firft Promulgation, been invented to turn them to their fecular Interefts,

The Jews were almost always an obftinatę and ftubborn People, and, whatever Mofes wrote of the Hiftory of them, the Transcribers of his Works very plainly appear to have corrupted fome Parts of his Hiftorical Relations, though not in the Tranfcriptions of bis Laws and Precepts; but that they have introduced fome of their own Inventions into the Hiftorical Part thereof, I think way plainly appear by one Inftance, which may be a Guide to us in other the like Corruptions: viz. Where God is brought in to be a Countenancer of their Vices, an Inftance of which I shall give, wherein the latter part of the Hiftory itself

makes it evident.

In the Hiftory of the Children of Ifrael, when they were releafed from Egyptian Bondage; in our prefent Tranfcription and Tranflation of that Hiftory, we are told that the Children of Ifrael borrowed Jewels of Silver and Jewels of Gold of the Egyptians, without any Intent to return them: And this Part of the Account, I believe, they had from Mofes, the firft Writer of it: But the other Part, of the Account of God's ordering them to do this, and bis Approbation of it, will appear by the Sequel to be afterwards put in by Tranfcribers thereof; because they conceited that whatever Actions were done upon that Deliverance were under the Appointment and Direction of God, whom they fuppofed to have the fame Affections and Paffions as themselves.

But when we confult the fubfequent Hiflory, as we have it from these very Tranfcribers, as well as the former Part of it, we may, even from thence, by the Relation itself fee, that the Act was odious, and neither commanded nor encouraged by the Almighty Being of infinite Holiness and Justice.

For this will appear from the Shame they Suffered in their Disposal of thofe Jewels of Silver and Jewels of Gold, which they robbed the Egyptians of, after they had been fometime in the Wilderness; for there, in the Abfence of Mofes, they called for Gods to go before them: Upon which, Aaron ordered them to frip themselves of thofe Jewels and Ear-Rings, which they had borrowed of the Egyptians, which, when he received, he melted down into a Lump, which he caused to be fashioned with a graving Tool into the Likeness of a Calf; which they foolishly and fondly worfbiped, and afcribed to it the Power of God, who brought them out of the Land Egypt; For which, when Moles blamed Aaron, Aaron told him, that as they had defired an Idol from him; be, by his Compliance with their Requeft, bad made them naked to their Shame, in ftripping them of thofe very Ornaments which they had clandeftinely robbed the Egyptians of, without which Booty they cou'd bardly have been perfwaded to have left Egypt; and as this Booty was the chief Means of prevailing upon them to leave Egypt, that they might not return their borrowed Ornaments;

these

very

these rich Ornaments therefore became the
Idol that brought them out of the Land of
Egypt, notwithstanding the Judgments God
bad inflicted upon Egypt, to oblige Pharaoh
to comply to part with them from their Bon-
dage to him: And now as they had defired a
vifible God to go before them, Aaron thought
proper to ftrip them of those Idol Jewels, of
which they bad robbed the Egyptians, and had
already made an Idol of in their Hearts; for
it was this Booty, which they spoiled the Egyp-
tians of, which gave them Satisfaction in leav-
ing of them, and therefore was, in one Senfe,
the Idol that brought them out of Egypt.
And this might be permitted by Mofes upon
their Flight from Egypt, because he might
forefee, that Admonitions to the Contrary then
would have been in Vain: But upon a pro-
per Opportunity, Aaron takes a Method to
convince them of their Folly, and that their
crafty Delufions fhould terminate in their own
Shame; fo that when they asked for a vifible
God to go before them, Aaron orders them to
bring together all their Jewels, which he melts
on a Lump, and fashion'd like a Calf, which
they foolishly and fondly worshiped as the God
that brought them out of the Land of Egypt,

And thus to ftrip them of their Idol Jewels, to make them an Idol of, became two Ways to their Shame: First, in lofing these their darling Ornaments; and Secondly, fo foolishly worshiping them in the Likeness of a Calf,

which Defign Aaron having made known to Mofes, he became excufable to him.

And after this, there was fo much Murmuring amongst them in the Wilderness, that the whole Generation of them, that went out of the Land of Egypt, with their wishing after their Flefb-Pots, and wanting to return, cou'd not agree to take poffeffion of the Promised Land, till that whole Generation of them were dead, who were above twenty Years old, when they left their Bondage, except Caleb and Joshua.

Mofes, tho' infpired in writing of facred Laws and Precepts, yet he was a Man of the fame Paffions and Failings, which are common to human Nature; for God, when he raifes a Prophet, by whom to deliver his Will, never makes that Prophet an involuntary Machine, or puts any Force upon him, more than another, that he cannot err, of which we have fufficient Inftances in many of the notorious Failings of infpired Writers, particularly of David and Solomon, whofe Vices are to be fhunned with Abhorrence, though their Dictates are most worthy our conftant Regard.

So that it may not be improbable that Mofes, from the Importunity of the Children of Ifrael, might not offer to perfwade them to the Contrary, when they were bent upon the Project to borrow thefe Ornaments of the Egyptians without Purpose to return them; fince he might fee it wou'd be difficult for him to perfwade them to leave Egypt, with only a Profpect of an Inheritance in the Land of Canaan, which

might appear to them no better than removing from England to America would to us, except they could carry off with them fome of the most valuable Treafures of Egypt; they might therefore, I fay, be permitted by Mofes to borrow what they could of them, the Account of which no doubt, he recorded, but I cannot think, that in his original Relation of it, he would ever reprefent God as theCommander of that Action, fince they were afterwards punished for it to their Shame.

But that future Tranfcribers of the History have taken the Liberty through their own private Sentiments, fuppofing God to have the Jame Paffions as themselves, that upon their tranfcribing from Mofes's Relation thereof, they have introduced God as the Orderer of it.

But if we may judge of what is the Voice of God declared in the Scriptures, it will be eafily difcovered, that by comparing one Part by another, and obferving the three Rules above laid down, it will be natural to diftinguifh what is, and what is not corrupted by Tranfcribers, Tranflators, or Commentators, whereof this one Inftance may be a Guide to direct us from being led into Errors of this Kind.

And let us ever take Care to afcribe unto the Fountain of Perfection, Spotless Holinefs, Love, Mercy, Justice, and Truth, with whom is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory for ever and ever. Amen.

B. P.