we shall take further Notice in its proper Place.

SECT. V.

Of the Strangers, or Profelytes.

It may not be amifs, before we leave this Topic of Government, to observe, That the People of which it confifted, were of two Sorts; thofe who were of the Original Stock; and those of other Nations who were Naturaliz'd among them.

Thefe latter are distinguish'd in Scripture by being call'd* Strangers, and Profelytes; in refpect to their being originally of fome other Country; and coming in to the Religion and Conftitution of the Hebrews, by complying with those Conditions which were requifite to their Qualification.

The principal of thefe was Circumcifion. For this was the Mark of the Covenant

* Septuag. rauta, Advena Advena; which, in our Tranflation of the Old Teftament, is generally render'd by the Word Stranger; in the New, by that of Profelyte; one according to the Hebrew Idiom, the other according to the Greek,

God

9.

God made with Abraham. God faid unto Gen.xvii. Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant, thou and thy feed after thee, in their generations. This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you, and thy feed after thee: Every man-child among you fhall be circumcis'd. And ye shall circumcife the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old fhall be circumcis'd among you, every man-child in your generations; he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any ftranger, which is not of thy feed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcis'd; and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcis'd man-child, whofe flesh of his foreskin is not circumcifed, that foul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my co

venant.

And, in the Law of Mofes, whatsoever is prescrib'd to the natural Ifraelites, the fame is requir'd of the Stranger. For Inftance: Whatsoever man there be of the Levit. boufe of Ifrael, or of the ftrangers that fo- xvii. 10. journ among you, that eateth any manner of

blood;

blood; I will even fet my face against that foul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his People. And fo in other Cases of the like Nature. And when they conform'd in all thofe Circumstances requir'd in the Law, they were to enjoy the fame Privileges as the true-born Ifraelites Exod. xii. themselves. Thus it is ordain'd; When a 48. Stranger shall fojourn with thee, and will keep the paffover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcifed, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land. One law fhall be to him that is home-born, and unto the ftranger that Sojourneth among you. And this is often repeated as Occafion required.

Mat.

To make these Profelytes, they fpar'd no xxiii. 15. Pains; esteeming it a very meritorious A&t. And yet we may obferve, that they who were Home-born valued themselves much upon it, as a more excellent and fuperior Qualification. When St. Paul enumerates the feveral Circumftances in which he might boast himself upon occafion, he canPhil. iii. not conceal this. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcifed the eighth day; of

4, 5.

the

the flock of Ifrael; of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews.

However, neither thefe Profelytes, nor the natural-born Hebrews,

were of the Tribe of Levi,

except they

could be legally admitted to the Priesthood, or to execute

any of the Priestly Offices. Though Herod (himself an Idumæan, and confequently, as a Profelyte who pretended to obferve the Law, an illegal Ufurper of the Throne) advanc'd Profelytes to the very Dignity of the High-Priesthood. But that was when they were under Subjection to the Romans; and depriv'd of the Liberty and Power of ordering themselves, in every refpect, according to the Mofaical Conftitution. So much for the Nature and Manner of their Government.

CHAP.

CHA P. III.

SECT. I. The HOLY LAND.

HE Country in which thefe Peo

TH

ple were fettled, was a Part of Syria, properly fo call'd: being extended, in Length, from Syria of Antioch to Egypt and Arabia Petræa; in Breadth, from that Part of the Mediterranean call'd the Syriac Sea, to Cæle-Syria and Arabia Deferta. The River Jordan runs, in a manner, thro' the middle of it lengthways, and discharges itself into the Dead Sea; after having, by the way, form'd a Lake, call'd in the Gof pel, the Lake of Gennefareth, and the Sea of Tiberias; above twelve Miles long, and five broad.

This whole Country was anciently nam'd the Land of Canaan; even at that Time when Abraham receiv'd Orders from God to leave Mefopotamia, and to go and dwell there. And afterwards, his Pofterity, when they had conquer'd and driven out the In

habitants