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Thofe of the ten (z) tribes, who, under the conduct of JEROBOAM, revolted from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and fet up a worship at Dan and Bethel, in oppofition to the worship establish'd at Jerufalem. 2. The heathens, who were fent to inhabit Samaria in the room of the ten tribes that were carry'd into captivity and never return'd, were call'd Samaritans. 3. The apoftate Jews, who with SANBALLAT, firft, built a temple at mount Gerizim in oppofition to the temple at Jerufalem, and their fucceffors, were alfo fo call'd; among whom perhaps, some of the Samaritans laft mention'd, at length became embody'd.

Now, neither the Jews, before the feparation of the tribes into the kingdoms of I rael and Judah, nor the first sort of Samaritans, feem ever to have had the least thought of worshipping at mount Gerizim; and the contest between the Jews and Samaritans, after the feparation, was, whether worship was to be perform'd at Ferufalem, or at Dan and Bethel; for the facredness of which two (zz) last places, there was fome pretence in antiquity. It fhould feem therefore, that there was no pretence at that time in the Pentateuch for making mount Gerizim

(z) 2 Kings 12. 27-29.
(zz), Patrick on 1 Kings 12. 29.

Gerizim a place of worship. And therefore it seems most probable, that thofe Samaritans, who confifted chiefly of apoftate Jews, and first built a temple at Gerizim in oppofition to the temple at Ferufalem, and would be glad of an autority for fo doing, or their fucceffors, corrupted the Pentateuch; and not the Jews, who, at a time when they had no interest nor malicious purpose to ferve, acted as if there had been no fuch paffages in the Pentateuch as the Samaritans produc'd.

2. Secondly, Our Saviour may not improbably be fuppos'd to determine against the Samaritan readings in his converfation with the woman of Samaria. That conversation, which is but briefly reprefented, feems to admit and require the following interpretation:

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(xzz)" Since you are a Jew, fays the woεσ man of Samaria to our Saviour, tell me, "why the Jews contend, that God is to be worship'd at Jerufalem, fince our fore"fathers worship'd in this mountain of Ge"rizim. To which Jesus anfwer'd, there " is little reason to trouble your felf about "this question, inafmuch as the occafion

will foon be remov'd: for the worship of "God will not much longer be confin'd to "any place; and fo the privilege about "which you contend, will come to nothing. << Never

(xxz) John 4.

"Nevertheless, to fatisfy your prefent que "stion, I tell you, you Samaritans, who "are moderns, and can know nothing but "from us, worship God without knowing "his precepts: but we Jews, who are "from all antiquity, know all his laws; " and that Jerufalem is the place of wor"fhip appointed by God, and that the "true worship is only among the Jews, "who worship at the true place appointed CC by God.

To confirm this interpretation and paraphrafe I will offer three particulars:

1. First, If Jesus be fuppos'd to affirm, according to the vulgar tranflation, that the Samaritans worship'd they knew not what, (meaning thereby, that they worship'd not the God of the Jews) it is to make him affert what was falfe in fact: for the Samaritans of that time had the fame fole object of worship with the Jews, whom they knew, or understood as well as the Jews: and they do not then appear to have oppos'd the Jewish law in any other refpect, than about the place of worship (which was indeed a matter enjoin'd, and was fo (a) judg'd by JESUS); for in differing from the Jews about traditions, they adher'd more strictly to the Jewish law, than the Jews themselves; and

Our

(a) v. 22.

our Saviour himself concurr'd with the Samaritans in rejecting those traditions. Befides, JESUS, in this very converfation, fuppofes (b) them to know what they worshiped, when he fuppofes them equally with the Jews, to worship the Father. And this very Samaritan woman and other Samaritans (c) do by their speedy conviction, that Jesus was the MESSIAS they expected, manifeftly show themselves to be better prepar'd by their fentiments to receive chriftianity, than the FeruJalem Jews.

2. Secondly, to tell the woman, Ye wor Ship ye know not what, relates not to the woman's inquiry about the place of worship, but to a matter wholly foreign. And the anfwer of Jesus feems only pertinent by be ing understood to the effect I have abovemention'd, that is, as relating wholly to the ignorance of the Samaritans about the place of worship, which was the fole matter in question.

3. Thirdly, the words, for falvation is of the Jews, imply a foregoing refolution in ge neral of the queftion concerning the place of worship. For the fole reafon, why falvation was of the Jews, and not of the Samaritans, was only, that the Jews did, and the Sama

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21.

(c) v. 25, 29339, 4† ;

Samaritans did not worship at the place appointed by God.

But fetting afide this interpretation, I contend, that our Saviour has determin'd for Jerufalem, by faying, falvation is of the Jews, and by what he adds in relation to the times coming, when men might worship any where, and when nothing would be requifite but to worship God or the Father, in Spirit and truth. For if the time was to come, when men might worship any where, then they might not worship any where when JESUS fpake; and either mount Gerizim or Jerufalem was then the fole true place of worship and falvation. But one only of those places being then the true place of worship and falvation; JESUS plainly declares which of the two was that place, by saying, falvation was of the Jews.

(d) [Tho' the nature of the privilege and advantage imply'd in the term falvation, used by our Saviour, be not the matter here in queftion; and it does not import me to settle its fignification: yet I beg leave to interpose fo far here as to obferve,'

First, that I do by no means think it fig. nifies, as it may be vulgarly fuppos'd, the eternal reward of heavenly happiness; and that I cannot without horror fuppofe the bleffed

(d) Digreffion

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