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derives confirmation, equal to the highest degree of moral certainty, from a train of circumstances in chronology, genealogy, and history, all superior to chance, collufion, or imposture.

If these remarks be just, with refpect to co-existent characters and events, among jews and gentiles, while the former had national records, and a royal calendar; it can scarcely be prefumed, that thefe CHRONOLOGICAL TABLES will afford light fufficient, through that dark period, from the overthrow of Jerusalem to the expedition of Xerxes.

On the principles of the old artificial chronology, this prefatory difcourfe has confiderable merit; but a fyftem, conftructed on precarious notions, and at variance with nature and fcience, can add nothing to the general stock of knowledge, in comparison of which mere erudition and learning avail little. Not altogether without utility are the Tables. For, engroffed on good clean paper, and a fizeable leaf, they may probably foon find their way to those aromatic repositories,

Where pepper, odors, frankincenfe, are fold.

-in vicum vendentem thus et odores, Et piper, et quidquid chartis amicitur ineptis. HOR.

CONCLUSION.

CONCLUSION.

In the foregoing pages, frequent opportunities have occurred of doing juftice to the ancient Jews, as faithful guardians of the divine oracles, and of vindicating them from the very improbable flander, raised against them by feveral primitive Fathers, and modern critics, as if they had wilfully, and with univerfal confent abridged the Mofaical chronology, one generation, or two, after their general dispersion.

It is but equitable to add, that, ever from the time of that awful revolution, their defcendants have uniformly difavowed, in principle and practice, all conformity with idolatrous rites, refrained from perfecution, and abated in their zeal for making profelytes. In fome of their convocations have they expreffed their opinion, that the time for the appearance of the Meffiah is past, and that, on account of their fins, their fanguine expectations have been frustrated.

ACCORDING to certain foreign gazettes, great numbers of the Jews in Italy have fhewn, of late, a spirit of indifference to their religious ufages, as inconvenient and unprofitable; and their Rabbies have convened a general Synod at Florence, the members being delegated from Modena, Man ua, Rome, and other ci.ies, where the Jews have fchools.-After a conference of ten days, they have determined to reform their customs, in

feveral

feveral particulars: and among others to prevent hindrance of bufinefs, the fabbath fhall not be observed on Saturday, but on Sunday *.

THESE refolutions intimate political wisdom, and respect for the conftitutions of Christendom. One principle maintained in the preceeding ANALYSIS, confirmed by the testimony of infallible history, and demonftrated by aftronomical calculation, is the transferring of the fabbath from the viith to the 1ft of the week at the Exodus. By that change, and the abrogation of the Mofaical fabbath, at the refurrection of Jefus, the first day of the Jewish and Christian week, became the viith, in the rotation of weeks from the beginning. By a partial conformity with the gospel, eminently subfervient to their own fecular interest, the modern Jews fhould not fcruple to obferve that day, which Adam, Noah, Abraham, and all the patriarchs before Mofes, did account facred to devotion and rest.

See the London Newspapers for April 27th 1796.

FINI S.

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328. 12. 1656

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1756.

225. 2. After years read, "at the time of Reho

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boam's birth, and to abridge the duration both of his own life and reign."

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