ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

in his Natural History Lib. 36. Cap. 15. describes a Theatre built by Curio much more Capacious, and inftead of the two Pillars fupporting this House of the Philistines, it had only one fupporter. And Tacitus in his Annal. Lib. 6. Cap. 62. mentions the fall of an Amphitheatre built by Attilius, by which fifty thousand People were killed and wounded.

I fuppofe by what is faid, the hainous guiltinefs of the Self-flaying or Suicide, of which we have treated, is fufficiently manifeft; as also that Sampfon is fufficiently vindicated from that abominable Crime, of which the Holy Scripture affords no Examples, but thofe of King Saul, Achithophel and Judas Iscariot.

I fhall only add, that the Frequency of that horrid and deteftible Practice may juftly render those who plead in Defence of it, not only ashamed but ftruck with Horror. I have Charity to think that all our modern Deifts are not fo abandoned, as to join in the Defence of Self-murder. But at the fame Time when their diftinguished Authors have done fo; fome or other of them, at least, who have moral Probity at Heart, ought to diftinguish themselves, by joining with Chriftians, in bearing Teftimony against

this flagitious Wickedness, that spreads itself like a Contagion. Compaffion towards Mankind, and Duty to their Country, feems to require this; and the rather, that if Numbers come to think it lawful to flay themselves, they will never hesitate at the murdering of others.

[merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]
[ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

P4.9. 1. 21. r. off. P. 29. 1. 5. r. where.

AGE 5. Line 16. read Incapacity.

Ib. 1. 12. r. converfant. P. 32. I. ult. r. exauctorated. P. 33. 1. penult. r. fe nactam. P. 34. 1. 1. r. fuo demigrare. Ib. 1. 3. r. Næ. Ib. I. 8. r. Deo. P. 35. 1. 24. r. ifthæc. P. 36. 1. 9. r. or at least.

A

DISSERTATION

ΟΝ

JEPHTHA's VOW.

A

LTHOUGH nothing can be

more manifeft, than that all ανθρωπόθυσια, or Humane Sacrifice, is exprefly forbidden by God, as an Abomination to him, in Deut. xii. 30, 31. yet the Deifts are ftill endeavouring to fix this hidious Abfurdity upon the Holy Scriptures; as if they allowed this abominable Practice. A Practice that has been familiar to the Deifts of antient Times, and ftill continueth to be fo, in many of those Nations, dwelling in darknefs, where the Divine Revelation hath not taken place. Among other Patrons of the

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

Sect of Deifts in England, Dr. Tindal, in his Christianity as old as the Creation, has the Affurance to afk this Question, To what other Purpofe could God's portion of the Captives taken in war, ferve? Was it poffible that the Man's Confcience did not tell him, when he was writing this, what every half-learned Chriftian knows, viz. that the tribe of Levi would have been excluded from any Share, unlefs they had it from this Portion: Had they no Ufe for Servants, acquired either this Way, or bought with their Money? Or could not they fell fuch Captives as well as others? And is it not well known, that there was a Treasury in the Temple, and many Exigents to be defrayed out of it? And even before the Building of the Temple, the Tabernacle had its Treasury, and there were alfo Exigents for it, tho' not fo many; and it is also called the Treafury of the Houfe of the Lord. Joh. vi. 19. Could not Captives be fold, and the Money arifing from their Price be put into this Treasury.

The two Cafes from which the Deifts do chiefly endeavour to perfwade that this Offering of Humane Sacrifices is countenanced by the Holy Scriptures, are the Command of Trial given to Abraham to offer his Son

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »