1 flourished at Alexandria, in the age of our Saviour, is manifest from the Jewish Philo, who philosophized according to its principles. These Eclectics held Plato in the highest estimation; but they unscrupulously modified his doctrines by incorporating what they pleased from the other philosophers.2 § 26. It will be easy to see what inference should be drawn from this account of the world's lamentable state when Christ was born. All may learn from it that mankind, in that age thoroughly corrupt, stood in need of some divine teacher, who should not only imbue men's minds with indisputable precepts of religion and true wisdom, but also recall their erring steps into the way of virtue and piety. Nor will these observations profit less those who are not sufficiently aware how much protection and advantage Christ's advent brought to men, and how beneficially his religion acted upon all the circumstances of life. Many despise and speak ill of the Christian religion, because they do not know themselves indebted to it for all the blessings they enjoy. effect; and that Ammonius is to be regarded as the founder of the Eclectic sect. Yet this will not forbid our believing, what Brucker himself admits, that there were some Grecian philosophers, as early as the times of Christ, who speculated very much as the Eclectics afterwards did; though the few followers they had did not merit the title of a sect. Schl.] 1 [For he philosophized in the manner of Clemens Alex., Origen, and the other Christian doctors, who were certainly Eclectics. For the most part, he follows Plato, and hence many account him a pure Platonist. But he often commends the Stoics, Pythagoreans, and others, and adopts their opinions. Schl.] 2 See Godfr. Olearius, de Philosophia Eclectica; James Brucker, and others. [On the philosophy, as well as the vulgar polytheism of the ancient pagans, the best work for the mere English reader seems to be that already mentioned, J. Leland's Advantage and neces sity of the Christian revelation, shown from the state of religion in the ancient heathen world, 2nd ed. 1765, 2 vols. 8vo. - The history of philosophy among the ancients has not been critically and ably written in English, nor by Englishmen. Stanley's Lives, &c. 1655, 4to, is full of mistakes; and Enfield's Abridgement of Brucker is quite superficial. The best general works are J. Brucker's Historia critica philosophie, Lips. 1741-67, 6 vols. 4to, and the more recent German works by Tiedeman (7 vols. 8vo, 1791-96), Buhle (7 vols. 8vo, 1800), Tenneman (12 vols. 8vo, 1798-1810), and Rixner (3 vols. 8vo, 1822). The history of moral philosophy, or ethics, is well treated by Cp. Meiners (krit. Geschichte, 2 vols. 8vo, 1800-1,) and C. F. Stäudlin, Gesch. der Moralphilosophie, 1822, p. 1055, 8vo. Tr. See Lewes' Biographical History of Philosophy, Lond. 1857. Ed.] CHAPTER II. THE CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS STATE OF THE JEWS AT THE BIRTH § 1. Herod the Great then reigned-§ 2. State of the Jews after his death- § 3. Their troubles and calamities -§ 4. which were increased by their leading men § 5. Their religion greatly corrupted, both among the common people § 6. and among their teachers, who were divided into three sects § 7. Their dissensions § 8. Their toleration of each other - § 9. The Essenes § 10. The Therapeutæ § 11. Moral doctrines of these sects- § 12. Low state of religion among the people 13. The Cabbala, a source of error 14. Their form of worship debased by pagan rites. § 15. Causes of the corruption of the nation-§ 16. Yet religion not wholly extinct-§ 17. The Samaritans -§ 18. State of the Jews out of Palestine. § 1. THE condition of the Jews, among whom it pleased our Saviour to be born, was little better than that of other nations. Their state was harassed rather than governed by Herod, who was indebted to his vices for the surname of the Great, but who really was a tributary of the Roman people. This man, by cruelty, suspiciousness, wars, drew infinite hatred on himself, while he exhausted the wretched nation's wealth, by a mad luxury, a magnificence beyond his fortune, and immoderate largesses. Under his administration, Roman luxury, joined with great licentiousness, spread over Palestine. In religion he was professedly a Jew; but he copied the manners of those who despise all religion. § 2. On this tyrant's death, the Romans gave half Palestine to his son Archelaus for government, under the title of Exarch: the other half was divided between two other sons of Herod, Antipas and Philip. Archelaus copied his father's vices; wherefore, ten years after that prince's death, an accusation against him was brought by the Jews before Augustus, and he was deprived of his authority.3 The countries that he had governed were now reduced to the form of a province, and annexed to Syria. This political change brought infinite uneasiness and calamities on the Jews, to the ultimate ruin and subversion of their nation. 1 See Christ. Noldii Historia Idumæa, in Havercamp's Josephus, ii. 333, &c. Ja. Basnage, Histoire des Juifs, t. i. pt. i. p. 27, &c. H. Noris, Cenotaph. Pisan. ii. 6. H. Prideaux, Connexions, &c. pt. ii. lib. viii. Chr. Cellarius, Historia Herodum, in his Diss. Acad. pt. i. and especially, the Jewish historian, Fl. Josephus, in his Wars of the Jews. 2 [Viz. Judea, Samaria, and Idumea. Tr.] [Josephus, Antiq. Jud. xvii. 13, and de Bell. Jud. ii. 6. Schl.-Archelaus was additionally punished by the confiscation of all his property, and by banishment to Vienne, in Gaul. S.] § 3. The Romans did not, indeed, wholly prohibit the Jews from retaining their national laws, and the religion established by Moses. Their religious affairs were still conducted by a High Priest, with priests and Levites under him; and by their national senate or Sanhedrim. The exterior of their worship, with a few exceptions, remained unaltered. But it can be scarcely told, how many evils the wretched people underwent from the very presence of the Romans, whom they thought polluted and detestable; how many from the avarice and cruelty of the governors; how many from the frauds and injuries of the publicans. Unquestionably, those lived more comfortably who were subject to the other two sons of Herod. § 4. But the Romans left nothing of liberty or happiness for the Jews that was not intercepted by the crimes and vices of those among themselves, who set up for their defenders. The chiefs of their nation, the high priests, it is clear from Josephus, were most abandoned persons, whose dignity had been gained either by money, or by compliances that bespoke an irreligious mind, and who maintained their ill-acquired authority by every sort of crimes. The other priests, and all those who held any considerable office, were not much better. The common people, tempted by these examples, rushed headlong. upon iniquities of all kinds, until perpetual robberies and seditions called for vengeance, both from God and men.1 § 5. Two religions then flourished in Palestine, the Jewish, and the Samaritan; between the followers of which a deadly hatred prevailed. The nature of the former is set forth in the Old Testament. But in our Saviour's age, it had lost much of its primitive form and character. The people, universally, were infected with certain prevalent and pernicious errors; the more learned fiercely contended on points of the greatest moment. All looked for a deliverer; not, however, such a one as God had promised, but a powerful warrior, and a vindicator of their national liberties. None carried religion further than observance of the rites prescribed by Moses, and of certain external duties towards the Gentiles. All excluded the rest of mankind from the hope of salvation; and of course, whenever they dared, treated them with inhumanity and hatred.3 Besides drawing corruption from these most fruitful sources, they entertained various absurd and superstitious opinions concerning the divine nature, genii, magic, and other things, partly brought home by their ancestors from the Babylonian captivity, partly imported by themselves from the neighbouring Egyptians, Syrians, and Arabians.1 1 [Josephus, de Bell. Jud. v. 13, § 6; and Basnage, Histoire des Juifs, i. c. 16. Schl.] [This is proved by J. Basnage, Hist. des Juifs, v. c. 10. That not only the Pharisees, but all Jews, of whatever sect, both in and out of Palestine, were expecting a Messias, is shown by Mosheim, Commentt. de Rebb. Christ. &c. p. 40, from the following texts, John i. 20, 25; x. 24, &c.; xii. 34; Matt. ii. 4-6; xxi. 9; xxvi. 63, &c. Schl.] 3 [Hence other nations accounted the Jews as enemies of mankind. See J. Elsner, Observatt. Sacr. in N. T. ii. 274. Schl.] [See Th. Gale, Observv. ad Jamblichum, de Myster. Egypt. p. 206; and G. Sale, Preface to Koran, p. 72. Even Josephus, Antiq. Jud. iii. 7, § 2, admits that the Jewish religion was corrupted among the Babylonians. Schl.] § 6. The more learned, who laid claim to an exact knowledge of the law, and of divine things, were divided into various sects and parties; 1 Besides the three more noted sects, there were others unquestionably among the Jews. The Herodians are mentioned in the sacred volume; the Gaulonites, by Josephus; and other sects by Epiphanius, and by Hegesippus in Eusebius; all of which cannot be supposed to be mere fictions. [Mosheim's additional remarks on this subject, in his Commentt. de Rebb. Chr. &c. p. 43-45, well deserve insertion here. They are as follows:-To vindicate my assertion, that Epiphanius's account of the Jewish sects, in the beginning of his book de Hæresibus, is not, probably, altogether untrue, I will offer a conjecture, which, the more I consider it, the more important it appears. I propose it for the consideration of the learned. It may, perhaps, serve to remove some obscurities from ancient ecclesiastical history. Epiphanius states, that there was among the Jews a sect of Hemerobaptists, who had this peculiarity, that they washed themselves daily. The same sect is mentioned by an ancient writer, Hegesippus, quoted by Eusebius, Hist. Eccles. iv. 22, and by Justin Martyr, Dial. cum Tryph. p. 215, ed. Jebb, though the latter abridges the name, calling them Baptists. Nor is this sect omitted in the Index of Heresies, falsely ascribed to Jerome. The author of the Clementina, Homil. ii. c. 23, says, The founder of the sect was named John, and he had twelve apostles, and thirty chief men, to aid him. The same account occurs in the Epitome gestorum Petri, § 26, which is subjoined to the Clementina. Either no credit is due to any ancient history, or these numerous and very ancient witnesses, who cannot be suspected of fraud or ignorance, must be believed when they assert that there was a sect among the Jews, called Homerobaptists. Epiphanius's whole story, therefore, is not to be accounted fabulous. The descendants of these Hemerobaptists, I suspect, are still existing. The learned well know that there is, in Persia and India, a numerous and wide-spread community, who call themselves Mendai Ijahi, Disciples of John. The Europeans call them Christians of St. John; because they have some slight knowledge of Christ. By the oriental writers they are called Sabbi or Sabbiin. Concerning them, Ignatius à Jesu, a Carmelite monk, who lived long among them, has written a book, entitled Narratio originis, rituum et errorum Christianorum S. Johannis, &c. Rome, 1652, 8vo. It is no contemptible performance, and contains many things deserving attention; though it is ill-digested, and unpolished in its style. Besides this, Ignatius, Bart. Herbelot (in Biblioth. Orient. voce Sabi), Asseman (Biblioth. Orient. Clement. Vat.), Thevenot and Tavernier (in their Travels), Engelb. Kæmpfer (Amanitatt. exot. fasc. ii. cap. 11), and very recently, Fourmont (Hist. of the Paris Acad. of Inscriptions), and others, have written largely concerning these people. Th. Sig. Bayer proposed writing a book respecting them, which, perhaps, was unfinished at his death. The origin and true character of this sect are still unsettled. That they cannot be classed among Christians is now clear. For, what they know of Christ, they have learned from the Chaldean Christians, among whom many of them live; nor do they worship or honour Christ. Most of the moderns incline to regard them as descended from those Sabians, who are so often mentioned in the Koran of Mahomet, and by Maimonides. But their customs and their doctrines are wholly different from those attributed to the Sabians; and from their being called Sabians by the Mahometans, nothing can be inferred; because it is well known that the Arabians apply this name to all who reject their religion. I am inclined to look upon these Christians of St. John as descendants of those Hemerobaptists, who were a Jewish sect, about the time of Christ. For this opinion, I offer the following arguments: First, They profess to be Jews; and say their ancestors lived on the banks of the Jordan, whence they were driven by the Mahometans. This argument, I consider as overthrowing the hypothesis, which makes them to be Sabians. Secondly, They place their dependence for pardon and salvation on their frequent bodily ablutions; which was the distinguishing error of the Hemerobaptists. At this day, the Disciples of John, as they call themselves, are solemnly baptized by their priests, but once a year; whereas, the Hemerobaptists daily purified themselves with water. But it is a fixed principle with them all, to this day, that the oftener they baptize, the holier and more happy are they; and they, therefore, would all receive baptism every month, nay, every day, if they could. The avarice of their priests, who will not baptize them without a fee, has rendered the repetition of the rite less frequent. Thirdly, The founder of this sect, like that of the Hemerobaptists, was named John; and has left a book which is preserved with reverence, as being divine. It is commonly supposed that among which, three left the rest far behind in number and authority: namely, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. The two first are often mentioned in the Scriptures: a knowledge of the Essenes we owe to Josephus and Philo. These principal sects agreed, indeed, generally upon those things without which the Jew's religion can nowise stand; but respecting questions of the highest importance, even such as are connected with human salvation, they were engaged in endless contentions. From these how much mischief flowed upon the rude and unlettered populace, anyone will readily discern. § 7. They disagreed, first, respecting the law itself, or the rule which God had given them. The Pharisees added to the written law another, or the unwritten, delivered and handed down by word of mouth. This the Sadducees and Essenes spurned, holding to the this John was John the Baptist, Christ's forerunner, mentioned in the Scriptures. Hence many conclude that the Sabians are descended from the disciples of John the Baptist. So thought Ignatius à Jesu, Narratio de Chr. S. Joh. c. cap. 2, p. 13, &c. But what this sect relate of their John, as stated by Ignatius himself, clearly show him to be diverse from the Baptist. For they deny that their John suffered death under Herod; they say he died a natural death, in a town of Persia, called Sciuster, and was buried in the adjacent fields of that town. They state also, that he had a wife, and four children. Only a few of the things they relate of their John accord with what our Scriptures relate of John the Baptist; and these few things, like what they also say of Christ, they doubtless learned from those Christians with whom they associated to avoid the oppressions of the Mahometans; and finding these things not inconsistent with their faith, and being unable, from their extreme ignorance, to refute them, they embraced and still retain them. What degree of weight this supposition of mine deserves, will better appear when the sacred books of this people, and especially the books said to be written by their founder John, shall be published. These were, a few years since, introduced into the king's library at Paris; so that we may hope the learned will, sooner or later, have access to them.'-These sacred books of the Sabians of Hedshar in Persia have been examined with considerable care; see among others M. Norberg, de Religione et ling. Sabæorum, in Commentt. Societ. Reg. Scient. Gotting. 1780. The most probable conclusion is, that this people are not to be classed among Jews, Christians, or Mahometans; but are of uncertain origin, and have a religion of their own, compounded of Judaism, Christianity, Parsism, and Islamism. For a list of the writers who treat of them, see Nösselt's Anweisung, &c. § 474; and Stäudlin's kirchl. Geographie, ii. 705. Tr.] 1 [It was said, that when Moses returned from Sinai to his tent, he brought both these laws with him, and delivered them unto the people of Israel in this manner He called Aaron unto him, and first delivered to him the text, which was to be the written law, and after that the interpretation of it, which was the oral law, in the same order as he received both from God in the mount. Then Aaron arising, and seating himself at the right hand of Moses, Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons, went next in, and being taught both these laws at the feet of the prophet, in the same manner as Aaron had been, they also arose and seated themselves, the one on the left hand of Moses, and the other on the right hand of Aaron; and then the seventy elders, who constituted the Sanhedrim, or great senate of the nation, went in, and being taught by Moses both these laws in the same manner, they also seated themselves in the tent; and then entered in all such of the people as were desirous of knowing the law of God, and were taught in the same manner: after this, Moses withdrawing, Aaron repeated the whole of both laws, as he had heard it from him, and also withdrew; and then Eleazar and Ithamar repeated the same; and on their withdrawing, the seventy elders made the same repetition to the people then present; so that, each of them having heard both these laws repeated to them four times, they all had it thereby firmly fixed in their memories and that they then dispersed themselves among the whole congregation, and communicated to all the people of Israel what had thus been delivered unto them by the prophet of God: that they did put the text into writing, but the inter |