Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews

§ 20 Fifthly, There are some few remaining among the Eastern Jews, who reject all this Story concerning the Oral Law, and professedly adhere unto the Written Word only. These the Masters of their present Religion and Persuasion do by common consent brand as Heretics: calling them Scripturists, or Scripturarians, or Biblists, the very name of reproach wherewith the Romanists stigmatize all those who reject their Traditions. These are their [Greek or Hebrew], that is Biblists or Scripturarians: and every where they term them [Greek or Hebrew] Heretics, and endeavour to prove them guilty [Greek or Hebrew] of Heresy in the highest degree. Some of them would have them to be the Offspring of the old Sadducees, to deny the Resurrection, and the World to come, as men care not much usually what they impute unto those whom they esteem Heretics. But the falsity hereof is notorious, and so acknowledged by others, and confuted by the Writings of the Karaeans themselves. Yea the Author of Cosri affirms that they are more studious in the Law than the Rabbins; and that their Reasons were more weighty than theirs, and lead more towards the naked sense of the Scripture. But this is that which they charge upon them, namely that rejecting the sure Rule of their Traditions, they run into singular, Expositions of the Law, and so divided it, and made many Laws of it, having no certain ⟨p. 67⟩means of Agreement among themselves. So saith Rabbi Jehuda Levita the Author of the fore-mentioned Cosri, [Greek or Hebrew]. The Karaeans multiply Laws according to their own Opinion, which he inveighs against them for, after he had commended them. And the same is objected against them by Maimonides on Pirke Aboth. As though it were not known, that the greatest part of their Talmud, the Sacred Treasury of their Oral Law, is taken up with differences and Disputes of their Masters among themselves, with a multitude of various Opinions, and contradictory conceptions about their Traditions. Thus deal the Romanists also which their Adversaries, this they charge them withal; They are Heretics, Biblists, and by adhering to the Scripture alone, have no certainty among themselves, but run into diversities of Opinions, as having deserted the unerring Rule of their Cabala;

§ 20 Fifthly, There are some few remaining among the Eastern Jews, who reject all this Story concerning the Orall Law, and professedly adhere unto the Written Word only. These the Masters of their present Religion and Perswasion do by common consent brand as Hereticks: calling them Scripturists, or Scripturarians, or Biblists, the very name of reproach wherewith the Romanists stigmatize all those who reject their Traditions. These are their , that is Biblists or Scripturarians: and every where they term them Hereticks, and endeavour to prove them guilty of Heresie in the highest degree. Some of them would have them to be the Offspring of the old Sadducees, to deny the Resurrection, and the World to come, as men care not much usually what they impute unto those whom they esteem Hereticks. But the falsity hereof is notorious, and so acknowledged by others, and confuted by the Writings of the Karaeans themselves. Yea the Author of Cosri affirms that they are more studious in the Law than the Rabbins; and that their Reasons were more weighty than theirs, and lead more towards the naked sense of the Scripture. But this is that which they charge upon them, namely that rejecting the sure Rule of their Traditions, they run into singular, Expositions of the Law, and so divided it, and made many Laws of it, having no certain