32. And we have also the concession of their Talmuds and most learned masters, fully consenting in this cause. So in the Talmud of Jerusalem, in Chelek. “ The world,” say they, “is created for the Messiah, av m1, and what is his name in the house of Rabbi - Shiloh? They said, His name is Shiloh; as it is written, ‘ Until Shiloh come.’” And in Bereshith Rabba, on this place of Genesis, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh come:” mw At a j2;—-“ This is Messiah the son of David, who shall come to rule the kingdoms with a sceptre,” as Ps.11.. And in Bereshith Ke- tanna, “ Until the Shiloh come, oby nos pony; for it shall come to pass that the nations of the world shall bring their gifts unto Messiah the son of David.” And Kimchi in nby: asim ya wp mwnn Sy;—“* Shiloh’ is interpreted ‘his son;’ and it is a prophecy -of the Messiah.” And innumerable other testimonies from them to the same purpose may be produced; yea, this sense is so com- mon among them, and so known to have been the sense of the ancient church, that the wisest among them turn every stone to re- tain this interpretation of the words, and yet to avoid the force of the testimony insisted on from them.
33. This, then, we have obtained from this testimony, namely, that the political rule and national government should not absolutely and irrecoverably be removed and taken away from the tribe of Judah until the promised Seed should be exhibited, until the Messiah should come. It remaineth, THIRDLY, that we also evidence that all rule, government, and polity, is long since taken away from, and ceased in, Judah, and that for many generations there hath been no such thing as a tribe of Judah in any national or political condition or consti- tution in the world. And had we not here to do with men obstinate and impudent, there would need very few words in this matter; but they must have that proved unto them which all the world sees and knows, and takes care to make good, and which themselves, as occa-
282 THE PROMISED MESSIAH [ EXERC. X11.
sion serves, confess and bewail. Is it not known to all the world, that for these sixteen hundred years last past they have been scat- tered over the face of the earth, leading a precarious life, under the power of kings, princes, commonwealths, as their several lots in their dispersion have fallen, “sine Deo, sine homine rege?” Cast out of God’s especial care, they wander up and down, without law, govern- ment, or authority, of their own or amongst themselves. And this, as I said, themselves also confess, as they have occasion. To this pur- pose see Kimchi on Hos. iii. 4, om 12 wnanw mbdan spy On mdN1;— “ And these are the days of captivity, wherein we are at this day; for we have neither king nor priest of Israel, but we are in the power of the Gentiles, and under the power of their kings and princes.” Doth this man think that sceptre and lawgiver are de- parted from Judah, or no? And the Targum of Jonathan on that place is considerable; for saith he, “The children of Israel shall abide many days without a king of the house of David, and without a ruler in Israel: afterwards the children of Israel shall repent, and seek the worship of the Lord their God, and shall obey the Messiah, the son of David, the king.” So also are the words of Abarbanel on Isa. lili. He tells us that in their captivity and banishment, part ‘of their misery is pawn vay xd ndwnp sbi madd Sywea ay be ;— “that in Israel there is neither kingdom, nor rule, nor sceptre of judgment;” that is, plainly, sceptre and lawgiver are departed: and therefore, if there be any truth in this prophecy, the Messiah is long since come. In like manner Maimonides: “ From the time that we have left our own land, we have no power of making laws” And they jointly confess, in the Talmud. Tract. Sanhed., that some time before the destruction of the temple, all power ot judging, both as unto life and death, and as unto pecuniary punishments, was taken from them: so that if there be any certainty in any thing in this world, it is certain that sceptre and lawgiver are long since departed from Judah.
34, There are not many things wherein the present Jews do more betray the desperateness of their cause, than in their endeavour to obscure this open and known truth in matter of fact. That which they principally insist upon, is a story out of the Itinerary of Benja- min Tudelensis,
This Benjamin was a Jew, who about five hundred years ago passed out of Europe into the eastern parts of the world, in a dis- quisition of his countrymen and their state and condition; whereof he hath given an account in his Itinerary, after the manner of vulgar travellers. Among other things which he relates, fide rabbinica, he tells us of a Jew that hath, or rather then had, a principality at Bag- dad, whom his countrymen called “The son of David,” there being a thousand of them living there all in subjection unto him. This