Beings not only endowed with Senfe, but Sentiment. Now it feemed but fit that fuch agents fhould be inftructed in the reason and occafion of their Commiffion; efpecially as it was a matter of high importance; no lefs than to preferve them from judging perverfely of the divine attributes. Accordingly Mofes obviated this mischief by a detail of the abominable manners of this devoted People: together with a memorial of the ineffectual iffue of their many chaftifements in mercy to bring them to repentance, and to fave them from utter deletion.

As the mifchief was thus effectually obviat ed, the Ifraelites were, at the fame time, secured from that other, (which is the second point objected to their Commiffion) it's tendency to viciate the most amiable paffion of our nature, by deftroying or weakening the benign and focial feelings for the miferies of our fellowcreatures. For what could God's gracious dealing with these incorrigible Mifcreants teach all, who (like the Ifraelites) were intimately informed of their crimes, and long delayed punishment, but, in imitation of God's long forbearance, to fhew mercy and compaffion to their offending Brethren in diftrefs. Nor, in fact, do we find that the Jews were more steeled to, or infenfible of, the calamities of humanity (bating thofe of this devoted People) than other men,

in the early Ages of fociety, were wont to be. And if they were not much more humanized, by being better taught, as well as fed, than the reft of mankind, it must be ascribed, not to this Commiffion, but to a certain native perversity, which (as ftrange as it may at first fight appear) might be one, amongst the very many reasons of God's choice of them, for his PECULIAR, as it made them the propereft fubjects to work upon, for a fuller manifeftation of his infinite mercy towards the Sons of Men. Where it might be seen, in the deviations from right of two People thus connected and related, that the one was destroyed, after all means had been employed, without effect, to bring them to REPENTANCE; and the other pardoned and highly favoured, when the fame merciful forbearance had produced it's fruit of a timely REPENTANCE, and return to GOD, after every tranfgreffion; and, at length, a determined perseverance in this their capital duty (adherence to the true God) for many ages, even to the present time.

But it may ftill be asked, though no mischief was derived towards the Inftruments of this extraordinary Commiffion, yet what good could fuch a commiffion produce? I answer, much, and constant; for befides a political benefit to an abject unwarlike people, in teaching them the ufe of arms; who were to make their def

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tined way to Empire, as well by their own power, as by the extraordinary aid of the Almighty; in order to avoid a lavish waste of miracles befides this, (I fay) there were moral advantages, great and lafting, derived to this Inftrumentality. Horror and averfion in the Ifraelites to thofe unnatural Crimes which had occafioned the deletion of the Canaanites; whose punishment must be intimately impressed on the minds of the chofen People, by their being appointed the executioners of God's vengeance. To confirm this, we may obferve, that both Mofes and Joshua, by inceffantly reminding them of the horrid depravity of that devoted People, had their eyes always intent upon this good effect.

P. 175. [H]. The eloquent Boffuet faith rightly, that Proteftants have but lamely fupported the FIGURE, of THIS IS MY BODY, &c. by those I am the vine-I am the door.-And the reafon he gives has it's weight.-Jefus (fays he) in the inftitution of the Lord's Supper, was neither propounding a parable, nor explaining an allegory-But when the learned Writer would

* quand les uns oppofoient, ceci eft mon corps, les autres repondoient, Je suis le vigne-Je fuis la porte le pierre etoit Chrift-Il eft vrai que ces examples n'etoient pas femblables. Ce n'etoit ni en propofant une parabole, ni en expliquant une allegorie.

have us infer from this, that there could be na other occafion for the use of a FIGURE, he im poses his usual artifice upon us; which was al. ways to keep out of fight what would have detected his flight of hand. He knew there were other occafions, of employing figurative expref fions, fuch as fixing and declaring the NATURE OF A RITE.-And this was the occasion here.— But then, fays he, the words are detached and separated from all other discourse-there is no leading preparation *.-So fay the Socinians likewife; in order to infer a contrary conclufion. But we have already fhewn, that they are both mistaken.

There was a leading preparation; and that, a plain one, namely, the celebration of the parchal Supper. And we have fhewn, it was the custom of our Lord to be led by what paffed before him, to regulate his language on ideas thus prepared.-Nor was the confecration of the Elements in the SUPPER OF OUR LORD SEPARATE from all other difcourfe. It was preceded by, and connected with, a most affecting difcourfe on the death and fufferings of our Redeemer. Therefore the words of the Confecration do not, as M.

*Ces paroles [ceci eft mon Corps, &c.] detachées de tout autre discours, portent tout leur fens en ellesmêmes.

Boffuet

Boffuet pretends, carry their whole meaning within themfelves; but refer to things preced. ing and exterior. So that the Bishop's trium phant conclufion lofes much of it's luftre, when he fays, what I pretend to evince is, the embarras into which thefe words-THIS IS MY BODY, throws all the Proteftant party-there was no reason for ufing thefe STRONG TERMS for the Inftitution of the Eucharift rather than for Baptifm.-This place I foretell fhall be the eternal and inevitable confufion of the defenders of the FIGURATIVE SENSE *. There was no more reason, on the Proteftant principles, (fays he) for chufing thefe STRONG TERMS bere, than in the rite of Baptifm.-Surely, there was a very good one. For if it was the purpose of divine Wisdom to explain the nature of the Rite, only by the words of the Confecration, which it is agreed it was, as well by him who holds it to be a real Sacrifice, as by us who hold it is only a feaft upon Sacrifice, there was a neceffity for the ufe of thefe terms. This was not the cafe in inftituting the Rite of Baptifm, whose nature is expressly defined. Befides, here the matter, adminiftered, was WATER, an element always at hand, and therefore fitly called by its proper

Cet endroit fera l'eternelle et inevitable confufion des Defenfeurs du SENS FIGURE'. Hift, des Var. Tom. i. P. 477. 8vo.