plained, tend so directly to expose all his pompous sophistry.

"One of the most conceivable perfections of a law "is (says his Lordship), that it be made with such a foresight of all possible accidents, and with such "provisions for the duc execution of it in all cases, "that the law may be effectual to govern and direct "these accidents, instead of lying at the mercy of "them. Such a law would produce its effect, by a "certain moral necessity resulting from itself, and

not by the help of any particular conjuncture. We "are able to form some general notions of laws thus

perfect; but to make them, is above humanity."To apply these reflections to the Law of Moses: "We cannot read the Bible without being convinced, "that no law ever operated so weak and uncertain

an effect as the Law of Moses did. Far from

prevailing against accidents and conjunctures, the "least was sufficient to interrupt the course and to "defeat the designs of it; to make that people not แ only neglect the Law, but cease to acknowledge the

Legislator. To prevent this, was the first of these designs; and if the second was, as it was, no doubt, "and as it is the design or pretence of all laws, to "secure the happiness of the people, THIS DESIGN

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WAS DEFEATED AS FULLY AS THE OTHER; for "the whole history of this people is one continued "series of infractions of the Law, and of national "calamities. So that this law, considered as the par"ticular law of this nation, has proved more ineffec"tual than any other law perhaps that can be quoted. "If this be ascribed to the hardness of heart and ob"stinacy of the people, in order to save the honour "of the Law, this honour will be little saved, and its

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divinity ill maintained. This excuse may be ad"mitted

"mitted in the case of any human law; but we

speak here of a law supposed to be dictated by "divine Wisdom, which ought, and which would "have been able, if it had been such, to keep, in a state of submission to it, and of national prosperity,

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even a people rebellious and obstinate enough to "break through any other. If it be said, the Law "became ineffectual by the fault of those who go"verned the people, their Judges and their Kings, let "it be remembered that their Judges and their Kings were of God's appointment, for the most part at "least; that he himself is said to have been their King during several ages; that his presence remained "amongst them, even after they had deposed him; "and that the High Priest consulted him, on any emergency, by the Urim and Thummim. Occasional "miracles were wrought to inforce the Law; but this was a standing miracle, that might serve both to explain and inforce it, by the wisdom and authority "of the Legislator, as often as immediate recourse to "him was necessary. Can it be denied that the most imperfect system of human laws would have been "rendered effectual by such means as these * ?”

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I. The sum of his Lordship's reasoning amounts to this, "that the Jewish Law being ordained for a certain end, it betrays its imposture by never being able to attain that end. For, first, if infinite Wisdom framed the Law, it must be most perect; and it is essential to the perfection of a mean, for a Law is nothing but a mean, that it attain its end. Secondly, if infinite Power administered it, that Power must have rendered even the most imperfect system effectual to its purpose."

Lord Bolingbroke's Works, vol. iii. pp. 292-294. 4to. Edit.

Thus, we see, his argument, when reduced to order, divides itself into these two branches; Considerations drawn, first, from the Wisdom, and, then, fromr the Power of the Deity, to discredit his workmanship.

1. We will take him at his best, with the improvement of order; and first examine his conclusions from the circumstance of infinite Wisdom's framing the Lazo.

Let us admit then for a moment, that his representation of the end of the Law is exact; and that his assertion of its never gaining its end, is true: I answer, that this objection to the divine original of the JEWISH LAW holds equally against the divine original of that Law of Nature, called the MORAL LAW. Now his Lordship pretends to believe that the Moral Law came from GOD: nay, that He was so entirely the Author and Creator of it, that if he had so pleased, he might have made it essentially different from what it is. But yet the experience of all ages hath shewn, that this Law prevailed still less against accidents and conjunctures than the Mosaic. For if the Jews were always transgressing their Law till the Captivity, yet after that disaster they as scrupulously adhered to it; and in that attachment have continued ever since: whereas, from the day the MORAL LAW was first given to mankind, to this present hour, the least accident was sufficient to interrupt the course, and to defeat the designs of it. How happened it, therefore, that this acknowledged Law of GOD did not govern and direct accidents, instead of lying at the mercy of them? Was it less perfect in its kind than the Mosaic? Who will pretend to say That, who believes the Moral Law came directly from GOD, and was delivered intimately to Man, for the service of the whole Species; while the

Jewish

Jewish Law came less directly from him, as being conveyed through the ministry of Moses, for the sole use of the Jewish People?

To these questions his Lordship would be ready to answer, "That it is necessary for the subjects of a moral law to be endowed with free Will: That free Will may be abused; and that such abuses may render the most perfect system of Laws ineffectual." But this answer turns upon his Lordship, when applied to the defence of the Mosaic Law; and turns with redoubled force.

We see then how much he was mistaken in concluding, that, because perfection in its kind is one of the essential qualities of a divine Law, therefore such a law must of necessity produce its effect. His best reason for this fancy is, that he is able to form some general notions of Laws thus perfect. Which is no more than telling us (notwithstanding his parade of insinuated ability), that he is able to conceive how the Will may be controlled, and how Man may be transformed into a Machine. It is true, he owns, that this fact, viz. to make laws thus perfect, is above humanity. It is so; and let me add, as much below the Divinity; whose glory it is to draw his reasonable creatures with the cards of a man. A Lawthen, which produces its effects by a certain necessity, must do it by a necessity which is physical, and not moral; it being the quality of physical, not of moral necessity, that its effects cannot possibly be defeated.

Thus, we see, all there is of truth in his Lordship's. assertion, of its being essential to the perfection of a mean that it attain its end, amounts only to this, A capacity in such a mean to attain its end, naturally and of itself. And this, we say, was the condition of the Mosaic Law; whatever might be the actual success.

The qualities of a Law capable of producing its effect, are to be sought for à priori, as the Schools speak, and not à posteriori: And if here we find in trinsic marks of excellence in the particular Laws; of consummate wisdom in the general Frame and Constitution of them; and can likewise discover those accidents, which, at some periods of the Dispensation, hindered the effect; we have done all that human. reason can require, to vindicate this divine Law, from his Lordship's imputations of imposture.

To treat this matter as it deserves, would require a volume, though not so large as his Lordship's. But a few words will suffice to give the reader a general idea of the truth. And a general idea will be sufficient to shew the futility of the objection.

The admirable provision made by the Jewish Law for preventing idolatry, may be seen in the following

instances:

1. That each specific Rite had a natural tendency to oppose, or to elude, the strong propensity to idolatrous Worship, by turning certain Pagan observances, with which the People were besotted, upon a proper object. Hence that CONFORMITY between Jewish and Pagan Ceremonies, which so vainly alarms, and so vainly flatters, both the friends and enemies of Revelation.

2. That by their multiplicity, and the frequent returns of their celebration, they kept the People constantly busied and employed; so as to afford small time or leisure for the running into the forbidden superstitions of Paganism.

3. That the immediate benefits which followed the punctual observance of the Law, had a natural tendency to keep them attached to it.

4. But lastly, and above all, that the admirable coincidency between the Institute of Law, and the

Administration