In short, notwithstanding all that can be advanced against them, the descendants of Abraham have many and powerful claims on our humanity, attention, and regard, and for being put on an equality with the other subjects of the different governments under which they live. They have lately made such claims, in the way, indeed, of solicitation, and with the offer of pecuniary compensation for the new advantages which they asked, at Frankfort, and in others of the free and imperial cities in Germany.

Their rights, their sufferings, the merits and demerits of their national character, and every topic of odium or favour in their history, have, in consequence, become of late subjects of eager literary discussion*.

EXISTING SECTS.

The whole body of Jews throughout the world, being, in the opinion of Christians, heretical, or merely branches of a human establishment, for many centuries and at the present day, must therefore be included in the list of Jewish sects. Of these I mention,

I. The Samaritans, who are of longest standing, and whose original ancestors were, as it is well known, partly of Jewish and partly of Heathen extraction. They were circumcised, observed the ceremonies of the law, offered sacrifices at their temple on Mount Gerizim, and expected the Messiah: but they would not allow Jerusalem to be the place of worship; and they not only rejected all traditions, but would not receive any of the books of the Old Testament, except the five books of Moses.

The Samaritans were not expelled their country, like the other Jews; and though they never had an independent existence, their successors continue to occupy a spot within its bounds, and have preserved their religion, their language, their Sacred Books, and the chief seat of their worship, to the present day.

See, in particular, " An impartial Exposition of the latest Objec tions and Reproaches brought against Judaism and the Jews," &c. by Aaron Wolfssohn, 8vo. 1804; and a work, published the same year, by Mr. T. Witherby, entitled "An Attempt to remove Prejudices concerning the Jews."-See likewise "Apologie des Juifs, en response à la Question, Est il des Moyens de rendre les Juifs plus heureux et plus utiles en France? Ouvrage couronné par la Societé Royale des Arts et des Sciences de Metz.” Par M. Zalkind-Hourwitz, Juif Polonois. Paris, 1789.

We had long remained strangers to every thing concerning them, and Julius Scaliger was perhaps the first that directed towards them the attention of the learned, about the beginning of the seventeenth century: since which time, Basnage, Carpzovius, Cellarius, Ludolph, Morinus, Reland, and others, have introduced into Europe some knowledge of their state, their religion, and their rites and ceremonies. But for the latest and most authentic account of them we are indebted to M. Sacy and the learned senator Gregoire, to whose communications respecting them the reader is referred *. From these it appears, that the chief seat of the sect is the ancient Sichem, or Salem, now called Naplouse, or New Samaria, in the valley between Ebal and Gerizim, the birthplace of Justin Martyr; and that they are no where else to be found, except at Jaffa, i.e. the ancient Joppa. They are few in number, consisting of only thirty families, or of about two hundred men, women, and children, both at Naplouse and at Jaffa. They have not materially departed from any point of their religion; and while they differ from the Rabbinists in most other things, they seem to agree with them in the notion that the law consists of 613 precepts. They still retain the Paschal sacrifice, with all its rites; but having been prohibited of late years from ascending Mount Gerizim, by their cruel oppressors the Turks, they now offer it within their city, "because that is considered within the precincts of the sacred place." They expect a Prophet, whom they style Hathab; but, say they, "there is a great mystery in regard to Hathab, who is yet to come, and who will manifest his Spirit. We shall be happy when he comes." The report of their worshiping a dove is groundless; nor is it true that they deny the resurrection of the dead, or the existence of angels. They, however, admit that they "recite hymns and prayers that Jehovah would pardon the dead; and the priest purifies them by prayer."

The Samaritans have all along possessed the Samaritan Pentateuch, written, they say, in the true Hebrew language, and in the very characters in which the Ten Commandments were written on the two tables of stone that were given by God to Moses. They have likewise the Samaritan Version; but they reject the points, as a Rabbinical invention.

"Mémoire sur les Samaritains," par M. Silvestre De Sacy, Paris 1812. "Histoire des Sectes Religieuses," par. M. Gregoire, Paris, 1814, tom. ii. p. 213, &c. AnEnglish translation of the Mémoire, by the Author of this Work, may be seen in the 1st vol. of the" Jewish Expositor," London, 1816. See also the 37th chap. of Hannah Adams's "History of the Jews."

Their priest, whom they call Khacam, they consider to be a descendant of Levi. They say they spring from the true Israelites; and that they are of the tribe of Joseph, "son of our lord Jacob the Israelite." They keep themselves distinct from other nations, and will not intermarry, or even eat, with the Jews, between whom and the members of this sect the same hatred as formerly seems still to subsist. They live by themselves, in the Rue Verte, or in the quarter of Rhadera, at Naplouse; and their costume, by which they distinguish themselves from all other sects and nations, is a peculiar turban, which they always wear upon their heads.

On the Sabbath, and on all their festivals, when they go to the synagogue, they dress wholly in white. In prayer, they turn their faces towards Mount Gerizim.

A complete copy of their liturgy is still a desideratum in Europe; and it further remains to be ascertained whether this long oppressed, ignorant, and deluded people will listen to the preaching of the Gospel among them, and thereby ensure to themselves that happiness they expect under their long lookedfor Prophet, and the enjoyment of the glorious liberty of the children of God *.

2. The Rabbinists, or Talmudists, who add to the written law all the traditions of the Talmuds, the Cabbala, &c. They conceive, that the true sense of their Scriptures is only to be found in their oral traditions, and the commentaries of their celebrated doctors; and, in fact, they hold the Talmuds, or at least the Mishna, in equal veneration, and of equal autho rity, with the written law, or books of the Old Testament. They hold the ancient Pharisees in high estimation; and tell us, that they were not a sect, but the whole mass of Jews, from which schism had separated and branched out the other sects; and that they consider themselves as their successors. They insist that their character is not fairly represented in the New Testament, and refer us to Josephus for a just account of them. They seem to inherit their self-righteousness, and with them to plead the merits of the patriarchs, prophets, saints, and martyrs, in their addresses to God +.

See the "Missionary Register" for 1820, p. 384-5; and the “ Jewish Ex. positor" for 1822, p. 295.

"We supplicate the Divine Majesty to deal mercifully and graciously with us, and to remember unto us the merits of our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Levi's "Ceremonies," p. 78.-Again: "We beseech the Almighty, through his infinite mercy, to let us reap the merits of his righteous and faithful servant Moses." p. 115.-And in p. 206, it is said, that "In heaven shall our merits be rehearsed."-See also pp. 80, 83, 166,

But it cannot be necessary to enlarge here respecting this sect (for such I must be allowed to call them), since as they form the great body of the Jews at this day throughout the world, the whole of the present article on Modern Judaism must be considered as having been drawn up chiefly in reference to them.

The numerous fables, idle stories, and otherwise strange materials, with which the Talmuds are stuffed, gave serious offence to many judicious and well-meaning Jews, so far back as nearly one hundred years before Christ, who were unwilling to believe that such traditions could come from God, but who, notwithstanding, did not allow their dissent to proceed to any breach or schism among them, till about A. D. 750, when one arose from this, which continues to the present day. Anan, a Jew of Babylon, and Saul his son, then openly disclaimed and condemned all traditions, excepting such only as agreed with the written word of God. And as those who opposed them and adhered to the Talmuds, were chiefly the Rabbins and their scholars, that party was called the Talmudists or Rabbinists; while the other, declaring for the Scripture alone, which in the Babylonish language is called Kara, were thence called Karaites, or Caraites, i. e. Scripturists. And this last is the

3d sect of Modern Jews.-The Karaites were very little known to the learned in Europe till the close of the seventeenth century; and though the above account is generally received, some obscurity still hangs over their origin. They themselves maintain that the genuine succession of the Jewish church has been preserved only in them; and they produce a regular catalogue of their doctors in succession from Ezra ".

But whatever may have been the true period of their origin, or the real causes and reasons of their dissent from the great body of their nation +, it cannot be denied that they have sub

&c. of the same work, and Allan's "Modern Judaism," p. 121-2.-Could I expect that those who adopt such language in their prayers will listen to any advice of mine, I would recommend to their serious perusal a very excellent sermon on Justification, by the judicious Hooker, commonly bound up with his "Ecclesiastical Polity."

* See a very curious work, entitled " Dod. Mordechai et Amicus Mordechai,” written in Hebrew by Mordechai, of Russian Poland, in answer to some questions proposed by J. Trigland, professor at Leyden in 1699, and translated by Wolfius. This work details the history of the modern Ka raites at length, and deprecates very warmly the then prevalent idea of confounding them with the Sadducees; and states that their opinions were the doctrine of the whole mass of Jews at the period of the dereliction of Sadoc and Baythus, who became unbelievers, &c.

The causes of their dissent from the Rabbinists, Caleb Aba, one of their most eminent doctors, who flourished about the end of the 15th

sisted for many centuries. They were, however, at no time numerous; and they are at present so inconsiderable in point of numbers, that they perhaps do not equal the number of Rabbinical Jews in London only. They are chiefly found in the Crimea, Lithuania, and Persia; at Damascus, Constantinople, and Cairo *.

The Karaites agree with the other Jews in denying the Messiah to be come; and, professing to believe that his advent has been delayed, they discourage all calculations respecting the time of his appearance. The principal difference between them and the Rabbinists consists in their adherence to the letter of the Scripture, and their rejecting all the interpretations, paraphrases, additions, and constitutions of the Rabbies.

They differ from them also in various particulars respecting the feasts of the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. They reject the Rabbinical Calendar, and celebrate the feast of the New-Moon only when they can see it. They observe the Sabbath with far greater strictness. They make use of Talleth; but not of Mezuzoth, or Tephillin, contending that the passages of Scripture in which the Rabbies suppose these to be enjoined, require a figurative interpretation. They considerably extend the degrees of affinity in which marriage is prohibited; and they admit of divorce, but not on the slight and frivolous grounds allowed by their Talmudical brethren.

Those readers who have a desire to learn all that has yet come to our knowledge respecting the Karaites, who are certainly not the least respectable party of Modern Jews †, may consult the several statements on the subject that have been given from time to time, by Scaliger, Drusius, Morin, Schupart, Trigland, Wolff, Brucker, Basnage, Beausobre, and L'Infant.

I conclude this head with remarking, that, unshackled by the

century, has reduced to three, an exposition of which may be seen in Allan's" Modern Judaism," p. 429, &c.

• The Jews of Kheibar, in the highlands of Hedjas, Arabia, called Beni Kheibar, are supposed by some to be Karaites; but on no better ground, I believe, than merely because they maintain no intercourse with the other Jews in Asia.

+ The learned Gregoire, speaking of the Karaites, says: "Collectivement considérés, ce sont les plus honnêtes gens d'entre les Juifs; ils sont aussi les plus sensés, car ils rejettent les traditions talmudiques. On ne leur connoît gueres qu'une vaine observance; c'est de croire les prieres peu fructueuses, si on n'a pas côté de soi des flambeaux allumés.”—M. Gregoire's Essai sur la Regeneration des Juifs, p. 206.

To the testimony of this anthor I have much pleasure in subjoining the remark of Dr. Henderson-" It deserves to be recorded," says he, " to the honour of the Karaim of Lutsk, that, for the space of 200 years, no in