Exercitations on the Epistle to the Hebrews

From this time forward the remaining Jews with their Posterity utterly rejected § 7 the faith of their Father Abraham, and of the rest of their Progenitors who thereby obtained a good report, and this Testimony that they pleased God. A Messiah that should be promised unto Adam the common Father of us all, one that should be a Spiritual Redeemer from sin and misery, a Goel, or Redeemer from Death and Wrath, a Peace-maker between God and man, one that should work out everlasting Salvation, the great blessing wherein all the Nations of the Earth were to have an interest, a spiritual and eternal Prophet, Priest and King, God and man in one Person, they neither looked for any more, nor desired. A temporal King and Deliverer, promised unto themselves alone, to give them Ease, Dominion, Wealth and Power, they would now have, or none at all. They would not think it thankworthy towards God himself, to send them a Messiah to deliver them from sin. And in their expectations of such a one, after they had been well wearied with many frustrations, they were, as was said, in their adherence unto Barcosbi almost extirpated from the face of the earth, only God in his Providence who hath yet another work to accomplish towards them, hath preserved them a Remnant unto his Glory.

In this condition some of them began to deny that there was any Messiah to be expected § 8 or looked for. This opinion is ascribed in the Talmud unto Rabbi Hillel. lib. Sand. C•p. Chelek. This was not that Hillel whom they call [Greek or Hebrew] the Elder, the famous Master of Traditions, who with Shammai lived under the second Temple, but another of whom some say that he was the Son of Gamaliel, others more probably that he lived a long time after those days. But when ever he lived they say of him, [Greek or Hebrew], Rabbi Hillel said, A Messiah shall not be given unto Israel, for they enjoyed him in the days of Hezekiah, This was a fruit of their applying that Prophecy of Isaiah, Chap. 9. v. 5, 6. unto Hezekiah; for if he was intended therein, he was unquestionably the only Messiah. But it doth not appear that this opinion was much followed; for a great dispute arose amongst them whither Hillel were not to be esteemed an Apostate, and to have lost his interest in the world to come by this Opinion. Those who following Maimonides, make the Article of the coming of the Messiah one of the Fundamentals of the Law, are greatly offended at him; but he is more gently treated by Joseph Albo, Sepher Ikkarim, Orat. 1. on the account that this Article is not fundamental, but only one branch of the great Root of Reward; and Punishments. Abarbinel goes another way to excuse him, but generally they all condemn his Opinion. In this Persuasion then, that a Messiah is promised and shall come, they all continue. But whereas, as was before observed, they have utterly rejected the Faith and Light of the Church of old, they have in their Talmuds, and Ages ensuing their Composition, coined so many foolish imaginations concerning Him, his Person, Work, Office, Kingdom, Life, Continuance, and Succession, as are endless to recount.