the religion of their ancestors, fays, this prophecy has moft literally been fulfilled in the ten tribes, few of whom ⚫ ever returned to Paleftine, and not being at prefent 'diftinguifhed from other nations, they have, no doubt, 'adopted their idolatrous religions. It is not impro'bable, however, but that they fomewhere form a diftinct people, and that in due time their origin may be dif'covered. Some traces of them have of late appeared.' This celebrated writer immediately adds in a note, it is ' with confiderable probability,' that Sir William Jones 'conjectures, that the Afghans, a people living between 'Perfia and Hindoftan, are of Ifraelitish extraction"1.'

With respect to the Afghans, I fhall only farther add, that fhould this conjecture relative to them hereafter be proved to be a fact, it would not be very difficult to account for its having lain fo many centuries in concealment. The following circumstances would, perhaps, afford a folution of the difficulty. Till very lately the gaining of territory, the acquifition of riches, and the opportunity of living with profufion and splendor, are the objects which have folely occupied the minds of the Europeans of Hindostan; and, in the pursuit of thefe, it must be admitted, they have difcovered no want of eagerness, and no unnecessary scruples with respect to the means of obtaining them. Recent is the period when the literary treasures of Hindoftan began to be fought after with any degree of activity; and small is the number of perfons, who have applied to Hindu and Perfic literature. The mountainous regions at the extremity of Hindoftan, where was the proper feat of the Afghans, intelligent and inquifitive Europeans have fcarcely vifited at all: fhould a fmall number be found to have done this, they were very imperfectly acquainted with

Difc. on the Evi, of Rev. Rel. 1794. p. 216.

the

the ordinary language of the country: and of the Pushto or Afghan language Europeans have scarcely had the flightest knowledge. Laftly, the Afghans have kept their origin enveloped in ftudied obscurity.

If the nation of the Jews do perith in their present ftate of wretchednefs, the Holy Spirit,' fays Jurieu, hath deceived this nation, all their oracles are false, and God hath borne them up with vain hopes.' But this is a fuppofiti n, which it is almoft irreverend to The Meffiah,' fays the French divine, belongs to the Jews, he was promised to the Jews; this 'nation from its very original hath been fed with the hopes of the Meffiah's coming, as of fuch a good, * which was too great to be described. At last he comes;

name.

and this people, inftead of feeing thofe great promises 'accomplished, fee their temple burnt, their capital city razed, their fervice abolished, their pofterity dif perfed throughout the world, and made the execration ⚫ and contempt of mankind. Thus the Meffiah, the glory ⚫of their nation, brings them nothing but fhame, defolation, and infinite miferies, which have no parallel in any other people". That fuch will be the final refult of events, can furely never be believed. That wo have hitherto seen only a partial accomplishment of the divine purposes, with refpect to this people, is a conclufion to which the believer is compelled to refort. The ftatement of Vitringa may, however, be perfectly correct, that the Jews will remain undistinguished by any peculiar privileges"3.

The literal fulfilment of the prophecies concerning the calamities, and total difperfion of the Ifraelites, muft,' fays Dr. Priestley,fatisfy that nation, and in ' time all mankind, that Mofes was infpired in delivering

9 Vol. II. p. 298.

93 In Apoc. p. 436.

them

them. His other prophecies concerning their future reftoration, and flourishing ftate, are as diftinct and exprefs as thofe concerning their calamities, and far • more numerous. They are not only contained in Mofes, but the favourite fubject is refumed, enlarged upon, and fet in a thoufand different lights, by Ifaiah and moft of the fucceeding prophets.' They are equally ⚫ clear and free from ambiguity, fo that there can be no ⚫ doubt concerning their meaning, and confequently, if we believe in revelation, concerning their literal accomplishment".'

There are fome, however, who will probably object, that it is altogether unreasonable to expect, that the period will ever arrive, when any confiderable number of the Jews, unceasingly as their defires are fixed on the means of acquiring a fubfiftence or augmenting a fortune, deeply as they are involved in the concerns of trade or the perplexities of commerce, fhould feriously turn their thoughts to a departure from their respective countries, and confent to abandon all thofe fources of wealth to which they have been accustomed to recur. This objection is coloured by a certain degree of plaufibility. But it may be asked, does it correfpond with past experience? Is it true, in point of fact, that the Jews have ceafed to place a confidence in the prophecies of their future restoration? Is it true, that, fince their expulfion from Judea, their minds have become reconciled to banishinent? Is there reafon to believe, that they have forgotten the country, whence they derive their origin, and where their forefathers once enjoyed fuch diftinguifhed privileges? Have they, during the period of their difperfion, felt no fond defires of reentering the borders of Paleftine, and of raifing the

Difc. on the Evid. of Rev. Rel. p. 216,

ftandard

ftandard of national independence?--The fact is far otherwife. Instead of not being influenced at all by thefe hopes, inftead of not paying a reasonable degree of attention to the facred oracles which promise their refloration at fome future time, they have often rushed into the contrary extreme, and have been ready to liften with an excess of credulity to every impoftor, however flender his pretenfions, provided he held out to them the expectation of a return to the country of their ancestors.

In order to prove this affertion, I fhall, as the fubje& is curious, give a compreffed account of fome of the falfe Meffias and impoftors, who have appeared at different periods fubfequent to the demolition of Jerusalem by Titus.

About 50 years after that event, Barcochebas was acknowledged by the Jews for the Meffiah; and, having enlifted forces to the amount of 200,000 men, declared war against the emperor Hadrian. Animated by enthusiasm, and confiding in his lofty pretenfions, the Jews, under his conduct, difplayed fignal valour; and repeatedly defeated the Roman general, Rufus. So great, indeed, was the flaughter of the Romans, that the emperor, in his letters to the fenate, was induced to withhold his accuftomed falutations; and we are told by the hiftorian Dion, that, in the war with Hadrian, 580,000 Jews were deflroyed by the fword, befides an immense number who perifhed by fire, by hunger, and by difeafe. The island of Crete, and the year 434, furnifhed an almof incredible inftance of credulity. In this year appeared Mofes Cretenfis, who not only pretended to be appointed by heaven to be the leader of the Jews; but promifed that he would divide the fea, and, after having opened a paffage through its waters, would conduct them in fafety to the land of Judea: and he not only obtained a great multitude

multitude of followers; but procured their affent to the full extent of his promises, and fucceeded in making them prepare for their departure. The citizens abandoned their houfes, and the hufbandmen their farms; and repaired to a promontory, to which the Cretan enthufiaft had directed their fteps. When arrived there, the frantic multitude felt no diminution of confidence or of courage. The men, the women, and the children, who occupied the foremost ranks, did, the contemporary hiftorian Socrates affures us, precipitate themselves from the promontory and plunge into the fea. Of thefe deluded Jews a part were drowned; a part were faved by fome Chriftian fishermen, who happened to be near the fhore in their barks; and the enthusiasm of the remainder was effectually cooled by the bad success of this fingular experiment. With refpect to Mofes Cretenfis himself, his fate was not certainly known.

In the year 529, the Jews and Samaritans of Palestine, rifing in rebellion against the Roman power, acknowledged one Julian, as their king and their meffiah; and a great number of them were in confequence flaughtered. It was alfo in the 6th century, that rabbi Meir arose, and pretended that the Deity had, on his account, miraculoufly lighted up a pillar of fire. Affembling a body of troops, he declared war against the Perfian monarch, and experienced seven years of fuccefs: but at length was taken prisoner by the Perfians and put to death. In the 8th century, the character of the Meffiah was affumed by the Jew Serenus. Multitudes of the Jews of Spain fubmitted themfelves to his guidance; and many of them, for the purpose of accompanying the impoftor to Palestine, abandoned their eftates.

But no period has been fo fruitful in Jewish impoftors as the 12th century. It was in France, and in the year 1137, that the first of them appeared. In confequence,

many