Page images
PDF
EPUB

Now, in whatever age after Moses you will suppose this book to have been forged, it was impossible it could be received as truth; because it was not then to be found, either in the ark, or with the king, or any where else for when first invented, every body must know, that they had never heard of it before.

And therefore they could less believe it to be the book of their statutes, and the standing aw of the land, which they, had all along received, and by which they had been governed.

Could any man, now at this day, invent a book of statutes, or acts of parliament for England, and make it pass upon the nation as the only book of statutes that they had ever known? As impossible was it for the books of Moses (if they were invented in any age after Moses) to have been received for what they declare themselves to be, viz. the statutes and municipal law of the nation of the Jews and to have persuaded the Jews, that they had owned and acknowledged these books, all along from the days of Moses, to that day in which they were first invented; that is, that they had owned them before they had ever so much as heard of them. Nay, more, the whole nation must, in an instant, forget their former laws and government, if they could receive these books as being their former laws. And they could not otherwise receive them, because they vouched themselves so to be. Let me ask the Deists but this one short question: Was there ever a book of sham laws, which were not the laws of the nation, palmed upon any people, since the world began? If not, with what face can they say this of the book of law of the Jews? Why will they say that of them, which they confess impossible in any nation, or among any people?

But they must be yet more unreasonable. For the books of Moses have a further demonstration of their truth than even other law-books have: for they not only contain the laws, but give a historical account of their institution, and the practice of them from that time: as of the passover in memory of the death of the first born in Egypt:* and that the same day, all the first-born of Israel, both of man and beast, were, by a perpetual law,

*Numbers viii. 17, 18,

dedicated to GoD: and the Levites taken for all the first born of the children of Israel. That Aaron's rod which budded, was kept in the ark in memory of the rebellion and wonderful destruction of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and for the confirmation of the priesthood to the tribe of Levi. As likewise the pot of manna, in memory of their having been fed with it forty years in the wilderness. That the brazen serpent was kept (which remained to the days of Hezekiah, 2 Kings xviii. 4.) in memory of that wonderful deliverance, by only looking upon it, from the biting of the fiery serpents (Numbers xxi. 9.;) the feast of Pentecost, in memory of the dreadful appearance of God upon Mount Horeb, &c.

And besides these remembrances of particular actions and occurrences, there were other solemn institutions in memory of their deliverance out of Egypt, in the general, which included all the particulars. As the Sabbath; (Deut. v. 15.;) their daily sacrifices, and yearly expiation; their new moons, and several feasts and fasts. So that there were yearly, monthly, weekly, daily remembrances and recognitions of these things.

And not only so, but the books of the same Moses tell us, that a particular tribe (of Levi) was appointed and consecrated by GoD, as his priests; by whose hands and none other, the sacrifices of the people were to be offered, and these solemn institutions to be celebrated.— That it was death for any other to approach the altar.— That their High Priest wore a glorious mitre, and magnificent robes of God's own contrivance, with the mira

c That the Sabbath, as a Mosaic institution, was commemorative of the departure from Egypt, is proved by the passage which LESLIE quotes. But the reason given for its observance, in the second law of the Decalogue, is different, and of general bearing. Accordingly, we find the Sabbath existing as a general institution, from the very creation of the world, (Gen. ii. 2, 3.) and observed by the Israelites themselves before the promulgation of the Mosaic law, Exod. xiv. It was XV an institution of universal obligation, instituted for reasons applying equally to all mankind, adopted into the Mosaic dispensation in an altered form, with new and special ends. In this respect, the case is the same with that of the Rainbow, which, doubtless, was produced by its natural causes before the flood, but then first received its signification, as a token of God's covenant with man; (Gen. ix. 12—17. ;) and with that of Baptism, adopted by CHRIST from the previous practice of the Jews, but endowed with its qualities as a Christian sacrament, by his appointment only.

culous Urim and Thummim in his breast plate, whence the divine responses were given. That at his word, the king and all the people were to go out, and to come in.* That these Levites were likewise the chief judges, even in all civil causes, and that it was death to resist their sentence.† Now whenever it can be supposed that these books of Moses were forged, in some ages after Moses, it is impossible they could have been received as true, unless the forgers could have made the whole nation believe, that they had received these books. from their fathers, had been instructed in them when they were children, and had taught them to their children; moreover, that they had all been circumcised, and did circumcise their children, in pursuance to what was commanded in these books: that they had observed the yearly passover, the weekly Sabbath, the new moons, and all these several feasts, fasts, and ceremonies commanded in these books: that they had never eaten any swine's flesh, or other meats prohibited in these books that they had a magnificent tabernacle, with a visible priesthood to administer in it, which was confined to the tribe of Levi; over whom, was placed a glorious high-priest, clothed with great and mighty prerogatives; whose death only could deliver those that were fled to the cities of refuge :‡ and that these priests were their ordinary judges, even in civil matters. I say, was it possible to have persuaded a whole nation of men, that they had known and practised all these things, if they had not done it? or, secondly, to have received a book for truth, which said they had practised them, and appealed to that practice? So that here are the third and fourth of the marks above mentioned.

But now let us descend to the utmost degree, of supposition, viz. that these things were practised, before these books of Moses were forged; and that those books did only impose upon the nation, in making them believe, that they had kept these observances in memory of such and such things, as were inserted in those books.

Well then, let us proceed upon this supposition, however groundless. And now, will not the same impossibilities occur, as in the former case?

* Num. xxvii. 21.
+ Num. xxxv. 25. 28.

+ Deut. xvii. 8 to 13. 1 Chron, xxiii. 4.

[ocr errors]

For, first, this must suppose that the Jews kept all. these observances in memory of nothing, or without knowing any thing of their original, or the reason why they kept them. Whereas these very observances did express the ground and reason of their being kept: as the Passover, in memory of Gon's passing over the children of the Israelites, in that night wherein he slew all the first born of Egypt;—and so of the rest.

But, secondly, let us suppose, contrary both to reason and matter of fact, that the Jews did not know any reason at all why they kept these observances; yet, was it possible to put it upon them, that they had kept these observances in memory of what they had never heard of before that day; whensoever you will suppose that these books of Moses were first forged? For example, suppose I should now forge some romantic story, of strange things done a thousand years ago; and, in confirmation of this, should endeavour to persuade the Christian world, that they had all along, from that day to this, kept the first day of the week in memory of such a hero, an Apollonius, a Barcosbas, or a Mahomet; and had all been baptized in his name; and swore by his name, and upon that very book, (which I had then forged, and which they never saw before,) in their public judicatures; that this book was their gospel and law, which they had ever since that time, these thousand years past, universally received and owned, and none other. I would ask any Deist whether he thinks it possible that such a cheat could pass, or such a legend be received as the gospel of Christians; and that they could be made to believe that they never had any other gospel?.. The same reason is, as to the books of Moses; and must be,

d

e

d See Note e for a further account of this impostor.

A Jewish impostor, who setting himself up for the Messiah, seduced the Jews into a revolt against Adrian, A. D. 132. He assumed the name BAR-COCHEBAS (son of a star) in allusion to the prophecy of Balaam, Num. xxiv. After an obstinate contest of three years' duration, he, with the remnant of his party, were taken in the city Bitter, whither they had retreated, and put to death. More than 500,000 Jews are said to have perished in the revolt which he occasioned. The name BARCOSBAS (son of a lie) was subsequently given by his countrymen, in detestation of his imposture.

f Of course, LESLIE is not to be understood as confining the evidence in favour of the books of Moses to this particular. The external evi

as to every matter of fact, which has all the four marks before-mentioned; and these marks secure any such matter of fact, as much from being invented and imposed in any after ages, as at the time when such matters of fact were said to be done.

Let me give one very familiar example more in this case. There is the Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, every body knows it; and yet none knows the reason why those great stones were set there, or by whom, or in memory of what.

h

Now suppose I should write a book to-morrow, and tell there, that these stones were set up by Hercules, Polyphemus, or Garagantua, in memory of such and such of their actions. And for a further confirmation of this, should say in this book, that it was wrote at the time when such actions were done, and by the very actors themselves, or eye-witnesses. And that this book had been received as truth and quoted by authors of the greatest reputation in all ages since. Moreover, that this book was well known in England, and enjoined by act of parliament to be taught our children, and that we did teach it to our children, and had been taught it ourselves when we were children. I ask any Deist, whe

dence of a series of quotations and allusions in all the subsequent books of Scripture, from the time of Joshua down to that of Malachi,-and of profane writers alluding to and confirming the facts which these books relate; the internal evidence furnished by all the books, and more especially afforded by a comparison of the book of Genesis with the four subsequent books, or of that of Deuteronomy with those which precede;--and the sanction of CHRIST and his Apostles, whose divine mission and consequent authority to decide on the value of the books of Moses is proved by other and independent evidence :-all these are irrefragable proofs of the genuineness and authenticity of the books of Moses, wholly unconnected with the Four Marks insisted on by LESLIE, and which it therefore, did not suit his purpose to insist on. See the admirable Lectures on the Pentateuch, by Dean GRAVES, 2 vol. 8 vo.; HORNE'S Introduction to the Scriptures, vol. I. p. 50-67. 161-185. ed. 4th. (I. p. 46. ss. 159, ss. ed. Am. ;) and JAHN's Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 176–201.

A collection of enormous oblong stones, originally disposed, in an erect position, ir three rows of a form nearly circular. Many have now fallen down, or are otherwise displaced, but enough remain in place to prove that it is a work of rude art, designed, not improbably, for purposes of religious worship; although the acute researches of antiquarians have as yet been ineffectual for the discovery of any clue to its origin or age.

The fictitious hero of the burlesque writer, RABELAIS.

4

« PreviousContinue »