the flood, profligacy and practical atheism prevailed (Gen. 4: 16;—6: 2 ff); and four centuries after, superstition and idolatry had crept in on all sides. Their influence was constantly extending, and at last became universal; and no people, who were left to themselves, ever regained a knowledge of the true God.

9. That a knowledge of the Deity might not be removed entirely from the earth, God revealed himself to an illustrious Chaldean, and appointed him, with his descendants by Isaac and Jacob, to the important trust of preserving this invaluable treasure in the world, and finally of imparting it to other nations. (Gen. 18: 16-20, comp. Gen. 17: 9-14;-12: 3;-22: 18;28: 14.)

10. In time, idolatry became so general through the earth, that even the descendants of Jacob, though they never entirely forgot the God who created heaven and earth, who caused the deluge, and gave their ancestors such magnificent promises respecting their descendants, became, for the most part, infected with the idolatry of Egypt; so that all the miracles which they witnessed there, at the Red Sea, and Mount Horeb, were scarcely sufficient to bring them back to a constant worship of the true God. (Exod. 32: 1–35. Amos 5: 26.)

11. That the Hebrews might preserve the knowledge of God through succeeding ages, civil institutions were necessary, by which the knowledge and worship of the true God should be connected with the political structure of this nation so intimately, that they could be annihilated only by the annihilation of the political existence of the people. Such institutions were provided by a civil constitution, exactly suited to the condition of the world at that time, when the civil regulations of all people were identified with their religion. Though the independant patriarchs, nomadic as well as agricultural, were forced by circumstances to enter into societies, they were never very willing to receive the new constitutions and new laws which were prescribed to them by others. For this reason, the ancient legislators always pretended that they had been authorized to impose laws by some divinity. Thus, Menes in Egypt gave out that he had received his instructions from Mercury; Cadmus at Thebes, from an oracle; Minos in Crete, from Jupiter; Lycurgus at Sparta, from Apollo; Zathraustes among the Arimaspi, from their national god; Zamolxis, from the tutelar goddess of his nation; and Numa at Rome, from the nymph Egeria. These lawgivers, however, did not invent the religious systems of their people; but they improved the false religions already in existence, to establish and perpetuate their civil institutions. Moses did not, as Strabo and Diodorus Siculus assert, proceed in the same manner; but he proved his mission to be really divine, by such supernatural works and wisdom as no other lawgiver could ever lay claim to. The whole nation heard God himself speak from Sinai. Neither did Moses employ religion to support his political

institutions; but he reversed the usual order, and made the worship of the one only true God the fundamental law of his institutions, which was to remain for ever unalterable, through all the changes which might occur in the lapse of time.

12. The condescending manner in which Jehovah really represented himself to the Hebrews, was yet insufficient to perpetuate the knowledge and worship of the true God among them. He, therefore, through the intervention of Moses, suffered himself to be elected their king, by a voluntary choice. (Exod. 19: 4-8, comp. Judg. 8: 23. 1 Sam. 8:7;-10: 18;-12: 1. 1 Chron. 29: 23.) The land of Canaan was considered as the royal possession, of which the Hebrews were to be the hereditary occupants, and from which they were to render to Jehovah a double tithe, as the Egyptians did to their king. (1 Chron. 29: 15. Lev. 27: 20-38. Numb. 18:21, 22. Deut. 12:17-19;14: 22, 29; 26: 12-15.)

13. The invisible king then published from the summit of Mount Sinai, with circumstances of awful grandeur, a brief summary of moral and religious duties, among which the worship of the only true God, and a total prohibition of the use of images, held the most conspicuous place. This was designed for the unalterable fundamental law of the commonwealth.-These first principles-the ten commandments-were to be further developed by Moses, and applied to particular cases, according to circumstances. (Exod. 20: 1-21, &c.) God finally promised his subjects such a government, that national prosperity should follow the observance of the law, as its reward; national calamity, the transgression of the law, as its punishment. (Deut. 27-30.)

14. That the Hebrews might have their peculiar relation to God kept constantly before their eyes, there was indeed no image allowed; but God, as their king, caused a royal tent to be erected in the centre of the encampment (where the pavilions of all kings and chiefs were usually erected), and to be fitted up as a moveable palace. It was divided into three apartments, in the innermost of which was the royal throne, supported by golden cherubs; and the footstool of the throne, a gilded ark, containing the tables of the law, which had been delivered by Moses. In the ante-room, a gilded table was spread with bread and wine, as the royal table; and precious incense was burned. God made choice of the Levites for his courtiers, state officers, and palace guards; and Aaron for the chief officer of the court, and first minister of state. For the maintenance of these officers, he assigned one of the tithes which the Hebrews were to pay as rent for the use of the land. He finally required all the Hebrew males, of a suitable age, to repair to his palace every year, on the three great annual festivals, with presents, to render homage to their king; and as these days of renewing their homage were to be celebrated with festivity and joy, the second tithe was expended in providing the entertainments necessary for those

occasions. Thus the Hebrew could not separate his God and his king, and in every law was reminded equally of both.

15. As God was the king of the Hebrews, a defection from God was a defection from their rightful sovereign; and whoever worshipped another God, or practised any superstitions, by this very act renounced his allegiance to his king. He committed high treason, and was properly considered a public criminal. Whoever incited others to idolatry, incited them to rebellion, and was a mover of sedition. Therefore death was justly awarded as the punishment of idolatry, and its kindred arts, magic, necromancy, and soothsaying; and also of inciting to idolatry.

16. Though coercion, for the purpose of preserving the worship of the true God, was sanctioned by the Mosaic law, it was in that age no restraint upon the liberty of conscience. According to the universal opinion of the pagans, every people, and every country, must have its own deities; and each individual was left at liberty to choose what gods he would worship, and what neglect. Consequently, a superstitious Hebrew, or a foreign idolater, could not complain of violence done to his conscience, if he were required, while in Palestine, to discontinue the worship of idols, and, when he worshipped, to worship Jehovah only, the divine king of the country.

17. Relation of the Hebrews to other Nations.-The civil polity of the Hebrews was altogether peculiar. They were to govern themselves by this constitution in the midst of nations who looked upon idolatry as the only rational religion. Pagan superstition was made attractive to the senses, not merely by religious pomp and ceremony, but by indecent imagery and lascivious songs, by indulgence in fornication and lust. That the Hebrews might live uncontaminated, it was necessary that they should avoid all intimate friendships, and as much as possible all intercourse with pagans.

18. This separation from pagans was indispensable to the purpose which the Hebrews were destined to answer. But they were not to be the enemies of all foreigners. Individuals were forbidden to form intimate friendships with the heathen; but whenever they had any necessary transactions with them, they were required to treat them affectionately as neighbours. Precepts to this effect are of frequent occurrence in the Mosaic law. (Exod. 22: 20;-23: 9. Lev. 19: 34. Deut. 10: 18, 19;—24: 17; 27: 19, comp. Jer. 22: 3. Zech. 7: 10.) The Hebrew government could also enter into alliances with other states, when the public good required it. Moses, indeed, makes an exception in regard to a few nations; but the very exception is a tacit permission to form connections with others, when necessary.

19. Hebrew Magistrates.-The domestic polity of the Hebrews remained much as it had been under the patriarchal government, but reorganized in such a manner, that the people in every civil institution might recognise the sovereignty of Jehovah. The

Hebrews were still divided into twelve tribes, as before. The tribe of Levi was separated from the rest, and devoted to the service of the court and state; but the tribe of Joseph, whose two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, were adopted by Jacob, (Gen. 48: 5,) was subdivided into two, and received two portions in the allotment of the promised land; so that the number of twelve tribes continued the same. The ancient subdivisions of the several tribes into collections of families, remained unchanged. The princes of tribes, and heads of families, as chiefs of these divisions, were the natural representatives of the people, and the magistrates in the realm of Jehovah. At the time of Moses, the larger collections of families were fifty-nine in number, (Num. 26: 5-50,) the heads of which, together with the twelve princes of the tribes, composed a council of seventy-one members.

20. The shoterim (genealogists, officers,) are also mentioned in connection with the elders, i.e. the princes of tribes, and heads of families; and the peculiar nature of their office may be understood from the employments in which they were engaged. In Egypt, it was their business to see that every Hebrew delivered the requisite number of bricks; they afterwards gave their discharge to those soldiers who were legally exempt from military duty; under Joshua, they communicated the orders of the general to the soldiery; and in the time of the kings, the chief shoter had a certain superintendence over the whole army, although he was not a military commander. (Exod. 5: 10 ff. Deut. 20: 5-9. Josh. 1: 10. 2 Chron. 26: 11.) In Palestine, they were distributed into every city, and performed the duties of their office for the city and its surrounding district. They were under the general superintendence of a chief genealogist, or shoter. (Deut. 16: 18; 31: 28. 2 Sam. 8: 16;-20: 25. 2 Chron. 26: 11. 2 Kings 25: 19. Isa. 33: 18. Jer. 52: 25. 1 Chron. 24: 6.) 21. To these magistrates Moses added a new class, for the administration of justice. When the people brought all their controversies before Moses, a whole day was scarcely sufficient to give them a hearing. Accordingly, Moses, to facilitate the administration of justice, by the advice of Jethro, divided the people into tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands; and over each of these divisions he placed judges, who were recommended by the choice of the people. They were selected, for the most part, from the heads of families, genealogists, or other people of rank. (Exod. 18: 13-26. Deut. 1: 12-15, comp. Exod. 18: 21, 24.) As this institution was designed to be perpetual, when judges died or went out of office, their places were supplied by new elections.

22. There were, therefore, in every tribe, judges, genealogists, heads of families, and a prince. The judges administered justice. The genealogists kept the genealogical tables, in which they occasionally noted the most remarkable occurrences of their times. The heads of families, with the prince of the tribe, had

charge of the general concerns of each tribe; and to them the judges and genealogists were, in some sense, subordinate. In Palestine, these magistrates were distributed among the several cities; and those who resided in the same city composed the legislative assembly of that city and the surrounding district. When the magistrates of all the cities of any one tribe were collected, they formed the supreme court, or legislative assembly of the tribe. In like manner, the magistrates of several different tribes might assemble in one body, and legislate conjointly for all those tribes which they represented. When the magistrates of all the tribes met together, they formed the general legislature of the whole nation. (Deut. 25: 1-8;-19:12;-22: 15;25: 7, 9. Judg. 8: 14. 1 Sam. 16: 4. Judg. 20: 12—14;— 1:1-11.)

23. The Learned Class.-The Hebrews had long acknowledged as magistrates, the princes of tribes, heads of houses, and genealogists; and they admitted without difficulty the institution of judges, since their office was neither lucrative nor hereditary. When the invisible king afterwards secured for ever to the tribe of Levi the most important offices of the court, state, and church, even this was at first submitted to without opposition. (Exod. 13: 12, 13, comp. Numb. 3: 6-13;-8: 13-20. Deut 10: 8, 9;-31:8-11. Exod. 32: 29.) Indeed, the Hebrews had witnessed in Egypt a similar institution, which was productive of great public benefit. The Egyptian priests were a separate tribe, which was divided into three subordinate classes; and they performed not only the services of religion, but the duties of all the civil offices to which learning was necessary. However suspicious such an order may appear to many at the present day, it was admirably adapted to those times; and by means of it, Egypt was raised far above all the nations of antiquity, both in regard to her civil institutions, and her advancement in the sciences. Hence even the Greeks, in ancient times, were accustomed to borrow their politics and their learning from the Egyptians.

24. In this manner, the tribe of Levi, which had greatly distinguished itself by zeal for Jehovah (Exod 32: 26-29), was actually devoted to the service of the sacred tabernacle and the altar, to all those offices of state in which learning was requisite, and thus to the cultivation of learning itself. (Numb. 18: 2-7.) The princes of tribes, and heads of houses, however, still retained their ancient honours; and the members of other tribes were permitted to hold offices, and devote themselves to study. Learning did not, as in Egypt, become the mystery of the learned order; nor was civil government transformed into a domination of priests.

25. In order to answer their destination, the Levites, more than other Hebrews, were to study the book of the law; to preserve and disseminate it in exact copies; to perform the duties of judges and genealogists, and consequently to be theologians,