CHAP. VI.

Of the Eastern Modes of bonouring the Living and the Dead.

OBSERVATION LXXII.

A Learned, as well as an ingenious and

lively commentator, fuppofes', that the falutation our Lord refers to, Matt. v. 47, "If ye falute your brethren only, what do you "more than others? do not even the publi"cans fo?" means embracing, though it is a different word, I would obferve, that is made ufe of in the Septuagint to exprefs that action of endearment, and which is made ufe of by an apocryphal writer'; whereas the word we tranflate falute is of a much more general nature: this, I apprehend, arofe from his being ftruck with the thought, that it could never be neceffary to caution his disciples, not to restrain the civilities of a common falutation to thofe of their own religious party.

Juvenal, when he fatirizes the Jews of the apoftolic age for their religious opinions, and represents them as unfriendly, and even male

Dr. Doddridge, Family Expofitor, on that place. 2 pihaμBaru, Gen. 29. 13. 1 Kings 4. 16 Cant. 2. 6. Ecclus. 30. 19.

volent to other people'; and when he mentions their refufing to fhow travellers the way, or to point out to them where they might find water to drink when thirsty with journeying, takes no notice of their not faluting thofe of another nation; yet there is reafon to believe, from these words of Christ, that many of them at least would not, and that even a Jewish publican received no falutations from one of his own nation, excepting brother publicans.

Nor fhall we wonder at this, or think it requifite to suppose the word we translate falute (AoTalqua), and which certainly, fometimes at leaft, fignifies nothing more than making ufe of fome friendly words upon meeting with people, must here fignify fomething more particular, fince we find fome of the present inhabitants of the Eaft feem to want this admonition of our Lord.

"When the Arabs falute one another," according to Niebuhr, "it is generally in these "terms: Salam aleikum, Peace be with you, "in fpeaking which words, they lay the right "hand on the heart. The anfwer is, Aleikum

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efalám, With you be peace. Aged people

"are inclined to add to thefe words, And the 66 mercy and bleffing of God. The Mahometans "of Egypt and Syria never falute a Christian

Sat. 14. Non monftrare vias, &c.

Ecclefiafticus 41. 20, ftrongly determines this: "Be "ashamed-of filence before them that falute thee.”

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"in this manner; they content themselves "with faying to them, Good day to you; or, Friend, how do you do? The Arabs of "Yemen, who feldom fee any Christians, are "not fo zealous but that fometimes they "will give them the Salâm aleikum."

Prefently after he fays, "For a long time "I thought the Mahometan custom of faluting Chriftians, in a different manner from "that made ufe of to thofe of their own "profeffion, was an effect of their pride, and

religious bigotry. I faluted them fome"times with the Salâm aleikum, and I had "often only the common anfwer. At length "I obferved in Natolia, that the Chriftians "themfelves might probably be the cause, "that Mahometans did not make the fame "return to their civilities that they did to "thofe of their own religion. For the Greek

merchants, with whom I travelled in that "country, did not feem pleafed with my fa"luting Mahometans in the Mahometan

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manner. And when they were not known "to be Chriftians, by thofe Turks whom

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they met with in their journeying, (it being "allowed Chriftian travellers, in thofe pro"vinces, to wear a white turban', that ban"ditti might take them at a distance for "Turks, and people of courage,) they never

3 Chriftians, in common, being obliged to wear the fafh of their turbans white striped with blue. Ruffell's Defcription of Aleppo, p. 95.

" answered

"answered those that addreffed them with "the compliment of Salâm aleikum.

"One would not, perhaps, fufpect that fi"milar customs obtain, in our times, among Europeans: but I find, that the Roman "Catholics, of fome provinces of Germany, 66 never addrefs the Proteftants that live among them with the compliment, Jefus "Chrift be praised; and when fuch a thing happens by mistake, the Proteftants do not return it after the manner in ufe among "Catholics, For ever and ever, Amen'!"

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After this, the words of our Lord in the close of the 5th of Matthew want no farther commentary. The Jews, it should feem, would not addrefs the ufual compliment of Peace be to you to either heathens, or publicans; the publicans of the Jewish nation would use it to their countrymen that were publicans, but not to heathens, though the more rigid Jews would not do it to them any more than to heathens: our Lord required his difciples to lay afide the morofeness of Jews, and express more extenfive benevolence in their falutations. There feems to be nothing of embracing thought of in this cafe, though that, doubtlefs, was practifed anciently among relations and intimate friends, as it is among modern Afiatics.

When then the fon of Sirach speaks of "filence before them that falute thee,” ch. xli.

20, as a juft ground of shame, he cannot be understood to mean filence with regard to the falutations of those of another nation, for this was rather thought to be honourable among the old Jews, a proper expreflion of rough and inflexible virtue, and a paying a due attention to the prerogatives of the Jewish nation; it must be understood of not returning the falutations of their own countrymen, of fuch non-compliance with the forms of civility in use among those of their nation, he thought they ought to be ashamed.

Élifha's enjoining Gehazi not to falute any that he met, or to return the falutation of fuch, evidently expreffes the hafte he would have him make to recover the child and bring him back to life'. For the falutations of the East oftentimes take up a long time.

"The manner of falutation, as now practifed by the people of Ægypt, is not lefs "ancient. The ordinary way of faluting "people, when at a distance, is bringing "the hand down to the knees, and then car

rying it to the stomach. Marking their "devotedness to a perfon by holding down "the hand; as they do their affection by "their after raising it up to the heart. When they come close together afterwards, they "take each other by the hand in token of

2 Kings 4. 29. "Gird up thy loins, and take my "ftaff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any "man, falute him not; and if any falute thee, anfwer him "not again," &c.

"friendship,