"have more than one wife, otherwise the "command were fuperfluous.' From "hence it follows, that polygamy is not " evil and illicit in itself."

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"II. Lorfque DIEU regle la maniere "d'une chofe, ou qu'il fait par rapport à cette chofe, quelque autre reglement, qui fuppofe neceffairement qu'elle eft permife; il faut voir s'il s'agit d'un feul acte paf

Jager,

*The intention of the commandment relative to the kings of Ifrael (Deut. xvii. 17.) appears plainly from the very words of it-which are not-that they fhall not have more than one wife at a time-but that the king--non multiplicabit, Mont.-shall not multiply (or increase to a multitude) women

to himfelf-fo as to imitate the kings of the heathen, who had numbers of women of all nations, partly for ftate, partly for the provocation and indulgence of fenfuality, and this to fuch a degree, as wholly to neglect all public affairs, and to fink into the moft fhameful floth and effeminacy. Therefore it is added--that his heart turn not awaynot only from the affairs of the kingdom-but into apoftacy from GoD to idols, being folicited thereto by the fondness he might entertain for a variety of women taken to fupply his pleasures, fome of them perhaps heathens, to which he might be attached, if once he gave a loose to an unbounded appetite. The wisdom of this command, appears from the melancholy history of Solomon, as recorded 1 Kings

xi. 1-8.

Mr. Prior, in one of the most beautiful poems that our language ever produced, has finely, and indeed fcripturally, reprefented Salomon as saying

Charm'd

τε

Jager, ou d'une chofe qui par elle-meme, ou par fes fuites, fe reduife à une habi66 tude, & une pratique continuelle.

"II. When GOD regulates the manner of a thing, or makes, with refpect to the thing, fome other regulation, which neceffarily fuppofes the thing itself permitted; we fhould con"fider whether this concerns a fingle tranfitory act, or fomething which in itself, or by its confequences, may "reduce itfelf into habit and continual practice."

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Dans le dernier cas la permiffion

"Charm'd by their eyes, their manners I acquire, "And shape my foolishness to their defire: "To each new barlot I new altars drefs, "And ferve her GOD, whofe perfon I carefs." SOL. B. ii.

To guard against this, as well as other effects of a provoked, indulged, and unbounded fenfuality, appears to be the intention of this law. But as to polygamy, as confidered in itself, its lawfulness must be fuppofed, otherwife (as Barbeyrac rightly concludes) there could be no place for fuch a law as this, which is to moderate and regulate it with regard to those who, from their station, must have so full a power, and confequently fo much temptation, to abuse it.

If the reader confiders the whole context of this paffage (ver. 16, 17.) he will perceive, that it only concerns the abufe or excefs of things lawful in themfelves, as the inftances of horfes, and gold and filver, clearly demonftrate.

emporte

66

emporte toujours une veritable approbation de la chofe dont il s'agit, comme licite par elle-même. Il est impoffible que DIEU permette, par "exemple, le metier de brigand, de pi"rate, d'afafin, de duellifte, &c. fous quelques conditions que ce foit. Lors "donc qu'on voit qu'il règle certains cas qui fuppofent la polygamie permise,

comme dans Deut. xxi. 15. on a tout ← lieu d'inferer de cela feul que la poly*gamie n'est pas neceffairement contraire 66 au droit naturel.

"In the latter cafe, the permiffion "always implies a real approbation of "the thing in queftion, as lawful in itself. "It is impoffible that God fhould allow "the trade, for instance, of a robber-of

66

a pirate-of an affaffin-of a duellift, &c. "under any conditions whatsoever. As "then we see that He regulates certain cafes, which fuppofe a permiffion of polygamy-as in Deut. xxi. 15. we are at full liberty to infer from thence, that polygamy is not neceffarily contrary to """natural right."

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More transcripts might be made from this very learned and ingenious man, to the same purpose; but these are sufficient to fhew the force of TRUTH, over a liberal and candid mind, where fcripture is

made

made the one standard of decifion as to good and evil. Influenced by this, the great Grotius fhall vary from his first opinions, and Barbeyrac, though no friend to polygamy, yet does not offer, in a fingle inftance, to condemn it on the footing of divine revelation; he fairly and honestly owns, that its abolition has been owing to human legiflation ONLY-and of course, that it is not evil in itself-not forbidden either in the Old or New Teftament;-fo far from it, moft certainly approved and allowedand, as fuch, regulated by the divine law.

I would not be understood to have quoted Grotius, Barbeyrac, or any other great and learned author, in the course of this work, with the leaft view of determining any matter of faith, or of deciding, either one way or the other, as to what is agreeable, or otherwise, to the mind and will of GOD, touching any of the points which have been difcourfed upon. The writings of men are evidence of their opinions; but whether those opinions are right or wrong, can only appear from their conformity or disagreement with the fcriptures. To thefe alone, therefore, we must appeal, for all decifion in religious matters-if we think with thefe, we need not concern ourselves who differs from us; if our notions of religious truths are only

derived

derived from the opinions or reasonings of fallible men like ourselves, we are on no better footing than our Popish neighbours, or our heathen ancestors, as to any reason which we can give for the hope that is in us. -Therefore let me finish the whole of this woRK, as I concluded the Introduction to it-To THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY.-If. viii. 20.

As for any thing elfe, whether it be the wisdom of Plato, Ariftotle, Cicero, &c. among the antients-of Sir Ifaac Newton, Mr. Locke, Bishop Warburton, or the old woman that fells apples at the corner of a ftreet, among the moderns-the author efteems it all equally venerable, equally to be depended upon, where GoD's mind and will is concerned, independently of revelation; and he does earnestly hope, that every reader-if the author might presume to name himself after fuch great authorities-will, throughout the perufal of these volumes, treat him in the fame way, and not believe one word, but as it appears confonant to the fcriptures-For what man knoweth the things of a man, fave the Spirit of a man which is in him? Even so, the things of GOD knoweth no one (8'deis) but the fpirit of GOD. I Cor. ii. 11.

FINI S.