unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the plague was ftayed. And the Lord fpoke unto Mofes, Speak unto the children of Ifrael, and take of every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, of all their princes, twelve rods, write every man's name upon bis rod, and write Aaron's name on the rod of Levi, for one rod fhall be for the head of the houfe of their futhers, and lay them up in the tabernacle, before the testimony, where I will meet with you, and the man's rod that I shall choose fhall bloffom, and I will make to ceafe from fin the murmurings of the children of Ifrael, which they murmur against you. And Mofes fpoke to the children of Ifrael, and every one of their princes gave him a rod, for each prince one, according to their fathers houfes, even i 12. rods, and the rod of Aaron was among their rods, and Mofes laid up the rods before the Lord, in the tabernacle of witnefs, and on the morrow Mofes went into the tabernacle of witnefs, and the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed bioffoms, and yielded almonds; and Mofes brought out all the rods, from before the Lord, unto all the children of Ifrael, and they looked, and took eve ́ry man his rod, and the Lord faid unto Mofes, bring Aaron's rod again, before the teftimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels, and thou fbalt quite take away their murmuring, from me that they die not. And Mofes did fo, as the Lord commanded him, and the children of Ifrael fpoke unto Mofes, faying, Behold we die,

whoever cometh near to the tabernacle of the Lord fball die.

Thefe and many other parts of fcriptures are convincing proofs of the malice of fchifm and herefy, and there can be no crime more deteftable in its nature, nor meets with greater marks of divine difpleafure and punishments; it is blafphemy and the higheft infult that can be offered to the Majefty of God. But this language is unreasonable to divines, from whom I ought to feek inftruction, and I have ever made it a rule rather to be taught, than to teach, and to embrace wifdom wherever I can find her. Salvation is a prize. worthy our attention, and it is this with fettled in me, that eggs me on to feek in others what I find wanting in my own conceptions. This I am perfuaded is our joint with and happy if we can affift each other to attain the idefired haven.

Luth. & Calv. We will heartily concur with you in this great and noble purfuit; for, will it avail us to gain the world at the expence of our happiness?

Mof. Divine truths are to be obtained at the head, from whence they iffue, a fyftem different from that of Calvin, who would have them perfected by time, to bring or ripen into maturity, putting them in the weak and imperfect ftate, as matter.

Luth. & Caly. God is truth and every man a liar.

Mof. To prove what I affert, we will begin with the creation. The fcripture bears record that all things were, in their creation, good

and

and pleafing to the Creator, who is infiniteperfection; fo that evil commences through the abufe of free-will. Inftances we find, firft in the angels, after by man; and the caufe, pride, conceit, luft, and disobedience to the rules prefcribed. We do not obferve, that man improved in truth or virtue in the first ftate of the creation, but the reverfe; Noah's flood is a convincing proof. This is an effential article in our religion; for throughout our fcriptures our punishments were brought on us as foon as we forfeited our duty and ftrict ob fervance of the moft pure law of our fathers. This we agree, both Jew and chriftian, to be the first covenant. We both alfo agree, that the fecond will far tranfcend the firft, having the Meffiah for its head, guide, and everlasting director and darling fpoufe. Our fcriptures are equally full of the Meffiah and his new covenant, infeparate and everlafting, unmixt. The firft covenant was upon the exprefs condition of adhering clofely to our law; but to the new covenant there are no fuch conditions, but a multiplicity of eternal promifes and careffes convince me that Jefus is the Meffiah. I fhould then convince you, that I have no objection to chriftianity.

Luth. The Lutherans would be much edi fied, we fhould efteem you a great acquifition. Cato: A man truly wife never can obtain the fpirit but in the company of prophets.

Mof. If I was convinced that Jefus was the Meffiah, his covenant, or church, that he eftablished and united to himself, by a union of

oaths,

oaths, and the moft folemn promifes, of eter nal endearments, would be known by the unanimous voice of all nations and religions, of what denomination foever; let us only make the enquiry ourselves. I that am a Jew, were you or any other perfon to afk, where do the old chriftians meet to fay prayers, or which is the catholic church? neither you nor I would point out, unless it might be to laugh at them, either Luther or Calvin's church, or our fynagogue, &c. but would fhew them the Roman catholic church or chapel. This is an inconteftable your novelty is not the ca th that at your tholic or chriftian church. This is a truth worthy your notice. This duty pondered, you expofe yourselves when you invite others to join in your unhappy and deplorable cafe.

Luth. & Calv. The proteftant religion is truth and fanctity.

010

Mof. I was at fome pains to convince you, by different examples in our fcripture, the im placable hatred Almighty God has to difobedience, particularly in the cafe of Kore, Nadab, and Abiram, who went plump into hell. Luther and Calvin were far greater culprits, than they; for Kore and his party were fchifmatics of the old covenant, but Luther and Calvin are fchifmatics and heretics of the, or rather against the new covenant of the Meffiah.

Luth. & Calv. By what you affert, if you were converted to Jefus Chrift, we should be not a whit the more palatable to you, for you would join the worshippers of images; we cannot join in idolatry.

Mof.

Mof. Explain this, I befeech you; I have often made enquiry, but never could meet with due explanations on this head. Prove this, and I never will think more of being a chrif tian. We Jews are commanded, in our law, when we prayed in the times of the tabernacle and temple, to turn our faces and adore the moft holy place or apartment, that contained the images of two angels, where the glory of our Lord delighted, and the ark that contained the ten commandments, were placed at the feet of the images. Solomon's temple was as fully ornamented with images as Luther's Weftminfter-Abbey, &c.. fo that you will fatisfy your felves that the fcripture commands us to refpect holy images, and deteft idols, refpect our fcriptures and deteft books of magic or other deteftable volumes.".

Luth. All what your law commanded was holy and true; fo our images in WestminsterAbbey, on St. Paul's, horfe armoury, queen Elizabeth, St. Dunstan, queen Anne, or any other in the jurifdiction of England, Wales, or Berwick on Tweed, or any thing within the limits of Lutherifm, either image, figure, painting, pictures, prints, books, or any matter, caufe, or thing whatfoever, by law established or winked at, is holy, juft, and to be revered and refpected, by all loyal, dutiful and obedient fubjects. In this we are united, according to your fcriptures.

Calv. If images and figures of every defcription are juft and lawful to Jews and Lu... therans,