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207 people. and although the name of Edomites, or Idumeans, being swallowed up in that of jews, it became wholly lost, and no more heard of. This abolition of their name happened about the end of the first century after Christ." (Prideaux's connexion) "One hundred and six years before Christ, Aristobulus, making war upon the Itumeans [sic: Idumeans], subdued the greatest part of them, and forced them to become proselytes to the jewish religion, as Hyreanus had the Idumeans." (Prideaux's Connexion Vol. 4 P. 8.) Thus we find two whole nations amalgamated with those two tribes, beside all the individual proselytes whom the Pharisees, in their zeal, gathered into their nation. The complexion, therefore, and featurs of European jews can form no criterion by which to decide whether the Indians are Israelites or not. But it will be considered that though the Indians all claim to be red, yet their complexion, in different climates, and under different circumstances, appears very differently. In the South, some are so dark, that if they did not class themselves among the red people, we should not. Some again have a yellow complexion, discovering to the view of others, nothing of the red. Among Northern tribes, many are too light to be classed among red men, were it not for their determination to be so.
But after all that may be said of the difference between European jews & Indians, yet, if I mistake not, William Penn when surrounded by Indians in Pennsylvania, seemed to imagine himself in the midst of a company of jews, the resemblance was so great. (Please examine. I have not his works) With regard to the sabbath it was a sign between God & his people. When they revered his name, they kept his sabbaths, but when they apostatized from him, they disregarded the sabbath. As a nation, the ten tribes were apostates from the commencement of Jeroboam's reign. And their disregarding the sabbath was it appears one great reason why they were driven from their own country. From worshiping the calves of Jeroboam, they turned to worshiping the sun and moon, and when scattered among the Medes and Persians would naturally imbibe their ideas respecting fire. All this idolatry, with individual exceptions, the Indians evidently still retain. And while they continue in the same apostasy which first caused them to disregard the sabbath, we cannot suppose they will return to their former observance of that day. Yet, would it not seem that the seventh day has been a peculiar day to the Indians? Their feasts on almost all important occasions are continued seven days; and at their national festivals how many of the most important transactions occur the seventh day? That is the general day for their most important and sacred duties.