DISSERTATION I.

ON THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE HISTORY CONTAINED IN THE PENTATEUCH, AND IN THE BOOK OF JOSHUA.

HE fcriptural history conftitutes a leading

THE

part of the evidence of the truth of our holy religion. This evidence refts on matters of fact, as proved beyond all reasonable exception. Miracles and prophecy have ftill been confidered as fupplying two powerful arguments for the truth of revelation. Both these are refolvable into hiftorical proof. It is the facred history that informs us of these miracles: and the truth of a great part of the prophecies is incontrovertibly demonftrated by the facts recorded in Scripture. For it contains not merely those prophecies which respected the church, or the world, for more than four thousand years; but the hiftory of their completion.

Such is the evidence of the truth of this hiftory, that it cannot be rationally denied. This will appear, whether we confider the hiftory of Ifrael as a nation, or the account given of those great events, of an earlier date, which more immediately concern mankind in general.

VOL. I.

A

Some

Some of the most ftrenuous efforts of the adverfaries of our faith, have been directed against the authenticity of the five books of Moses. One thing, however, is certain. If it appear, upon impartial examination, that the great and leading circumstances recorded in these books, concerning the Ifraelites, really took place ;-that they were delivered from Egypt by a display of divine power, that they paffed through the Red Sea as on dry land, that they received the law from the midst of the flames of Mount Sinai, that they were miraculously supported for forty years in the wildernefs, and that the waters of Jordan were divided before them ;-there can be no ground to doubt that their religion was from God. But there is a variety of evidence, which muft fully fatisfy every candid and unprejudiced mind, as to the truth of thefe aftonishing events..

I. Had not the Ifraelites been fully affured of the truth of those things, which are recorded in the books of Mofes, concerning them as a people, they would never have acknowledged the authenticity of these writings, even in an hiftorical light; far lefs would they have received them as divinely inspired, and as the only rule of their faith and

manners.

It cannot justly be faid, that the biblical history afcribes fuch high antiquity to the Ifraelites as a nation, that they might hence have been induced to receive it, although convinced that it was falfe in the fame manner as heathen nations have re

ceived

ceived the fables of their poets, who have flattered their pride by tracing up their origin to the gods. For this very hiftory, which records the origin of Ifrael, afcribes far higher antiquity to the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Affyrians, the Midianites, the Canaanites, and a variety of other nations that were enemies to the Ifraelites, and the objects of their averfion. The account given of their origin, therefore, so far from gaining their favour, muft rather have had a tendency to prejudice them.

It may be alleged, however, that the diftinguishing honour here afcribed to the Ifraelites, of being felected as a peculiar people to God, and the relation given of the many mighty works he is faid to have wrought in their behalf, might have operated as motives fufficiently powerful, for making them receive an history which they knew to be falfe. But it must be remembered, that this honour is counterbalanced by a circumstance, than which nothing can be imagined more humiliating to man. They are affured on every occafion, that God did not choose them becaufe of any fuperior excellency in their national character, but merely from his own good pleasure. That doctrine, the fovereignty of election, which has in every age been fo great a ftumbling-block to individuals, is directed against their pride as a nation, without any exception.

Nor is this all. They are frequently reminded of their unfpeakable unworthinefs to enjoy the diftinguishing honour of being God's peculiar

people, and informed, that its continuance is entirely owing to divine mercy, long-fuffering and forgiveness. Their history, as a nation, is nearly an uninterrupted narrative of their murmurings and rebellions against that God who had fo fignally manifefted his love to them. The aftonishing deliverances, which make fo distinguished a figure in this hiftorical exhibition, seem to rise up in the ftriking picture, merely to throw a deeper fhade on the national character and conduct. While yet a fingle family, in their cruelty towards the Shechemites, and even to one of their own brethren, they appear as a neft of traitors and murderers. In Egypt, we find them a nation of abject flaves. They are reprefented as tempting God in the wildernefs, during forty years. Nor does their character affume a more favourable afpect, after they are brought to the poffeffion of Canaan. Whether fubject to judges or to kings, they still appear prone to rebel against their fupreme Lord.

Is

Is it by fuch a narrative as this, that a writer of fictions would attempt to gain credit with a nation, whose history he pretended to record? it thus that he would try to touch the ftrings of the heart? Would he in this manner endeavour to call in their national pride to his aid, by mortally wounding it in almost every fact that he related? If the hiftorians of Ifrael fucceeded by fuch means, they afford a folitary inftance in hiftory; an inftance fo extraordinary, and fo diametrically oppofite to all the ordinary workings

of

of human nature, that we could fcarcely fuppofe it to have taken place without the intervention of a miracle.

What end could an hiftorian mean to ferve, by giving an account of Jacob's fupplanting Efau, if it had not been fact? It must have had a worse effect than even that of fixing a perpetual ftigma on the character of one of the moft illuftrious progenitors of the nation. For it tended to expose his pofterity to the hereditary hatred of the Edomites. Would the Ifraelites have affented to fuch a relation, had they not been affured that it was true?

The hiftory of this people is interspersed with a great variety of the moft fevere denunciations against them, if they fhould be chargeable with thofe very fins which are at the fame time recorded. Can it be imagined, that they would affent not only to fuch an hiftory, but to fuch denunciations of divine vengeance; that they would affent to both, at the very time that their conduct, on the suppofition of the truth of these records, expofed them to the threatened punishment; had they been convinced that the whole was a mere fabrication? Would any people be at fuch pains to fuborn evidence against themfelves?

It may be faid, however, that although the Ifraelites believed the hiftory of the great events concerning them as a nation, they were duped by defigning men who wrought on their ignorance