not under the fufpicion or imputation of ambition and interestedness. His family was excluded from the honours of the ftate; his pre-eminence was a moft painful one. In these writings the Jews faw the meanness of their origin, the unbelief, the rebellions, the apoftafies of their forefathers, recorded. Whether is it moft abfurd, to charge the Jews with credulity, or Mofes with impofture, the one in receiving, the other in forging the Pentateuch?

THE difcovering and propofing of the glories of the divine nature accord not with the character of artifice and impofition: the ftricteft laws againft falfehood are not to be expected from one who lives in the conftant and most abominable violation of them.

To thofe who may imagine political fagacity might draw up the Jewish law, it is natural to obferve, that legiflation has always been found a very difficult matter, and that the wifeft laws have been always changing: but this fystem was completed at once. This remarkable circumstance is not the only one by which it is distinguifhed from other laws:

it is founded on the history of the nation, the Egyptian bondage, the journeying through the wilderness: the interpofitions of GOD, their fucceffes, their defeats, their national honours and difgraces, as connected with their obedience or difobedience to the laws of God, and the words of his prophets. It contains in embryo, so to speak, a more glorious law. Could it have "entered into the "heart of man" to contrive a law introductory to the Gospel ?

WE fhall only add to these remarks concerning the author of the Pentateuch, that, by his education in the most learned court of the world, by his early fufferings, and his great love of his nation, he was well qualified to be the historian, the judge, and the leader of the people.

AFTER mentioning fuch strong presumptions, or rather evidences, of the divine original of the law, we are prepared to believe it will be fafely transmitted to us. If this work is of GOD, it cannot fail: whatever is faid is true: whatever is promised shall be accomplished.

AND

AND have not we already feen, that sufficient provision was made for fafely transmitting the facred books from age to age, in the peculiar rites of the law, and particularly in its various memorials, in which the history of the nation, and the covenant with their fathers, were preserved; and in their feparation from the reft of the world? to which we must add, the fulfilling of the promises, and of the threatenings of the law.

In the history of the judges and kings of Ifrael, which impofition could have no end in framing, and national pride could have no temptation in receiving, we find the promifes and threatenings of the law fulfilled. Profperity and obedience, adverfity and departing from the law, were infeparably connected; though the obfervation of the Jewish festivals, and the disuse of the ordinary military defence of nations, would have ruined them, humanly fpeaking, in a very little time. When, contrary to the law, they fought their fafety in chariots and horses, and forbidden alliances; defeat, difgrace, and captivity, marked the divine displeasure ; rebuked and chastised by his providence,

they

they confeffed their fins, and returned to the LORD.

BUT the Jews communicate to the world a system of prophecies also: a series of prophecies is interwoven in their law, and in their history; prophecies which connect for mer and future times, which refer to the origin, and law, and state of the nation, while they unfold future events, fometimes near at hand, fometimes more diftant; the completion of the firft confirming the people's faith, and raising their expectations, refpecting what were to be fulfilled in remoter periods.

If the times of the prophecies are confidered, we shall find they were uttered so frequently, and fo regularly, as at once, to preserve the memory of former things to which they referred; to prevent the neglect and abuse of the inftituted worship, evils they inveighed againft; and to raise their expectations for greater bleffings in the coming difpenfation.

THAT the Jews fhould receive as true,

P

and

and regard with veneration, the hiftories of the Old Teftament, cannot be explained but by their full conviction of their truth; but their respect and veneration for the prophets, who fo fully expofed their vices, and fo boldly denounced the judgements of GoD against them, is ftill more unaccountable upon any other fuppofition.

Bur, it may be faid, the fulfilling of the prophecies, and particularly the difperfions and captivities that were threatened and inflicted, though they might serve to confirm the faith of the Jews in the truth of their law and prophecies, feem unfavourable to the prefervation of the Scriptures: Were they not, it may be afked, in danger of being loft and deftroyed by thefe very circumstances?

In the answer of this question, admire the wifdom of GOD, and acknowledge the fafe tranfmiffion of the facred Scriptures. For the following events contributed to prevent this evil: The prophecies immediately before, and after, the Babylonish captivity; the reformations of Ezra and Nehemiah; the Samaritan fchifm; the Samaritan Penta

teuch;