year

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 of what was commanded in these books; that they had observed the ly 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 swines' 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, éven 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 prac

tice? 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 these books did impose upon the. nation only in making them believe that they had kept these observances in memory of such and such things, as were inserted in those books. Let us then proceed upon this supposition, (however groundless) and will not the same impossibilities occur, as in the former case? 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 of 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 GOD'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 fact, that the Jews did not know any reason, 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, as Apollonius, Barcosbas, or Mahomet; and had all been baptized in his name; and sworn 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 think 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 applicable to the books of MoSES, and 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 facts were said to be done.

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

Now suppose I should write a book to morrow, and affirm that these stones were set up by Hercules, Polyphemus, or Guragantua, in memory of such and such of their actions; and for farther confirmation of this should say in this book that it was written at the time, when

such actions were done, and by the actors themselves, or by 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, whether he thinks this could pass upon England? And whether, if I should insist upon it, I should not, instead of being believed, be sent to Bedlam ?

;

Now let us compare this with the Stonehenge, as I may call it, or twelve great stones set up at Gilgal, which is told in the fourth chapter of Joshua. There it is said, that the reason, why they were set up, was, that when their children, in after ages, should ask the meaning of it, it should be told them; and the thing, in memory of which they were set up, was such, as could not possibly be imposed upon that nation, at that time, when it was said to be done it was as wonderful and miraculous, as their passage through the Red Sea ; and withal free from a very poor objection, which Deists have advanced against that miracle of the Red Sea; thinking to solve it by a springtide with the concurrence of a strong wind, happening at the same time, which left the sand so dry, that the Israelites, being all foot, might pass through the oozy places and holes, which it must be sup posed the sea left behind it; but that the Egyp

tians, being all horse and chariots, stuck in those holes, and were so entangled, that they could not march so fast, as the Israelites; and that this was all the meaning of its being said, that God took off their (the Egyptians) chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily. So that they would make nothing extraordinary, at least nothing miraculous, in all this action.

This is advanced in Le Clerc's Dissertations upon Genesis, lately printed in Holland; and that part, with others of like tendency, endeavouring to resolve other miracles, as that of Sodom and Gomorrah, &c. into mere natural causes, are translated into English by the well known T. Brown, for the edification of the Deists in England.

But these gentlemen have forgotten that the Israelites had great herds of many thousand cattle with them; which would be apter to stray and fall into those holes and oozy places in the strand, than horses with riders, who might direct them.

But such precarious and silly suppositions are not worth answering. If there had been no more in this passage through the Red Sea, than that of a springtide, &c. it had been impossible for Moses to have made the Israelites believe that relation, given of it in Exodus with so many particulars, which themselves saw to

be true.

All those scriptures also, which magnify this action, and appeal to it, as a full demonstration of the miraculous power of God, must be reputed, as romance or legend.