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their government, in confequence, was Theocratical. So that every act of State was in a certain fenfe, though not in the common one, an act of Religion. Obedience to the Law was inforced by a Vow; and flaughter, in and after Battle, a DEVOTEMENT to the Lord of Hofts; in fupport of the civil command to exterminate the Canaanites.

But befides the fingular Form of the Jewish Republic, which brought in the use of this language, the very genius of the People, modelled, indeed, on a theocratic administration, disposed them to improve that mode of speech; fo that matters merely civil and domeftic are conveyed to us in the style of Religion.

Thus highly coloured, both in the Camp, and in the Temple of the Lord of Hofts, was the language of the Jewish People. Which gave a pretence to the deteftable Spinofa, to infinuate, that the whole of the Mofaic Religion confifted only in a SACRED PHRASEOLOGY. Though what he infinuates proves only, yet proves fully, that the DEVOTEMENT in queftion was a civil not a facrificial Rite. "Judæi (fays he) num

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quam caufarum mediarum five particularium "faciunt mentionem, nec eas curant, fed Religionis ac pietatis, five ut vulgo dici folet, "devotionis caufa, ad Deum femper recurrunt. "Si enim, ex. gr. pecuniam mercatura lucrati

"funt

funt, eam a Deo oblatam aiunt; fi aliquid,

ut fit, cupiunt, dicunt, Deum eorum cor "difpofuiffe; fi aliquid etiam cogitant, Deum "id iis dixiffe aiunt," &c. *

Having now examined the pretended PRECEPT or Command; and fhewn that it has no relation to HUMAN SACRIFICE, but to quite another thing; we proceed to the EXAMPLE, the cafe of JEPHTHAH: for, on the Law of buman Sacrifices (fays the Poet Voltaire) it was, that Jephthah, who facrificed his Daughter, founded his oath of Devotement.-As this ExAMPLE hath given more alarm to the Friends of Religion than it deferves, and drawn them into forced and unnatural conftructions of his rafh and foolish Vow, it may be proper to confider the Man and his Manners, fairly and at large.

JEPHTHAH, a Baftard son of Gilead, by an Harlot, being caft out from a fhare of his Pa

*Tract. Theol. C. I. This was faid by Spinofa in order to decry the MIRACLES recorded in Scripture. But with the usual luck of every attempt of the fame kind. For were this very exaggerated account a true one, a stronger proof, of the reality and frequency of Miracles, could hardly be conceived in the nature of things. Since no People but fuch who had lived under a real THEOCRACY, could have contracted a turn of mind pro ductive of fo fingular a Phrafeology.

+ Judges xi.

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ternal

ternal Inheritance, by the legitimate Iffue, took refuge in a strange land. What effects this expulfion must have on his religious Sentiments, we may learn from the cafe of DAVID; who thus expoftulates with Saul, on his exile-" If "(fays he) they be your Counsellors, who have "advised you to this unjuft ufage of me,"curfed be they before the Lord; for they have "driven me out this day from abiding in the in"heritance of the Lord, faying, GO, SERVE

OTHER GODS *." Now, if David, fo learned and zealous in the LAW, was expofed at leaft to this inevitable temptation, by his exile in a foreign land, what muft we think of Jephthah in fimilar circumftances? who had nothing of David's knowledge of the Law, and confequently none of his zeal for its fupport. In this foreign Land, Jephthah affociated himself to a diffolute Band of Outlaws, who lived upon rapine and violence: not (it is confeffed) the moft difcreditable profeffion, in those early ages of barbarous manners. Amongst these men, he foon got to be the leader, and a diftinguifhèd Chief in all their lawless expeditions. So that his fame for military atchievements filled all the Regions round about.

At this time, the Ifraelites, in punishment for one of their defections from their God and

1 Sam. xxvi. 19.

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King, were labouring under the oppreffion of the idolatrous Borderers. And the Amorites making an excurfion into Gilead; the Ifraelites of this place, as most immediately concerned, fought to provide for themselves, as well as for their brethren (now become repentant), fome Leader of fuperior power and diftinguished capacity. And the Reputation of their Kinfman, Jephthah, made them first apply to him.

But Jephthah, with the frank roughness of a foldier of fortune, naturally upbraided them, on this occafion, with their former neglect and injuftice, in permitting his father's houfe fo cruelly to caft him out, to want and mifery; and now, as meanly, without redreffing his injuries, to fly to him in their diftrefs.

They reply, they were now come to make him that amends, by their choice of him for Head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Jephthah accepts this fatisfaction: and an Act is made of their proceedings, according to the religious customs of those times.

All this while, the Republic, the THEOCRACY itself, feems to have been little thought of, by this future Judge of Ifrael. Indeed the honour of fo facred a ftation had fmall charms for our licentious Outlaw.

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However, in confequence of the reconciliation, and in pursuance of the Choice which the Gileadites had made of him, for their Head and Leader, he enters on his office. And now, perhaps, for the first time, he observed, towards his enemies, all the punctilios of the Law of Arms.

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He fent to know of the Children of Ammon, why they committed hoftilities against his countrymen. They answered, that the Ifraelites had unjustly difpoffeffed them of their Lands; and that they were now affembled in arms to recover the inheritance of their Fathers. this, the Baftard of Gilead, like an able Advocate, as well as a determined Chieftain, replied, That when Ifrael, under the conduct of Mofes, had left Egypt, to take poffeffion of the Land, promised to their Forefathers, and now given to them by their GOD, they had craved leave of the intermediate People, and particularly of the Children of Ammon, for a free paffage through their Country, according to the Law of Nations, which being denied unto them, they forced their way; and when hoftilely opposed, and their enemies overcome in battle, they took poffeffion, as, by the Laws of War, they might do, of the Lands of the Conquered. So far was well; and fuitable to the dignity of a Judge of Ifrael.

But,

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