Logue, together with all the Moral, Judicial and Ceremonial Ordinances which he bequeathed to the Jews? But if there were a greater number of Stones, what could have hinder'd Joshua from ingraving upon them the Book of Deuteronomy, which was more particularly known by the Name of the Law of Mofes, as we fhall fhew it hereafter? Gin, 12. 6. 13.7 III. He quotes fome Places out of Genefis wherein 'tis faid, that Abraham went into the Land of Canaan, and that the Canaanite was then in the Land; which, fays he, the Hiftorian doubtlefs only faid, because in his time there were no Canaanites left in that Land,and confequently Mofes could never be that Hiftorian. Aben. Ezra who was the Author of this Objection, furnishes us alfo with an Answer to it. It is likely, fays he, that Canaan Father of the Canaanites, feized upon the Land of Canaan, whilst it was fubject to another Mafter: So that according to this Explanation, the Senfe of that Place would be to this effect. Now the Canaanite was then in the Land, and had already poffeffion of it, when Abraham came into it. But our Author, whom we confute, would not ftand to that Expofition. He prefumes, that before the Children of Canaan took that Land in poffeffion, there were no Inhabitants at all therein; and this he fuppofes to appear from what is written in Genefis about it, but he does not prove it. But he is certainly mistaken, both in the Principle which he eftablifhes, and in the confequence which he infers from it. For First of all, 'tis faid indeed in Genefis, that Canaan was Father to the Jebusites, the Amorites, &c. That the Families of the Ca naanites naanites were afterwards difperfed; that the extent of their Limits was from Guerar unto Gaza; but it fays nothing elfe. Does that therefore hinder, but that fome of the Children of Cuz, who were at firft very powerful in the Land, and who reigned under Nimrod, Noah's GrandSon, might have been deprived of it by the Children of Canaan fome time before Abraham came into that Land? He is further miftaken in the confequence which he infers from it; for whether there dwelt any other Nation in that Land or not, 'tis certain however, that the Children of Canaan had not always lived in it. Noah's Children were by degrees difperfed up and down their Families were increafed, and coming by little and little near unto the Land, the Children of Canaan had already poffeffed themselves of that Land, a long time (if you will) before Abraham came into it. The Reader who might perhaps have been unacquainted with this Chronology, is informed by Mofes, that the Canaanites dwelt in the Land, even in Abraham's time. Where then lies the difficulty in all this? But that it might not be thought we would turn the matter to our own advantage, we will compare thefe Two Notions together, that fo we may be the better affured which of them is the most reasonable. Efdras who wrote in an Age wherein there was never fo much as a Child but knew that the Canaanites were driven out of their Country by the Ifraelites, the Children of Ifrael, the Son of Abraham, thinks it expedient to inform the Reader, that in Abraham's time, the Canaanites dwelt ftill in the Land; that is, that in Abraham's time, they were not yet driven out of it by the Ifraelites Ifraelites. This is the Notion of our doughty Mofes who wrote in a time wherein 'twas neceffary to inform the Ifraelites, that their Fathers had converfed with the Canaanites, fays, that when Abraham came into that Land, he found it already inhabited by the Canaanites; that the Canaanites were there in that early time, or that the Canaanites dwelt then in the Land: This is our Exposition. Now the Reader need but to compare thefe Two Opinions together; for to his Integrity we leave it to chufe which of the Two he thinks the most reasonable, IV. He pretends that Mount Moriah bears that Name, and is called in Genefis, in the Mount of the Lord it fhall be feen, (or it shall be provided,) by anticipation; it being fo called, only because the Temple was built in it long after. But there's no truth in all this; for this is the true Story of it; as Abraham was going to the Mountain which God had fhewed him, he answered thus to his Son Ifaac, who asked him, My Father, where is the Lamb for a Burnt Offering? provide himself with a Lamb for God indeed provided himself Gen. 22. 7. 8. My Son, God will the Burnt Offering. with a Ram, whom Abraham offered to him in * Our Translation reads it, Jehovah Ji. reth. the stead of his Son. Wherefore came afterwards a Proverb a- 0 V. He pretends that Mofes is not the Author of the following Words. For only Og King of Bathan remained of the Deut. 3.11. Remnant of Giants; behold his Bedstead was a Bedstead of Iron; is it not in Rabbath of the Children of Ammon? Nine Cubits was the length thereof. But that it is the Parenthefis of a Man who quoted things of a very old date. But upon what grounds can he pretend fuch things? Is it improbable but that they might have kept Og's Bedstead in the time of Moses? Or could not Mofes probably have put the Ifraelites in mind of the defeat of that King, by telling them that his Bedstead was at Rabbath? Or lastly, might it not have been carried thither? In truth, I cannot find where lies the difficulty in all this. Neither do I conceive there is any in the following Words. And Jair the Son of Manaffeh, took all the Country of Deut.3.14. Argob, unto the Coafts of Gefhuri and Maachathi, and called them after his own Name, Bafhan-havoth-jair unto this Day. They pretend that Mofes could not properly have expreffed himself after this manner, and that this fashion of fpeaking (unto this day) is not suitable to an Hiftorian, who was an Eye-Witness to the event of the things he fpeaks of. But they are grofs mistaken, if they imagine that this fashion of fpeaking, denotes in the Scripture any great diftance of time. St. Matthew not only ufes it to denote fuch things as happened in his time, but even fince he was himself an A postle, That Field, fays he, was cal- Mat. 27.8. abroad among the Jews unto this day. Is not Mofes himself reprefented to us in the Book of Deuteronomy, faying to the Children of Ifrael, Deut. 11. He made the Waters of the Red-Sea to overthrow them, as they pursued after you, and the Lord has deftroyed them unto this Day? But this laft Objection following, is one of thofe which this Author frames of his own Invention against us, which 'twill not be amifs to answer more at large in the following Chapters, CHAP. VIII. Wherein we further anfwer Spinofa's Objections against the Books of Mofes. W HAT our Adversary here objects, viz. That the Compiler of the Pentateuck not only fpeaks of Mofes in the Third Perfon, but gives him also a very great Character is feveral Places; as for instance, That God spoke to Mofes Face to Face; that Mofes was the Meekeft of Men; that Mofes was fore difpleafed at the Captains of the Hoft; that Mofes was the Man of God; that Mofes the Servant of the Lord died; that there arofe not a Prophet fince in Ifrael like unto Mofes : Ifay what he objects here, is worthy our confideration. We may very well judge of the other Objections of this Author, by this here, which though the chiefeft of them all, is however but a compound of Difingenuity, Ignorance, Inconfideration and want of Judgment; and however we pretend not to rail at him, but only to call every thing |