CHAP. V. APPLICATION OF THE FOURTH RULE. IV. IV. IT now only remains to be shewn, that the moral precepts contained in the Mofaical difpenfation are worthy of the goodness and purity of God; tending to promote virtue, and to discountenance vice. When the Ifraelites invaded the land of Canaan, the various nations then in poffeffion of it were plunged in the groffeft impurities, which their diabolical religion not only permitted, but even fanctioned and enjoined. In addition to this violation of morality, they were alfo polluted with the guilt of human facrifices. It might therefore be naturally apprehended, that VOL. I. Y the IV. The Mo faical difworthy of penfation God on ac count of its moral purity. SECT. the children of Ifrael would be but too 'II. prone to adopt and practise their vices; more especially as Egypt, the parent of idolatry and fuperftition, was the cradle of the Jewish race. In order to prevent this, the Pentateuch abounds with the most fevere denunciations against any degree of apoftafy from the fervice of a pure and holy God, to the abominations of the people of the land. All forts of crimes are fpecially forbidden, and the various duties of man both towards God and his neighbour áre set forth and enjoined". To multiply citations for the purpose of demonstrating fo evident a matter would be fuperfluous and impertinent: but as objections have been made to certain parts of the Pentateuch, they fhall be briefly confidered, before the fubject be entirely difmiffed. * See Levit. xviii. and xx, &c. &c. The fubfequent arguments are not brought forward as claiming any degree of novelty; they are merely introduced, in order that the whole queftion refpecting the authenticity of the Pentateuch may be placed in one point of view. Perhaps also this work may fall into the hands of fome, who have heard the objections, but have never met with the anfwers to them. V. I. Objection made from mand to ex Canaanites; swered. 1. It has not unfrequently been urged CHAP. against the probability of the divine legation of Mofes, that it is inconceivable, how a merciful and benevolent being like the Almighty should enjoin an act of fuch the comcruelty, as the extirpation of a whole peo- tirpate the ple. This procedure has more the appear and anance of refulting from the horrid barbarity, with which wars were anciently carried on, than from the commands of a good and gracious God. Some lives must unavoidably be loft in battle; but human nature revolts from the wanton unneceffary cruelty of butchering unrefifting women and children, together with the wretched. remains of a conquered army. Conduct like this would defervedly ftamp with infamy any modern nation, which proved. victorious over its enemy; and can we suppose that the Almighty views with pleasure the deftruction of his creatures? Would it not have been more worthy of the divine attribute of mercy, to foften the ferocity of the victors, rather than to exafperate it; to mitigate the horrors of war, rather than to aggravate them? A Moloch may delight in blood and defolation; but a beneficent Creator never can: hence, this fingle circumstance is fufficient SECT. to bring into difcredit the whole of the Mofaical difpenfation. II. This objection has frequently been brought forwards with all the complacency of selfconceited ignorance; but the perfon, who makes it, while he expatiates with much. fatisfaction on the mercy of God, seems totally to forget another no lefs neceffary attribute, his juftice. Merciful and gracious as God is, we are no where informed, that the obftinate and hardened finner enjoys his favour. It is only to the humble and penitent, to him, who with deep contrition exclaims, while he fears to raise his eyes to heaven, Lord be merciful to me a finner, that the goodness of the Almighty is extended. "Come now, and let us reafon together, "faith the Lord: though your fins be as 66 fcarlet, they fhall be as white as snow; "and though they be red like crimson, they fhall be as wool. If ye be willing "and obedient, ye fhall eat the good of “the land. But if ye refuse and rebel, ye "fhall be devoured with the fword: for "the mouth of the Lord hath spoken itd." d Ifaiah i. 18. The The mercy of God is not to be exerted CHAP. exclusively of his juftice; otherwife we V. charge the most High with being the author of evil, and open wide the flood-gates of licentioufness and antinomianifm. When the wickednefs of the Sodomites was arrived at its full height, they were fuddenly swept away by the whirlwind of divine vengeance: but who fhall dare to impeach the mercy of God, on this account? When the enormities of the Canaanites · were fo flagrant, that the land was ready to fpue them out, it pleased the Almighty to punish their iniquity by the intervention of fecond causes; by the fword of Ifrael, rather than by the immediate operation of his power. The crimes of both nations resembled each other in many particulars, and the punishment of both was utter deftruction. Even this alteration of the manner was not without reafon; for what is it, that the Lord doeth in vain ? The Ifraelites, the chofen people of God, with whom alone a pure form of worship was preferved in the midft of a rebellious and perverse generation, were warned by this dreadful example to persevere in the paths of holiness and piety, left they also should |