feems to be inconfiftent with an univerfal Antipathy to Strangers: But however, if we furvey our Author's Polite World, we fhall find every Nation equally obnoxious to the fame Accufation: How often (m) were all Strangers expelled the City of Rome? fometimes upon the trifling account of not (n) Speaking their Language; whereas every one that defired it, was to be admitted freely to all the Privileges of the Jews, without, Hefitation or Charge. The Roman Freedom was not to be obtained but at a great Price; and 'tis made a (0) Blemish in Claudius's Reign, that he difpofed of it for Trifles: Florus reprefents this Tenacioufness of their Freedom, as the Caufe of the Bellum Sociale; and Tully informs us, that They often exprefly ftipulated with their Friends and Confederates, that no one of them should expect that (p) Privilege: Dionyfius Halicarnaffus (q) condemns the Thebans, Lacedemonians, Athenians, &c. for the fame Crime, Who by being fo rigidly tenacious of the Privileges of their Cities, gained no Profit, but Detriment by their Haughtiness. So little Occafion or Juftice is there in making this a Crime peculiar to the Jews! and much less Truth is there in saying,

(m) Dion. Caffius Lib. 37. Kai Tóry wávles oi cv T 'Páμndr ατείβοντες, πλίω 7 * νω Ἰταλίαν οἰκόνων, ξέπεσον.

(η) Ibid. Lib. 60. Καὶ αὐτὸν, ἐπειδὴ μὴ σωῆκε τὸ λεχθέν, τω πολιτείαν ἀφείλετο.

() Ibid. Ὅτι καν υάλινα τὶς σκεύη σωζετριμμένα δῷ τινὶα πολίτης ἔςαι.

(p) Ut nequis eorum à nobis civis recipiatur. Orat. pro. Balbo, (9) Antig. Lib. ΙΙ. Οὐκ ἔχω πῶς ἐπαινέσαιμι τά τε Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ τὰ ἢ Θηβαίων, κ τ μέγισον ἐπὶ σοφία φρονέντων ̓Αθωαίων, οἱ φυλάτ]οντες τὸ συγὲς, καὶ μηδενὶ μεταδίδοντες» εἰ μὴ σπανίως, ο παρ' ἑαυτοῖς πολιτείας· ἐῶ γ λέγειν, ὅτι καὶ ξενηλαλάντες ἔνιοι προς την μηδὲν ἀπολοῦσαι ταύτης το μεγαλι γορίας ἀγαθὸν, καὶ τὰ μέγιςα δι' αὐτόν ἐβλάβης.

that

that by their Difperfion they became only the more deSpifed for being known; the Polite World granted them greater Marks of Favour and Honour than they did to moft Nations; Strabo, according to (a) Jofephus, affures us, that a great part of the City Alexandria was allotted them, that they were al lowed their own Magiftrates, as in the most abfolute Commonwealth; in Egypt (b) Onias was received by Ptolemy in the most friendly manner, permitted to build a Temple in imitation of that of Jerusalem, and to worship God after the manner of his Fathers; At(c) Antioch the Freedom of the City was granted to them all; the Apoftles in their Tra vels found them quietly settled in all the noted Cities of Greece, at Athens, at Corinth, at Theffalonica, in Pontus, Galatia,Cappadocia, Afia, and Bithynia ; and even at Rome itself they received fuch fingular Honours, that Jofephus has entered into a large Account of them, on purpofe, (d) as he fays, to fhew how much all the Kings both in Afia and Europe delighted in their Magnanimity and Fidelity: Thus we fee to what ftrange Pofitions and Affertions a man may be led, if he fuffers himself to be guided by Prejudice and not by Truth; nay even among our felves, the Remains of that unhappy People are to every Pious Chriftian the Objects of his Compaffion and Pity, rather than of his Contempt and Scorn: But to return from this Digreffion:

What use can our Author make of these Affertions? if after all we fhould allow the Jews to have been as contemptible a People as his Heart can wifh, or his Pen induftriously represent them, how

(a) Antiq. Lib. XIV.cap. 12. Lib. VII.

(b) Jofephus de Bello Jud. (c) Jofephus Antiq. Lib. XII. cap. 3. (d) Antiq. Lib. XIV. cap. 17. "Iva un λaván T`S äλλus απανίας, ὅτι καὶ Ἀσίας καὶ ? Εὐρώπης βασιλείς, διὰ αποδῆς ἔχου ἶμας, τήνε ἀνδρείαν ἡμως καὶ ἢ πίςιν ἀγαπήσαντες,

does

does it affect the merits of the Caufe? Can a con temptible People have nothing praife-worthy, nothing fit to be imitated among them? No People were ever more contemptible to another than the Grecians were to the Romans; and yet Dionyfius Har licarnaffeus (a) esteems their copying the Grecian Infitutes to have been the firmeft Foundation of the Roman Liberty: Are not we ourselves daily imi tating the Cultoms of a Nation, which we are very apt to defpife? Or allowing that the Egyptians had Circumcifion among them, as a conftant and univerfal Practice, (which may be afferted but can never be proved) before Mofes's time; yet does it follow, that because the Jews are now a contemptible People, that therefore none of their Ancestors were ever in Favour and Efteem among the Egyp tians? Does this invalidate the Account we have of Abraham, the Father of their Nation? who taught the Egyptians (as (6) Jofephus tells us upon Tradition) the firft Rudiments of Arithmetick and Astro nomy, one great Branch of that Learning, for which They were afterwards renowned, and was entertained with all the Marks of Efteem and Honour, which the King could fhow, and returned loaded with his Royal Presents; what Nation could confer greater Honours on Man, than what Joseph there received? Intrusted with the Government of all the Land, having merited all Respect by his prudent Conduct, in preferving not only that Nation, but many others from the Miseries of a Famine: This Branch of Sacred History is confirmed by Juftin, (c) in Words as near the Truth, as could be expected from One, who was neither Jew nor Chriftian: In what Favour and Reputation did the reft of the Sons of Jacob live there, till time had

(a). Lib. II. (b) Antiq. Jud. 1. 1. c. 8. (c), Lib. XXXVL cap. 2.

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obliterated the Memory of his Benefactions, till another King arofe that knew not Jofeph? So that even this Suppofition does not weaken the Scripture Accourt of its firft Origin; and if the Egyptians did ufe it before Mofes's time, yet ftill they might have learn'd it from fome of thofe Patriarchs, who by all Accounts, Sacred and Profane, had been once in fuch high Efteem and Veneration among them.

Upon the whole, If as (a) Jofephus concludes his Difpute with Apion, "The Lawgiver of the Jews was "preferable to all others on account of the Age in "which he lived; if their Laws were always zealously "imitated and acceded to by all Mankind; and "what is ftill more wonderful, attracted their Obe"dience, without any one to require it from them, "and by being the Law of that God, who is the "Governor over all the World, had paffed (more 66 or lefs) into all Nations; and for the Truth of "this, he defires every one only to look at Home, "and confult his own Country;" If no Reafon can be affigned why any Nation fhould invent this Rite of Circumcifion, and impofe it upon themfelves, when they could forefee no Benefit or Advantage from it; if the Scriptures fo minutely acquaint us with the Time when, and the Perfon to whom it was first commanded, and with the Motives, by which he and his Pofterity were engaged to embrace it, and all this upon the Authority of Mofes, whofe Teftimony (abitracted from his Divine Inspiration, and the Confirmation it has received from other Writers) is equal to, if not greater, than that of any other Hiftorian, we may fafely and fatisfactorily believe, that Circumcifion was not originally from Mofes, that it could not poffibly be from the Egyptians, and that we ought to acquiefce in the Teftimony of our Saviour himself concerning this Matter, John vii. 22. that it was of the Fathers or Patriarchs.

(a) Lib. II.

Of

III.

The Divine Inspiration of Moses.

This we are defired to give up for the most trifling Reason that could be propofed: He has pick'd out a Paffage from Jofephus, where Mofes is compared to Minos, and other Grecian Lawgivers; and his Confequence from it is, that therefore Mofes could be no more infpired than they were: This Paffage has been fo largely treated of by the Reply, his false Varnish fo cleanly wafh'd of, and the Truth fo fully established, that there is room left but for a very few Reflections; it must be owned, that he has much improved his Tranflation in the Defence, and done it (if we may believe any thing he fays) in the best manner he is able; but ftill, 'tis certain, he has not done it all the Juftice, it is capable of: Several Words may be properly tranflated in much ftronger Terms: However, why does he not flick to his own Tranflation, when he draws up his Arguments in form? Why muft olov be then made to fignify, Defence p. 33. just fuch an one, and again, P. 36. just fuch an one? intimating to unwary Readers, that because there was fomewhat of a Likenefs between Mofes and Minos, in one refpect, viz. as both were Lawgivers, therefore there must be a ftrict Equality between them in all Refpects: and indeed here feems to lie the whole Strength and Fallacy of his Argument: Jofephus does not fay Minos and the other Greek Lawgivers were like or equal to Mofes, but that He was like or equal to Them, and certainly he might be fo; he might have as much Authority to promulge his Laws, as they had; and have it befides in a much fuperior Manner: Should any one, in respect to our own Ecclefiaftical Regimen, fay, that Bishops are like to Priests

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