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not have been at all confpicuous. Whatever, therefore, of prieftcraft there was at that time in the country, it must have been in the hands of the priests of Baal, and not of those of Jehovah.

16. In all ancient ftates, religion and political inftitutions had a very near connection. With the Hebrews there was a peculiar reafon for its being fo. They were a nation feparated from all others, for the sole purpose of preferving in the world the knowledge and worship of the one true God, in a time of univerfal defection from it, and they were made to depend upon the providence of God, more immediately than other nations, God, according to their original constitution, being their proper King, or fupreme civil magiftrate. He was their God, and they were his people, in a peculiar fenfe. In his address to them, when they had left Egypt, he fays, Exod. xix. 4, Ye have feen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles wings, and brought you unto myself. Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me. For all the earth is mine. And ye shall be to

kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. He

alfo

alfo fays, Exod. xxv. 8, Let them make me

a fancluary, that I may dwell among them. Agreeably to this, when, in imitation of the neighbouring nations, they wished to have a king, it was confidered as a rejection of the government of God, to which they had been subject, and therefore God says to Samuel on the occafion, I Sam. viii. 7, They have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I fhould not reign over them. Under the immediate government of God, that of the Hebrews was an equal republic, while all the neighbouring nations were governed by kings, and in the most arbitrary manner. What could have led Mofes to think of fuch an excellent mode of government as this? He could not have seen or heard of any thing resembling it. For at that time no fuch thing existed in any part of the world.

The religion and civil government of the Hebrews having this intimate connection, I fhall mention fome particulars of the latter, that we may fee whether it was fo very barbarous and abfurd a fyftem as Voltaire and other unbelievers reprefent it to have been, and whether the civil inftitutions of other ancient nations bear greater marks of wisdom and liberality.

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rality. But on this fubject I mean to be very brief.

The great object of the inftitutions of feveral of the ancient nations was offenfive war, and conqueft. That of the Hebrews was fimply agriculture, which is certainly the most natural and rational object, leading to the happiest state of human fociety. Foreign commerce was not encouraged, on account of the danger that was to be apprehended with respect to their religion, from an intercourfe with foreign and idolatrous nations. And as a purely agricultural, and not a commercial nation, they were forbidden to take any intereft for money lent to one another.

In order to attach them to the lands of their inheritance, the Hebrews had in their laws an excellent provifion unknown in any other, viz. their reverting to the family of the original proprietors at the year of Jubilee, which was every half century, at which time also any contract which a Hebrew might make to bind himself to fervitude was diffolved. By this means it was not in the power of the most improvident spendthrift entirely to ruin his family. He could only mortgage his poffeffion for a limited time, nor

could

could there be any

inftance of a permanently

exceffive landed property. What an excellent inftitution was this for preferving a reafonable equality among this people, the only fecurity for liberty, and alfo for creating an attachment to the foil, and of course the love of their country, in which all history shews that no nation ever exceeded, or equalled, the Jews.

Beyond the boundary of the land of Canaan, which was promised by God to their ancestors, and of which they got poffeffion not by any power of their own, but by the immediate hand of God, they were not to attempt any conqueft. All their wars were to be defenfive, and when they took arms to repel an invafion, they were ordered in the first place to propose terms of peace. In case of fuccefs in war, and when, in confequence of it, they marched into the country of the enemy, they were required to do no unneceffary injury to it, and especially not to cut down the fruit trees, and to fpare all who did not bear arms.

Every Ifraelite of an age capable of bearing arms was, as in all ancient nations, obliged to join the army; but at the head of it a proclamation

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clamation was directed to be made, excufing every person who had either lately married a wife, built a houfe, or planted a vineyard, which would naturally make him more attached to life. Even if any man felt himself on any other account fearful and faint-hearted, he might return home. It is in vain that we look for maxims of fuch moderation and good fense in any other ancient nation.

The great ftrength of any country confists in its population; and fuch were the principles of the Ifraelites, that with them, beyond all other nations, celibacy was deemed to be a misfortune, barrenness a reproach, and a multitude of children the greatest bleffing. But in heathen nations many persons devoted themselves to a fingle life as an act of religion; as the Vestal Virgins among the Romans. They were heathen principles and practices that led to the fyftem of monks and nuns among Chriftians.

The Hebrew inftitutions allowed of fervitude, but enjoined more humanity to flaves than thofe of any other nation. If a master, in beating his flave, ftruck out an eye, or even a tooth, he was obliged to fet him free. Exod. xxi. 16. If a flave committed a capital offence,

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