Page:The old paths, or The Talmud tested by Scripture.djvu/407



"R. Eliezer said, If Israel do repentance they will be redeemed, but, if not, they will not be redeemed. R. Joshua replied, If they do not repent they will not be redeemed: but God will raise up to them a king whose decrees shall be as dreadful as Haman, and then Israel will repent, and thus he will bring them back to what is good. Another tradition. R. Eliezer said, If Israel do repentance, they shall be redeemed, for it is said, 'Turn, O backsliding children; I will heal your backsliding.' R. Joshua replied, But was it not said long since, 'Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money,' (Isaiah lii. 3.) Where the words 'sold for nought' mean, for idolatry; and the words 'redeemed without money,' signify, not for money and good works. R. Eliezer then said, to R. Joshua, But has it not been said long since, 'Return unto me, and I will return unto you.' (Mal. iii. 7.) R. Joshua replied, But has it not been said long since, 'I am married unto you, and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.' (Jer. iii. 14.) R. Eliezer said, But has it not been written long since, 'In returning and rest ye shall be saved.' (Isaiah xxx. 15.) R. Joshua replied to R. Eliezer, But has it not been said long since, 'Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship.' (Isaiah xlix. 7.) R. Eliezer said to him again, But has it not been said long since, 'If thou wilt return, O Israel, return unto me.' (Jer. iv. 1.) To which R. Joshua replied, But has it not been written long since, 'I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by Him that liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time and times and half a time; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.' Whereupon R. Eliezer was silent." Here then, on the showing of the Talmud itself, the opinion that the coming of the Messiah is dependent upon Israel's repentance, is false; and consequently it is true, that Messiah was to come unconditionally at the time appointed; and therefore, as the time is long since past,