regarded as proofs of the Christian religion.

The next passage of the Old Testament, which Mr. Everett relies
on as a prophetical proof of the Christian religion, is the 2nd.
psalm; "why did the nations (according to the Heb.) rage, and the
peoples (ac. to the Heb.) imagine a vain thing. The kings of the
earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against
Jehovah, and against his Messiah saving, let us break their bands
asunder, and cast away their cords from us," &c. To the
application of this prophecy to Jesus, I objected in my first
publication, on account of these reasons, 1st. That "the nations,"
as it is in the original, did not assemble to crucify Jesus, as this
was done by a few soldiers. To this Mr. Everett replies, p. 90. of
his work, that "the Apostle (Peter in Acts ch. iv. 45,[fn27]) does not
say, they assembled to "crucify him," their joint opposition was not
limited to this single act, they were gathered together against him.
And it is certainly true, that Jesus was an object of the united
persecution of the nation of the Jews, by means of their bigotted
priests and furious multitudes, and of the Romans, by means of
their tributary sovereign, Herod, and their Proconsul Pilate." In
reply to this I would observe, that the words "nations," and
"peoples," in the original of the passage never signified the Jewish
nation, but are used in the Hebrew Bible to signify all other nations
but the Jews, or what is expressed by the word "Gentiles."

Now it is said in the psalm, that "the nations and peoples,"
(exclusive of the Jews for the reason above-mentioned) should
rage and that "the kings of the earth should stand up, and the
rulers (of the earth,) take counsel against Jehovah, and against
his Messiah." I do not see, therefore, how this passage could have
been fulfilled by the Romans, who were but one nation, by means
of their Proconsul Pilate and his soldiers: who (the Romans) were
so far too from being enraged against Jesus, that it is certain, that
all the Romans out of Jerusalem, did not even know what was
doing against him, and Pilate himself was so far from being
"enraged," and "taking counsel," against Jesus, that he befriended
him as far as he dared, and made great exertions to save his life.

Moreover, in the psalm, these "nations and peoples, and kings
and rulers," are represented as saving "let us break their bands in
sunder, and cast away their cords from us." This passage refers to
the