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that was their ufual phrafeology for the initiating of heathen profelytes into the Jewish religion. But that he, a Jew, and (as fuch) already one of the people of God, fhould have occafion for being initiated, like a heathen profelyte, was what he could not understand. He therefore, could think of no other meaning to Jefus's words, but the literal meaning; and yet was furprized to hear him talk of being born again, in the natural fenfe.'

All that is here pretended from Nicodemus's anfwer is a mere fuppofition, not only without the leaft evidence from any authentic hiftory, but alfo quite contrary to reafon.. For, if there had been any fuch profelyte baptifm amongst the Jews, before and in our Saviour's time; and which they were every day making ufe of, as Dr. Benfon pretends no common Jew, much lefs a ruler, and mafter in Ifrael, could ever have been fo furprised, and fo much at a lofs, how to understand our Lord; and therefore, must have returned a much better anfwer to him. Such, as this, would naturally have occurred to mind. I know very well that it is common • and usual, even daily, for heathen profelytes to be initiated into our religion by baptifm and circumcifion; but, as we are the people of God, circumcifed Jews already, can there be any reafon or any occafion for us to be baptized, as ⚫ well as profelytes.' This, upon the doctor's fuppofition, would have been the most ready and the most natural reply, when Chrift told him, he must be born again, or he could not fee the kingdom of God: but by the answer which Nicodemus gave, he appears to be fo far from knowing any thing at all about Jewish profelyte baptifm, or of having the leaft notion of any fuch thing, that the only idea, which he had, of being born again, was entirely confined to that of the natural birth; and it is remarkable also, that his anfwer univerfally extends to all men, whether Heathen or Jews; for

he fays, not, how can I, or how can a Jew, but, How can a MAN be born when he is old? Can be enter the fecond time into his mother's womb, and be born? which therefore is a strong prefumptive proof, that no fuch Jewish profelyte baptifm was ever heard of by him. It is a thing vaftly incredible, that a ruler, and mafter in Ifrael fhould be quite ignorant of it, if there then was, or had ever been, any fuch practice amongst the Jews, and fo very common, that they were daily making use of it. This paffage of scripture therefore, and the other fix, I produced in my fupplement, afford fo many convincing arguments against this opinion, which has not one text, nor any other good authority to fupport it, that one would think it fhould never be admitted by any Chriftians, who feriously confider them.

But Dr. Benfon proceeds: "Jefus explained himself, and confirmed what he had faid, affuring him that unless a man (even a Jew) were regularly initiated into his church, or born of water and of the fpirit, he could not fee (or enter into) the kingdom of God. And, from the hif tory of the Acts of the apoftles, and their epiftles, we accordingly find, that that was the way, in which Jews, as well as other perfons, were initiated into the chriftian church, being first baptized with water, and then with the Holy Spirit. (See, befides many other places, Acts ii. 38. and viii. 12. &c. and xix. 1. &c.) Our Saviour goes on to fay, ver. 6. Being born of the flesh, being a few by birth, did not initiate him into the chriftian church; neither would it have done fo, if it had been ever so often repeated. But being born of water and of the fpirit, would initiate him into the fpiritual difpenfation. Nicodemus, deeply tinctured with the Jewish preju dices, was very much aftonished at Jefus's talk. Our Lord obferved it, and faid unto him, Marvel not that I faid unto you, that you (Jews) must be born again. And then ver. 8. he at• tacks

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tacks another Jewish prejudice in Nicodemus, and intimated that the Gentiles fhould be called into the kingdom of God, under the Meffiah, and 'fhould enjoy equal privileges; the wind bloweth were it pleaseth, and you hear the found there6 of, but cannot tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth; (you cannot tell all the points from whence it cometh, nor to how many points it fteereth its courfe; but it appeareth, from the found, and other effects of it, that it bloweth to and from all points of the compafs) fo is every one that is born of the fpirit; fo fhall men come from all parts of the world, from every point of the compass, and (by being baptized with water and with the fpirit) be initiated as profelytes to my religion: or (as our Saviour elsewhere expreffed the fame thing) they fhall come from the east, and from the weft, from the north, and from the fouth; and fhall fit down in the kingdom of God. This additional difcovery increased Nicodemus's furprife, and he faid unto him, how can thefe things be? Jefus, with the greatest propriety, answered, are you a master in Ifrael, and know not these things? Can you be ignorant of your own phrafes, in which being born again fignifies profelytifm; and which you are every day ufing, concerning heathens coming over to your religion? And, why cannot you understand the fame phrafes, when applied to Jews entering into my church? And, can you (a mafter in Ifrael) be ignorant of God's defign to accept the Gentiles, as his people, under the Meffiah, when, your ancient prophets have, in many places and clearly, fpoken of this remarkable event? I could easily go on to fhew you, how our Saviour attacked fome other of Nicodemus's prejudices; intimating that he was to ⚫ be crucified; and that they were wrong in expecting a temporal triumphant prince, when the

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prophets had foretold a fpiritual, fuffering Meffiah; and that the heathen world was not to be 'condemned, but faved, by his coming. But enough has been faid, to fhew that this text doth not prove that for which your author hath al'ledged it.'

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The doctor might, perhaps, take up this groundless opinion of Jewish profelyte baptifm, upon the credit of fuch Chriftians, who had before imbibed it from Jewish fables, without thoroughly examining the foundation, upon which it ftands, as he might have done. But I have fhewn in my fupplement, that there is no clear evidence, nor exprefs mention of fuch a thing in any of their books, till the Gemara, a part of the Jewish Talmud, not written till five or fix hundred years after our bleffed Lord; much too late to be regarded, if the authority of it was not at the lowest ebb imaginable. For the fuppofition grounded upon the mischna in the third century, which is the first pretended proof, may only relate to bathing for purification from the blood of circumcifion, with which, thro' their fuperftitious delufion, they might then pretend the patient was defiled: tho', as it was no natural purgation, but arofe folely from the divine command, it could not be attended with any kind of pollution, or uncleanness, to need a purification. And according to the law of Mofes, the fprinkling or friking with blood, was so far from polluting, that it was the moft folemn purification; whereby not only the people, but also the priefts, their garments, the fanctuary, with all the veffels of the ministry, and even the book of the law itfelf, were fanctified or hallowed, Exod. xxiv. 6-8. ch. xix. 20, 21. Levit. iv. 6, 17, 18. sh. viii. 15, 30. ch. xvi. 14, 20. ch. xvii. 11. Heb. 1x. 7, 13, 19-22. And there is no mention in fcripture, that any kind of pollution attended the blood of circumcifion; or the leaft, moft diftant hint, that any manner of purification by water

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was neceffary to prepare the patient for circumci fion, any more than for cleanfing him after it; no account that any fuch thing was practifed, when Abraham, at the command of God, circumcifed himself and all the males of his family, Gen. xvii. 23-27; or when he circumcifed his fon Ifaac, the year after, upon the eighth day, Gen. xxi. 4. Nor do we read, that the child of Mofes was bathed in water, when Zipporab his wife, who was no Jewess, circumcifed it with a fharp ftone, Exod. iv. 25; or those many thousands of Ifrael circumcifed by Joshua, at the bill of forefkins, after their forty years travel in the wilderness, Joshua v. 2-9; tho' it is reafonable to fuppofe that many of them were polluted by the idolatries, for which fo many thoufands had been cut off, as well as by their other fins. Neither was there any thing of this kind appointed by the Lord, when he gave to the Jews, by Mofes and Aaron, the law for circumcifing of profelytes, and their families, Exod. xii. 48; where, if it had been the will of God, it must certainly have been exprefsly mentioned. For the precepts of the Jewish law, concerning their religious rites, are fo very particular, and exact in every thing, that they are often repeated over and over again, to prevent any mistake in the one, or any omiffion in performance of the other. And therefore to be fure nothing of the divine will fo very effential, as to be made the plan of chriftian baptifm afterwards, could ever be wholly omitted by Mofes; who, we are affured, was a faithful fervant; and told the children of Ifrael, according to all that the Lord commanded him, Num. xxix. 40.Heb. iii. 5. ch. viii. 5. And moreover, it is remarkable, that in the command of God for circumcifing profelytes and their families, it is exprefsly faid, that one law fhall be to him that is home born, and unto the stranger that fojourneth among you, Exod. xii. 48, 49. Nor was there any fuch thing practifed or required of the Shechemites, when they were circum

cifed,