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thofe facred books, which contained the whole ritual of divine worship, free from all remarkable alterations and corruptions? Befides, the neglecting thefe books can never be the reafon of their being corrupted, as to those who actually corrupted them. They knew their contents too well; and therefore if any designing idolatrous priests took occafion, from the general neglect, to corrupt the Pentateuch, it must have been with a defign to render it favourable to the cause of idolatry, to which the Jews were so strongly inclined. And if our author can, in one inftance, prove, that the Pentateuch, as it now ftands, hath any fuch tendency, I'll give him up the entire controversy.

As to the other reafon he mentions; that the Jews were reduced, for a confiderable time, to one copy, which was also loft So long, that the contents of it were become unknown; this I take to be an affertion without any foundation to fupport it. The place he cites, 2 Kings xxii. proves nothing like it; but only that as they were repairing the temple, Hilkiah, the high prieft, found that copy of the book of the

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law which had been repofited (fee 2 Chron. xxxiv. 14.) by Mofes's command) fee Deut. xxxi. 26.) in the fide of the ark of the covenant. It seems probable indeed that Jofiah, beginning his reign very young, when he was but eight years old, had not, at this time, read over the book of the law; but hearing that the original copy, which was depofited in the temple, was found, commanded it to be read; and when he understood how dreadful the threatnings of God were, towards the Jews, if they turned afide to idolatry, was exceedingly furprized, and willing to avert the threatned judgment from himself and people. But that they had the law in ufe before this, is evident from that reformation which was made throughout the whole kingdom, by the means of the king and high pricft, before this accident; which could not have been brought to any perfection, or fettled on any good founda tion, without the law of the Lord to direct them befides that 'tis exprefly faid of Jofiah's goodness, that it was according tà that which was written in the law of the Lord, 2 Chron. xxxv. 26. And indeed

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the whole history of the Jews, in the Old Teftament writings, is a proof that the law was never loft; tho' under the reign of idolatrous kings, it was, by fome, very much neglected. Thus David prays for Solomon, Only the Lord give thee wisdom -------- that thou mayft keep the law of the Lord thy God. Then shalt thou profper, if thou takeft beed to fulfill the ftatutes and judgments which the Lord charged Moses with, 1 Chron. xxii. 12, 13. Or as 'tis elsewhere expreffed, and keep the charge of the Lord thy God. -----as it is written in the law of Mofes, 1 Kings ii. 3 In the reign of Afa, 'tis exprefly faid, that the priests taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, 2 Chron. xvii. 9. In the reigns of Joash and Amaziah, we alfo find that Mofe's law was in being, 2 Chron. xxiii. 18. xxiv. 6. and xxv. 4. Under Hezekiah alfo, the grandfather of Jofiah, 'tis faid, that the priests flood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moles, the man of God, 2 Chron. xxx. 16. And again, that he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following

following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Mofes. And again that he appointed the kings portion of his fubftance, for the burnt offerings, viz. for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the fabbaths, and for the new moons, and for the fet feafts, as it is written in the law of the Lord, viz. Numb. xxviii, And the reafon affigned for the captivity of the Ifraelites by the king of Affyria, in the fourth year of Hezekiah king of Judab, is, because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God, but tranfgreffed kis covenant, and all that Moses the fervant of the Lord commanded, 2 Kings xviii. 6, 12. Ifaiah alfo, who prophecied in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, fpeaks of the law, not only as a thing in being, but to which the people might have constant recourse. To the LAW, and to the testimony; if they speak not according to THIS WORD, it is because there is no light in them, Ifai. viii. 20. other places might be mentioned. So that the lofing of the law is a fiction of our author's, and therefore cannot be urged

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as a reason of its corruption. Befides, as it was the bufinefs of the prophets to preserve the worfhip of God amongst the Jews, as Mofes's law directed; there is abundant reafon to believe they kept this book uncorrupt and entire.

And as to any alterations made either in these, or any other books of the Old Teftament, by Efdras, to me there feems but little reason for fuch a fuppofition. That he might collect the several dispersed writings of the prophets, collate the feveral manuscripts of them then extant, purge them from any errors that might have crept into them, thro' the negligence of transcribers, and so fix the text and true reading, for the use of future ages, seems probable enough: a work he was every way fit for, whether we confider him as a ready fcribe in the law of Moses, Esr. vii. 6. or as a prophet under the inspiration and direction of the spirit of God. But that he altered the facred. books, from what they were before, feems a little incredible, because 'twill be hard to affign any probable reason which could induce him to do it. That

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