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ftrange Rites, what wonderful Stories did he impose upon his Brethren, under the Sanction of, Thus faith the Lord. 'Tis evident to every Man who reads his Hiftory, that if it had not been for his Cunning and Policy, his Power and Arms, he had never established his grievous Religion, a Religion which taught the Jews to worship God with Pagan Rites (b). No fooner had he eftablished

(b) We begin our Account of Mofes's Prieftcraft, or Art of eftablishing his Religion, with his Murder of the Egyptian; because it is the firft Exploit this great Man did, Exod. ii. 11, 12.

And he [Mofes] fpied an Egyptian fmiting an Hebrew, one ❝of his Brethren.' Now this Smiting was no other than boxing or ftriking with the Hand. "If a Man fmite thee on the

Cheek turn to him the other also. And they smote him with "the Palms of their Hands." Boxing, or mutual Combat, is a manly Way of fighting; and it is certain, this Egyptian and this Hebrew would foon have given over as either of their Strength failed. If the Egyptian had intended to have killed the Hebrew the Words would have read thus: And he spied an Egyptian killing [or about to kill] an Hebrew.' A Quarxel very often happens between two, and they fall to Blows, without any Defign or Intention to kill one another. Ver. 12.

And he [Mofes] looked this Way and that Way, and when he faw no Man, he flew the Egyptian, and hid him in the Sand. Where is obfervable, Firft, The Cunning and Fear of Mofes, he looked this way and that way he was confcious to himself that he was about to perpetrate an Act which was against the Laws of the Egyptians, Murder. Secondly, When he faw that there was no Man, he flew the Egyptian. Now for Mofer's Bravery: The Egyptian and the Hebrew were closely engaged in mutual Combat, at Fifty-cuffs, as we fay, Mofes with fome Weapon of Deftruction comes behind the Egyptian and stuck it in his Back. This is plain, because the Egyptian and Mofes did not fight together, if they had, the Hiftorian would have taken Notice of it. If it be faid, that the Egyptian would have killed the Hebrew, I think it would have become Mofes to have prevented him, not by murdering of him flily, which was unmanly, but by parting of them, as he was a Man of great Strength. Thirdly, Mofes being fomewhat fenfible of his Sin, d the Egyptian in the Sand, and undoubtedly bid the Hebrew

fay

blifhed the Priesthood in the Houfe of Aaron, but he fets one Tribe to live upon the other Tribes. These were. Gentlemen, their Study was to explain and expound the Law, and

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fay nothing of the Murder. This is the firft Publick Act of Mofes's. Notwithstanding the Secrecy wherewith Mofes com-. mitted this Murder it was known the next Day, ver. 13. and even the Hebrews themselves abhorred the Act, ver. 14. Pharaob hearing of it, fought to bring Mofes to Justice and public Punishment as a Murderer, but Mofes filed into Midian from the Dominions of Pharaoh, ver. 15. When Mofes was in this ftrange Country, where his abominable Crime was a Secret, he behaved fo well, that he got the Favour of seven Virgins at once, ver. 16--20. And was afterwards married to one of them, named Zipporah, ver. 21. which Act of his was contrary to the Cuftom of the Hebrews; for no Hebrew should marry a Stranger. The Office of Mofes was no other than this: He was Jethro's Herdfman or Grazier, Ch. iii. 1. Thus employed on the Back-fide of a Defert, and alone, he fays he faw a fiery flaming Angel in a Bufh, ver. 2. he fays the Lord obferved his Motions, and called to him out of the Bush, ver. 4. I observe, that for the Truth of this, we have only Mofes's ipfe dixit, and I think a Man may chufe whether he will believe a Murderer. From this Verfe to the twentieth contains a Dialogue between God (I fay Jethro) and Mofes, which any Man may believe if he will. Before Mofes ends this Chapter in the two laft Verfes he introduces God as teaching the Children of Ifrael (efpecially the Women) to cheat: "And it fhall come to pafs, that when ye go, ye fhall not go empty. But every Woman fhall borrow of her Neighbour, and of her that fojourneth in her Houfe, Jewels of Silver, and Jewels of Gold, and "Raiment and ye fhall put them upon your Sons, and upon

your Daughters, and ye fhall fpoil the Egyptians." He who can believe that the Lord God of Heaven and Earth faid thefe Words, has fuch a Stock of Credulity, that he is fit to receive Tranfubftantiation, Infallibility of Church and Pope, and all the abfurd Doctrines and Legends that have been invented by Cunning Men and Priefts from the Beginning of the World to this Day. The Beginning of Chap. iv. relates two wonderful Things done in an obfcure Place. Aaron, Mofes's Brother, is recommended to Mofes as a proper Perfon to speak what he fhould bid him, ver. 14, 15. and Mofes was to be to Aaron as

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fo they did, 'till they quite glofs'd it away, they fill'd their Theology with Legends, and their Talmud was had in greater Reputation than the Law itself, infomuch that our Saviour fays of them,

a God, or instead of God, ver. 16. Mofes was to exercise his [magical] Rod, ver. 17. And, ver. 24. he fays, that the Lord met him, and fought to kill him; fo that Mofes and his God are of one Principle, Exod. ii. 11, 12. compared with Exod. iv. 24. Zipporah, Jethro the Prieft's Daughter, Mefes's Wife, is the first Prieftefs, and accordingly circumcifes dexterously, ver. 25.. Mofes and Aaron undertakes jointly to perform Wonders, ver. 27-31. Chap. vii. 1, 2. reprefents God as commanding Aaron to fware to whatever Mofes fhould fay, ver. 6, 19. At the Beginning of Chap. x. Mofes introduces God as giving a Reason why he had wrought fuch Wonders as are recorded in the foregoing Chapters, viz. that the Ifraelites might brag of them to their Pofterity, fufficient indeed! The Egyptians at length expelled the Hebrews out of their Land, Chap. xii. 31. And going out they did according to the Word of Mofes, and they borrowed of the Egyptians, Jewels of Silver, Jewels of "Gold, and Raiment, and they spoiled the Egyptians." Obferve the Difference of the two Relations, here this Theft or Cheat is faid to be commanded by Mofes, and fo it was, and not by God, as is reprefented falfely, Chap. iv. 21, 22. and this Theft or Cheat of theirs made them run away as fast as they could by Night as Thieves, ver. 39. Pharaoh pursues the Hebrews for this Robbery, Chap. xiv. 5, &c. Mofes afraid that Zipporah fhould know too much, fent her and her two Sons to Jethro, Chap. xviii. 2. but Jethro brought them to Mofes and made him keep them, ver. 6. And Mofes was glad Ferbro was come to him, ver. 7. and tells him how far his good Advice (as I fuppofe) had fucceeded, ver. 8. Jethro rejoyced at thefe good Tidings, and taught Mofes and Aaron to facrifice, and to burn Beafts, &c. for God, ver. 9--12. Having counselled and taught him fo far, Jethro proceeds to inftruct him in the Art of Government, how he should feparate himfelf from the rest of the People, and appoint Rulers under him, and become a King or Prince. It is plain, I think, that Jethro made Mofes a King, as well as a Prieft, and when a Man is both a King and a Priest, he may easily become a Prophet, i.e. foretell what he will do hereafter, ver. 13-26. Mofes having learned from er his Leffan, and fettled a firm Correfpon

dence

them, they taught for Doctrines, the Commandments of Men. And this was no more than what Aaron was guilty of, he ordered the Women to take the Golden Ear-rings out of the Ears

dence with him, let him depart into his own Country, ver. 27. and proceeds to Bufinefs alone upon Mount Sinai, as Chap. xix. It is obfervable, that Jethro commands Mofes before he left him, Chap. xviii. 20. faying, "Thou shalt teach them Laws "and Ordinances." Mojes certainly asked his Father, who had longer exercised the priestly Function and Mystery than he, to give him Instructions, which he freely did. He puts them in force, Ch. xix. xx. &c. appoints Aaron a Prieft, Ch. xxviii. 1. an Account of his Trappings, ver. 2. to the End, and confecrates him Prieft, Chap. xxix. 1, &c. Thus equipped and conftituted we shall not say any th ng more concerning Aaron under this Note: But proceed to take Notice of the Affertion contained in the Oration, concerning the Burdens, &c. Mofes impofed upon the Jewish People, under the Sanction of, Thus

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faith the Lord." I need only beg the Reader to look into thefe Four Books of Mofes, viz. Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, and as to the Truth of this Affertion, I promife him entire Satisfaction. Only I add, my fingle Opinion is, that these Rites and Ceremonies were not inftituted by the God of Heaven, but by Jethro and Mofes, and that the Words, "Thus faith the Lord: As the Lord commanded Mofes : fhould be read: Thus faith Jethro; As Jethro commanded Mofes. Because it was common in thofe Days to call Priests and Princes, or facerdotal Chiefs, fuch as Ferbro was, Lords: Thus Sarah called Abraham Lord. Befides, thefe Rites, G. could not be impofed upon the Hebrews by Jehovah; because the Prophet fays, reprefenting God as fpeaking agreeable to the Purity of his Nature. To what Purpofe is the Multi"tude of your Sacrifices unto me? faith the Lord: I am full "of [i. e. I loath] the Burnt-offerings of Rams and the Fat "of fed Beafts, and I delight not in the Blood of Bullocks, or of Lambs, or of He-goats. Who hath required this at your Hands? Oblations, Incenfe, New-moons, appointed Feafts, "Sabbaths, folemn Meetings and Affemblies is Abomination "to Me, Ifa. viii. · II ---I 4. And St. Peter fays, that Circumcifion and the Mofaic Rites, were a Yoke which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear, Acts xv TO. I farther ob ferve, That Mofes delivered his Laws by Pieces, as he and Jethro

Ears of their Sons and their Daughters, and he would make them a God. And they did fɔ, and Aaron made them a Calf, [I am glad it was not a Lamb, for then the Chriftian Divines of all

Jethro thought fit and proper as to Time and Place. This appears from the whole History. Nay, I think it would be unreasonable to expect from any Man, the Perfection of an Art at once, it muft require Timé and Policy. I am certain, that if the [Roman] Clergy thought proper to introduce new Doctrines, new Rites and Ceremonies, they would confult their Fathers, [the Pope, the Cardinals] the Archbishops and Bifhops, (as Mofes at every Turn did Jethro) in order to learn from their Age and greater Experience the Art and Mystery of Innovation.

I entirely agree in the Character the Judicious Dr. Berriman gives of Mofes, Vol. II. p. 132, where he fays, that he veri ly was faithful in all his Houfe, as a Servant, as a Minister, as one that acted under the Command and Direction of another, and delivered his Laws as the Refult of the divine Appointment.' Which Words (with the Doctor's Leave) I paraphrafe thus: Mofes was really a Friend to the Jewish People and faithful to the Intereft of them, for when he faw an Egyptian fmiting one of his Brethren he flew him, and hid him in the Sand. Being obliged thro' the Hatred the Egyptians bore him for this Murder to fly to Jethro the Heathen Prieft, he behaved fo faithful in the Truft of Grafier under that Great Man, that Jethro gave him his Daughter Zipporah to Wife. Which Intimacy with Jethro grew fo great, that as he had found him faithful in fecular Things was minded to try him in relation to religious. Here alfo Jethro his Father found him faithful as a Minifter or Ambaffador from him to the Hebrews, and as one that regarded thofe Laws and Ordinances, in impofing them on his Brethren, which his Father Jethro commanded and inftructed him in. Mofes finding Succefs, was foon endued with the political Art, and thought proper, when among his Brethren, to purfue the Advice of Jethro, he continually delivered his and fethro's Laws as agreeable to and confonant with the Laws of Divine Appointment and Ordinance, i. e. thofe Laws which are the Religion of Nature. If the Doctor should think I have made too free with his Words: I defire to be in formed what is meant by Mofes's being faithful in all his House; if this Expreffion does not relate to the House of Fethro, in

which

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