the kings or rulers of Ifrael had, at the time I mention, forfaken the land of Ifrael, in full completion of this illuftrious prophecy of Ifaiah, according to my explanation; take likewise the opinion of the learned, laborious, and in general, accurate Dean Prideaux, in his history of the Connection of the Old and New Teftament. For, this being a matter of fact, rather than of reasoning, the authority of writers has in this cafe much weight, though on the fubjects of reafoning, it is not the reputation of an author, but the weight of his arguments alone, which is the proper teft.

After

.

II

After having irrefragably fhown, the confiftency between the two first verfes of the fecond chapter of St. Luke, relative to the Roman Cenfus, the Dean fays,

cr

"The fum therefore is, the feeptre and the law-giver remained among the Jews, 'till both began "to be taken from them by the "Romans, on their reducing Judea "into the form of a Roman pro

vince; and then Chrift, the Shi"loh promifed, began his coming,

as the Meffiah, by then firft en

tering on his Father's bufinefs, for which he was fent. And that

"this exactly fell in with the time Kk 2

" of

"of this change, plainly appears. "For Chrift was then in the twelfth

year of his age, and the twelfth year from Chrift's birth, was that "whereon Coponius entered on his

་་

government.

one year

For, Herod lived

after the birth of Chrift;

and, after the death of Herod, "Archelaus reigned ten years,

and

"the next year after, the Romans "feized Judea, and made it a pro"vince of their empire. Chrift, "therefore, first appeared in the

temple as the Meffiah, at that very time, when the fceptre and "the law-giver firft began to depart "from Judah, and fixty-two years "after

"after that, this departure was fully completed, in the temple and city "of Jerufalem; and the utter abo

lifhing of the whole Jewish policy, "and conftitution of government in " that land, which hath never fince, "either there, or any where else, "been again revived."

From this quotation, it is evident, that Dr. Prideaux had been in the habit of confidering, (perhaps from the authority of Mede) that the prophecy, relative to the departure of the fceptre from Judah, was only fully completed, by the final deftruction of Jerufalem. But we find, notwithstanding,

withstanding, that even in oppofition to his own prejudices and prepoffeffions, he was obliged to acknowledge, that the government did depart from Judah, at the inftant of time, in which, Judea became fubjecteď to the Romans, AS A ROMAN PROWhich event happened precifely at the time, at which it was foretold by the Prophet Ifaiah, viz. AFTER the BIRTH of the Emmanuel, or Jefus, but, BEFORE, he arrived at that age, IN WHICH THE

VINCE.

OFFSPRING OF MEN LEARN BY

EXPERIENCE, to know good from evil, and yet, ΝΟΤ 'till after he had according to the Prophet's metapho

rical