prayers Night and Day. And it is agreed by Interpreters, Jewish and Chriftian, that from the time of Mofes downward, Religious Women fequeftred from the World, did ftill minister to the Tabernacle, and thereafter in the Temple. Of fuch Women it is, that Exod. xxxviii. 8. and I Sam. ii. 12. are understood. And the Learned in the Jewish Antiquities inform us, that tho' the Male Nazarites might Marry; yet the Female Nazarites were fhut up, and to ab ftain from Marriage, as well as Wine and ftrong Drink. And what should hinder this to be the manner of fulfilling Jephtha's Vow? As to the modern Monaftick Life; tho' they may have proved Nurseries of Immorality by grofs and fcandalous Abuses; yet it is manifeft, that a fingle Virgin, as Jephtha's Daughter, dedicated to God, and fecluded not only from the World, but even from the Virgins her Companions, except four Days in a Year, to be conftantly imployed in Prayer and Holy Meditation; hath nothing in it, resembling the Monaftick Life..

In the times of primitive Chriftianity, the firft Afceticks, were true Monafticks, who in the heat of Perfecution, had retired into Deferts, where they lived alone, (as the Term Monaftick implys) in fevere abfti

nence,

mence, and felf-denial, continual Prayer, and Holy Meditation. They were Eminent Saints. And as often as they returned to vifit the adjacent Cities, they were rare Examples of the Power, and true Spirit of Christianity; and by their fhining Virtue, and heavenly Exhortation, did much to revive the decaying Beauty of Holiness. This inspired a Zeal into Numbers; and Multitudes followed them into the Deferts, to Affociate with them. And then they foon. degenerated into Armies of feditious, turbulent, furious Zealots; affuming Authority over all Ecclefiaftical Rulers; and often to Exercise a bloody Violence.

In later Times, the Mutiplying and Enriching of Abbey's, Monaftary's, Nunnery's, &c. produced Seminary's of Idleness, and fulness of Bread, and those impurities that are the Natural Confequences. If a few Perfons of true Piety did retire from the World, dedicating themselves to God, and Affociate in joining Labour and Abstinence to their Devotion; they might mutually improve, and inflame the Piety of each other. But when Idleness, Plenty, Riches, and Luxury, enter; all must foon degenerate into Wickedness and fhameful Practices.

When

When the best Things are Corrupted, they turn into the worst.

Among the Jews, the Schools of the Prophets, their Nazarites, their Rechabites and Effenes, were Excellent Institutions. Whereas the Romish Monafteries, &c. (it is faid) have proved the Reverse. However, whether they be Good, or Bad, Useful, or Hurtful to Religion; yet their very Inftitution, and affociated Life, is fo opposite to the Cafe of one fingle Reclufe Virgin, which was the Cafe of Jephtha's Daughter, that the admitting of the One, can never give Countenance to the Other.

The feventh and laft Argument in favour of the harsh Sentiment, is: That by confidering the Vow, as binding Jephtha to make his Daughter a burnt Offering, or at least to Slay her, an excellent Type is afforded, of God the Father giving his only Son to be a Sacrifice for our Redemption.

It is manifeft that none can pretend to plead this Argument, who Cenfure and Condemn the Vow, as Rafh, and the fulfilling it, as highly finful; because in that Cafe, to make it a Type, would difparage the Divine Conduct. But because I have obferved this Argument pleaded by two Authors, who think Jephtha's Vow, and the fulfilling of

it, did all along proceed from Divine Infpiration. I briefly,

Anfwer. That the Holy Scriptures give no Countenance to any fuch Type; but on the Contrary, do expreffly prohibit the Shedding of innocent Blood; and declare a human Sacrifice to be an Abomination unto God. The Shedding of innocent Blood, defiles a Land: Our bleffed Saviour came to purify and cleanse. A human Sacrifice is an Abomination to God: Jefus Chrift is his beloved Son, in whom he is well pleased. That which defiles a Land, and is an Abomination to God; is a manifeft Contradiction to the pure and holy Nature of our Lord Jefus Chrift: And therefore can never be an Emblem, or proper Type of him, or of any thing that relates to him.

See Gen. ix. 5, 6. Numb. xxxv. 33. Deut. xii. 30, 31. Deut. xix. 10, II, - 12, 13.

In the VII foregoing Arguments, I have reprefented and examined every thing that is pleaded by the Favourers of the harsh Sentiment, concealing nothing worthy of Notice. And for the more full and fatisfactory clearing of the whole Subject; I now proceed to lay together, what is pleaded by thofe of the more mild and merciful Side.

And

Andall along I fhall confider the Exceptions that are made against them, by those of the barfh Sentiment.

The Arguments urged by thofe of the more Mild and Charitable Sentiment.

Their first Argument is, that not only all the Hebrew Lexicons, but also those of the harsh Sentiment, do themselves allow, that the hebrew particle Vau, must fometimes be tranflated Or, rather than And: As alfo that the Word Lethannoth, may be tranflated to talk with, or to comfort, or -praife her, as properly as to lament her. And not only fo, but when the Question is asked, What if a Dog, or a Swine, or any living Creature which could not be offered in Sacrifice, had first come forth to meet Jephtha? They do all unanimously own, thật in fuch Cafe the Vow could not bind to facrifice them: Becaufe in fuch Cafe the Offering would have been abfurd, and odious to God. Therefore certainly the Vow could far lefs bind to offer a human Creature in Sacrifice; because this is incomparably more abfurd and abominable to God. For this it is, that Junius, who retains the Translation of the Particle Vau into And, with those

of