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the Samaritans.

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The O- The Samaritans originally were the riginal of Cutbeans, and fuch other of the Eaftern Nations, as Efurhaddud, upon the Deportation of the Ifraelites, planted in Samaria; but after the Temple upon Mount Gerezim was built by Sanballat, and Samaria became a common Refuge and Afylum to all refractory Jews, this mixture of Inhabitants, in a fhort time, produc'd a Change in Religion. For, whereas these Samaritans had hitherto, worfhipped the God of Ifrael, in conjunction with the Gods of the Eaft, from whence they came, when once the Jewish Worship came to be fettled, and the Book of the Law of Mofes to be read publickly, they conformed themfelves wholly to the Worship of the true God, and, in the Performance of it, were as exact, as the Jews, themselves: But herein they differ'd from the Jews, that they rejected all Traditions, and received no other Scriptures, but the five Books of Mofes.

of the

Their Ex- In thefe Books however they had the pectation exprefs Promife of Mofes himself, that 1 God would raise up to them a Prophet, to whom they were to hearken; and from the Prediction of Jacob might perceive, that,

Meffiab.

Priceaux's Conne&tion, Part 1. L. 6.
Deut. xviii. 15.

that, now m the Sceptre was departing from Judah, the Time of Shiloh's coming was drawing near. From these Prophefies they might gather, that the Meffiah was to come in the Character of a King and a Prophet both and 'tis .not to be doubted, but that the general Expectation of the Jews at this Juncture, their near Neighbourhood, and the Fame of many wonderful Works of Jefus done elsewhere, might awaken in the Samaritans fome Attention.

not to be

It is no great Matter of Wit to give Prophets a burlesque Name to the most serious ought Thing in Nature; and because the Bu- called finefs of a Prophet extends to the Dif- Fortunecovery of Things paft, as well as the tellers. Prediction of what is to come, therefore to repute him a Fortune-Teller: n But, by the fame kind of Treatment, may most of the great Prophets of old be Nick-nam'd. Daniel, for Inftance, must be a Fortune-Teller, because he not only foretold future Things, but likewife made Discoveries of paft Secrets, and, particularly, that of the Dream of Nebuchadnezzar; nay, Mofes himself muft not escape without being called a Conjurer, who (befides his many Prophe

Gen, xlix. 10.

Bp. Smallbroke's Vind. f. 37.

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fies of future Events) revealed paft Tranfactions, relating to the Creation it felf, the first fall of Man, the Deluge, the Difperfion of Mankind, together with the Reasons and Ends of thefe, and many other Matters, that happen'd before his own Time. And muft thefe great Prophets be rank'd among fo vile a fet of People, as Conjurers and Soothfayers? Or rather muft Prophesy it felf, which, in its greatest Latitude, comprehends the Discovery both of paft and future Things, and, in both Refpects, is derived from the fame Divine Original, be expofed to Contempt under fuch a Character of Ridicule ?

The Samaritan Woman, 'tis certain, had a different Opinion, both of our Saviour and his Office, when fhe found Know him breaking in upon her Secrets, and ledge of this Wo- making a Difcovery of Things, that were carefully concealed from the Eye of the World for 'tis highly probable, that the infamous Courfe of her Life had not, as yet, been detected, fince, upon our Saviour's reminding her of it, fhe feems fo very much aftonished. • Come fee a Man, that told me all Things, that ever I did, is an Expreffion fo full of Wonder and Amazement, of Confufion of Mind, and Conviction of Conscience,

• John iv. 29.

science, as nothing, but an Eye, to which the moft fecret Receffes of the Heart lie naked and expofed, could have extorted. For we are to remember, that this was the firft Interview that Chrift ever had with this Woman; that his Conference with her was purely accidental, in his Journey out of Judea into Galilee; and that he was fo far from having any previous Intelligence of her private Circumftances, that he was not fo much as known to any of her Neighbours, and her Neighbours perhaps were as great Strangers, as any, to fome Bofom-Secrets, that he had unfolded. Cheats and Impoftors do feldom make His Difit their Bufinefs to reform the World; with her but our Saviour, in his Converfation with inconfifthis Woman, endeavours to inftruct her tent with in the most fublime Truths; P in the fpi- poftor. titual Nature of God; the fpiritual Worship, that is acceptable to him; the Imperfection, and speedy Abolishment both of the Jewish and Samaritan Worfhip; the Gift of the Spirit, as communicable by him, and the Confequence of imparting it, namely, everlasting Life. All these great and inftructive Points (which but badly comport with the Character of an Impoftor) were, in one occafional Difcourfe, taught this Wo

Bp. Smallbroke's Vind. p. 374.

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man; befides her Inftruction, in order to Reformation, from the Discovery of the Secrets of her fhameful Life. So that, what with the Excellence of his Doctrine, and a Confcioufnefs of his Omniscience, not only fhe, but a many Samaritans in the City likewife were induced to believe on him, and to acknowledge him to be indeed the Chrift, the Saviour of the World.

Our Saviour, 'tis true, was fo far claring from making any unneceffary Declaratiwas upon ons of himself, that, on fome Occafions, all proper we find him labouring to conceal his DiOcc-fiens vine Character, and, both * upon St. Peter's confeffing him to be the Chrift, and fafter his Transfiguration, wherein he was declared to be the Son of God, charging his Disciples to fay nothing of this, until his Refurrection: and the Reafon hereof is plain, because their Teftimony in thefe Points might not only look like a Matter concerted between him and them, but because indeed they were not qualified to be his Witneffes of thefe Things, until they had received Power from on high, by the coming down of the Holy Ghoft. "Tis to be obferved however, that, when ever our Lord is himself fairly called upon, and

Mark viii. 30. Matt.

John iv. 39, &c.
vii. 9. Whitby op Matt. ix. 30.

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