char, in the time of the Prophets: For that the care of their Calendar belong'd to that Tribe, we learn • from 1 Chron. xii. 32. And the Obfervation of the Feafts required to be kept by the Law of Mofes, being fixt to fet Days of certain Mouths, proves an Intercalation in the Hebrew Kalendar, which was neceffary to preferve a Diftinction of Seafons, and hinder that Confufion in the Worship appointed by the Law, which otherwise must have enfued. The beginning of each Month was Festival, and a Burnt-offering appointed to be offered to the Lord, which made the Jews very careful in their observation of every New Moon, Numb. xx. 8, 11. 1 Sam. xx. 5. 2 King. iv. 23. On the Fourteenth Day of the First Month was the Paffover; Fifty Days after the Paffover was the Feast of Pentecoft. On the First Day of the Seventh Month was the Feast of Trumpets; on the Tenth Day of the fame Month was the Atonement; and on the Fifteenth Day was the Feaft of Tabernacles, Lev. xxiii. 5, 15, 24, 27, 34. And these Months muft conftantly have fallen at the fame Time in the Year, because these Feasts had relation to the Seafons, in which the Fruits of the Earth were ripened and gather'd. The Months among the Hebrews were not variable, as those of the Ægyptians, but as unchangeable as Spring and Autumn, in which their stated Festivals were kept. For though the Rabbinical Jews, in this, as in other things, tranfgreffed the commandment of God by their traditions, and appointed a fecond Altar, upon divers Reafons of their own, without any Warrant or Founda¬

Ex Iffacharitis erant Scientia Temporum periti, & dofti in figendis initiis annorum atque menfium, in intercalandis quoq; menfe & annis japientes, in Novilunio indagando ad definienda hinc fefta temporibus fuis celebranda, exercitati quoq; in cognofcenda revolu tione folis fuerunt, Aftrologique in fignorum, atque ftellarum fcientis praflantes. Chal. Paraphr. in 1 Chron. xii. 32.

tion from Scripture; yet the P Karai, or Scripturists, ftill retain❜d the ancient Practice, never making an Intercalation upon any other account, but that the Paffover might fall at the time of the Vernal Equinox. But nothing conduced more to ascertain the Chronology of the Jews, than their Sabbatical Years, and their Years of Jubilee: For fince every Seventh Year was a Year of Release of Debts contracted, and every Fiftieth Year was a Year of Reftitution, when every man was to return to his own poffeffion, (Deut. xv. 1. Lev. xxv. 10.) it was neceffary, that the Sabbatical Years, and the Years of Jubilee, fhould be exprefs'd in their Bargains and Contracts. According to the number of years after the Jubilee, thou shalt buy of thy neighbour. According to the multitude of years, thou shalt increase the price thereof; and according to the fewness of years, thou shalt di minifh the price of it, (Levit. xxv. 15.) which obliged them to take all imaginable Care to prevent all Mistakes and Confufion in their Computations of Time; For their Law required it, and had made every Man's Interest concern'd in it. Such is the Advantage, which the True Religion has over all others, in all points of Antiquity. 9 That Rules of Aftronomical Calculations were very ancient among the Jews may appear, befides what has been already faid, from hence, That the Samaritans have Books of Aftronomy in which they use the fame word with the Jews to exprefs the Intercalations, tho' the Jews have had no dealings with the Samaritans, for above two thousand Years.

P Selden. de Ann. Civil. vet. Jud. c. 5.

Scalig. Emend. Temp. lib. 2. & Bucher. de Ann. Pafchal. cap. 5. P. 374.

CHA P. II.

Of the Defect in the Promulgation of the Heathen Religions.

THE

HE Propagation of the feveral Religions profefs'd among the Heathens has been very inconfiderable. For they were never extant in Books to be publickly read and examin'd, but their Myfteries were kept fecret and conceal'd from the World;. and all the Knowledge the People had of them, was from their Priefts. Every Country had its peculiar Deities and Ways of Worfhip, which were feldom receiv'd or known, but in those places where they were first fet up. The Romans rejected many foreign Religions as abominable; and none of their Religions ever prevail'd, but where they had the Temporal Power to uphold them. And they loft ground daily by the Propagation of the Gofpel, whilft the greateft part of the Empire made it their business to opprefs it, and to maintain the Heathen Religions against it.

None but the Teachers of the True Religion, reveal'd in the Old and New Teftament, have gone about to inftruct other Nations, and to propagate their Religion in ftrange and remote Countries. And it is to be obferv'd, that the Chriftian Religion is at this day preach'd in all parts of the Heathen World, and there have been ftill remaining many Memorials of it ever fince its first Propagation, as there were of the Jewish Religion before: But where Chriftianity has prevail'd, Heathenifm has been never able to maintain its Ground; and there are hardly any but Chri

a Valer. Max. de Peregrinâ Relig. rejectà, lib. 1. c. 3. Liv. 1. 39. c. 16. Dionyf. Halicarn. 1. 2. Dion. Caff. 1. 54. Tertul. ad Nationes, 1. 1, c. io. Apolog. c. 13.

Z4

ftians

ftians (excepting fome few Jews) to be found in Chriftian Countries; which makes a great Abatement in the Difproportion, that Heathenifm in general may feem to have in its Numbers above Christianity. But if we examine the particular Religions of the Heathen, there is no Comparison; and the only thing here to be enquir'd into is, whether any particular Religion of the Heathen exceed or equal the Chriftian Religion in point of Promulgation; for who ever can imagine, that all, or any great number of the Heathen Religions are of Divine Revelation, muft fuppofe God to reveal Contradictions. The Question before us is not, whether Heathens are more numerous than Christians, but whether any of their Religions has been as fully promulg'd as the Chriftian. One Herald is enough to promulge a Law to many thousands; the City of Nineve was converted by one Prophet; and there is, perhaps, no Nation in the World but has more Chriftians in it, than the first Preachers of the Gospel were,

1

CHA P. III.

The Defect of the Prophecies and Miracles of the Heathen Religions.

I

T cannot be deny'd by any Man, who is not refolved to reject the Authority of all Hiftory, but that many Wonders have been done by Magicians, and that many things have been forefhewn and foretold among Heathens, by Dreams, and Prodigies, and Oracles, which did actually come to pafs: but then all that can be gather'd from hence is, that there are invifible Powers, and that Devils and wicked Spirits are able to do more than Men can do, and to know more

than

than Men can know. The Philofophy of the Chaldeans and Perfians, and other Eastern Nations, was founded upon a Belief of Spirits, and of their Influ→ ence and Concernment in the Affairs of Mankind. Pythagoras and Plato establish'd their Philosophy upon the fame Principles. And in former Ages, there was no more doubt made, whether there be Spirits, than whether there be Men in the World: for they were continually fenfible of the Operations and Effects of invifible Beings, which made them exceedingly prone to Idolatry, but not enclin'd to Atheifm. And the cafe is the fame now in Heathen Countries, where Apparitions and Delufions of evil Spirits, are affirm'd by all Writers to be very frequent.

But if at any time evil Spirits, by their Subtilty and Experience, and Knowledge of Affairs in the World, did foretel things which accordingly came to pass, they were things that happen'd not long after, and commonly fuch as themselves did excite and prompt Men to: Thus when the Confpiracy against Cafar was come juft to be put in execution, and the Devil had his Agents concern'd in it, he could foretel the time and place of his Death. But it had been foretold to Pompey, Craffus, and Cafar himself before, as a Tully informs us from his own Knowledge, that they fhould all die in their Beds, and in an honourable old Age, who yet all died violent Deaths. Wife and obferving Men have fometimes been able to make ftrange Predictions concerning the State of Affairs; and therefore Spirits may be much more able to do it. Evil Spirits could foretel what they were permitted to inflict or procure: They might have foretold the Calamities of Job, or the Death of Ahab at Ramath-gi

a Tull, de Divin. lib. ii.

bfacile exiftimari poffit prudentiam quodammodo effe Divinationem: Non enim Cicero ea folum, qua vivo fe acciderunt, futura pradixit, [in Ep. ad Attic.] fed etiam qua nunc ufu veniunt, cecinit ut vates. Corn. Nep. in Attic, §. 16,

lead.