sists in its beautiful simplicity, and inimitable sublimity. The Pagan Longinus thought so; and the most even of infidels, of any taste in composition, will agree with him; especially if they compare it with the whimsical absurdities of the other world-makers whom Mr. P. mentions.

Many infidels have attempted to burlesque the history of the fall of Adam; though in some respects he seems to have out-done all of them. But surely, it is far more likely that the pagan fables were distorted traditions from Moses and the sacred writers, concerning apostate angels; than that these borrowed their doctrine from pagan mythology. The apostle John, in the Revelation, (Rev. xii, 7-9.) predicts important events, under the image of war in heaven, and of Satan being vanquished and cast out; which no doubt refers to the fall of angels. And that book was written long after many or most of the heathen fables. But the doctrine of fallen angels is contained in the books of the Old Testament, of much more ancient date than any of them. It is, however, certain that the Christians' did not let Satan out of the pit, to introduce him into Eden:' unless Genesis was forged after the Revelation of John was extant; and unless the Jews first received the Old Testament from the Christians, whom they despised and execrated.

Fallen angels, in Scripture, are considered, as originally the creatures of God, holy, and excellent, and glorious: but they rebelled, and apostatized, and became unholy, ambitious, malignant, and haters of God, and of his creatures. They are considered as exceedingly numerous, sagacious, powerful, malicious, and deceitful; and as united under one head, generally called Satan, or the Devil. Hence every' thing done by "the Devil and his angels," is often ascribed to the leader, personally; as it is common, in speaking of the actions performed by great princes, or generals, from Alexander to Buonaparte. Omnipresence, and Omnipotence, therefore, are not ascribed to Satan: and it is a direct calumny to say, 'that Christian divines give him a power equally great, or even greater, than they ascribe to the Creator.' Under certain limitations, evil spirits are permitted to tempt and prove mankind; but the Lord is represented as over-ruling the whole for the benefit of his faithful servants, and for the glory of his own great name.

Thus, Satan was permitted to tempt our first parents; and he prevailed against them: for though created perfectly holy, they were not unchangeable; immutability being a divine perfection. A test of their obedience was appointed; full warning was given them of the consequences of disobedience; yet they were inveigled by the Devil, in the form of a serpent; they actually disobeyed; and became "dead in sin," mortal, and exposed to unspeakable sufferings in life, till they returned to the dust whence they were taken; and as "it is appointed to men once to die," so “after “death the judgment."

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Nothing is easier than ridicule, to a man, who pays no regard to piety, equity, and decorum. The transaction may be called a tète a tète, between the serpent and the woman;' 'the woman in her longing eating an apple,'' the snake persuading her to eat an apple; and the eating of that apple damning all mankind.' But is this argument? Is it not a profane and vain attempt to be witty, on a subject of the most momentous, and mournful nature? For could the Mosaick account of the fall be explained away, as an allegory, or demonstrated to be false: the evidently ruined condition of the human race would still remain as an undeniable fact. Man is certainly depraved, and mortal, and wretched; the world is replete with moral and natural evil; the existence of sin and misery in the Creation of an infinitely good and powerful God, cannot be controverted, however it may remain unaccounted for. He could have prevented it; he did not: this presses alike upon all men, with inexplicable difficulties; except on the avowed Atheists, whose difficulties are, if possible, still greater. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

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I will not here enter on a needless vindication of the justice of God, either in respect of the desert of Eve and Adam, or on the state of infants, whom we may safely leave in the hands of a just and merciful God. "Nay, but, O Iman, who art thou that repliest against God?" And, as to the consequences after death, even infidels, at some times, have their misgivings; and few indeed, if any, can permanently exclude the fears of a future and awful judgment: as the death-bed scenes of many infidels, and even of Mr. P. himself, as far as we can learn it, most fully prove.

"

ness,

Mr. P. can clearly see the doctrines of evil spirits in the Scriptures: but as Satan's kingdom is “ the power of dark" and he is most successful when least suspected; it is not impossible, that Mr. P. may be indebted for his most brilliant thoughts, especially such as bolt into the 'mind of their own accord,' to Satan's suggestions. And he may abundantly repay his obligations, even while he denies the existence of evil spirits, by endeavouring to prejudice men against the religion of him, who "nifested to destroy the works of the Devil."

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Take away from Genesis,' says Mr. P. 'the belief that 'Moses was the author, on which the strange belief that it is the word of God hath stood, and nothing remains, but an anonymous book of stories, --absurdities, or downright lies. The story of Eve and the serpent, and of Noah and his ark, drop to the level with the Arabian 'tales, without the merit of being entertaining: and the ، account of men living to eight or nine hundred years, becomes as fabulous as the immortality of the giants.'

But man lives as long as God sees good: he is surely able to prolong the life of man, to what extent he pleases; and it is more wonderful, in fact, that he should at all destroy the work of his own hands; than that he should preserve it for eight or nine hundred years.

It has been shewn that the divine inspiration of the book of Genesis rests on other foundations, than merely the assumption that Moses wrote it. Traces and traditions of the general deluge are found among all nations. And this despised book contains the most satisfactory account extant in the world, of the creation, the entrance of sin, the origin of the several nations, and the history of remote ages. And, in the opinion of the most competent judges, the narrative of Joseph is the most pathetick and interesting, that ever was written.

Balak, king of. Moab, not succeeding in his project of getting Balaam to curse Israel; the covetous prophet put him in the way of seducing them to bring a curse upon themselves; by means of the Midianitish women, with whom committing fornication, they were allured unto idolatry also : so that 24,000 of Israel fell in one day. Moses was therefore commanded to avenge Israel on the Midian

ites. Twelve thousand of Israel invaded the country, and by the immediate aid of God, vanquished the Midianites, without the loss of one man; and took an immense spoil, and a very great number of captives. This Mr. P. calls a plundering excursion.

But afterwards Moses ordered all the grown women to be put to death: and this excites his indignant declamation. Yet in fact these were the principal delinquents on whom God had commanded him to avenge Israel; and had they been spared, they would have been still the seducers of God's people to fornication and idolatry. The male infants also were commanded to be put to death: and had they been spared, they would have been the avowed avengers of Midian's cause. The guilt contracted was adjudged by the Lord of the world, to be a national sin; and he was pleased, that it should be thus punished: but of this somewhat more presently.

By divine command the virgins were spared to the number of 32,000 persons: and Mr. P. says, that an order was given to debauch the daughters; and, that the whole number was consigned to debauchery.' Could he indeed prove this, he would have a strong ground to declaim against Moses and all concerned, and to dispute against their profession of acting by commission from God; who cannot, without denying himself, command any one to violate his own holy aud righteous laws. 'Prove this, or excuse my warmth if I say to you, as Paul said to Elymas the sorcerer," O full of all subtlety and all mischief, "thou child of the Devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, <" wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the ""Lord?" I did not, when I began these letters, think that I should have been moved to this severity of rebuke; but when so gross a misrepresentation is made of God's 'proceedings, coldness would be a crime.' Bp. Watson.

But where did Mr. P. learn, that the Israelites were ever allowed to debauch their female slaves? Certainly not in the books of Moses. For the law of Moses forbad an Israelite even to marry a captive, without delays and previous formalities; and if afterwards he divorced her, he was bound to set her at liberty "because he had humbled "her." (Deut. xxi, 10--14.). They were then allowed

nothing more, but to retain these captives as slaves, educating them in their families, and employing them as domesticks.

The male children, however, as well as the women, were consigned to the slaughter: and was not this very dreadful? Certainly; and very wicked also, if Moses did it of his own mind, and to gratify his own passions. But this coincides with some other subjects of a similar nature: namely the orders given by Moses, and executed by Joshua, and Israel, in the indiscriminate slaughter of the Canaanites and Amalekites.

All those, who declaim against the directors, and executioners, in these transactions, argue completely in a circle, and beg the question. They assume it, as self-evident that the just and merciful GOD could never require them, to do this work of extirpation; that they were, of course, most cruel and unjust in doing it; and consequently, that God would never reveal himself to mankind by such monsters of iniquity.

But should they not first of all prove, that the Judge of all the earth could not justly give these orders? Till this be demonstrated, all their conclusions must be false or disputable; and all their virulent declamations, mere rhetorical arts of imposing on the understanding, by appealing to the passions.

A judge may condemn a criminal to die, and the authorized person may execute the sentence, without committing murder or even injustice: yet if an unauthorized person should kill him, he would be adjudged a murderer.

Now man is surely accountable to his Creator: wickedness deserves punishment; and the supreme Judge may inflict deserved punishment in what manner he sees good. According to the scriptures, death, in every form, is the execution of a righteous sentence, against men, as sinners: and all our maladies and miseries, terminating, as to this world, in death, constitute the execution of that awful sentence. The justice of God is also the same, in whatever way the sentence is executed. The Canaanites, and Amalekites, and others were sinners against the Lord exceedingly; and their atrocious guilt is described in the most energetick language,