The doctrine
was equally harsh and novel. The extending of the kingdom of God to
those who did not conform to the law of Moses was a notion that had
never before entered into the thoughts of a Jew.
_________
* "Pererebuerat oriento toto vetus et contans opinio, esse in fatis, ut
eo tempore Judaea profecti rerum potirsatur." Sueton. Vespasian. cap.
4--8.
"Pluribus persuasio inerat, antiquis sacerdotum literis contineri, eo
ipso tempore fore, ut valesecret oriens, profectique Judaea rerum
potirentur." Tacit. Hist. lib. v. cap. 9--13.
_________
The character of the new institution was, in other respects also,
ungrateful to Jewish habits and principles. Their own religion was in a
high degree technical. Even the enlightened Jew placed a great deal of
stress upon the ceremonies of his law, saw in them a great deal of
virtue and efficacy; the gross and vulgar had scarcely anything else;
and the hypocritical and ostentatious magnified them above measure, as
being the instruments of their own reputation and influence. The
Christian scheme, without formally repealing the Levitical code, lowered
its estimation extremely.
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