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judgments which thou shalt teach them." (Deuteronomy v. 30, 31.) This is the cause why the whole of the Law was not given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to be by them transmitted to their descendants; for that which is derived from individuals only is liable in the course of time to become exposed to doubts, and eventually to be lost; and the Law was consequently given with such perfect publicity as to command the testimony of a whole nation, in a manner that can leave no room for the least doubt on the minds of their descendants; for it is impossible to suppose that this whole nation should labour under the same erroneous impression, not to say mental aberration; or should purposely combine to pass off on their children, as facts, --and with the most minute detail of circumstances,-fables which had no existence except in their deluded or deluding imaginations. This great and unquestioned publicity is not only a sufficient cause for the faith of Israelites, to whom the Divine revelation of these Laws is an inheritance, but entitles this law to the belief likewise of all the nations on earth: who, on the strength of the testimony given by an entire people, are in reason bound to believe in the revelation of the Divine laws to the Israelites. Therefore the prophet says, 'Ye are my witnesses,

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saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and believe me; and understand that I am He. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed when no strange God was amongst you; therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God." (Isaiah xliii. 10-12.) The meaning of which is: This nation produces six hundred thousand credible witnesses, whose evidence is conclusive as to what they have seen, heard, and experienced by the demonstration of their senses, when they heard the voice of the Lord command the observance of the Decalogue; and on the strength of this conclusive evidence it must be believed, without doubt or hesitation

of any kind, that this Law of Moses is really and truly revealed by the Deity.

CHAPTER XXI.

FAITH in the Holy One (blessed be HE!) and in his holy law promotes man to eternal felicity, and occasions the cleaving of the soul to the Deity. This is a truth confirmed by experience, as the foundation and groundwork of tradition; for it has never yet happened that any sage, searcher of nature, or philosopher should by his own unaided efforts have attained the eminent qualification of prophecy, which is the conjunction of the Divine Spirit with human reason, as was done by the worthies of the law, whose reason was so strongly attached to the Deity, that by means of this attachment they obtained the power of altering the course of nature, and of producing supernatural effects; as we find was the case with the prophets whose dicta gave law to nature, being all confirmed and carried into effect by the Divine power. Thus Elijah called down fire from heaven, contrary to the ordinary course of nature; and therefore he said, "If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven," &c., (2 Kings i. 10,) and it was done accordingly. In like manner he divided the Jordan, (2 Kings ii. 8,) as did also Elisha, (2 Kings ii. 14,) who cured Naaman's leprosy, (2 Kings v. 1-15,) resuscitated the dead, not only during his life-time, (2 Kings iv 18,) but likewise after his own death; (2 Kings xiii. 21;) and many other similar instances of miraculous power exercised by them and by other prophets. We likewise find other pious and godly men, who, without being prophets, obtained, by means of fervent prayer, either a power over nature, or that the ordinary course of nature was altered on their account. Such were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were thrown into the burning fiery furnace, and were not hurt; (Daniel iii. 21-27;) and also R. Chanina ben Dose, and R. Phineas ben Joel, who effected things contrary to the ordinary course of nature: All of which proves that the perfect believer in God and in his law is superior to na

ture, which is subjected to him. And this is the true touchstone of the laws revealed by God,-that he is the Protector, Saviour, and Shield of those who believe in him, and who observe his covenant and commandments with perfect devotion; as it is said, "The command of God is pure;" (Psalm xix. 8;) and "a shield to all that rely thereon." And again; "He grants the desire of those that fear him; he hears their cries and saves them." (Psalm cxlv. 19.) "He confirms the word of his servant, and maketh vain the counsel of Kings." (Isaiah xliv. 26.) This cleaving of the pious to the Deity is a proof of the soul's communion with the Godhead in a future state, as even in this life so very eminent a degree may be attained. In this

sense Moses said, "And ye that cleave unto the Lord your God are all alive this day." (Deut. iv. 4.) The meaning is, "Should any philosopher amongst the nations believe in this cleaving of the soul to the Deity, his faith would be but individual and dependent on the conclusions of his reason; whereas you Israelites are convinced of the truth of this belief, not as individuals, but as an entire nation; and this day, whilst yet you are alive, your experience furnishes you with proofs of the reality of the soul's attachment unto God."-The proof of which is, that God hears the prayers of those who are thus attached to him, and aids them even by supernatural means; as Moses further observes: "For what nation is there so great that their Gods should be nigh unto them as the Lord our God is to us in all that we implore of him?" (Deut. v. 8.) All this conjointly proves that the belief in God and in his law bestows a degree of perfection on the soul, and attaches it so completely to the Deity, that nature becomes its subordinate; as this attachment of the soul to the Godhead renders it superior to, and gives it a command over, nature. Hence Abraham was praised in his faith, as is said,

"And he believed in the Lord, who accounted it to him for righteousness." (Genesis xv. 6.) Therefore Moses and Aaron were punished for their want of faith, as is said,

"Because ye believed me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation unto the land which I have given them." (Numbers xx. 12.) Therefore it is said, "Believe in the prophets, and ye shall be happy," which proves that faith maketh happy here and hereafter. Again : "The righteous shall live in his faith;" (Habak. ii. 4;) by which expression it is not temporal life that is indicated, as, according to the ordinary course of nature, the pious does not live longer than the sinner; but it is eternal life, the true life of the soul, which the righteous alone is certain to attain ; as is said: "Who saves the righteous on his death-bed," or, to express it in other words, Who but God gives him the assurance of attaining this real good? But the wicked has not any such hope whilst alive, nor has he a right to expect it in a future state. Accordingly our Rabbies of blessed memory say, "The righteous are called alive even after they are dead; whilst the wicked are called dead even during their life-time." This attachment of the soul to the Deity, and the consequent power to command nature, are bestowed only on the perfect believer, and not on the sage or philosopher, in order to prove that faith is superior to nature, and to all the power and wisdom of nature : and that, by means of faith only, is attained the life and continuation of the soul, which in itself is likewise superior to nature.

CHAPTER XXII.

In order to lead to felicity faith must be well founded, as the belief in impossibilities is not adapted to promote happiness; which can only be attained by faith in what is true, but not by a credulity that assigns existence to what is not, or the reverse. It therefore behoves man to ask, "What is actually true, in order that faith may rest and anchor thereon? And what is actually not true, in order that faith may avoid the allurements of error?" Were we to assume, that this question could be solved by the researches of reason only, then our casual understanding would be superior to faith, which is contrary

to what we have in former chapters explained to be its essence and quality. This is a difficult problem, of which, however, it is our duty to attempt the solution. We therefore say, that impossibilities are of two different kinds: First, absolute impossibilities, which do not admit the slightest doubt or question; as, for instance, that a part should be as large as the whole, that the diagonal line should be less than any one side of the square, that negative and affirmative should at once be true of the same subject in the same sense; and many more the like, which are utter or absolute impossibilities. Thus it is beyond the reach of faith, to believe in a doctrine which teaches that it is possible for the Deity to create another being in every respect similar to and equal with Himself; as necessarily the Deity must be the producer, and this other being the product. Consequently there cannot in every respect be perfect equality between them. The second kind of impossibilities are such as are beyond the power of nature, but not beyond the power of nature's Creator; as the resurrection of the dead, or that a man should continue forty days and forty nights, without at all eating or drinking; and many more the like, the belief of which, however, is within the reach of faith, as we can represent to our minds the possibility of such an event. We therefore proceed to say respecting this latter kind, that as soon as reason permits us to represent such apparent impossibilities to our minds as possible,-however contrary to nature,-the belief that such events either have occurred, or do at present, or may hereafter occur, can be justified; particularly if supported by the evidence of experience; although reason, incapable of conceiving the cause, may consider it as strange and beyond its power to demonstrate: Like the attraction of iron by the magnet, which is not accounted for by reason, but by the experience of the fact. Accordingly the revival of the dead by Elisha, both during his life-time and after his own death, or that mortal man should continue forty days and forty nights without at all eating or drinking, or that fire should be called down from heaven;

such and the like events are within the reach of possibility to Omnipotence, and can therefore be believed. Whereas the first kind-as utterly and absolutely impossible, and altogether beyond the scope of any effort of the mind to represent the same as possible-cannot be believed in.

CHAPTER XXIII.

COMPRISED in the three essential principles which we have laid down and demonstrated in chapters x & xi., there are six fundamental articles of faith, which must be received and believed in by all professors of the Divine law of Moses. They are as follow :—

1. The creation of the universe out of nothing.—This we have already demonstrated in chapter xii.; and it is perfectly self-evident, that this article of faith is embodied not only in the Divine laws generally, but more especially in the law of Moses, although it is not an essential principle to either; as we can conceive the existence of the divine laws generally, and of the law of Moses in particular, without necessarily combining with either the axiom that the world was created absolutely out of nothing,as we have fully demonstrated in our twelfth chapter of this first division. Nevertheless this article of faith is a branch of the first essential principle, "the existence of the Deity;" as He (blessed be HE!) is free from all imperfection, and were his power limited to the production of something out of something,-instead of Omnipotence producing every thing out of nothing,—it would in him be a want of perfection, which God forbid we should impute to Him! For it is not correct to assert, that it is beyond the scope of all efforts of the mind to represent the possibility of a something being created out of nothing, as this supposition is perfectly within the reach of reason, and can therefore with propriety be believed.

Even those who maintain matter to be increate, and the universe produced, admit the Deity to be the producer of all productions, and that matter is a production from him by means of the distinct or separate reason, which likewise proceeds from Him. But how can this be possible? Or rather, If the creation of some

thing out of nothing be denied as impossible, is not the existence of matter, as the production of this separate or distinct reason, as completely the creation of something out of nothing, as any other system or hypothesis possibly can lay down? Others again maintain, that the creation of the universe out of nothing is impossible, because that event must have taken place since the commencement of time; whereas before the existence of matter, time was not -and therefore the universe is increate. To them we reply, that their objection can only arise if we assume creation to be a necessary and unintentional act of the Creator. But as He created in conformity to his own free will and intention, this objection vanishes before the omnipotence of his will.

2. That the degree of prophetic eminence bestowed on Moses was greater than that imparted to any other prophet, that was or ever will be.-And though this article of faith is not essential to the belief in the Divine laws generally, or the law of Moses in particular, nevertheless as the law expressly declares, " And there arose not since in Israel a prophet like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face;" (Deut. xxxiv. 10;) it has a reference to the past and the future, in order to express and point out the excellence of the law given through him; of which, God willing, we shall treat more at large in the third division. It is, therefore, incumbent on every professor of the law of Moses, to believe it as a branch of the second essential principle, Revelation.

3. That this law will never be altered by means of any prophet or messenger whatsoever.-Though this article of faith is not essential to the belief in Divine laws generally, or the law of Moses in particular, (as we have already demonstrated) nevertheless as it is a branch arising from the second essential principle, "Revelation," and the trust-worthiness of the messenger, it is incumbent on every professor of the law of Moses to believe in this article of faith, respecting which we shall, God willing,

enter into further details in the fifth chapter of our third division.

one of the commandments of the law will lead man to perfection.-If this were not so, the law of Moses would operate as a cause to deprive men of that perfection, which our Rabbies of blessed memory call "eternal life of the world to come." The purpose of all the commandments of the law of Moses is to enable all mankind to attain that perfection; and as the observance of all the commandments is obligatory only on the Israelite, it would thence result, that, if the absolute condition of eternal life be the observance of all these commandments, the rest of mankind would become excluded, and the law of Moses would be the cause of their exclusion. But this would be an effect contrary to the intention of that revelation: the truth, therefore, is, that the perfect and strict observance of any one of the commandments,—for God's sake and with a perfect conviction of their divine origin,—will lead man to eternal life. Consequently, the Noachide (the whole human race) can by means of their law* attain eternal life: And accordingly our Rabbies of blessed memory said, "The righteous among the nations of the world, have a share in the life to come."+

* The law of the Noachida prohibits idolatry, fornication, bloodshed, robbery, blas

phemy, and eating the flesh off a living animal; and commands the propagation of the species.

From what our author here states, the reader can form a clear idea why the Jews never attempted to make proselytes. They have generally been taxed with extreme pride and egotism, in not inviting others to become partakers of the high excellence which they ascribe to their religious system. This accusation, however, is as untrue as another which imputes to them great intolerance, and the belief that none but an Israelite can inherit salvation. The contrary, however, is the fact. They admit, that, without being or becoming an Israel ite, man may attain salvation; and they are therefore not in duty bound to make proselytes in order to save souls. According to their system, the Gentile, in order to be saved, is held to observe the seven com.. mandments of the Noachidæ, and to the belief that the law of Moses was given by Divine revelation: And this last the Jew

cannot preach more forcibly than by his tenacious adherence to its precepts, and his readiness to forego life itself, rather than his 4. That the proper observance of any law; of which he has given proofs so

But they add, "The Holy One (blessed be HE!) deigned to bestow a particular boon on Israel by increasing to them the laws and commandments." This article of faith, then, as an essential and radical principle of the law of Moses, it is incumbent on every professor of that law to believe in, as we shall more fully detail in the twenty-ninth chapter of our third division.

5. The resurrection of the dead. Some of our Rabbies maintained that the resurrection was limited to the perfectly just; and as it would thus only express a partial reward, he that denies credence to this article of faith, is like him who refuses to believe all or any of the great wonders performed by any of the perfectly just, and which are within the reach of faith.

cumbent on every Israelite to receive it; as we shall prove more fully in our fourth division. It is, however, no essential or radical principle either of the Divine laws in general, or the law of Moses in particular; which it is quite possible to believe without admitting this article of faith.

We have not comprised amongst these articles of faith the belief in any particular commandment, as that of penitence and prayer, that the Holy One (blessed be HE!) hears the prayers that are devoutly addressed to him, and receives the sincere penitence of the sinner; and more of the like kind. This we have not done, as it would be improper to consider any one commandment more essential than the others We have likewise not comprised amongst these articles of faith that the glory of the Most High dwelt visibly among the Israelites, the descent of fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice on the altar of burnt-offerings, or that the Priest was answered by the Urim and Thummim, and more of the like kind; for these are comprised in the belief of the wonders and miracles which are related in the law. Nor is it proper to enumerate one of these more than others; such as that the waters of the RED SEA were divided, the descent of the manna, the opening of the earth on Korach, and its closing again immediately; which last is the proof that it was not the result of an earthquake; and more of a similar description. But we have enumerated these six articles of faith, because they are received by the whole nation; and the observance of the whole law at all times rests on them, although not essential principles. He who denies them is called min, "heretic," and has no share in the life to come. (To be continued.)

But as others, on the contrary, maintain that the resurrection of the dead will be general, he who rejects this article of faith, denies a branch of the third essential principle, "rewards and punishments." And although not essential to the Divine laws in general, or the laws of Moses in particular,- -as it is quite possible to believe in rewards and punishments both corporeal and spiritual without granting the resurrection of the dead, and as he who denies this article cannot be considered as rejecting the whole of the law of Moses;-nevertheless, as it is an article of faith received by the whole nation, whosoever professes to believe in the law of Moses is bound to receive it; as we shall, God will ing, more fully explain in our fourth division.

6. The coming of the Messiah.-This is a branch of the third essential principle," rewards and punishment," and received as an article of faith by the whole nation. It is therefore in

COMMENTARIES ON HOLY WRIT.
(Continued from page 6.)

"In the beginning God created eth hashamaim, the heavens and the earth: And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was on numerous and so striking that the most eloquent efforts of the most highly gifted

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the surface of the deep." Eth hashamaim, "the heavens."-Three different opinions are advanced by distinguished commentators respectpreacher, would fail to do them justice.EDITOR.

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