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remiah would use that favour which he had with Nebuchadnezzar, to any other purpose, rather than for the Prefervation of the Book of the Law? This use $ Jofephus made of his Intereft with Titus, to preferves the Holy Scriptures. And the Jews fay, that both the Tabernacle and the Ark were fecured by Jeremiah, in the burning of the Temple, at the time of their . Captivity, and confequently the Law was preferv'd, which was kept in the fide of the Ark; but it is much more probable that the Book of their Law was fecur'd, than the Ark it felf, that being both more eafily convey'd away, and not fo tempting a Prey to the Enemy. We find the Law cited in the time of the Captivity, by Daniel, Dan. ix. 11. by Nehemiah, Nehem. i. 8, 9. and in Tobit, who belong'd to the Ten Tribes, Tob. vi. 12. and vii. 13.

And it is not to be doubted, but that these and other pious Men had Copies of it by them, and were very careful to preferve them. Maimonides ▾ fays, that Mofes himself wrote out Twelve Books of the Law, one for each Tribe, befides that which was laid up in the fide of the Ark; and the Rabbins teach, that every one is obliged to have a Copy of the Pentateuch by him: And Ezra and Nehemiah are faid to have brought Three hundred Books of the Law into the Congregation affembled at their Return from Captivity. It is certain, there were Scribes of the Law, before the Captivity, and in the time of it, Jer. viii. 8. Ezra is ftiled a ready Scribe in the Law of Mofes; and the Scribe, even a Scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his ftatutes to Ifrael: And by Artaxerxes, in his Letter, he is call'd a Scribe of the law of the God of heaven, Ezra vii. 6, 11, 12.

Jofeph. vit. fub fin.

t2 Maccab. ii. 5.

v Maimon. Præf. in Seder Zeraim. p. 3.

w Druf. de Trib. Sect. 1. 3. c. 11. Pirke Rab. Eliefer c. 38. Ρ. ΙΟΙ.

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By which it appears, that there were Scribes of the Law during the Captivity, who were known by this folemn Style and Character, and whofe Care and Employment it was, to ftudy and write over the Law, of whom Ezra was the principal at the time of their Return.

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It is moft probable then, that the Book of the Law was preferv'd in Mofes's own hand, till the coming of the Jews from Babylon; befides the Copies that were preferv'd in the hands of Daniel, Nehemiah, Ezra, Zechariah, and the other Prophets, who were not only of unquestionable Integrity, but wrote themselves by Divine Inspiration.

3. Nothing is more exprefly forbidden in the Books of Mofes, than all Fraud and Deceit; and it cannot reasonably be fufpected, that any Man would be guilty of a Fraud of the highest nature imaginable, to introduce or establish a Law that forbids it. Mofes had forewarn'd them against all fuch Practices, both in his Laws in general, and by an exprefs Prohibition: Ye fhall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, Deut. iv. 2. And all who had any Regard to the Obfervation of his Laws, would obferve this, as well as other parts of it; for this preferv'd the Authority of all the reft inviolable: And if they had had no Regard to the Law, but had alter'd it as they pleas'd, they would certainly have made fuch Alterations as would have gratify'd the People, and would have taken great care to leave nothing which might give Offence; but the Laws of Mofes are fuch, as that without a Divine Authority to enforce them, they would never have been comply'd with, but would have been grievous to a lefs fufpicious and impatient People than the Jews! were. If it be faid, That the Prohibition against Alterations might be added amongst other things; there is no ground of Probability for it, but fo much odds against it, that a Man might as well fufpect that any

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other Paffage in the whole Five Books had been forged, as to pitch upon that particular Verfe, and fay that it is not genuine. Befides, why fhould Impoftors infert fuch a Claufe as would hinder them from changing any thing in the Law ever after? Why should they not rather referve to themselves a liberty of changing and adding as often as they thought fit?

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2. As the Laws themselves could not be invented nor alter'd after Mofes's time; fo neither could the Account of the Miracles wrought by him, be inferted after his Death, by any particular Man, nor by any Confederacy or Combination of Men whatfoever. For if the Miracles, by which the Law is fuppofed to be confirm'd, were afterwards inferted, they must be intended as a Sanction, to give Authority to it, and keep the People in awe, when they were become uneafie and difobedient under the Government of those Laws. But it must needs be much more difficult to introduce Laws at firft, than to govern a People by them, after they have been once introduc'd, and are fettl'd and receiv'd amongst them. Indeed, it is incredible, how Laws, fo little favourable to the Ease or Advantage of a People, which were fo expenfive and burthenfome in their Ceremonies, and which were purpofely defign'd, in many things, to be contrary to the Cuftoms of all the Nations round about them, and to the Customs which they had been themselves acquainted with in Ægypt, in fo many Instances, could be at first introduced, but by Miracle: But if they could have been once introduc'd without Miracles, there is no reason to think, but that when the People were u-; fed and accustom'd to them, there would have been no need of any Pretence of Miracles, to keep them in obedience to them; and as little reafon there is to imagine that they would have been over-aw'd by a Report of Miracles, which must be fuppos'd never to have been heard of, till the People gave occafion for the Invention of them, by their Difobedience...

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The Books of Mofes were read (as I have fhewn) in the Synagogues, or Religious Affemblics, in the feveral Tribes, at least every Sabbath-day, and were ap→ pointed to be folemnly read, in the audience of all the People, at the Feast of Tabernacles, every Seven Years: and if they had had no Knowledge of the Law of Mofes, but from the Rehearfal of it at the Feast of Tabernacles; yet can we conceive, that the Body of the Jew ifh Nation fhould be fo ftupid and forgetful, as not to remember when thefe Miracles must be fuppofed to be first read to them, that they had never heard them before? But how impoffible is it, that they fhould be thus impofed upon, when they heard the Books of Mofes read every Week to them, and had them befides in their own keeping, to read them at their lei fure? The Miracles now make up great part of the Books of Mofes; they are every where interfpers'd and intermix'd, throughout the Hiftory; and they are of fuch a nature, as is moft apt to make Impreffioh upon the Memories of Men: And can we imagine, that Miracles, fo often repeated, and every where inculcated, could be inferted by any Contrivance, and impofed upon a People who were all wont to hear the Law publickly read in a folemn Affembly once every Seven Years, and heard it read in their Synagogues befides every Seventh Day? Would they not be infinitely furpriz'd, the first time they heard the Relation of the Plagues inflicted on the Ægyptians, of the Judgment upon Korah and his Company, and of the miraculous Punifhments which befel the Idolatrous and Difobedient in the Wildernefs? Would they not foon have found out fo obvious a Deceit, as this muft have been, if it had been one? If we can think that fuch Infertions could pafs without difcovery; why' may we not as well believe too, that as many more might be made now, and not be difcover'd? Would' not the whole Body of the People have been able to testify that all this was counterfeited, and inferted in

to the Law; for no fuch thing was read to them in their Synagogues upon the Sabbaths, nor had been read at the end of the laft Seven Years, but it was all now. added to terrify them, and keep them from following the Cuftoms of other Nations? Would not this have been the worst Contrivance that could have been thought of, to keep a People in awe, to tell them of fuch things as every Man of them could difprove, that was of Age, and had but Understanding and Memory enough to know what he had heard fo often read before, and to diftinguish it from fuch things as are fo remarkable, that they could hardly escape any one's Memory, who had ever heard of them?

They had Books of the Law for their private reading; and befides the reading of it in their Weekly Aflemblies, they had a folemn Publication and Proclamation of their Law once every Seven Years, as it were purposely to prevent any Defign of falfifying it: And to have read any thing fo remarkable, as the Miracles of Mofes are, in all their circumstances, so often repeated and infifted upon, if the People had not found them in their own Books, and had not been used to hear them read to them, from the time of the giving the Law by Mofes, had been only for the Projectors to proclaim themselves Impoftors, but could never have deceived any Man. How impoffible any contrivance of this Nature would have been among a People fo fufpicious and turbulent as the Jews, we may perceive from what happen'd to an African Bishop who had a defign to introduce the Tranflation of St. Jerom into his Church. For when his People obferved Hedera to be read for Cu-curbita, that is, Ivy instead of Gourd, Jonah iv. they were in fuch an uproar on the alteration of this one word, in a difputable Cafe, and of little or no Confequence, that he was forc'd to continue the former Reading.

* Auguftin. ad Hieronym. Ep.

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