THE RELIGION OF THE ANCIENT ARA

BIANS

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Descended from the patriarch Abraham. appears from sacred writ that the Arabians descended from Ishmael, the son of Abraham, Gen. xxv. 13 to 15. Here the sons of Ishmael, JEMA, and KEDAR, are mentioned by the prophet Isaiah, as being the progenitors of the Arabians. Ch. xxi. 13 to 17. The burden of ARABIA-the inhabitants of JEMA-the children of KEDAR. Arabia, in the original, is written in Arab, from the root Arab; it signifies priority, and is applied to the evening, as being prior to the morning in the historical order of the creation. This name was given to the descendants of Ishmael, because Ishmael was the elder brother. They observed the rite of circumcision as it was instituted by Abraham, who performed that rite on Ishmael when he was thirteen years of age. It must be allowed that in the beginning they worshipped God as taught by this son of Abraham, for their rites and ceremonies were much the same as were afterwards observed by the Israelites. The dress of their priests was the same; they came before the altar in linen, with mitres and sandals; and swine's flesh was forbidden as it

was among the Hebrews. So that what has been said concerning the dispensation given to Abraham, is also applicable to Ishmael and his descendants, so long as they continued in the true worship of God.

THE MODERN ARABIANS.

The established religion of the modern Arabians is Mahometanism, and the Zerif or Tserif of Mecca is the great patriarch. It is derived from the Hebrew word Tserif, to Purify. No one can be the Zerif of Mecca unless he can prove himself lineally descended from Mahomet. He is the sovereign pontiff of the Mahometans, and his word, as a spiritual prince, in every thing relating to religion, is obeyed throughout all the Mahometan nations; such is the implicit faith in this high priest, that when any disputed matter is referred to him, his decision is received as conclusive; the hierarchy is vested solely in this descendant of Mahomet; like the oracles of the Pythian goddess, or the fiat of the Roman pontiff, there is no appeal beyond the denunciation of this eastern patriarch.

THE JEWS.

Moses was called to be the lawgiver of the Israelites, and to promulgate the unity of the Divine Being, in opposition to polytheism, at a time, when idolatry, like a mighty flood, had swept the true worship of God from the nations of the east, where it had been established by Abraham, the father of Aram, or the excellent, for so the word means, that country being esteemed an excellent country.

The Hebrews were captives in Egypt, where they were very severely treated by the Egyptians. Accordingly, Moses was sent by God to bring them out from thence, under his divine protection to the land of Canaan. At the mount Sinai, God descended in terrible majesty, and gave the law in the presence of the whole nation, as it is recorded in the 20th chapter of Exodus. Moses was also farther instructed in all things relative to the Jewish church, the sacrifices, offerings, and ceremonies, which he committed to writing in five books, and which by way of distinction are called the books of Moses. These books contain the whole sum and substance of the religion of the Jews.

Before the time of Abraham, who was called four hundred and twenty eight years after the flood,

and five generations before Moses, the ancestors of the Jews were called Hebrews, from Eber, the father of Peleg, and afterwards Israelites from the time of Jacob, who was called Israel. But his descendants were not known by the name of Jews, until the division of the nation, when ten out of the twelve tribes established the kingdom of Israel, in the year of the Julian period 3734, and who were overthrown as a nation, and carried into captivity in the year 3984 of the same period, after having existed as a separate people 250 years. Since which time they have sunk into oblivion among the different nations. The two remaining tribes, Judah and Benjamin, took the title of Judah, because of the priority of Judah, agreeably to the custom of primogeniture, and established the kingdom of Judah, on which account they have ever since been called Jews.

The first government given to the Israelites was that of a divine theocracy; Moses was the visible head under God.

From Moses to the end of the reign of the judges of Israel, the patriarchal government, so far as it related to the kingly office, underwent some change. The only difference was, that in all the former churches, the succession was hereditary, but in this, the supreme head of the state was elective.

This form of government continued 300 years, at the expiration of which, a monarchical form of government was chosen, which was hereditary.

This government, which began when Samuel governed Israel, was also a theocracy, for God did not withdraw the divine communication from them. This monarchy commenced with Saul, and passed to David in the year of the Julian period 3654, and ended in the year 4124 in the reign of Zedekiah, having continued 470 years; when the Jews were taken captives, divided into small bodies, and dispersed in different parts of the empire of Babylon. Here they remained seventy years, as foretold by the prophets, and returned to Jerusalem at the command of Cyrus. When they returned from the captivity, their worship and sacrifices were restored, which continued to the end of that church, when the government was overthrown, and the whole nation dispersed over the earth.

We have seen, from what has been said concerning the patriarchal churches before and after the flood, that a difference in opinion prevailed among them, which produced separate congregations, holding the same opinions, which led them to dissent from the established worship. So among the idolatrous nations we find that they had different