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coming time. Christianity itself sprang from the bosom of Judaism. Without the religion of Moses, the religion of Christ never would have been given to the world. It is, therefore, in a certain sense, undoubtedly true, that we owe to the Mosaic code the greater part of the light, which we this day enjoy. Especially are we indebted to this code for a precious truth, which reason, left to itself, has never yet discovered; I mean the doctrine of the unity of God. By the possession of this truth, a large portion of the human family have been happily rescued from the errors and immoralities, to which the belief in many gods invariably leads.

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The following treatise is an attempt to analyze, and to develope systematically, the civil polity of the inspired Hebrew lawgiver. The civil government of the ancient Hebrews was the government of a free people; it was a government of laws; it was a system of self-government. It was not only the first, but the only government of antiquity, to which this description is fully applicable. Moses, a man of the most direct, firm, and positive spirit, belongs the honor of being the founder of this sort of government. Ilis constitution was pervaded with popular sympathies and the spirit of liberty. The best wisdom of modern times in the difficult science of legislation was anticipated by Moses. The moderns are not real discoverers; they have but propagated and applied truths and principles, established by the first, the wisest, the ablest of legislators. In an age of barbarism and tyranny, Moses

solved the problem how a people could be self-governed, and yet well governed; how men could be kept in order, and still be free; and how the liberty of the individual could be reconciled with the welfare of the community.

The true character of the Hebrew constitution is not well understood. Nor is the want of full and accurate information concerning it matter of wonder. The cause of this ignorance has been suggested by Salvador. During the long period, when the words people, law, equality, national utility, intellectual superiority, independence, and regular legislation, scarcely found a place in any living language, how could Moses find his true place and his just estimation? The people were too ignorant to study him, and their tyrants would have felt their pride and oppression rebuked by his ardent republicanism. But times are changed. Everywhere the need of a better and juster political organization is felt. Everywhere there is developed a strong tendency towards popular freedom and power. Everywhere an irresistible impulse is urging nations to substitute for the arbitrary, capricious, and inconstant government of men, the just and stable government of laws. The more this state of things developes itself, the more the principles of reason, justice, equality, liberty, and public utility, take possession of men's minds, and assert their power over human affairs, the more will the polity of the Hebrew commonwealth become an object of study, of interest, of admiration, and of imitation. And the more this constitution is studied, the more will it be

recognised as a free constitution; a constitution embodying all the great principles of political wisdom; a constitution, on several points, in advance even of the age in which we live.

The basis of the following inquiries into the polity and laws of the ancient Hebrews was a course of lectures, delivered in several Theological Seminaries, and in many of the principal cities of the Union. Ten years ago, the

author was invited to deliver one of a course of lectures before the Mercantile Library Company of Philadelphia. Archbishop Hughes had already given a lecture of the same course on Pope Pius VII. As the learned prelate had selected, for eulogy, a dignitary of the Romish church, that circumstance led me to choose, for the theme of my discourse, a dignitary of the church universal. Accordingly, I took "Moses and his Laws." The lecture was well received by the public, and brought a formal invitation from many of the leading citizens of Philadelphia,divines, lawyers, savans, and others,-that I would extend the discussion, and give a series of discourses on the same subject. In making the necessary preparation to comply with this invitation, I became enamored of the theme. The investigation became a labor of love with me. The increasing light, afforded by my researches, led me, at different times, to rewrite and enlarge the discussion; till, at length, it came to be embodied in a very extended series of lectures. The substance of these lectures, in courses more or less comprehensive, wes given, as above

stated, in various Theological Seminaries, by invitation from the Trustees and Professors, and in many other places, at the request of citizens of the highest respectability. In this form, the author's illustrations of the constitution and laws of Israel had the good fortune to meet the approbation of gentlemen, both in church and state, whose good opinion might well be an object of pride to persons of literary pretensions, far higher than his.

The present work is complete in itself. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end; in other words, it is characterized by unity of design. It is an analysis of the political constitution, the jus publicum, of the Hebrews. It treats of a particular department of the Hebrew institutions; but there are other parts of those institutions, which it does not touch. Hebrew jurisprudence, properly so called, a wide, rich, and inviting field, it does not enter upon at all. This is reserved for a separate work. My lectures embraced the latter class of topics, as well as the former. Ample materials, therefore, have been collected for the illustration of the private law of the Hebrews; and these materials have been, to a considerable extent, arranged for publication. Should the present work meet with favor, another, if life and health are spared, will in due time follow. The second volume will contain a detailed elucidation of the jurisprudence of Moses. His whole system of laws will be reduced to a classification, formed on the basis of Blackstone's division of the laws of England. Each individual enactment will be examined, with reference both to its intrinsic character and the reasons on which it was based; whether those reasons relate to the gen

eral wants of humanity, or to the adaptation of the code to times and circumstances. A prominent design of this work will be to institute comparisons, all along, between the jurisprudence of Moses and the jurisprudence of other enlightened nations, both ancient and modern. A sufficiently extended research into the laws and constitutions of the civilized world might make this one of the most interesting, instructive, and useful features of the proposed treatise.

The greatest difficulty I have encountered in the preparation of these sheets for the press, is the want of books. There are many works, of high respectability, relating to Hebrew history and law, not found, as far as I know, in any of the public or private libraries in the United States. The works of this kind, which are found in our libraries, are very widely scattered. I have sometimes had to travel hundreds of miles to examine a single book, and have been well repaid for my labor. My cordial thanks are due to various library associations, and not a few private gentlemen, for the loan of books. Among the former I would name Harvard University, the Boston Athenaeum, Columbia College, the Franklin Library Company of Philadelphia, and the Mercantile Library Association of New York. This last named institution has been particularly liberal, allowing me to take any number of books, and keep them any length of time free of cost; and has even offered to purchase such works as I might want, which are not already in its extensive, well selected, and invaluable library. And, with respect to future researches, my special thanks are due to David Banks, Esq., of New York, for his generous offer of the unlimited use of his very exten

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