only thirteen, viz. twelve Sons, and one Daughter; this Number would be too few for the Number of Nations difperfed over the Earth; and if all the Defcendents of Ifrael be taken into the Account, then the Number will be infinitely too large. As therefore the reading of this Text according to the Septuagint Verfion, is fupported by that Paffage, already quoted, out of the Book of Ecclefiafticus, as well as by other Parts of the Old Teftament; and corref ponds with the general Opinion of the most learned ancient Jews: I am inclined to prefer the Septuagint Verfion of this Text, to the present Reading in our Hebrew Bible.

XXXVIII. And what adds no fmall Weight with me in this Affair, is an Expreffion made ufe of by [2] St. Paul, in his Epiftle to the Hebrews, where, fpeaking of the fecond coming of our Saviour, when he shall appear in a State of Glory, manifestly superior to Angels, he fays, For unto the Angels bath he not put in Subjection the World to come of which we speak. Whence it seems to appear, that it was St. Paul's [2] Heb. ii. 5.

Opinion,

Opinion, that this prefent World had been put in Subjection to Angels.

XXXIX. Which Opinion is alfo confirmed by St. Jude, who feems to attribute the Error of the fallen Angels, who finned, as (3) St. Peter expreffeth it, to their Mifconduct in the Government of thofe Provinces which were allotted to their Charge. For, fays he, Αγέλας τε τὸς μὴ τηρήσαντας τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλὰ ἀπολιπόντας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκητήριον, εἰς κρίσιν μεγάλης ημέρας, δεσμοῖς αἰδίοις ὑπὸ ζόφον τετήρηκεν. The Angels which kept not their Principalities with due Care; but neglected their proper Provinces, he (God) hath referved in everlasting Chains under Darkness: For so this Verse ought to be tranflated.. The Verb Tngew, which we translate kept, fignifying the keeping of a Thing with Care and Diligence In which Sense it is used, when it is applied in the Septuagint to the (4) keeping the Commandments of God, and keeping our own Hearts, and our Ways. And in Canticles vii. 11, 12. it is used to denote the Keepers of a Vineyard, who

were to dress it, and cultivate it. And, as to the Word 'Agx, that is generally used. by the Septuagint to denote a Principality, as the word is rendered in the Margin of our English Bible. And it is to be obferved, that it is the Word "Agx and "AgXoves, which Daniel gives to those ruling Angels, which are faid, in the Book of [5] Daniel, to prefide over the Realms of Gracia, Perfia, and Ifrael. The Word άποdew, which our Tranflation renders left, is frequently applied by the Septuagint, to denote the leaving or neglecting any Bufinefs, which it was our Duty to have purfued; as when [6] Baasha is faid to have left off building Ramah, and let his Work ceafe; and when Solomon blameth the [7] Strange. Woman, for FORSAKING the Guide of her, Youth. The Word.gov, though it properly fignifiés a Dwelling-place, in general, yet it is not confined to fignify a House, nor even a Province, or larger Space. of Ground; but is by the Prophet [8] Jeremiah applied to denote the wide Extent of God's holy Habitation in Heaven: However, it is here restrained by the Word idov, to

[5] Dan. x. 13, 20, 21. [7] Prov. ii. 17. [8] Jer. xxv. 30.

xii. 1. [6] 2 Chron. xvi. 5. denote

denote the proper and peculiar Provinces of these Angels, which they may be suppofed to have been employed in the Conduct and Management of; and accordingly, the Word dixérys denotes fuch a Domestick as is employed in the Bufinefs of the House, and is always used by the Septuagint to fignify a [9] Servant. And therefore, this Expreffion of ̓Απολιπόν]ας τὸ ἴδιον οἰκη]ήριον, may very well be understood to fignify their forfaking, or neglecting, their proper Business, or Provinces, that were given into their Charge by God.

XL. As for the Opinion of the more modern Jews, it is no eafy Matter to cóllect or fix their Sentiments; becaufe that, fince the coming of our Saviour, the Jews, not being willing to abide by the Expofitions given to the Prophefies in the Old Teftament, by the Chriftians, or even by their own ancient Paraphrafts, made a Collection of their oral Traditions, which they gathered together into one Book, which they called the Talmud: And finding many feeming Contradictions in the literal Interpretation of thofe Texts of Scripture, which

[9] Gen. ix. 25. xxvii. 37. xliv. 33, &c.

were univerfally allowed by the ancient Jews to refer to their Meffiah; and not being willing to expound them of different Advents of one and the fame Perfon; the one in a State of Humiliation, and the other in a State of Glory; the one in this World, and the other in the next; they then ran into numberlefs abfurd Contrivances, of expounding the Scriptures by a cabalistical Method of Interpretation, in finding out mysterious and hidden Meanings, not only in the Sentences and Words of Scripture, but also in the very Letters themselves, as well as in the Number of Letters, of which thofe Words were compofed: And, by this Means, the Learning of the more modern Jews is reduced into fuch a nonfenfical Jargon of Sounds, without Senfe, as makes their Works infinitely tirefome in the Perufal. And therefore, rather than fatigue my Reader with an Account of fuch Trifles, I fhall chufe to lay before him the Opinion of the moft fenfible and learned among the ancient Jews, as I find it collected very judiciously, by Eufebius Bishop of Cæfarea in Palestine, who must be allowed to be a tolerable Judge, because he lived amongst them in the Land of Judæa.