L13. C.17

befides, their Conquefts were very confi derable, and the Advantages which accrued to Religion by reafon of them. In the time of Hyrcanus, (q) all Idumea embraced the (9) Fofeph. Jewish Religion. Ariftobulus having con- Antiquit. quered great part of Ituræa, caufed all their Males (r) to be circumcifed, and to obferved. the Law of Mofes, as Strabo teftifies. Under Alexander Father to Hyrcanus, (5) the (3) Ibid. Jews took twelve Cities from the Arabians, 13.c.23. and became poffeffed of many Cities in Syria, Idumæa, and Phenicia, all which they brought S over to the Profeffion of their own Religion, and demolished Pella, for refufing to embrace it.

5

1. 14. c. 2.

Mr. Mede's

Harmon

P. 205.

"

The (t) Temple built by Sanballat, for (+) See Manaffes, who had married his Daughter, › Difcourfe was an occafion of the Samaritans leaving 12. their Falfe Gods. And after the building of the Temple in Egypt, the Babylonian Talmud fays (u) that the Jews there were double (u) Lightf. the number of those that came out from thence under Moses. The Zeal of the Scribes and Pharifees, though they were Hypocrites, did exceedingly conduce to the propagation of their Religion; for they compaffed fea and land to make one Profelyte, and fo far they were to be commended; but then they made him two-fold more the child of hell than themfelves, Mat. xxiii. 15. yet still they taught the neceffary Points of Doctrine, though in Hypocrifie, and with the mix

tures

Exercit.on

tures of Superftition; and our
and our Saviour
commands his Difciples to obferve and do
what they bid them, but not to do after their

works. And it was required of the Fathers (x) Lightf of the Sanhedrin, (x) that they should underCor.xiii.. ftand many Languages; that the Sanhedrin P.783. might hear nothing by an Interpreter; which qualified the Scribes and Pharifees, who afpired to that Dignity, to be the better able to make Profelytes.

1.14. C.12.

The Jews were difperfed over all the World, but chiefly feated themselves in Rome, and Alexandria, and Antioch, the three chief Cities of the Empire; in all which they had great and peculiar Privileges; and in Alexandria they had Magiftrates of their Jofeph. own, (y) and lived under a peculiar GovernAntiquit. ment by themselves. Never any other Nation had fuch various Changes and Revolu tions, to mix them with the reft of the World; and never any People were fo induftrious and zealous, and fo fuccessful in the propagation of their Religion. They had their Profeuche, and their Synagogues for Divine Worship, and for Reading and Explaining the Scriptures; which Men of all Religions were admitted to hear, in all places. where-ever they dwelt ; and in Egypt they fofeph had a (2) Temple like that at Jerufalem, Bell. Fud built by Onias, which continued for the 1. 7. c. 30. fpace of Three hundred and forty three Years,

*

till the Destruction of Jerufalem by Titus;

and

.

and in the Synagogues the Scriptures were read in the Greek Tongue, which was the most universal Language then in the World. Some have affirmed, that as much of the Scriptures as was written in Solomon's time, was then tranflated into the Syriac Tongue; and there is little doubt (a) but that at least (a) Clem. part of the Bible was tranflated into Greek Alexand. before the time of Alexander the Great: but Eufeb.Pra. the Verfion of the Septuagint Toon difperfed par.Evang. into all hands, which was made at the 13. c.12. Command of Ptolemæus Philadelphus; to e whom likewife, and his Father, (b) Arifto- (b) Euseb. Eccl. Hift. bulus dedicated an Expofition of the Law 1.7.c.ult. of Mofes.

Strom. 1.1,

By all these means, vaft multitudes of Profelytes were made to the Jewish Religion in all Parts of the World. What numbers there were at Rome of this Religion, we know from the Roman Poets and Hiftorians, and we have as good Evidence of the fpreading of it in other Places. Not to repeat what has been already related, nor to mention particular Perfons of the greatest Note and Eminency, nor particular Cities, as Damafcus, (c) where (d) Jofeph. it more remarkably prevailed, it is evident de Bell. Jud. what numbers of Perfons, in all Nations, profeffed this Religion, from the incredible Treasures which Craffus found in the Temple of Jerufalem, being Ten thousand Talents, amaffed there by the Summs of Gold fent from all Places by the Jews, and fuch as

became

1. 2. C.25

C. 12.

became Profelytes to their Religion: And for the Truth of this, Jofephus cites Strabo's (d) Jofeph. Authority, who fays, (d) that the Jews Antiq.l.14. were every where difperfed, and every where gained Men over to their Religion; and that in Alexandria they had their Ethnarche, or proper Magiftrates, by whom they were governed. And another Proof of the mul titudes of Profelytes made to the Jewish Religion, may be had from the great num(e) Jofeph bers affembled (e) at their Paffovers, and at: de Bell. Jud. the Feafts of Pentecoft, out of every Nation under Heaven.

1.7. c.17.

Ad. ii. 5.

(f) Ibid.

cap. 24.

pag.979.

Thus mightily prevailed the Religion of the Hebrews, till their City and Temple, by a Divine Vengeance, as (f) Jofephus often confeffes, was deftroyed; and the Law it felf, with the Utehfils of the Temple, was carried among the Spoil in Titus's Triumph. And when the Jewish Religion had its full Period and Accomplishment, the Chriftian Religion, which fucceeded in the room of it, and was prefigured by it, foon fpread it felf into all corners of the Earth, and is (b) at this day preached among all Nations.

But before I proceed to confider the Propagation of the Chriftian Religion, it may be requifite, (r.) To produce fome Testimo nies of the Heathens, concerning the Jews and their Religion. (2.) To fhew, That there have been always remaining divers Memorials of the True Religion among the

Heather.

Heathen. (3.) To confider the Authority of the Sibylline Oracles.

I. As to the Testimony of Heathen Authors, it were no more an Objection against what has been alledged, though they had taken no notice of the Hiftory of the Jews, than it can be fuppofed to be an Objection againft the Truth of the Taking of Troy, or the Building of Rome, that the Scriptures make no mention of either of them. The Greek Hiftorians were fo ignorant of Foreign Affairs, as (g) Jofephus has obferved, that Ephorus, (8) Jofeph one of the best of them, thought Spain to be 1.1. but one City and neither Herodotus nor Thucydides, nor any Hiftorian of their Times, made any mention of the Romans. The Roman Authors are but of a very late date, in comparifon and the Greeks, befides their ignorance in Antiquity, and in the Affairs of other Nations, are known to have been a vain People, who defpifed all befides themfelves, ac counting them Barbarians, and taking little notice of Rome it felf, before they fell under its Power.

Yet many of the Heathen Writers, as Jo fephus fhews, have made famous mention of the Jews; though others have given a wrong and malicious Account of them, whom he proves to contradict one another, and fome times themselves. Some, again, have omitted the mention of the Jews, though they had never fo much occafion for it; of which he I 2 gives