tiles. Or, if that had failed, they might have thought of building themfelves a new City, and a counterfeit Temple; might have anointed a King to reign over them, fitting upon a different Throne from that of David, and have transplanted into another Country the local Ordinances of the facrificial Law; with an impious Hope of continuing both the Sceptre and Oblation in fudah, beyond the Time of the coming and departure of Shiloh.

To the fecond Objection, I say, first, that it is true fuch a general Affembling of the whole Jewish Nation into one Place, would, ftrictly speaking, put an End to the Disperfion, fince it is evident, that nothing can be both collected and difperfed at the fame Time; but, fecondly, I must observe, that the Thing is morally impoffible to be effected by the Power of Man; and especially if it be confidered, that it is not the Defcendants of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin only, but of all the ten Tribes, which must be drawn together, before the Difperfion can properly, and in the Senfe of Scripture, be faid to be ended. It is GoD only who

can

can bring this Event into being: It is He who scattered, that muft and will gather; but when he does fo gather them, if the Prophecies are true, it will be in order to their Restoration: It will be to fulfil thofe Prophecies, not to defeat them. As it is therefore plainly not poffible that the Jews fhould be fo univerfally drawn together for any other Purpose but that of their Reftoration, it is of no Significancy to enquire what Effect would be produced by a Thing which cannot exist; and for the fame Reafon I cannot look upon the above Objection as affecting any Affertion of mine in the foregoing Pages, fince I cannot be fuppofed to put, or be anfwerable for impoffible Cafes.

BUT though I have above admitted, that a general Re-union of all the Jews at any one Time exifting, would put an End to their Difperfion; and supposed, that such an ending of the Difperfion would contradict thofe Prophecies, which make it continue till the final Restoration, I must here add, that it was only in Compliance with the Strictness of Speech, according to which

the

the two Terms of Union and Difperfion reciprocally destroy each other; for I must own that I am not myself yet clear, that in the Scripture Sense they might not fubfift together. What I mean is, that the Jews muft ftill be confidered as a fcattered People, fcattered, as Sheep having no Shepherd, as long as they continue unconnected by the Tie of their original Conftitution under the Theocracy, which feems confined to the Land of Judæa, the Country which GOD had peculiarly chofen for a Habitation for himself, the Place where his Glory dwelled; and in confequence of that Notion, I am apt to look upon their Difperfion, as fo infeparably united by the Prophecies with their Exclufion from the holy Land, that, as the latter cannot, in the Nature of the Thing be concluded, whilft the former fubfifts, so neither can the former be properly faid to be at an End, fo long as the latter continues.

BUT to apply the Objection above confidered more particularly to our present Queftion; viz. Whether the Naturalization of Jews in England be confiftent or inconfiftent

with the Prophecies: Let us admit, for Ar gument fake, fuch an universal Re-union of the Jewish Nation, as is before described, to be practicable; admitting too that an Endeavour to effect it would be an Endeavour to defeat thofe Prophecies; still that has nothing to do with the Admiffion of them here; nor is there any Similitude between extending the Enjoyment of fome of the Privileges of a particular Community to certain Persons of that Nation, under particular Qualifications, and fubmitting to be governed by the Laws of that Community, and a general bringing together from the four Winds, of all the Jews wherefoever dispersed throughout the known, and perhaps the unknown World, and re-establishing them as a separate Nation.

BUT fhall we then give Countenance and Protection to, fhall we admit and incorporate amongst us, the Crucifiers of our Lord and Saviour, the Accurfed of God? And fhall we not thereby render ourselves Partakers of their Guilt, and draw down upon our own Heads a Share of their Curfe?

GIVE me leave to confider these two Appellations feparately.

AND as to the former, I fay first of all, that the Argument drawn from it would prove too much; for it would oblige us not only to give no new Invitation to Foreign Jews, but even to drive out of our Country all those who are already settled in it, and even fuch as by Birth have acquired a legal as well as a natural Right to continue Members of our Community.

AND fecondly, I defire leave to ask these angry Christians a Question or two in my Turn. Has GOD Almighty any where in Scripture forbidden us to harbour and befriend these Defcendants from that Generation of Men, some of whom crucified our Saviour? If not, who made us the Executors of his Vengeance upon them? Are we, in his stead, to punish the Sins of the Fathers upon the Children, and to carry the Resentment too, not to the third and fourth, but to the thirtieth and fortieth Generation? We, who pray to GOD every

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