As addressed to the Jews, it was a system adverse, not only to
their habitual opinions but to those opinions upon which their hopes,
their partialities, their pride, their consolation, was founded. This
people, with or without reason, had worked themselves into a persuasion,
that some signal and greatly advantageous change was to be effected in
the condition of their country, by the agency of a long-promised
messenger from heaven.* The rulers of the Jews, their leading sect,
their priesthood, had been the authors of this persuasion to the common
people. So that it was not merely the conjecture of theoretical divines,
or the secret expectation of a few recluse devotees, but it was become
the popular hope and Passion, and, like all popular opinions, undoubting
and impatient of contradiction. They clung to this hope under every
misfortune of their country, and with more tenacity as their dangers and
calamities increased. To find, therefore, that expectations so
gratifying were to be worse than disappointed; that they were to end in
the diffusion of a mild unambitious religion, which, instead of
victories and triumphs, instead of exalting their nation and institution
above the rest of the world, was to advance those whom they despised to
an equality with themselves, in those very points of comparison in which
they most valued their own distinction, could be no very pleasing
discovery to a Jewish mind; nor could the messengers of such
intelligence expect to be well received or easily credited.
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