t it was
taken from an Apocryphal Book ascribed to Jeremiah; he says
that he saw the apocryphal book from whence this is taken. See
Jerom's Commentary upon Matthew tom. iv. p. 1. p. 134, See also
Marsh's Michaelis Vol. I. p. 490. as quoted by Mr. Everett.

It appears to me, that an honest man would not quote, as
prophetical authority, a forged book ascribed to Jeremiah: and an
inspired man as the Christians suppose Matthew to have been,
still less.

In short the quotations in the New testament from the Old,
adduced as prophecies of Jesus and the Religion of the New
Testament, are so very inapplicable to that purpose, that the most
celebrated of the Christian. Theologians of the present day, have
found themselves obliged to abandon all attempts to support them
as prophecies fulfilled in the events to which they are applied.
They maintain, as will appear hereafter in the course of this work,
that not one of the passages, quoted in the New Testament from
the Old, was quoted as a prophecy, but merely by way of
accommodation or allusion. If so, it may be replied, that it is very
extraordinary, that the authors of the books of the New Testament
who are almost continually representing that Jesus was predicted
by the prophets, should after all never have adduced one of those
predictions, although they are perpetually quoting the Old
Testament. But the truth of the matter probably is, that the writers
of the New Testament, did firmly believe that the passages they
have quoted, were really predictions of the events and doctrines to
which they refer them. This is clear from the Epistle to the
Hebrews for instance, it is a deliberate and formal defence of the
Doctrines of Christianity, addressed to the Jews, or Jewish
Christians, in which the author attempts to show from the Old
Testament, allowed by the Jews as oracular, that the Pre-
existence, Divinity, Priesthood, and Atonement of Jesus Christ, as
supposed by the Christians, were predicted in the Old Testament,
and proved by his citations.[fn109]

Who is so blind as not to see, that this system of Defence is
merely one of the last resort, adopted in circumstances of distress
for want of a better?

Sure I am, that the believing part of the Christian Laity will never
adopt this System, (though the unbelieving part probably gladly
will) but would be extremely shocked on being told by their Clergy,
that the passages quoted from the Old Testament by the writers of
the New,