and probable arguments. These were succeeded by the Gheonim, or the Excellent; who received their name, from the very high esteem, and even veneration, in which they are held by the Jews. They subsisted till the destruction of the academies of the Jews in Babylon, by the Saracens, about the year 1038. From that time the learned among the Jews have been called Rabbims, or the Masters.

It is seldom, that a Jew applies himself to profane literature. Even the lawfulness of it has been generally questioned. Some have greater respect than others for the Talmudical doctrines. In consequence of using in his writings some free expressions concerning them, a violent storm was raised against Maimonides. Kimchi, and, generally speaking, all the Spanish and Narbonnese doctors, took part with him. The others, led on by R. Solomon, the chief of the synagogue of Montpellier, opposed him. Both parties were equally violent, and the synagogues excommunicated each other. This dispute commenced about the middle of the twelfth, and lasted till nearly the thirteenth century.

VII. 6. But the great distinction of the Jewish Rabbins is that of the Tanaits or Rabbanists and Caraites. The first are warm advocates for the traditionary opinions, generally received among the Jews, particularly those of the Talmud; and for the observation of several religious ceremonies and duties, not enjoined by the law of Moses:

the second absolutely reject all traditionary opinions, and hold all rites and duties, not enjoined by the law of Moses, to be human institutions, with which there is no obligation for a Jew to comply.

66

66

Some writers consider the Tanaits, or Rabbanists and Caraits, as Pharisees and Sadducees, under other names. Hottinger, Thesaurus Philologicus, seu clavis Scripturæ, printed at Zurich in 1649, p. 26, says, At nondum hodie expirasse Pha"risæorum ordinem recenti et memorabili plané "historia probat Joh. Myll. Rabb. p. 71. Ego, existimo, nec Pharisæos primis illis per omnia æquales, nec Sadducæos hodie in nostris oris, (in orientalibus enim Climatibus sub Muhamme"tismo præsertim, multos delitescere Sadducæos, probare fortè proclivius esset; vide Taarich Pers. "Schikh. p. 134, & Geog. Nubiens. Par. 7. σε Clim. 3.) superesse: Пaxvpws tamen Pharisæos dici quos Rabbanistas melius vocaris; Sad"ducæos, qui Karræi vulgo appellantur." "-In this general sense, the traditions in the Talmud, being now so extensively received by the Jews, Pharisaism may be considered the prevailing doctrine in the Hebrew religion.

66

66

VII. 7. The Cabala is divided into three sorts: -By the first, the Jews extract from the words of Scripture recondite meanings, which are sometimes ingenious, but always fanciful. The second, is a sort of magic, in employing the words and letters of the Scripture, in certain combinations,

which, they suppose, have power to make the good and evil spirits of the invisible world familiar to them. The third, which is properly the Cabala, is an art, by which they profess to raise mysterious expositions of the Scripture, upon the letters of the sentences, to which they apply them. The whole is fancy and imagination. This, some even among the Jews, acknowledge.

VII. 8. When Rousseau says in his Emile, "Je ne croirai jamais avoir bien entendu les raisons des Juifs, qu'ils n'aient une état libre, des

66

écoles, des universités, où ils puissent parler et "demeurer sans risque; alors seulement, nous

66

pourrons sçavoir ce qu'ils ont à dire," he evidently writes on a subject, of which he is perfectly ignorant. At all times, the Jews have had schools, and numberless are the works they have published, in defence of Judaism, and against the Christian religion. The most celebrated of these are the Toledoth Jeshu, a work replete with the boldest blasphemy; and the Chizzouk Emounah, or buckler of faith, a work of great ability. These and some other writings of the Jews against Christianity, are collected, and an ample refutation of them published, in the Tela Ignea Satana, of Wagenseil, Altdorphi Noricorum, 1681. The Pugio Fidei of Raymundus Martinus is considered to be a learned and powerful defence of the Christian religion, against the arguments of the Jews; and, though it be not free from the literary defects of

the times in which it was written, it still preserves its reputation. The Amica Collatio de veritate Religionis Christianæ cum erudito Judæo, of Limborch, and the papers published with it, form one of the most interesting and entertaining works of controversy, that have appeared upon any subject. La Croze's Entretiens sur divers sujets de l'histoire, de literature, de religion, et de critique, Cologne, 1711, 8vo. contain a supposed dialogue between a Christian and a Jew, which gives some notion of the principal objections of the Jews to the Christian religion, and their manner of urging them.

VII. 9. It is a mistake to suppose the Jews an intolerant people. They hold all men obliged to observe, what are called the seven precepts of the sons of Noah. These are-1st, not to commit adultery; 2dly, not to blaspheme; 3dly, to appoint just and upright judges; 4thly, not to commit incest; 5thly, not to commit murder; 6thly, not to rob or steal; and 7thly, not to eat a member of any living creature. But they hold the Jews alone obliged to conform to the Sinaitic covenant, or law of Moses. They say, it was a covenant between God and the Jews; that the Jews therefore are bound to the performance of it; but that it is not binding on the rest of mankind. Those, who forsake idolatry, and profess to follow the precepts of Noah, are called by them, Proselytes of the Gate; and, while the Jewish govern

ment existed, were permitted to live among them. Those, who take on them the observance of the whole law, are called Proselytes of Justice or Righteousness; they are initiated to it, by ablution, sacrifice, and circumcision; and are thenceforth considered to be Jews, for all purposes, except intermarriage, from which some nations are excluded for ever, others till after the third generation.

VIII.

With respect to the HEBREW MANUSCRIPTS AND PRINTED EDITIONS OF THE HEBREW TEXT: VIII. 1. It is observable, that no extensive collation of the Hebrew manuscripts of the sacred text was made till the last century. This was owing, in a great measure, to the notion which had been formed, of the integrity of the sacred text, in consequence of its supposed preservation from error, by the wonder-working Masorah. In the annals of literature, a more striking instance, perhaps, does not occur to shew, how unsafe it is to adopt received opinions without examination, than the general acquiescence of the learned in that opinion. The Rabbins boldly asserted, and the Christians implicitly believed, that the Hebrew text was free from error, and that, in all the manuscripts of it, not an instance of a various reading of importance could be produced. "Qua latissimè patent "oriens et occidens, uno ore, uno modo, verbum