Antioch; fo there could be no room for a queftion or anfwer concerning them, And it is true too, that the profelytes of the gate were to abstain from many other things, that were no more unlawful in themselves than things ftrangled and blood. Yet that was not by Mofes's law, but by ufage and custom, or by agreements of the Jewish government with them, when that government was in flourishing circumftances; which it was very far from being at this time. Mr. Selden, according to his particular dialect, mentions thefe things as forbidden them, "nec jure "naturali, nec jure gentium imperativo, fed "interveniente ". Ꮓ Perhaps there were fome other things forbidden or enjoined them by the law of Moses itself, that were of the fame clafs; but then it was whilft they were in Palestine: as, putting leaven out of their houfes in the time of unleavened bread; and it may be, one or two more of the like kind. But none of thefe could occafion a queftion, or debate, among profelytes living in Syria and Cilicia, out of the Holy Land. And though I am of opinion with Spencer, that a profelyte of the gate was enjoined to keep the fabbath by the fourth commandment, for the reafons which he gives ; yet I cannot but agree with him, and Selden too, * Seld. de Jur. Nat. Heb. lib. ii. a Lib. i. § 12. that that the Jews, at and before our Saviour's time, were so far from thinking profelytes of the gate bound to keep the fabbath, that they punished them feverely if they did '; fo that there could be no room for question, debate, or advice, about the profelytes of the gate keeping the fabbath, though they were enjoined to obferve it by the fourth commandment. However, as my hypothefis fupposes things offered to idols, blood, things ftrangled, and fornication, to have been expreffly forbidden by Mofes to the profelytes of the gate; I. muft defire my reader to perufe a paraphrase and notes on the xviith chapter of Leviticus (which I have annexed by way of Appendix) before he goes any farther; where I take three of these prohibitions to be contained. As to the fourth, namely, fornication, which is contained in the xviith chapter, it is fo expreffly forbidden to the stranger that fojourned among them, that I believe what I have faid of that already will be fufficient. Origen (who was beft acquainted with Jewish learning of any of the fathers) was of this opinion; and expreffly fays, " you fee, there"fore, that the law of abftaining from blood, "which was given in common to the chil"dren of Ifrael, and to the ftrangers, &c." I quote him only to this purpose, knowing that he, as well as other of the fathers, was Selden. Spencer, ibid. against against any chriftians eating any of the four things prohibited in this decree, of which I fhall fay fomething towards the close of this Effay. I have given this paraphrase of the xviith chapter the rather, because I find the learned Dr. Patrick, late Bishop of Ely, to have been of a different opinion, in his Commentary on this place. And though I think Mr. Pyle comes nearer to the fenfe of this chapter, in his late excellent Paraphrase on the Pentateuch, yet I apprehend he has not exactly hit it; efpecially in fome of the verfes. Whether I have been more fortunate, I must leave to the reader to judge, after he has confidered the notes by which I endeavour to fupport the sense I have given to the chapter in my paraphrafe. For I think a paraphrase of fuch unconnected laws, given in the early ages of the world, and tranflated from a dead language, cannot support itself by a bare reference to the text; without the affiftance of notes, to prove that to be the true meaning of the text, which the paraphrase represents to be contained in it. Perhaps fome may enquire, why Mofes fhould forbid thefe four expreffly to the profelytes of the gate. And fince the giving an anfwer to this queftion may be of fome use in our enquiry, though it does not fall fo directly under it; my opinion is, that they Orig. in Matt, xv. с were forbidden them, as the things that were at that time the chief inticement, concomitants, or fymptoms, of idolatry. Now as renouncing idolatry, and worshiping the one true God, was the only reason why any could justly defire the privilege of being a profelyte of the gate, and the only reason why the Jews fhould grant it (for they were not to fuffer an idolater to live, he being guilty of hightreafon under a theocracy); fo Mofes expreffly forbad them these things, as what used chiefly to accompany idolaters, or tempt them, or the Ifraelites among whom they were to live, actually to become guilty of that crime. If Spencer's differtation on this place of fcripture be read with this view, it may, in my opinion, be read with great ufe; efpecially the third chapter: for what he there affigns (groundlefs in my apprehenfion) as the reafons why the council forbad these things to the chriftians are, I believe, the true reafons why Mofes forbad them to the profelytes of the gate. Having thus explained all the terms of the decree, I fhall endeavour to prove that it related only to fuch as were converted to christianity from first being profelytes of the gate. And I think that may be fully proved from the following confiderations: I. From the place where the question arose that gave occafion to the decree; Antioch in Syria, the first christian church of profelytes 1 of of the gate. That there was a famous Jewish univerfity in this city, and that it was full of Jews, and of profelytes of the gate, we learn from Jofephus, and the Roman laws. And indeed these profelytes of the gate were very numerous in most of the places where there were Jews; and comprehended most of the fober and well-difpofed Gentiles in thofe parts; who did not go over entirely to the Jewish religion, and who were comparatively but few, because of the difficulty of circumcifion, and the other terms they muft fubmit to; whereas it could scarce happen that welldisposed men should make much scruple of becoming profelytes of the gate, when they could have hopes of future happiness on fo eafy terms as worshiping the true God only, and abstaining from thefe four things; whereas no false God at that time gave any hopes of the reward of the life to come: fo that it is no wonder, as the learned and fagacious Mr. Jo. Mede obferves f, "that there "were fo many profelytes of the gate in the "feveral countries where the Jews were dif 66 perfed." These profelytes of the gate had been first converted to christianity by the men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who were among thofe that were dispersed on the first perfecution Jofeph, de Bell. Judaic. lib. vii. cap. iii. § 3. that |