Five Pebbles from the BrookEnglish, George Bethune
Religion
Five Pebbles from the Brook
English, George Bethune
Everett, Edward, 1794-1865. Defence of Christianity; Rationalism
[fn41 Mr. Everett, in. a note to p. 194 of his work, speaks of
Salathiel and Zorobabel as succeeding to the "throne of Judah
after the Babylonish captivity. Any one who will read the books of
Ezra and Nehemiah with attention, will be satisfied that this
language is quite ridiculous: forasmuch as that Salathiel was a
captive slave at Babylon, and Zorobabel was but at best the
Governor of Judea for the King of Persia, and all the Jews under
his command were subject to the orders of Tabnai[fn42] and
Shether Boznia. "Governors beyond the river" for the Persian
King. See Ezra ch. ix. 8, 9. Neh. ch. vi. 6, 7. and ch. ix. 37. In this
and in many other instances, Mr. Everett in order to gain his
cause, has been obliged to forget the command recorded in "the
beggarly elements," to have been given from Mount Sinai, "thou
shalt not speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest
judgment." Exod. xxiii, 2. There are, however, cases in which
lawyers allow that this precept may be dispensed with, particularly
if the cause be of great importance: and more particularly still
when the client pays well.]
[fn42 for "Romans" read "Asmonaeans" for "Tabnai" read
"Tatnai"]
[fn43 The Jewish Rabbies have been treated, by the Christian
controversial writers, in the same manner as the foolish King of
Israel was treated, by the messengers of the defeated Benhadad.
"Now the men [the messengers of Benhadad] did diligently
observe whether any thing would come from him, and did hastily
catch at it." 1 Kings, ch. xx 33. The famous work of Dr. Allix,
exposed by Nye, where Allix tries to show by quotations from
Jewish writings, that the ancient Jews were Trinitarians, is a
notable instance of this. Mr. Everett's work itself, enables me to
lay before the reader one at least, which will verify my
observation.
Mr. Cary in his refutation of my first work, quoted with great
solemnity, one Rabbi Alshek as maintaining that the 53d. of Isaiah
referred to the Messiah. Every one of Mr. Cary's lay readers,
undoubtedly have supposed that this was the truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth. But it was not. The whole truth
leaks out in Mr. Everett's work, in a note to p. 143, where Mr.
Everett says, that this famous Rabbi "having acknowledged that
the prophet had the Messiah in view [in the 53d. of Isaiah,], he
afterwards applied the oracle to some other person, and finally to
Moses!" Now in the name of common sense I would, ask, of what
value can the testimony and authority of a man be, who could be
capable of such contradictory nonsense as this.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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