obedience, they became Motives to true Religion, instead of Encouragements to Idolatry. The idolatrous Nations worshipped fubordinate Beings, whom they owned fubject to the Supreme; but they believed they had the immediate Direction of the Bleffings of Life; that they gave Health, long Life, fruitful Seafons, Plenty and Profperity: This we are told, by * Maimonides, was a Doctrine taught by the Sabians in their Books, as well as in their Inftructions to the People. One of the oldeft of the Prophets has fo fully expreffed this Reason of the Hebrew Conftitution, that we need no further Evidence of it. For their Mother hath played the Harlot, he that conceived them bath done fhamefully for she said, I will go after my Lovers, that give me my Bread and my Water, my Wool and my Flax, mine Oil, and my Drink... For fhe did not know Hofea ii. that I gave her Corn, and Wine, and Oil, 5, 8, 9. Oil,5,8,9. and multiplied ber Silver and Gold, which they prepared for Baal. Therefore will I return, and take away my Corn in the Time thereof, and my Wine in the Seafon thereof; and will recover my Wool and my Flax, given to cover her Nakedness. The Prophet Jeremiah gives the fame Reason why the Jews fell into the idolatrous Practice of burning Incense to the Jeremiah, Queen of Heaven! But we will certainly 18. Maimon. Mor. Nevoc. p. 3. c. 30. do xliv. 17. do whatfoever thing goeth forth out of our own Mouths to burn Incense unto the Queen of Heaven, and to pour out Drink-Offerings unto her, as we have done; we, and our Fathers, our Kings and our Princes in the Cities Judah, and in the Streets of Jerufalem; for then had we plenty of Victuals, and were well, and faw no Evil: but fince we left off to burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven, and to pour out Drink-Offerings unto her, we have wanted all Things, and have been confumed by the Sword and by the Fa mine. This common Doctrine of Idolatry, that the feveral Bleffings of Life came from fome Demon or Idol, to whom the Authority and Power of beftowing temporal Bleffings were committed, was of fo general and powerful Influence, that it became the Wisdom of an Inftitution defigned to preserve the Faith and Worship of the one true God, against Idolatry, to affert, that God was the Author of every Bleffing of Life, that he had not parted with the Adminiftration of Providence, or given over the Difpofal of those Bleffings to any fubordinate Beings whatfoever; fo that Health, long Life, Plenty and all kinds of Profperity, were to be fought for from him, as his Gift, and only from his Bleffing and Protection. Whoever Wifdom to Whoever has juft Notions of the great Evil of Evils of Idolatry to the Dishonour of the Idolatry, fupreme Sovereign and Governour of the put a stop World, to the Corruption of the effential to it. Principles of true Religion and virtuous Practice, as Idolatry directed fo many barbarous, immoral and inhuman Rites, and encouraged fuch enormous Acts of Vice, as Acts of Religion, of which fome or other of the Idols they worshipped were Examples, and were esteemed to patronize them; it will appear to them a Design worthy the Goodnefs, as well as the Wisdom of God, to put fome Stop to fuch a dangerous Evil: efpecially when it was fo general and prevailing, that all Flesh had corrupted its way, and all the Nations of the Earth were running eagerly into it. Even the Egyptians, a People fo famed for Wisdom and good Understanding, were as senseless and as corrupt in their Idolatry, as any of their Neighbours. The Hebrews themselves, whatever former Care had been taken to preserve the Knowledge of the true God, and true Religion in the Family of Abraham, were fo addicted to this common Corruption of Religion, and were fo ready to fall into it, that there feemed no other way left to put any flop to the Progrefs of Idolatry any where, or to preserve the true Religion in any People, but by fome Conftitution form'd on this Plan, and which might effectually carry on this Defign in the feveral Parts of it: And this the Another View of the Goodness and Wisdom of God made a principal Defign in the Conftitution of the Jewish Government. More effectually to answer this chief Dethe He- fign, there was another fubordinate Intention brew Con- in the Conftitution of this Government. It flitution,to was of no fmall confequence, to keep this keep the Hebrews Nation separate from other Nations, and from In- from fuch Intercourfe with Idolaters as might tercourfe with Ido- end in an Apoftacy from their own Religion laters. to the Idolatry of their Neighbours. There is then a Law in general given by Mofes, in which he is directed to say in God's Name Lev. xviii. to the Children of Ifrael, I am the Lord 2, 3, 4. your God, after the Doings of the Land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, fhall ye not do; and after the Doings of the Land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their Ordinances, ye shall do my Judgments and keep my Ordinances to walk herein; 1 am Jehovah your God. Further, Mofes having recited the many and great Abominations committed by the Canaanites, on the Lofs of the right Knowledge of the one true God and of the true Religion; and through the Corruption of ido24, 30. latrous Doctrines and Practices; it is added, Defile not ye yourselves in any of thefe things: for in all thefe the Nations are defiled, which I caft out before you. again, therefore shall ye keep mine Ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these And abominable Levit. xx. 23, 24. abominable Cuftoms which were committed It had appeared by notorious Examples, how eafily the Hebrews themfelves were to be enticed into Idolatry, by frequenting the Company of Idolaters, and by converfing too much and too familiarly with them, while Ifrael abode in Shittim; The People began to com- Numbers mit Whoredom with the Daughters of Moab, XXV. 1, 2. and they called the People to the Sacrifice of their Gods; and the People did eat, and bowed down to their Gods: So eafy was the Paffage from feasting with them on their Sacrifices, to joining with them in their Idolatry. Thus If- 3. rael joined himself to Baal-peor. Such an Example of prevailing Idolatry, is justly given, as a fufficient Reason for a careful Separation of the Hebrew People from idolatrous Neighbours, in order to pre |