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And therefore they could lefs believe it to be the Book of their Statutes, and the standing Law of the Land, which they had all along received, and by which they had been governed.

Could any Man now at this Day invent a Book of Statutes or Acts of Parliament for England, and make it pafs upon the Nation as the only Book of Statutes that ever they had known? As impoffible was it for the Books of Mofes (if they were invented in any Age after Mofes) to have been receiv'd for what they declare themselves to be, viz. The Statutes and municipal Law of the Nation of the Jews: And to have perfuaded the Jews that they had own'd and acknowleg'd these Books, all along from the Days of Mofes, to that Day in which they were firft invented; that is, that they had own'd them before they had ever fo much as heard of them. Nay, more, the whole Nation must, in an inftant, forget their former Laws and Government, if they could receive thefe Books as being their former Laws. And they could not otherwife receive them, because they vouch'd themselves fo to be. Let me afk the Deifts but this one fhort Question, Was there ever a Book of ham Laws, which were not the Laws of the Nation, palm'd upon any People fince the World began? If not, with what Face can they fay this of the Book of Laws of the Jews? Why will they fay that of them, which they confefs impoffible in any Nation, or among any People?

But they must be yet more Unreasonable. For the Books of Mofes have a further Demonftration of their Truth than even other Law-Books have: For they not only contain the Laws, but give an hiftorical Account of their Inftitution, and the Practice of them from that Time: As of the Paffover, in Memory of the Death of the Firft-Born in Egypt: And that, the

fame Day, all the First-Born of Ifrael, Numb. viii. both of Man and Beaft, were, by a 17, 18.

perpetual Law, dedicated to God; and

the Levites taken for all the First-Born of the Children of Ifrael: That Aaron's Rod, which budded, was kept in

the

the Ark, in Memory of the Rebellion and wonderful Deftruction of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, and for the Confirmation of the Priesthood to the Tribe of Levi : As likewife the Pot of Manna, in Memory of their having been fed with it 40 Years in the Wilderness. That the Brazen Serpent was kept (which remained to the Days of Hezekiah. 2 Kin. xviii. 4.) in Memory of that wonderful Deliverance, by only looking upon it, from the biting of the fiery Serpents. Numb. xxi. 9. The Feaft of Penticoft, in Memory of the dreadful Appearance of God upon Mount Horeb, &c.

And befides these Remembrances of particular Actions and Occurrences, there were other folemn Inftitutions, in Memory of their Deliverance out of Egypt in the general, which included all the Particulars: As of the Sabbath. Deut. v. 15. their daily Sacrifices, and yearly Expiation; their New-Moons, and feveral Feafts and Fafts. So that there were yearly, monthly, week. ly, daily Remembrances and Recognitions of thefe Things.

And not only fo, but the Books of the fame Mofes tell us, that a particular Tribe (of Levi) was appointed and confecrated by God, as his Priefts; by whose Hands, and none other, the Sacrifices of the People were to be offered, and these folemn Inftitutions to be celebrated: That it was Death for any other to approach to the Altar: That their High-Prieft wore a glorious Mitre, and magnificent Robes of God's own Contrivance, with the miraculous Urim and Thummim in his Breast-plate, whence the divine Refponfes were given: That at his Word the King and all the People were to go out and to come in. That these Levites were Deut. xvii. 8. likewife the Chief-Judges, even in all Civil Causes; and that it was Death to refift their Sentence: Now whenever it can be fuppos'd that these Books of Mofes were forged in fome Age after Mofes, it is impoffible they could have been received as true, unless the Forgers could have made the whole

Num. xxvii.

21.

to 13.

1 Cor. xxiii.

4.

Nation believe, that they that had received thefe Books from their Fathers, had been inftructed in them when they were Children, and had taught them to their Children: Moreover, that they had all been circumcis'd, and did circumcife their Children, in pursuance to what was commanded in thefe Books: That they had obferved the yearly Paffover, the weekly Sabbath, the New-Moons, and all the feveral Feafts, Fafts, and Ceremonies commanded in these Books: That they had never eaten any Swines Flesh, or other Meats prohibited in thefe Books: That they had a magnificent Tabernacle, with a vifible Priesthood to adminifter in it, which was confined to the Tribe of Levi; over whom was placed a glorious High Prieft, cloathed with great and mighty Prerogatives; whofe Death only could deliver thofe that were fled to the Cities of Refuge; and that these Priests were their ordinary Judges, even in Civil Matters: I fay, was it poffible to have perfuaded a whole Nation of Men, that they had known and practifed all these things, if they had not done it? or, Secondly, to have received a Book for Truth, which faid they had practifed them, and appealed to that Practice? So that here are the third and fourth of the Marks above-mentioned.

Num. XXXV.

25.28.

But now let us defcend to the utmoft Degree of Suppofition, viz. That thefe Things were practifed before these Books of Mofes were forged; and that these Books did only impofe upon the Nation, in making them believe, that they had kept these Obfervances in Memory of fuch and fuch Things as were inferted in thofe Books.

Well then, let us proceed upon this Suppofition (however groundlefs): And now, will not the fame Impoffibilities occur as in the former Cafe? 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 the Reason why they kept them: Whereas thefe very Obfervances did exprefs the Ground and Reason of their being kept; as

the

the Paffover, in Memory of God's paffing over the Children of the Ifraelites in that Night wherein he flew all the Firft-born of Egypt; and fo of the reft.

But, Secondly, let us fuppofe, contrary both to Reafon and Matter of Fact, that the Jews did not know any Reafon at all why they kept these Obfervances; yet was it poffible to put it upon them, that they had kept thefe Obfervances in Memory of what they had never heard of before that Day, whenfoever you will suppose that these Books of Mofes were first forged? For Example: Suppose I should now forge fome romantick Story of ftrange Things done a 1000 Years ago; and, in Confirmation of this, fhould endeavour to perfuade the Chriftian World, that they had all along, from that Day to this, kept the firft Day of the Week in Memory of fuch an Hero, an Apollonius, a Barcofbas, or a Mahomet, and had all been baptized in his Name, and fwore by his Name, and upon that very Book (which I had then forged, and which they never faw before), in their publick Judicatures: That this Book was their Gospel and Law, which they had, ever fince that Time, thefe 1000 Years paft, universally receiv'd and owned, and none other: I would ask any Deift, whether he thinks it possible, that such a Cheat could pafs, or fuch a Legend be received, as the Gospel of Chriftians? And that they could be made believe, that they never had any other Gofpel? The fame Reason is as to the Books of Mofes; and muft be, as to every Matter of Fact which has all the four Marks before-mentioned. And these Marks fecure any fuch Matter of Fact as much from being invented and impofed in After-Ages, as at the Time when fuch Matters of Fact were faid to be done.

Let me give one very familiar Example more in this Cafe. There is the Stonage in Salisbury Plain; every body knows it; and yet none knows the Reason why those great Stones were fet there, or by whom, or in Memory of what.

Now, fuppofe I fhould write a Book To-morrow, and tell there, that these Stones were fet up by Hercules,

Poly

Polyphemus, or Garagantua, in Memory of fuch and fuch of their Actions; and, for a further Confirmation of this, fhould fay, in this Book, that it was wrote at the Time when fuch Actions were done, and by the very Actors themselves, or Eye Witnesses; and that this Book had been received as Truth, and quoted by Authors of the greatest Reputation in all Ages fince. 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 our Children, and had been taught it ourselves when we were Children: I ask any Deift, Whether he thinks this could pass upon England? And whether if I, or any other, fhould infift upon it, we should not, instead of being believed, be fent to Bedlam?

Now let us compare this with the Stonage, as I may call it, or twelve great Stones fet up at Gilgal, which is told in the fourth Chapter of Joshua. There it is faid, ver. 6. that the Reason why they were fet 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 fet ep, was fuch as could not poffibly be impofed upon that Nation at that time when it was faid to be done : It was as wonderful and miraculous as their Passage thro' the Red-Sea:

And withal free from a very poor Objection, which the Deifts have advanced against that Miracle of the Red-Sea; thinking to falve it by a Spring-Tide, with the Concurrence of a ftrong Wind, happening at the fame time; which left the Strand fo dry, as that the Ifraelites, being all Foot, might pass thro' the ouzey places and Holes which it must be supposed the Sea left behind it: But that the Egyptians, being all Horfe and Chariots, ftuck in thofe Holes, and were entangled, fo as that they could not march fo faft as the Ifraelites: And that this was all the Meaning of its being faid, that God took off their (the Egyptians) Chariot-Wheels, that they drove them heavily. So that they would

make

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