et l'efficace d'une impression surnaturelle, pour faire ployer le gross de la Nation, c'est-à-dire les Juifs charnels, qui ne pénétroient point ces vues Mystérieuses, sous le joug pesant de la Dispensation Mosaïque." [pp. 94, 95.] And again, "Ce double Caractere de la Dispensation Mosaïque met sa divinité hors d'atteinte à tous les traits les plus envenimés du Déisme qui l'attaque par deux batteries opposées. Quoi? disent nos Libertins, une Religion qui promet uniquement les biens de la Terre, peut-elle être digne de Dieu! Et lorsque, pour leur répondre, ayant recours au sens mystique, on dit que les promesses Légales qui, prises à la lettre, n'offrent qu'un bonheur temporel, doivent s'entendre spirituellement ; ces Messieurs se retournent aussi-tot avec une merveilleuse adresse pour vous demander comment un Oracle, qui trompe les hommes, et qui n'a point d'accomplissement dans le sens le plus clair, le plus propre, et le plus littéral de ce qu'il promet, peut être regardé comme un Oracle divin? Question, qui dans l'hypothese commune, me paroît plus difficile à résoudre d'une façon satisfaisante. Mais l'une et l'autre objection tombe, dès qu'on envisage l'ancienne economie telle qu'elle est; c'est-à-dire, tout à la fois comme Alliance nationale et comme economie religieuse. En qualité d'Alliance nationale, ses promesses sont toutes Charnelles, et s'accomplissent à la terre à l'egard des Juifs. Mais en qualité d'economie religieuse, essentiellement liée au plan de l'Evangile, elle est pour les Fidéles, la figure et le gage des biens spirituels, Doublement digne du Dieu de vérité, et par l'accomplissement litteral de ses promesses, et par leur usage typique, la réunion de ces deux rapports y annonce l'ouvrage de son infinie sagesse." [Addition à l'Article iv. p. 104.] Thus far this ingenious Writer. But now a difficulty will occur. He owns the Author of the Divine Legation hath made out his point, that the Law of Moses is from God: He contends that the Author's system is the only one that can support this Revelation against the objections jections of Deists and Libertines: Yet when he has done this, he has thought fit to call this very system, a Parador; though it goes upon his own principle, That the Mosaic Dispensation had a double character; that it was a national Alliance, and was at the same time essentially united to the Gospel plan; that this double Character, though not apprehended by the body of the Jewish People, yet was well understood by those peculiarly favoured of God, their Prophets, and Leaders. This censure, if it be intended for one, I say, appears to me a little mysterious. However, the learned Writer's words are these 66 Quand Mr. de Prades a dit que l'œconomie Mosaïque n'étoit fondée que sur les peines et les recompenses temporelles, et qu'il a soutenu que cela même fournit une bonne preuve de la divinité de cette œconomie, il n'a fait autre chose que suivre la trace du savant Warburton, qui avança ce PARADOXE, il y a déja quelques années, dans son fameux Ouvrage de la Divine Legation de Moise, et employa tour à tour pour le defendre, le rai-. sonnement et l'erudition. Notre Bachelier, aussi-bien que M. Hooke, qu'il cite pour son garand, auroient bien dû faire honneur à l'illustre Docteur Anglois, d'une pensée que personne ne doutera qu'ils n'ayent puisée chez lui." [p. 88.] Now, I have so good opinion of this learned Writer's candour as to believe that either he used the word parador in an indifferent sense, or that he was misled in his Judgment of the Divine Legation by Mr. de Prades and Mr. Hooke: Who although they borrowed what they have delivered concerning the nature of the Mosaic Economy from that book, which they did not think fit to confess, yet it is as certain that what they borrowed they either did not understand, or at least have misrepresented. The learned Sorbonist has since published his Course of Theology, intitled Religionis naturalis et revelatæ Principia. In which, though he has consulted his ease and perhaps his reputation, in transcribing the reasonings of the Divine Legation on various points VOL. VI. P of of Theology, and generally without reference to the Book or the Author; yet his affairs with his Body have taught him caution, and obliged him to declare against the PROPOSITION, in support of which, those reasonings were employed by their original Author. For when he comes to the question concerning the sanction of the Jewish Law, he introduces it in the following mannerQuæstionem, inchoamus difficilem, in qua explicanda adhibenda est summa verboru:n proprietas, ne Pelagianis ex una parte non satis foedus Mosaicum & Evangelicum discriminantibus, aut contrariis RECENTIORUM QUORUMDAM erroribus favere videamur. And so, fortifies himself with Suarez and St. Thomas. The consequence of which is, that the two large Chapters in his second Volume (the first, To prove that a future state was always a popular doctrine amongst the Jews; and the second, That temporal rewards and punishments were really and equally distributed amongst them under the Theocracy) just serve to confute one another: Or more properly, the second Chapter, by aid of the Arguments taken from the Divine Legation, effectually overturns all that he has advanced in the first.-See M. Hooke's second volume of his Course, intitled, Religionis naturalis et revelata Principia, from pp. 208 to 236. For the rest, this justice is due to the learned and ingenious Writer, that these Principles of natural and revealed Religion compose the pest reasoned Work in defence of Revelation which we have yet seen come from that quarter. T THE NINTH BOOK OF THE DIVINE LEGATION OF MOSES: BEING AN ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN THE TRUE NATURE AND GENIUS OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. Printed, so far as it goes, by the AUTHOR; and left unfinished: FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1788. INTRODUCTION to the Ninth Book. Book IX. Chaps. I.II. III. IV. V. & VI. - With NOTES. : THE Reader has been already referred to an Explanation of the omission of Books VII. & VIII.-And lest, in the preceding Title page to the IXth Book, the words "left unfinished" might operate to the prejudice of this division of the work, it may be proper to repeat here a few words from Bishop HURD'S introductory Discourse :-" This IXth Book is the noblest effort that has hitherto "been made to give a RATIONALE OF CHRISTIANITY ... Very little is wanting to complete the Author's design; only what he had proposed to say on the apocalyptic prophecies, and which may be supplied from the "Discourse on Antichrist." See Vol. I. of this Edit. pp. 86. 89.-Ed. |