before they give us time to reply, they kindly take the trouble off our hands, and will needs anfwer for us, themfelves. This is one of their ufual tricks, to stop or cover the disgrace of a foolish Sophifm, by a fhew of candour. But, indeed, their aim is to draw the Advocate of religion from folid ground, which is fairly and fteadily to confute infidelity, ON ITS OWN PRINCIPLES. Of this flight of hand, the Poet Voltaire has here given us an example moft worthy of him.-This [the extermination of the Canaanites] had been an enormous crime, had not God himself, THE SOVEREIGN ARBITER OF LIFE AND DEATH, of whofe conduct we are not to ask a reafon, fo ordained, in the impenetrable depths of bis justice. Indeed! But we will be bold to bring him back to the ftate of the question."God the MORAL GOVERNOR of the World could not or would not (fay unbelievers) make ufe of human Inftruments for the deftruction of the Canaanites." This is the objection. But to keep us from anfwering, they take the business into their own hands-God (fays this prince of Philofophers) the CREATOR, the fovereign arbiter of life and death, of whofe conduct we are not to ask, what doeft thou? hath foreclofed all reafening, in the impenetrable depths of his Justice.".

4.

Thus

Thus they raise their objection against a command of God, as MORAL GOVERNOR of the Univerfe (and fuch he is always reprefented in Scripture); and then, to ftop our mouths with a Flamm, anfwer the objection themselves, by putting a PHYSICAL CREATOR in his place.

Now, of the actions of A MORAL GOVERNOR, we may, with due modefty and humility, afk the reafon ;-Shall not THE JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH do right? was afked in a fimilar cafe, by the Father of the Faithful. But, to the PHYSICAL CREATOR of the Universe, who will venture to say, what doest thou ?—Illuftrious Philofopher! permit us therefore to answer for ourselves. We fay, that the moral Governor of the World can never be debarred from carrying on his Administration in fuch a way as may beft fuit the ends of divine Wisdom, because human folly may encourage itself to raise, on that ground, an impious and abufive imitation. And, neither under natural, nor under revealed Religion, hath God thought fit to exempt or fe cure his Laws from fuch abufes.

God, under natural Religion, in the ordinary courfe of his Providence, hath, by annexing evil to Vice, made that Conftitution of things the Inftrument of punishment; but how hath

*Gen. xviii. 25.

Job. ix. 12.

this Difpenfation been dishonoured, and even to the disturbance of Society itself, when these punifhments, interpreted by ignorant or uncharitable men, have been turned into EXTRAOR→ DINARY JUDGMENTS?-Again, Peter and John faid, what every honest Deist is ready to say,We must obey God rather than Man *. Yet how perpetually has this truth been abused by Rebels and Fanatics.

Under Revealed Religion, MIRACLES, (the neceffary Credential of thofe intrufted with its promulgation) by which Power, both the phyfical and intellectual Syftems were controlled, have yet occafioned innumerable abuses, defiling every age of the Church with fantastic Prodigies, and lying Wonders.

But why do I speak of these sanctions of Revelation (the Credentials of God's Meffengers), when the very Communication of his Will to Man, REVELATION itself, hath filled all ages and nations with Impoftors, pretending to a divine Commiffion?

But our Philofophers go on; and fay, "That this office of deftruction, impofed upon the Ifraelites, must have produced an ill effect on their Moral Character, by giving them wrong notions of the divine Nature; and by vitiating

2

* Acts v. 29.

their

their own; as it had a tendency to deftroy or to weaken the Social paffions and affections."

Nay, further, they pretend to fee the marks. of these evils in the Character of the chofen People: whom, therefore, inftead of pitying, (and if the evils arofe from the cause they affign, were most deserving of pity) they have most mercilessly abused and mifrepresented. But to anfwer to the FIRST PART of this infidel objection, which pretends that the Jews were brought, by this employment, to entertain wrong ideas of the Divine Nature, I reply,―The most adorable attribute of God, the moral Governor of the world, is his LONG-SUFFERING, by which he bears with the crimes and follies of men, in order to bring them to repentance: Now this attribute he hath made manifeft to all: but more fully to his chofen People; even in the very cafe of thefe devoted Canaanites. For when their crimes were arrived at the height of human depravity, He ftill withheld his hand, and, by divers awakening Judgments, gave them time and invitation for repentance. But on their neglect and contempt of his repeated warnings, He at length was forced, as it were, to pour out his full vengeance upon them.

The Author of the Apocryphal Book, of the Wifdom of Solemon, thus graphically paints their cafè, in an Addrefs to the Almighty." Thou

haft

"haft mercy upon all-thou winkeft at the "Sins of Men, because they should amend"Thou fpareft all; for they are thine, thou "Lover of Souls-Therefore thou chastenest "them, by little and little, that offend; and "warneft them by putting them in remem"brance wherein they have offended; that, "leaving their wickedness, they may believe " in thee, O Lord! FOR IT WAS THY WILL

ઘઉં

TO DESTROY BY THE HANDS OF OUR FATHERS,

THOSE OLD INHABITANTS OF THY HOLY "LAND; whom thou hateft for doing moft "odious works of Sorceries, and WICKED SA

CRIFICES-merciless murderers of children, and "devourers of man's flesh, and the feafts of "blood-Nevertheless even those thou fpared'ft

as Men*, and didst send Wafps, forerunners "of thine hoft, to destroy them by little and "little-executing thy judgments upon them

by little and little, THOU GAVEST THEM "PLACE OF REPENTANCE; not being ignorant "that they were a naughty Generation-and "their cogitations would never be changed +."

The Canonical Books of Scripture authenticate what this Sage Writer of after-times

* i. e. for the fake of their rational nature, though by their unnatural vices they had forfeited all the prerogatives of humanity.

txi. 23. & feq. xii. 2. & feq.

here