of the votaries of both these religions, in a country where their numbers were considerable, their ignorance the easy prey of delusion, and their attachment to the religions they professed weakened by the errors which at that disastrous period had corrupted, and the dissentions which had disgraced them. *

And now, on reviewing the facts and observations adduced in this section, it will be found, that the objection against the Jewish scheme, as being partial and confined to one obscure and insignificant nation, and therefore unworthy of the Deity, is false in fact, and inconclusive in reasoning; even without considering the Law as introductory of the Gospel; and that therefore, however confined in its immediate efficacy, its importance is clear, as being a necessary preparation for a pure and universal religion. This last is certainly the most decisive answer to the objection; yet independent of this, it has been proved that the Jewish scheme was intended to produce, and did produce, a most important and beneficial effect, in checking error and idolatry through a great portion of mankind, while it continued in operation. It has been proved, that this effect was intended and foreseen, and that it formed a direct object of the divine care, and, as it were, a leading motive in regulating the measures of the divine economy. The establishment of the Jewish Law displayed to the nations of Egypt and Canaan, the most striking proofs of the power and justice of Jehovah, and his superiority over their base idols; inflicting the most signal punishment on their deluded worshippers, to prove his abhorrence of idolatry. The subsequent fortunes of the Jewish nation proclaimed the same great truths; in their apostasies and chastisements, as well as their repentance and deliverances, attesting the resistless power and overruling providence of their God, exercised not only over the Jews themselves, but all the nations placed in their neighbourhood, or affected by their fortunes: particularly after the establishment of the regal government, we see the conquests of David, the wisdom and wealth of Solomon, the magnificence of the Temple, and the splendor of the Jewish religion, attracting general attention. We see the situation of Judea calculated to increase this effect: at the head of

* Vide Sale's Koran, the Preliminary Dissertation, sect. ii.; Prideaux's Life of Mahomet, the Preface; and Hottinger's Historia Orientalis, Lib. II. cap. ii. p. 212; De Statu Judæorum et Christianorum ante Muhammed; and cap. v. De Causis Conservantibus Muhammedismi.

the Mediterranean Sea, in the neighbourhood of Phoenicia, Egypt, Assyria, and Greece. The divine Providence connects the chosen people with these various powers; and from this connexion various opportunities arise of displaying to the heathen nations the most striking proofs of the power, and extorting from their most powerful monarchs the most public and solemn homage to the majesty of Jehovah.

But especially during the Babylonish captivity, the tendency, of Judaism to enlighten the heathen world becomes most conspicuous; it then exhibits its prophets and its martyrs, diffuses its instructions, lifts its head in the courts of monarchs, controls their fortunes aud chastises their pride; till at length it is restored to its seat, now purified from idolatry; and by inculcating the belief of a future retribution, and by the energetic exhortations of its prophets, confirmed by decided experience, it is enabled to preserve the worship of the true God, and a lively expectation of the promised Messiah, in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed; an expectation not confined to the Jews alone, but certainly prevailing, though perhaps indistinctly understood, through many nations of the East.

The effects of such a dispensation in enlightening mankind could not have been inconsiderable, even though we at this time and in this land, were unable distinctly to trace them. But they are still visible even to us, in the universal fame of Abraham and Solomon through the East, and the multitudes who trace to them their religious rites and opinions; in the history of the Samaritan settlement, and the religions of Zoroaster and Mahomet,* at this day professed by such numerons nations.

Should it still be affirmed that the Jewish scheme could not have been divine, because it did not universally enlighten and reform mankind; we answer, to expect such an effect is altogether wild and extravagant, for there is no reason to suppose it could have been produced at that period of the world, or indeed at any period which has ever yet occurred, by any methods of the divine government, consistent with the established course of nature and the moral agency of man. So deeply was man

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"The aneient Persians and modern Mahometans are possibly (says Bishop Butler) instances of people, who have had essential or natural religion enforced "upon their consciences by the means of the Scripture; though they never had “the genuine Scripture revelation, with its real evidence, proposed to their con"sideration." Vide Analogy, Part II. ch. vi. p. 319.

kind sunk in error and ignorance, in idolatry and all the vices connected with it, that any reformation of an entire nation, and much more of all nations, seem to have been totally impracticable. If the Egyptians and Canaanites could not be reformed by the wonders they beheld, and the chastisements they suffered; if the Philistines, the Samaritans and the Assyrians, so long witnesses of the divine Providence over the Jews, continued still idolaters; it seems certain no nation could have been permanently and exclusively attached to the worship of Jehovah, except by placing it under a system of miraculous instruction and miraculous control, nearly or exactly similar to that under which the chosen people were disciplined and restrained. Now, that many different nations should be thus miraculously disciplined and controlled, as far as we can judge, could not take place without totally altering the entire scheme of God's moral government, and utterly subverting the established course of nature. And so long as any nations continued unenlightened and unreformed, the objection that the divine dispensations were partial and confined, would still remain. Is it not then evident, that such an objection rests on presumption, leads to absurdity, and would terminate in atheism?

But it is asked, Are not all partial dispensations unjust, and therefore unworthy of God? To this I answer, in the words of the celebrated Butler, that "there is nothing in all this "ignorance, doubtfulness and uncertainty, in all these vari"eties, and supposed disadvantages of some in comparison of "others, respecting religion, but may be paralleled by manifest analogies in the natural dispensations of Providence at pre"sent, and considering ourselves merely in our temporal capa"city.

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"Nor is there any thing shocking in all this, or which would seem to bear hard upon the moral administration in nature, if "we would really keep in mind, that every one shall be dealt equitably with: instead of forgetting this, or explaining it 66 away, after it is acknowledged in words. All shadow of in"justice, and indeed all harsh appearances, in this various eco"nomy of Providence, would be lost, if we would keep in “mind, that every merciful allowance shall be made, and no more "be required of any one, than what might have been equitably expected of him, from the circumstances in which he was "placed; and not what might have been expected, had he been

*

"placed in other circumstances: i. e. in Scripture language, "that every man shall be accepted according to what he had, "not according to what he had not.' This however doth not "by any means imply, that all persons condition here, is "equally advantageous with respect to futurity. And Provi"dence's designing to place some in greater darkness with "respect to religious knowledge, is no more a reason why they "should not endeavour to get out of that darkness, and others "to bring them out of it; than why ignorant and slow people, "in matters of other knowledge, should not endeavour to learn, "or should not be instructed.

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"It is not unreasonable to suppose, that the same wise and good principle, whatever it was, which disposed the Author "of nature to make different kinds and orders of creatures, disposed him also to place creatures of like kinds, in different "situations: and that the same principle which disposed him "to make creatures of different moral capacities, disposed him "also to place creatures of like moral capacities, in different "religious situations; and even the same creatures, in different "periods of their being.

Again, "A system or constitution (as that of nature) implies "variety; and so complicated an one as this world, very great

variety. So that were Revelation universal, yet from men's "different capacities of understanding, from the different "lengths of their lives, their different educations and other "external circumstances, and from their difference of temper "and bodily constitution; their religious situations would be "widely different, and the disadvantage of some in comparison "of others, perhaps, altogether as much as at present."+ Considerations these, which prove that all objections to Revelation derived from its want of universality, are contrary to the analogy of nature, and founded on mere arrogance and presumption."+

2 Cor. viii. 12.

Butler's Anal. Part II. ch. vi. p. 320.

If any one who may happen to peruse this Work, finds himself disposed to believe, that the difficulties or objections which he thinks may be alleged against Revelation, from its not being universal or its proof appearing deficient, justify him in neglecting its evidence or violating its precepts; I earnestly entreat him to read and to reflect on the considerations Butler suggests, in the remaining part of this chapter of the Analogy; to prove that such difficulties and objections may be intended to try his sincerity and moral rectitude, and that negligence and inattention under such a probation may prove most criminal and destructive. Vide Butler, Part II. ch. vi. p. 323.

SECT. II. Philosophy not introduced into Europe until near the period of the Babylonish Captivity-Thales-Anaximander—Anaxagoras-Probability that some of their opinions were ultimately derived from the Jews-General circumstances in the history of Grecian philisophy and religion, render the same thing probable of them—Their sages travelling for learning into Egypt and the East— Connexion of the Jews with Egypt at this period-Early philosophers of Greece delivered their tenets dogmatically-Inference from thence-The higher we trace the philosophy and religion of Greece, the purer it is found-Inference-Providence gradually prepared the world for the Gospel-Grecian language and literature-Connexion of Greece with Asia increased-Conquests of Alexander— Singular distribution of the Jews at this period-Jews in Egypt use the Greek tongue-Septuagint translation, its importance -The formation of the Alexandrian library-Sects of Grecian philosophy-Their effect-Extension of the Roman empire-Facilitated the spread of Christianity.

HITHERTO We have traced the effects of the Jewish dispensation, chiefly in enlightening the Oriental nations; but let it be remembered, that previously to the Babylonish captivity, the greatest part of Europe had been sunk in barbarism, and Greece itself began to emerge from the depths of ignorance only at that period. It was not until after* the first capture of Jerusalem by Nehuchadnezzar, that Thales travelled into Egypt, and from thence introduced into his native land, geometry, astronomy and philosophy: he appears to have been amongst the first who gave his countrymen any rational idea of the origin of the world and his opinion, that water was the first principle of things, and that God was that Spirit who formed all things out of water, seems evidently borrowed from the Mosaic account indistinctly understood; that "In the beginning, the earth was "without form, and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the "waters."+

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* Vide Chronological Tables of Marshal; and the Universal History; also Brucker's Historia Philosophia, Lib. ii. ch. 1.

+ Genesis i. 1.

Thales enim Milesius qui primo de talibus rebus quæsivit, aquam dixit esse initium rerum, Deum autem eam mentem quæ ex aqua cuncta fingeret. Cicero de Natura Deorum, lib. i. cap. x. and Bruckeri Historia Philosophiæ, lib. ii, cap. i. vol. 1, p. 465.