the wilderness, and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms, and thy wickedness."* "Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name, and say we are deli vered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, beconte a defi of robbers? &c.t But the vicé against which they are the most frequently admonished, and for the commission of which they are the most severely reproved, and a vice that is solely to be ascribed to idola, trous worship, is that of offering up human sacrifices. This crime, as well as those unnatural lusts to which idolaters were addicted, not only violated all the principles of human nature, but it was as cruel as it was unnatural. We have upon former occasions, amply considered the influence of true religion, both upon personal happiness, and the steady uniform prac tice of personal and social duties. We have endeavoured to prove that rational piety, and * Jer. ch. iii. v. 2. † Jer. ch. vii. v. 9. See also ch, ix. v. 3. 45; ch. xxiii. 14, 15; ch. xxix. v. 23. rational piety alone, is the only source of present consolation, the firmest foundation of future hopes; and that it affords the strongest and most animating motives to practise every virtue, in every state and relation of life. The statements formerly made, and to which we refer our readers,* clearly evince, that to forsake the worship of the living and true God, is to forsake personal and social happiness. There can be no motive for a steady trust in beings as capricious as the worst of men; or to have a full confidence in those whose wisdom is doubtful; or to love those in whom malignity and revenge are the prominent characters. Nor can the uniformity of virtuous practice exist, where the beings worshipped are not only indifferent concerning a virtuous character, but enjoin rituals destructive of every virtuous principle and affection. Thus, if it be a truth that the supreme Being loves mankind, that he wills their happiness, and has communicated to them the power of becom ing happy, by cultivating right principles and cherishing right affections, he must determine to sweep away all those obstacles, which, as long See vol. ii. p. 349, On Religion as a source of well-being ; and yol. iii. p. 204, On the Religious Principles most conducive to the uniform practice of virtue. as they exist, act as insuperable impediments to the accomplishment of his benignant purposes. 'If knowledge be preferable to ignorance; if walking according to the laws of nature be superior to erring in the dark; if virtue be preferable to vice; if love towards the most perfect of beings, and a confidence in the wisdom and benignity of his government, be more conducive to felicity, than the predominance of servile apprehensions from unworthy and malignant characters, he who loves the happiness of man, testifies his benignity by opposing these impertiment and pernicious idols of deluded minds, in a manner most correspondent with the constitution of human nature. It is however obvious, that this important end could only be obtained by the destruction of those, whose depraved habits were beyond the power of reformation; and by employing every proper means to prevent the chosen Nation from being totally corrupted, by the depraved example of those that survived. In addition to the precautionary measures stated above, they were commanded, not merely to abstain from imita tion, but to destroy idolatry in all its forms, and with all its appurtenances; to drive the inhabitants out of the land; or put them to the sword; to break in pieces their images, over turn their altars, cut down their groves, that not a vestige might remain. This command was absolute and peremptory; their prosperity or adversity as a people was always represented as being dependent upon the observance, or non-observance of it. "When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, and when the Lord shall deliver them before thee, thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them, neither shalt thou make marriages with them; for they will turn aside thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods."* "Ye shall destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possess serve their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree; and ye shall over throw their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of their place." It was also enjoined upon the Israelites to punish with death, without favour or partiality, any of their own people, who being seduced themselves, attempted to seduce others. "If there arise among you a prophet, or dreamer of dreams, that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put * Deut. ch. xi. † Deut. ch. vii, to death, because he has spoken to turn you from the Lord your God." &c. If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying let us go and serve other gods, thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken to him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him, but thou shalt surely kill him." These commands were frequently repeated. Partial indulgences and forbearances were resented as offences of the greatest magnitude; as acts of treason and rebellion: and the subsequent events of the Jewish history evince that they did not rebel with impunity. The author of life, bestows existence in whatever state he pleases, and hath a right to call out of existence whom he wills, and when he wills; but he permitted these idolatrous nations to exist until they became ripe for destruction, by being incorrigible in themselves, and dangerous neighbours to the Israelites. He therefore enjoined their extirpation, predicting the fatal consequences that would ensue from a neglect or a partial execution of the command. Their * Deut. ch. xiii. |