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tition. Befides this would only make the former part of the word JES, and the INSPIRED and apocryphal writers ufe the word conftantly for another name. It must then be this other, even (r) JeнOSHUA or JOSHUA for which JEsus ftands in these authors; in the fpeech of the ANGEL, and throughout the New Teftament, and was particularly ufed by CHRIST, when He fpake to SAUL, AS xxvi, in HEBREW, and which it pleafed GOD to take from amidst the thousands of the typic names in the Old Teftament, and make the distinguishing title of the MESSIAH. For in the GREEK word the I is put for the () J, the (H) long for (5) E and ()u; the ()s for the (v) ; and the ( Or) op (Eng. U) for the ()o', (which is not dropped for the harshness fake as fuppofed by 4ben Ezra, but retained,) the laft () s being added as ufual, as in ABIAS, ELIAS, ESAIAS, &c. to terminate the name; and fo put together, JESUS for JeHOSHUA or JoSHUA. Phile the Jew therefore calls JoSHUA JESUS, in his treatise concerning the change of names, p. 825. Moses alfo," fays he, changes the name (EHA) OSHеA into (IHEOTN) JESUS ;" and this he does repeatedly. Whence the firft CHRISTIANS afferted it, and argued from it to their face without any contradiction of this particular. In after times in their famous book, called [Nizzechon, in English] victory" or "conqueror" over

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CHRIS

CHRISTIANS, we find the author trying to evade the argument drawn from the name, in favour of CHRIST's Divinity, by saying that we may as well prove it from the name (yo) JeнOSHUA. The author of Toldoth JESU affirms that "His mother gave to CHRIST the

name (y) JeнOSHUA;" which is a plain proof he understood, and wrote to them who underftood JESUS to be the very fame name as JOSHUA. It is true, fome, as obferved, have called him (Jsu) by way of reproach, as Tibi owns under the word, who fays, "the "CHRISTIANS called him (as he writes the reputed abridged form of JosHua) “ [vw? Je"SUO] THE SAVIOR, by the command of the "ANGEL GABRIEL, because that He was

about to deliver the whole world from hell;" but that the JEWS would not call him so, but take away () o, because they do not believe HIM to be (E-MUSIO) THE "SAVIOR;" though others affign very blafphemous reafons for it. (a) Abravanel and others write HIM alfo Jesuo. So that we find, by the providence of GOD, the truth concerning this name attefted by the JEWS, who translated the

Old

(a) Some of them wickedly form it by Rafhe teboth of the Erft letters of (M) IMCH (13) SHEм-V (1) vеzeс HER U His name and his memorial fhall be blotted out" or "pe "rish;"" fulfilling ftill to their great confufion what the royal DAVID, as the type of CHRIST, the BELOVED," Complains of Pf. xli. 5.

"CHRIST from the name of him the fuc❝ceffor of MOSES;" Pareus in Jof. calls him

the true JosHUA;" Mather affirms Joshua is called JESUS in GREEK; Dean Stanhope does the fame, and Mr. Pyle on Num. xiii. 16, fpeaking of OSHA adds, "otherwise called

JESUS, or Joshua, or Jeнoshua, &c. as "JOSHUA bore the name of the holy JESUS:" the pious Mr. Wogan fays (a), the name is "the fame." Prideaux alfo afferted this as the bulgate and the tranflators of the Bifhops or G. Bible had done before them, and Walton at the end of his Polyglot bible, and many others, &c. After which concurrent evidence of the fameness of the names, one might expect to have leave to proceed in our enquiry after the fignification of this name. But this can not be had without first fettling the HEBREW letters, of which we have remarked the name confifts for: which is a very material point. That it was antiently written [y] Je HOSHA is certain, and therefore granted; but in after "times, fays Grotius," after others, it came

to be written [y] JesHUA, the (7) E and (1) being omitted according to the ufage of the Syriac, which puts Bar-jona for Bar-joanna; whence he concludes because he is called JesHuA after the captivity as well as Jeнoshua in Hag. i. 1, 2, 24, and Zech. iii. 1, that this

(a) Essay on the proper lessons, &c. vol. III. p. 418.'

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name Jesus ftands for that. Now how unwarrantable this is must appear to any one converfant in the language, wherein there is not an inflance of this fort. What comes nearest it, the use of JONATHAN and JeHONATHAN, &c. for the fame perfons is not to the purpose; as they are different names: which there is as much reafon to say these are; fince two letters would not be found fo conftantly in the body of a word, as they are throughout the book of JosHuA, without fome important cause. And BARJOANNA and BAR-JONA are two diftinct names, as much as JeнoнaN-aN and JoNaH are, which these stand for; fo that his premises fail. Befides not only the prophets after this retain the antient [D] JeнOSHUA for this perfon, but the 70, the apostles and primitive CHRISTIANS and JEWS, &c. have been proved to have underftood JESUS to be the word fubftituted for it: which made Tyndal in his old verfion put Josue, where we read JESUS in Acts vii. 4, 5, and Heb. iv. 8. Whence we may fafely conclude, not JesHuA but [y] JeнOSHUA are the HEBREW letters, for which JESUS is used in the New Teftament; and that JesHuA is a different name, though called alfo JESUS in the GREEK of the 70, because they might think it an equivalent title for the perfon, they had all along called fo, and cared not to alter it, as imagining it more clearly to point him out. Indeed the G

patrons

Qld Teftament into GREEK, and afterwards flowing through the mouths of its very enemies, in the midst of their confeffion of a malitious perverfion of it. Amongst CHRISTIANS we have proofs of it in Ignatius, p. 96, 196, and Barnabas, p. 238, in their epiftles; the latter saying, ❝again, what says MOSES to JESUS the son of "NAVE (NUN), impofing this name upon «him, as a prophet, that all the people might "hear that THE FATHER fhewed all things "concerning HIS SON JESUS to the Son of "NAVE?" Tertullian, p. 193, and 406 says, "this man [JOSHUA] was inaugurated with the "figure of the LORD's name, being called JE66 SUS;" and p. 408. the name of the Lord JESUS fought, in Exod. xvii. 13. and p. 401. Cyprian, p. 405, 406, repeatedly calls him JESUS, as does Ruffinus in his creed ; (see Jerom, vol. IX. p. 64,) saying, “ÖSHEA is changed "into JESUS to fhew the name fuited those "alone who wrought falvation, &c. therefore "that person was called JESUS, who led the people, brought from EGYPT and delivered "from their wanderings in the wilderness, into "the promised land." Jerom frequently calls him fo. Cyril in the place above mentioned fays, "It is the name given to JOSHUA the fon "of NUN"-" that this name, our LORD "JESUS, was graciously foretold by the prophets," with which Ambrofe agrees, vol. I.

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