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writer as Mr. W. He says, in the preface to his former volumes, that "each of the poems" contained therein “has a worthy purpose." Of the pieces now published he has said nothing most of them seem to have been written for no purpose at all, and certainly to no good one.

Art. V.-Lectures on the four last books of the Pentateuch, designed to shew the Divine Origin of the Jewish Religion chiefly from internal Evidence. In three Parts. 1. The Authenticity and Truth of the History. 2. The Theological, Moral, and Political Principles of the Jewish Law. 3. A Review of Objections. Delivered in the Chapel of Trinity College, Dublin, at the Lecture established by the Provost and senior Fellows under the Will of the late Mrs. Anne Donnellan. By the Rev. Richard Graves, D. D. M. R. I. A. Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin, and Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Richmond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. 2 Vols. 8vo. pp. li, 454, 509. Price 16s. Cadell and Davies. 1807.

AFTER so many vigorous minds have been exercised in

inventing arguments for the defence and support of Revelation, and so many eloquent pens have been employed in communicating and recommending them to the world; to advance any thing which has not been advanced before, or so to combine and illustrate former arguments as to give them a different bearing and effect, must be confessed extremely difficult, and is little to be expected. But this distinguished praise is due to our author. In the work before us, we rejoice to find a valuable accession to the library of the theological student, and of the sincere inquirer after Religious Truth.

The design of these Lectures is, to show the divine origin of the Jewish scheme, by examining the four last Books of the Pentateuch, and shewing the internal evidence which they possess of genuineness and truth, in the detail both of the common and miraculous events. The reason of this design will best appear in the author's own words.

The friends of Religion will I trust receive this attempt to explain and defend a part of Revelation most frequently assailed by infidelity, with candor, and indulgence. I am deeply sensible of the importance of the subject, and would not have presumed to enter upon it, had I found it already preOccupied by any writer of established reputation: but it appears to me, that all, or very nearly all, the distinguished authors, whose labors have been employed in illustrating the Old Testament in particular, or stating the proofs of Revelation in general, have been, in some degree, led away from bestowing on this subject that continued attention which its importance deserved, and combining the various characters of truth incidentally dispersed through the writings of the great Jewish Legislator in one distinct view, in which each would communicate new lustre to the rest. Introd. PP. vii. viii.

It may be asserted, perhaps, that the readiest and most convincing method of proving the authenticity of the Books of

Moses, is to shew the divine origin of Christianity, and to alledge the authority of Jesus Christ, who plainly acknowledged the truth of the Jewish Scriptures. But this argument, though irrefragably conclusive, does not, in our opinion, supersede the necessity of other proofs. The evidences of Revelation ought to be as numerous, as extensive, and as various, as possible, that understandings of every size and shape may be furnished with suitable means of conviction. For it requires but a slight acquaintance with the operations of the human mind to know, that a less forcible argument of one kind sometimes commands assent where a stronger one of another had failed, and flashes conviction on the objector whose ignorance or prejudice had resisted more luminous and cogent evidence. Besides, as the Jewish and Christian dispensations are so con. nected with each other, that they must stand or fall together; if the authenticity of either can be proved independently of the other, the evidence in favour of both is greatly reinforced. Without arguing in a circle, it may then be said, that the Old Testament is proved to be true on the authority of the New; and the New Testament on the authority of the Old.

The Lectures are divided into three parts. The First proves the Truth and Authenticity of the History; the Second examines the Theological, Moral, and Political Principles of the Jewish Law; the Third is a Review of Objections.

The Author, in the beginning of this work, clearly shews, by unanswerable arguments, that the Pentateuch has been received by the Jewish nation from the very day when the institutions commenced to the present day. He first traces it retrogressively to the Babylonish Captivity; then to the separation of the two kingdoms; thence to the establishment of the regal government, and lastly to the time of the Lawgiver himself. As his arguments on this question are derived from the testimony of the Jews, they are, as he observes, of the external kind; and in this respect the first lecture differs from the rest of the work. He proceeds to examine, in the five subsequent lectures, the subject and structure of the History; the most fertile source of clear and convincing evidence. He dwells on the publicity of the facts;-the minuteness, simplicity, impartiality, and indirect coincidences, of the narration; on the close connexion of the common and miraculous events; and on the impossibility of accounting for the events recorded as supernatural, by the common operations of nature, or the ingenuity of imposture. Among the topics which the second lecture embraces, the Impartiality of the Sacred History is displayed with great ability. The comparison between Josephus and Moses, for the purpose of shewing the difference of their manner in recording events, is equally curious and in

teresting. We shall transcribe a part of this comparison (for the whole would occupy too much room) both as a specimen of the Author's style, and for the gratification of our readers.

The most decisive proof of impartiality is however found in the manner in which the Pentateuch speaks of Moses himself; to point out this more clearly, let us compare it with the account which Josephus has compiled of the same facts: he indeed received, the Pentateuch as authentic, true, and sacred; he therefore preserves all the leading events of the history; but every inhe sometimes departs from its simple narrative, and in almost stance of difference, we shall perceive a wish, either to adorn with fictitious splendor the character of the Jewish Lawgiver, to encrease the credibility of his miracles, in the eyes of the Gentiles, or to disguise and palliate the misconduct of his countrymen.

The entire account which the Book of Exodus delivers of the private life of Moses, for the 80 years which preceded his divine mission, is comprized in 22 verses: all is plain and artless, full of the simplicity of patriarchal life, and unmixed with a single circumstance tending to exalt the personal character of the Lawgiver, or mark him out as peculiarly fitted for so high a destiny: but one action of his maturer years is mentioned "that he went out unto his brethren and looked on their burthens, and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren (probably attempting to murder him); and he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand." When he finds the fact discovered, and that Pharaoh sought to slay him, he flies to Midian, marries, and remains, there for a long series years, unaspiring and unknown; till at the advanced age of fourscore, the divine command urges and compels him to become the instrument of executing the will of Heaven, in the deliverance of his nation.

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Compare with this short and modest narrative, the embellishments which national vanity added in subsequent traditions, and which Josephus collected and adorned. We are told that the sacred scribe of the Egyptians announces to their monarch, that about this time a child should be born to the Israelites, who would bring the Egyptian dominion low, and raise theirs; who would excel all men in virtue, and obtain a glory which would be remembered through all ages: and to the terror arising from this prediction, (of which not one word occurs in the Pentateuch) Josephus ascribes the edict to put to death all the male children of the Hebrews. Nor is this all; the birth of this future hero and legislator of the Jews is granted to the prayers of his father, and announced to him also in a prophetic vision. Even his brother Aaron's fame, and his dignity as High Priest is also prophesied.' pp. 77-80.

What chiefly attracted our notice in the discussion of the first branch of the work, was the application to the Pentateuch of Paley's Argument in the Horæ Pauline for establishing the truth of the New Testament. Our readers will remember that Paley has traced out a variety of minute allusions, and indirect coincidences between the Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles, which could not have existed in a forged composition. Dr. Graves has traced out and illustrated similar allusions and coincidences in the Pentateuch; chiefly between the Book of Deuteronomy and the three books immediately preceding it.

Any one who is conversant with works of fiction must be aware, of the difficulty of maintaining consistency, even in the more important and principal parts of the story. We find frequent failures in this respect in the most celebrated poets. But if we descend to the minute and collateral particulars of a fiction which embraces various characters, events, and periods, we should in the most masterly composition in the world seek in vain for the allusions and coincidences which belong to genuine records. How convincing then is this fact! that in the Pentateuch, the most antient history to be found, in which are recorded the proceedings of a great variety of characters, continually shifting their situation and changing their employments, and experiencing constant vicissitudes for the space of more than 40 years; we are not only unable to make out any inconsistency, but on the contrary discover, in proportion as we carry on our researches with greater patience and minuteness, new corroborations and more abundant proofs of genuineness and truth! We shall give an extract from this part of the work.

In the second chapter of the book of Numbers, the writer describes the division of the twelve tribes into four camps, the number of each tribe, and the total number in each camp. He fixes the position each was to take round the tabernacle, and the order of their march: and he directs that the tabernacle, with the camp of the Levites, should set forward between the second and third camps. But in the 10th chapter occurs what seems at first a contradiction to this; for it is said, that after the first camp had set forwardt," then the tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set forward bearing the tabernacle, and afterwards the second camp or standard of the children of Reuben." But this apparent contradiction is reconciled a few verses after, when we find, that though the less sacred parts of the tabernacle, the outside tent and its apparatus, set out between the first and second camp; yet the Sanctuary or Holy of Holies with its furniture, the ark and the altar, did not set out till after the second camp, as the direction required. And the reason of the separation is assigned‡, that those who bore the outside tabernacle might set it up, and thus prepare for the reception of the Sanctuary against it came. Would a forger or compiler, who lived when these marches had wholly ceased, and the Israelites had fixed in the land of their inheritance, have thought of such a circumstance as this?" p. 113.

Another of the coincidences adduced, is that which appears from comparing Numbers vii. 8, with iv. 31; and vii. 7, with iv, 25. On the march of the Israelites, the family of Merari had four waggons assigned them, and the Gershonites only two.

The reason of this inequality is not specified; but on turning back, we find that the family to which the four waggons are assigned, had been appointed to carry the solid and therefore heavy parts of the tabernacle,

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its boards, and bars, and pillars: while that family to which the two waggons are assigned, was appointed to carry the lighter; its curtains and coverings, its hangings and cords. Such a coincidence as this is extremely natural, if Moses, who directed this matter, recorded it; but is it not wholly improbable, that a forger or compiler should think of detailing such minute particulars at all, or if he did, should detail them in such a manner as this? The more minute and apparently unimportant such coincidences as this are, the more unlikely is it they should arise from any thing but reality.' p. 112.

The Author enters upon the second part of this work, which treats of the theological, moral, and political principles of the Jews, by representing the progress of idolatry, and drawing a gloomy but faithful picture of its horrid consequences in the world. He then proceeds to exhibit the character of God as it is drawn in the Pentateuch; points out the moral principles and rules which were presented to the Israelites as the guide of their conduct; and describes the penalties which were inflicted on the disobedient. He shews the superiority of their political principles, and the manifest tendency of them to accomplish the end for which they were designed. The Theology and Morality of the Jewish Code supply a force of evidence in support of its divine origin, which it is astonishing that any mind, accustomed to contemplate the state of the rest of mankind in that age, can resist. This evidence certainly never appears to greater advantage, than after reviewing the absurd opinions and the monstrous crimes which the Gentile Religion prescribed and sanctified. That a single nation should possess a volume in which the self-existence, the unity, the moral perfections, and the superintending care of God are clearly and authoritatively declared, and the worship of this Supreme Spirit exclusively required; while the rest of mankind stupidly bowed the knee and paid adoration to their own species, to the luminaries of Heaven, to the brute creation, or to any thing but the invisible God; is a fact which we defy the adversary of Revelation to disprove, or to account for, with an appearance of probability, upon any other ground than that of the divine inspiration of the Jewish Code.

We could have wished that Dr. Graves had employed his usual learning, perspicuity, and elegance of style, in more amply illustrating the superiority of the sacred principle which lies at the foundation of the Mosaic institution; "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God." He has simply stated it among other points of pre-eminence in the Jewish system of morals. But a most striking and important argument in support of Revelation may be derived from a minute consideration of this sacred principle of love to God, and from comparing it with the tenets advanced in the philosophical writings of Greece

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