THE Hope of the Messiah’s coming has been at all times the principal Object of the Jewish Religion, and still continues to be so to this blind People. Abraham saw his Day, and rejoiced at it : Jacob foretold it in his celebrated Prophecy concerning Judah’s Sceptre: David, and the rest of the Prophets, have spoken of it so visibly, that none but an obstinate Jew can refuse to acknowledge him in every thing they have said of him. It is proper therefore to describe here the Authors who have treated of the Messiah’s Coming, and his Divine Characters, after having first spoken of those who have written in general of the Jewish Religion.
See upon Daniel, the Authors who have written upon the Seventy Weeks, and those who have treated of the Marks of the Messiah described in Isaiah’s Prophecies.
Abdiæ Vidmarii, de uno Messia. This Author wrote concerning the Urim and Thummim, in 4to. at Hardwick, 1644. F. le Long takes notice of no other Treatise written by him. He was a German of Westphalia, a Calvinist, Professor of the Hebrew Tongue, and died in 1648.
Antonii Hulsii Theologia Judaica, de Messia. He may have discoursed of the Messiah in his Prophecies of the Old Testament, printed at Leyden, 1683, in 4to. As to his Jewish Theology, Fabricius says, that he had only seen the first Part of it, wherein he confutes what the Rabbins say against the Messiah’s being come. It was printed at Breda, 1653, in 4to. He was a Fleming, a Calvinist, and died in 1685.
See our Dissertation on the Marks of the Messiah, as described by the Jews, prefixed to our Comment on the Prophet Jeremy. Dialogus de Messia, by Benedict Poscanti. Bernardini Ochini Dialogi 18. de Messia. Lipenius takes notice of 30 printed at Basil, 1563, in 8vo. together with those written by him on the Holy Trinity. There are 12 probably on this Mystery, and 18 on the Messiah. Considering the Apostasy of this Author, and his erroneous Opinions, he might deserve to be left in eternal Oblivion.
Blasii Viegas, Tract. de Victoria Messiæ. I do not find this Treatise either in Lipenius or F. le Long. See Southwell’s Bibliotheca.
Christiani Matthiæ Disputationes de Divinitate & Officio Messiæ. The true Title of these Disputations is, of the first, De Adoratione Christi, against the Photinians, and Calvinists; of the second, De Agno Dei, at Nuremberg, 1649, in 4to.
Daniel. Crameri, de Messia. The true Title of this Treatise is, Scholæ Prophetica & Messia Jesu Christo, at Hamburgh, 1607, in 8vo. There are John Rodolphus and John James Cramer, who in their Theology of Israel have no other Design but to demonstrate Jesus Christ to be the Messiah. We shall speak of the latter in the next Article.
Didaci Gatica, de Adventu Messiæ, against the Jews, printed at Madrid, 1667, in fol. He was of Seville in Spain.
Jacobi Altinger, Schilo, seu de vaticinio Patriarchæ Jacobi, Genes. xlix. 10. This was printed at Franekar, 1660. We shall speak of him upon the Old Testament.
Jacobi Martini Disputatio de Messia. These are Disputations written in opposition to the Blasphemies of the Jews, and printed at Wittemberg, 1616, in 4to.
Joan. de Bacone, de adventu Messiæ, l. 1. This Treatise must be amongst those written by him against the Jews, which are either lost, or are in Manuscript only. He was an Englishman, born at Baconthorp, a Village in the County of Norfolk, a Carmalite Friar, and elected Provincial of his Order in 1319, and died at London in 1346.
Joan. Rhomberg, Dissert. de Adventu Messiæ. Jul. Bartolocci, de Messiæ divinitate.
Jul. Cæsaris Valentini, de adventu Messiæ.
Laurentii Brancati, de Judæorum Messia.
Ludovici Vives, quod Jesus est Messias. This perhaps is the same Work which is entituled, The Triumph of Jesus Christ, or the Description of Jesus Christ, in the second Tome of the Collection of his Works, p. 131, 137. according to the Edition of Basil in 1555, in fol. or among the Books relating to the Truth of Religion, the first Tome, p. 436,—527. He was of Valentia in Spain, performed his Studies at Paris, taught at Louvain, went into England in 1522, returned into Flanders, where he married, and died in 1536, or thereabouts, at 48 Years of Age. Thomas More makes a fine Encomium of him, in one of his Letters, which is the 37th in the 13th Book of those written by Erasmus. Petri Antesignani, Liber de Messia. Petri Canonici, lib. 3. de adventu Messiæ.
Philippi Mornæi, monitum ad Judæos de Messia.
Richardi Kidderi, Demonstratio adventus Messiæ.
Messias elucidatus, by Anthony Kirchoff, a German, published at Lipsick, 1640, in 4to.
Petri Danielis Huetii Demonstratio Evangel.
Eusebii Cæsariensis Episcopi Præpar. Evang. & Demonst. Evangel. In which there is a great deal said of the Messiah, and the Prophecies relating to him. These two Pieces make two Volumes in fol. printed at Paris, 1628, in Greek and Latin. We shall speak of Eusebius upon the Psalms.
In M. Huet’s Demonstratio Evangelica there is likewise frequent mention of Jesus Christ as Messiah. See what we have said of it above.
With these we may join John Charon’s Demonstration of the Gospel, printed at Paris, 1703, in 12mo. together with an Explanation of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks; the whole in French. The Author’s Design is to prove that the Religion of Jesus Christ always has and will be the only true one; consequently that he is the Messiah, so often promised to the Jews. His Application of the ancient Prophecies to our Saviour is clear, accurate and solid; herein he shews evidently that all that was foretold of the Messiah agrees perfectly with our Saviour. There is a great deal of Jewish Learning throughout this Work; extracted from the best Authors, such as Lightfoot, Drusius, James and Lewis Capellus, Sebastian Munster, Reuchlin, Raymund Martin, Genebrard, Jerome de Sainte Foi, a converted Jew, and many others.
Tanaquilli Fabri, Dissert. de loco Josephi, ubi Testimonium reddit J. C. vide Huet. Demonstr. Evang. proposit. 3. n. 10.
Caroli d’ Aubusii lib. pro testimonio Josephi de J. C. This is a Dissertation printed at London, in Latin, 1708 in 8. with a Preface by Grabe. It is divided into two Books. Herein he maintains that this Attestation is really by Josephus.
George Wedel, in one of his Sacred and Profane Dissertations printed in Latin at Jena, produces likewise many Reasons to demonstrate that this Passage is not spurious.
Caroli Joseph. Imbonati, Adventus Messiæ à Judæorum blasphemiis, & Hereticorum calumniis vindicatus Bibl. Rab. t. 5. parte ultima.
Idem de Pseudo Messiis Judæorum, t. 4. p. 48. Bibl. Rabb.
Basnage’s Continuation of the History of the Jews, tom. 4. l. 6. c. 20, &c. to Chap. 28. We shall speak of this History and its Author lower.
Joan. Wulferi Theriaca Judaica, p. 369. This was printed in 1681, in 4to. at Nuremberg.
Christoph. Cillarius, Specimen anti-Judaicum de duplici Messia. Leucopetræ, 1668.
Joan. Alent. de Pseudo-Messiis Judæorum. Herborn, 1684. in 4to. This may be rather John Alesius, whom we shall speak of in another Place.
Raymundi Martini, Pugio Fidei, cum Notis Josephi de Voisin. Paris. 1651. in fol. The later Edition of this Work was published by Carpzovius, a Protestant, with Augmentations.
Petri Galatini, de Arcanis Catholicæ veritatis, lib. 12. printed at Frankfort, 1602. the fifth Edition. This last of 1672, in fol. at Frankfort, is no more than a Copy of Raymund’s Pugio Fidei. Galatin was an Italian Jew, born in Apulia; but being converted, he took upon him the Order of St. Francis, and died about 1532.
There are other Authors besides these, who have treated more particularly of the Messiah.
Alexander Sostman, a Calvinist, made an Addition to his Explanation of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks, to shew that Jesus is the Messiah, and enquires into the Causes of Incredulity among the Jews. It is printed at Leyden, 1710, in 4to. This Addition contains two Parts: In the first the Author proves to the Jews that the Messiah is come, and that Jesus Christ is he: In the second, he shews that the Jews are as incredulous at this Day, as their Fathers were formerly, and that they have the same Prejudices.
David Averbach has treated of the Messiah’s coming in our Flesh; De Adventu Messiæ in carnem. This was printed it Lipsick, 1640, in 4to.
Alphons. Bonihominis, of the Order of Preaching Brothers, has translated Rabbi Samuel’s Letter out of Arabic into Latin, directed to Rabbi Isaac, wherein he shews, from the Words of the Prophets, that Christ, the true Messiah, is come; that he suffered, died, and rose again, ascended up into Heaven, and will come a second time. This Letter, which is of Consequence as to the Truth of Christianity, was printed at Basil, for Henry Petri, in what Year is not set down. It is to be found likewise in the Micropresbyticon, with the Works of the primitive Fathers of the Church.
James Brocard, a Protestant, wrote two Books; one addressed to Christians, wherein he treats of Prophecy; the other to the Hebrews, wherein he proves the first and second Coming of the Messiah; in Latin, at Leyden, 1581, in 8vo.
John Buxtorf the Father wrote a Disputation between a Jew and a Christian, relating to our Messiah, De Messia nostro, printed at Hanover in 1604 and 1622, in 8vo. We have spoken of him above.
Abraham Calovius, a Protestant, has made a Treatise entituled, De Messia languorum nostrorum Bajulo, printed at Wittemberg, 1675, in 4to. We shall have an Opportunity to say something of his other Works.
John Bennet Carpzovius, a Protestant, as we have intimated elsewhere, has treated in particular, De Asino Messiæ in urbem Jerosolymam victore. This is printed at Lipsick, in 4to. 1671.
David Christian wrote four Dissertations relating to the Messiah, printed at Giessen, in 1657, in 4to. They are in Latin.
Peter Coste put out Typus Messiæ & Christi Domini ex veterum Prophetarum Præsentionibus, against the Incredulity of the Jews, at Lipsick, 1654, in 4to.
Lewii Crocius, Apodixis paræenetica de Messia, at Bremen, 1624, in 8vo. and Christopher Dauderstad, Apodixus Messiæ, wherein he proves Jesus of Nazareth to be the true and only Messiah, promised and manifested in the Fulness of Time, at Lipsick, 1616, in 8vo.
John Deutschman’s theological Exercitation concerning the Patriarch’s Desire of the Messiah’s Coming; another upon the Conception and temporal Birth of the Messiah: Both in Latin, and printed at Wittemberg, 1664, in 4to.
John Frischmuth has taken most Pains upon this Subject: For he has written a Dissertation in Latin concerning the Messiah the Son of God, printed at Jena, 1676, in 4to. Another upon the Respect due to the Messiah, ibid. of the same Year. A Demonstration of the Messiah’s Coming in the Last Times, ibid. 1670, in 4to. A Disputation upon the Characters of the Messiah, ibid. 1666, in 4to. Of the glorious Name of the Messiah, of his Birth and Prosopography, ibid. 1661, and 1669, in 4to. De Messiæ pro reatu se tradentis unicâ hostia. The Tract relating to the Messiah in these Words, Quænon rapui solvam. Of the thirty Pence, at the rate whereof he was valued by the Jews: All this ibid. 1672, in 4to. Of the Messiah fastened to the Cross, and to be lamented as an only Son, ibid. 1668, in 4to. On the Messiah’s groaning on the Cross, against the Jews, of his Feet and Hands pierced, ibid. 1663, in 4to. That the Messiah ought not to remain in the Grave, ibid. 1668, in 4to. De Messiæ excisione, and of the Destruction of Jerusalem foretold by Daniel, 1672, in 4to. at Jena. Of the Messiah, King of Sion, according to the Prophet Zachary, ibid. 1678. We shall again speak frequently of this Protestant Author.
Martin Geier has treated of the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of the Messiah, in Latin, at Lipsick, in 1645, and 1680, the second Edition.
Genebrard made a Collection of all the Places in the Chaldee Paraphrase wherein the Name of the Messiah is to be met with; printed at Paris, in what Year is not said. We shall speak of him on the Psalms.
If any one would see more Authors on this Matter, he may consult Imbonati’s Biblioth. Rabbin. tom. 5. p. 522, 523. and Lipenius’s Bibliotheca Theologica, tom. 2. p. 277, 278. under the Title of Messiah.