the natural result of the absence of Moses' strict adherents, and of the recuperation of the crushed powers of their Godnatures, when rid of that unnatural restraint, became too independent in fcelings, and in their actions, to harmonize with Moses' notions, and his system of iron rule. Hence arose the necessity, to Moses, to take into his special service, and partial confidence, more of the people's confidants; and thereby, by bribery, enlist the people's leading men in his interests, consequently array them against those whom they would thus betray. By doing this, Moses weakened the people, and strengthened himself-crushed the people and raised himself on their ruins. By thus doing, he fortified himself in his false position, and rendered the masses powerless for the defense of themselves and their God-given rights and prerogatives.

SEC. 7. Apostates from the people who turn advocates of despotic rule-those of the people's numbers who were advocates of their cause against the demands of illicit authority, and likewise against the encroachments of arbitrary powcr, deserters as they were from God and Humanity-ever werc, in all ages, (and they are the same to-day,) the most afflictive calamity that could have befallen a people that were striving to exemplify their inalienable birth-rights. Therefore, hereafter, all such characters in the human form, if not treated according to their deserts, should be looked upon, by the masses, as enemies to their race.

SEC. 8. In Num. XI: 24 and 25, the record further says: "And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the Lord, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round the tabernacle. And the Lord came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, (Moses,) and took of the spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease." No doubt, that when the Lord came to speak to Moses and took of his spirit and infused it into the seventy, he came in a cloud, and kept himself concealed from public view. This

transaction was a sort of "dark circle" operation, like that of proclaiming the ten commandments, from the top of Sinai, Aaron being clandestinely secreted there, by Moses, to perform the part assigned for Moses' Lord to perform. All this kind of God-speaking from the unseen, was manufactured by Moses for the occasion, and enacted by him and his accomplices in the frauds. It was for an effect upon the masses, by opening a wide chasm between them and the seventy, their former associates; and also, for an effect upon the seventy themselves-to inflate them with self-importance, and to enkindle in them fiery zeal in his behalf-that Moses paraded in the tabernacle, “standing with him," the seventy apostates from the people, weak-kneed elders who had betrayed the people's misplaced confidence.

SEC. 9. The pompous parading, in the tabernacle, alongside of Moses, of the seventy apostates from the people, had the designed effect upon them. It inflated them with selfimportance, and it infused into them the spirit of Mosesthey espoused his cause, and, in public, zealously advocated it. The sudden transition from comparative obscurity to place and power in government, operated on those apostates as it ever has on all others who have been thus singled out and exalted above their fellows, not for any moral worth that was in them, but because of their availability-because they, like Moses' seventy, were known to have influence over the masses. They prophesied, and did not cease, says the record. Zealous and fiery, like all other young sectarian converts in behalf of the cause, and the principal of the cause in which they had enlisted-alike forgetful of their past associations and the social courtesies. Deifying Moses and his cause, which he called the cause of the God of their fathers, before the masses, was the prophesying done by Moses' seventy, and which is mentioned in the texts quoted. Chiding the people and publicly chanting the praises of Moses, was Pentateuchal prophesying.

SEC. 10. After Moses had witnessed the zeal of his newlyfledged prophets-his seventy available elders-in his behalf,

well might he exclaim: "Would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets, (were zealous in my behalf,) and that he would put his spirit upon them," (the same spirit that I have infused into the seventy.) Moses having succeeded in his strategy to strengthen himself, and weaken the people, he again retired to his council-chamber. And Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders: so says the record.

9*

CHAPTER XXXII.

MOSES AND THE ISRAELITES AT KIBROTH-HATTAAVAH-QUAILS SENT THE QUANTITY—EFFECTS OF OVER-EATING, AFTER LONG ABSTINENCE, AND OF DECAYING FLESH.

"And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails: he that gathered least, gathered ten homers; and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people; and the Lord smote the people with a great plague. And he called the name of that place Kibroth-Hattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted"-(hungered for flesh to eat.) [Num. XI: 31-34.

SECTION 1. In the last two Chapters notice was taken of the condition of the masses of the children of Israel, being fatigued, weak, and hungry, with no visible means to better their condition, and automatons in the power of a heartless tyrant; mourning over their destitution, and bewailing that hunger which they felt gnawing out their vitality. And Moses was displeased with them for their expressions of humanity; and his Lord was mad because of their wails of lamentation over their destitution and those cravings of the hunger which they felt. But, at the time of which the extract, above, speaks, the scene in the camp had changed. Instead of destitution of flesh, according to the record, super-abundance abounded throughout, and round about, the camp of Israel.

SEC. 2. This part of "holy writ," copied above, no doubt, is fabulous-it is a legendary tale, of Jewish origin, and

which, at first, had little foundation in fact, or none at all. But this narration comprises part of the book of plenary inspiration, so called, and all the leading religious teachers of Jewry, and of Christendom, teach it as truth, and present it as a true record of the dealings of God, our heavenly Father, with a portion of the children of men. Therefore, out of regard to truth, and for those who would entertain, and embrace, the truth, and practice the right, if they knew it, I shall give to this old religious fable, the above narrated event, a somewhat extended review. But I shall bestow but very little attention on that portion of the record in which it is pretended that the quail incident was foretold. I will here remark, however, that the record says, that the Lord told Moses to say to those whom he, the Lord, heard weeping, that he would give them flesh to eat, and that too, to their full satiety, and that they should eat it for a whole month, even-that they should eat flesh until it came out at their nostrils, and it became loathsome unto them. If the record speaks truly, be it remembered that this was said by that Lord who was greatly angered when he heard the people weeping throughout their families-when he heard every man in the door of his tent weeping over the destitution which surrounded him, his family, his associates, and fellow-travelers—mourning over the hunger which they felt was drying away their own souls, the souls of their wives, and their children-moaning that they were all perishing with hunger. It will be noticed by the reader, that this unfeeling Lord-more than unfeeling Lord-inhuman tyrant, now tells the famishing people who were perishing in the wilderness, that they should have flesh to eat, and that they should eat it till they sickened thereby. (See Num. IX: 18-20.)

SEC. 3. The text says: "And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea;" but it does not tell us whether the Lord was east, north, west, or south of the camp of Israel, and from whence came the quails deposited. Hence, we are left to conjecture from