them, that their several Countries might not want Inhabitants.

And tho' the Jews have been generally observ'd to have great Riches in the Nations where they live, they have never been able by any power or interest to get themselves re-establish'd in their Country and Government, but have been disappointed as often as they have attempted it, tho' with never so much probability of success. So evident it is by the experience of fo many Ages, that however it fares with particular Persons of that Nation, yet they never are to be united again, as a Community, or Body of People, to live under their ancient Laws according to the Mosaical Constitution. They have no City, no Government, nor ever are to have any; and therefore those Laws can now no longer be in force, which suppose the continuance of their Government. Their Genealogies are loft, upon which the distinction of their Tribes and Families, and the fuccession of their Priefthood did depend, which has been acknowledged by the learnedft Man, perhaps, that ever was suspected of apoftatizing from Chriftianity to Judaism; so that they are without an Altar, without a Priest, without a Sacrifice, and without any possibility of knowing the Defcent and Lineage of their Meffiah, whom they expect to come; and by consequence, cannot know him if he should come, having no way to diftinguish that Tribe and Family of which the Prophecies declare the Meffiah was to be. In the Babylonian Captivity, there were Αἰχμαλωτάρχαι, who kept up Order and. Government amongst them; and that, besides, was at

• Soli Hebræi generis antiquitate certiffimâ populis omnibus præftant: nemo tamen fuam Tribum nunc ciere poteft; fed omnes inter fe confufi ftirpem agnofcunt; ramos ignorant: Gens verò facerdotum, quæ nobilitatis fummum genus ab Aarone repetens, duobus annorum millibus ac trecentis floruerat, Gothicis ac Vandalicis cladibus creditur interiisse, non fine magno Divinæ Ultionis argumento. Bodin. Method. Hift. c. 9.

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the most but a suspension of their Power, it was no utter extirpation of all Rule and Authority; their Genealogies were preserved, and the distinction of their Tribes and Families known; their deliverance out of that Captivity, with the time and manner of it, and the very Name of their Deliverer was foretold, Ifa. xliv. 28. Jer. xxv. 12. Dan. ix. 2. And in that Captivity they had Prophets to direct and support them under their Affliction, and give them assurance of a Restoration, but now they do not so much as pretend to have any. The Deliverance of the Ifraelites out of the Ægyptian Bondage was likewise foretold, with the punctual time of it, Gen. xv. 13, 14. And in general, God declares that when at any time, for their Sins, they were led into Captivity, and dispersed among the Heathens, tho' they were driven unto the utmost part of Heaven, yet upon their repentance he would turn their Captivity, and have compassion upon them, and would return, and gather them from all the Nations, whither he had scattered them, Deut. xxx. 2, 3. Nehem. i. 8, 9. And this Promise must have been in force, as long as their Law and Conftitution lasted, and could have no limitation but the final and determined period of it. The time for the duration of the Jewish Law and Government being expired, all Promises made to them as a distinct People and Nation, must be expired with it; whereas, if their Law were still in force, the promise of their being restored to their Land and Government, would undoubtedly before this time, have been fulfilled to them. For be fides, that their Sins, at their return from their Captivity in Babylon, were very great, it cannot be fupposed, that for so many Ages their Sins should hinder that a Remnant at least should not be restored, if the Jewish Oeconomy had not received its final period in the destruction of their City and Nation.

• Tertul. adv. Judæos, c. 13.
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Statum Judae, quem Christus inveniat, & alium contende venire. This, which was a good Argument in Ter tullian's time, is improv'd still in every Age since. For if the state of the Jewish Nation was not fuch then as their Meffiah was to find at his Coming, there is the less cause for them after so long time to hope that they shall ever be restored to such a Condition, as to have any reason to expect him.

III. After the Coming of the Meffiah, the Jewish Law was to become impracticable, and impossible to be observ'd. For if the City and Temple were not destroy'd, the Confinement of the Jewish Worship to one certain Place, must necessarily imply an Alteration in their Worship upon the Coming of the Meffiah, and the Calling of the Gentiles; who could not all be suppos'd to affemble thrice every year at Jerufalem; and therefore the Prophets foretold, that Jerusalem should then be no longer the only place of God's Worship, but that Men should worship him in any place of the World. 'Tis true, the Prophets often mention the Refort which should be made from all Nations to Jerufalem, and to the Temple, or the Moun tain of the Lord. But then these are Mystical Expreffions; for the City of Jerusalem, and the Temple, are us'd by the Prophets as Types of the Christian Church; and therefore Ezekiel 9 describes the Temple larger than the whole City of Jerusalem, and the City in greater Dimensions than all the Land of Canaan, to thew that we are not to understand these Expressions literally. A Priesthood after the Order of Melchifedék, different from that of Aaron, was prophesy'd of, Pfal.cx. 4. and a New Covenant different from that which was made with the Children of Ifrael upon their coming out of the Land of Ægypt, Jerem. xxxi. 31, 32. And this Covenant was to extend to the Gentiles, as well as to the Jews. And it shall come

• Lightfoor's Profpest of the Temple, Chap. ii.

to pass, that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all Flesh come to worship before me, faith the Lord, Ifai. lxvi. 23. For from the rifing of the Sun, even unto the going down of the same, my Name shall be great among the Gentiles : and in every place Incense shall be offered unto my Name, and a pure offering: for my Name shall be great among the Heathen, faith the Lord of Hosts, Malach. i. 11.

If against all this it be alledg'd, That the Mosaical Law was to endure for ever, it ought to be confider'd, what Sense that Expression bears in the Law it self. And that Expression is there used to denote the Continuance of any thing which was not design'd for fome particular occasion or season only, but was to last as long as the Nature and general Design of its Institution would admit. The Servant whose Ear was bored, was to serve his Master for ever, Exod. xxi. 6. by which is to be understood, not all his Life, but only till the year of Jubilee; whereas he that had not his Ear bored, was to be set free in the seventh year, ver. 2. And even before the year of Jubilee, he whose Ear was bored, might be freed with his Master's Confent; either by Manumission, or Redemption, and was at liberty upon the Death of his Master, not being bound to serve his Son. Their anointing shall furely be an everlasting Priesthood throughout their Generations, Exod. xl. 15. which can be understood to extend no farther, than as long as their Genealogies were preserv'd, and the Tribe and Generations of the HighPriests could be distinguished. I will abide in thy Tabernacle for ever, Pfal. Ixi. 4. or, in other Words, all the days of my life, Pfal. xxvii. 4. Samuel was brought by his Mother to abide before the Lord for ever; that is, during his Life, 1 Sam. i. 22. And by parity of Reason those Statutes and Laws are faid to be established for ever, which were defign'd to be perpetual

and standing Laws; not temporary, during their journeying in the Wilderness only, as others were ; but to continue as long as the Constitution of the Government was to last ; and in this Sense the Jews themselves have taken the Word; and it is sufficiently explain'd Deut. xii. 1. These are the Statutes and Judgments which ye shall observe to do in the Land, which the Lord God of thy Fathers giveth thee to possess it all the days that ye live upon the Earth; or, as we read ver. 19. as long as thou livest upon thy Earth; that is, their Law was obligatory to them as long as they had poffeffion of the Land of Canaan, or retain'd any Right to pofsess it by God's Donation: But those Statutes and Judgments which were to be observ'd in the Land which the Lord had given them to possess, can no longer be of any Obligation to them, when they are finally depriv'd of that Land. Rabbi Jofeph Albo, from the Texts now cited, acknowledg'd, that the Perpetuity of the Law of Moses could not be prov'd from the Signification of the Word Olam; which 'Menasseh Ben Ifrael cannot deny, but pretends, that there is fomething particular in this case, as it is apply'd to the Law: because it is not only faid, that their Law should be in force for ever, but that it should continue to their Seed for all Generations. The Texts, which he produces, are these. And God faid unto Abraham, thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou and thy feed after thee, in their generations, Gen. xvii. 9. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened Bread. For in this felf-fame day, have I brought your Armies out of the land of Ægypt. Therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever, Exod. xii. 17. Wherefore the children of Ifrael shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant, Exod. xxxi. 16. But if we compare the