, the blind to fee, the lame to walk, casting out devils, curing the lepers, paralytics, raising the dead, with many others. By what authority his disobedience, though commanded by our chief-priests and others, never would declare, fuffering his difciples to go through the corn-fields, rubbing and eating the corn, and eating in common without wafhing their dirty hands. All these and many other misdemeanors and by choice on the Sabbath. Boy. His blafphemies, if you will indulge me? Mofes. Turning himself the Son of God, taking upon himself to forgive fins, faying, if the temple, that was upwards of forty years in building, was destroyed, he would raife it in three three days; fpeaking against cuftoms and dif refpectfully of the fcribes, doctors, and ho nourable men. 03 Boy. His magic, if you pleafe? Moses. I call the whole, that seems superna tural, magic, or flight of the enemy; and his walking on the water as if it was dry land; commanding the ftorms to ceafe; feeding at different times feveral thousands with three or four loaves, and two or three small fishes, and many other deceptions, which draw the world after him to make him their king. Luther. This I will avow to my dying day, which I hope is ata long distance, as Ifhould with to enjoy the fweat of my brow, you know what I mean, Peter's Chair, to which I bequeath the firft affection of my loving heart, the glory of the king's daughter is within; for, most cer tainly, he is my elder daughter, and few princes will equal me either in honour, glory, greatnefs, or riches. All these aforefaids belong and appertain to one and the fame caufe; for a poor prince makes but a forry figure in life. Yet, I own there is a rival fifter, as Efau and Jacob, ftruggles hard in the womb of my heart, violent competitors for the birthright, which is the fenfe of the palate and feel of the ftomach. I also am importuned by a third, which wraps me into extacy. O Rachel, O mandrakes; give me Rachel, give me mandrakes, or I die. Luther throws himself back in the chair and fends forth a deep figh and groans, l Boy. You have explained the accufations of feduction, blafphemy and magic, laid by Ifrael |