found them in the poem." Had they examined the Hebrew, they would have found that there were names for those constellations mentioned in Job, and of course not at all like the Greek names which are retained in the English translation.

A more convincing proof of the consummate ignorance of these objectors need not be given, for the Septuagint render the Hebrew KEEMA, by Pleiades, KESIL, by Orion, and OSH, by Arcturus.

The objection made to the scientific knowledge of the Jews is a very old one; but how is it possible for men who have read the books of Moses to conclude that, "it does not appear from any thing that is to be found in the Bible, that the Jews knew any thing of astronomy, or that they studied it?" This is a proof that those who are weak enough to make such an objection, have not examined sufficiently the writings of the venerable penman.

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The Egyptians in the time of Moses were the most scientific nation in the world. Pythagoras and Plato, a thousand years after the time of Moses, travelled into Egypt for instruction in the sciences: astronomy was one of the sciences in which they were most eminent; to them we are indebted for the invention of the ancient constellations. Now as Moses was skilled in all the learning of the Egyptians, the knowledge of astronomy must have been one branch of his learning. But to put the matter beyond all doubt, we need only refer to Exod. xii. 2. where he says, "This month (the month Abib) shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you:' and Deut. xvi. 1. "Thou shalt keep the month of Abib, and thou shalt celebrate the passover unto the Lord thy God." Thus it is evident that their months were to be ascertained by the revolutions of the moon, and in that case their year would fall short of the solar year, something more than eleven days; and as they were commanded to keep the feast of the passover in the month Abib, which is in the vernal equinox, if they had not understood astronomy so as to have made the necessary addition of those days, the month Abib would have commenced eleven days sooner every year; so that in thirty-three years the feast

of the passover would have gone backward through all the seasons of the year. From which it is evident it does appear from the Bible, that the Jews studied, and were well acquainted with astronomy.

OBJECTION.

"It appears that the prophets officiated for gratuities. Naaman when he came to be cured of his leprosy, brought no less than one thousand eight hundred and seventy-five pounds sterling of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, with ten suits of clothes. 2 Kings v. 5."

ANSWER.

Thus do these writers give us to understand, that the prophets of God prophesied for hire to whoever would employ them; and this passage is brought to prove that the prophet Elisha accepted of all the treasure brought by the Syrian general for curing him of his leprosy. A more palpable falsehood was never attempted to be foisted on the public, nor could one have been brought forward more effectually calculated to bring the Scripture into contempt with the great mass of the people, who are frequently governed by hear-say evidence, than this attempt to libel the character of the prophet, by charging him with being guilty of the vile custom of the idolatrous priests. It is surprising that these objectors should have the hardened confidence to assert a thing of this nature, when the reverse is so easily detected in the same chapter; for if the reader will turn to the 15th and 16th verses, it will be seen, that, notwithstanding Naaman earnestly and repeatedly requested the prophet to accept of his present, he peremptorily refused, and would not accept of any thing. Naaman said, "I pray thee take a blessing of thy servant. But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none: and he urged him to take it, but he refused."

If these objectors have done this through ignorance, they have not given themselves time to read the narrative; if by design, they are guilty of an enormous crime.

OBJECTION.

"We learn from Nehemiah, chap. vi. 12, 13. that prophets could be hired to prophesy any thing their employers pleased; and the prophet Micah assures us, that the prophets divine for money, ch. iii. 11."

ANSWER.

These writers, should have said, what description of prophets these were who prophesied for money; undoubtedly they have heard that there were false prophets as well as true prophets. Such like false prophets were these men, referred to by these writers. The prophet Micah, who lived in the days of Jotham and Ahaz, ch. i. 1. 7. will show what sort of prophets those were who divined for money; they were idolatrous prophets, ver. 7. "And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burnt," &c. If the objectors had referred to the history, they would have found that in the time of Jotham and Ahaz, idolatry was professed by the kings and the government, 2 Kings xvi. xvii. Thus have these deistical writers applied the vile sensualities of the idolatrous prophets to the true prophets. This must be done either through ignorance or design; if through ignorance, it is highly improper for them to meddle with the Bible: if by design, it is worse; they may have their choice.

OBJECTION.

"It would seem that these inspirations of the prophets, which we have such a veneration for, were nothing more than the effect of drunken orgies and Bacchanalian revels, as the Lord expressly declares, Isaiah xxviii. 7, 8. The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment." "

ANSWER.

Here again objectors attribute the vices of the idolatrous priests to the truly moral prophets of God; for the prophet Isaiah, who was directed to pronounce these things against the

idolatrous priests and pretended prophets, lived in the days of Jotham and Ahaz, the idolatrous kings of Judah. Now to show how inconsistent these objectors are, I refer to page 37, where they say, "The Lord disclaims all connection with them, Jer. xiv. 14. The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I sent them not, neither spake unto them."" How designedly wicked then is it in these writers to say, "It would seem that these inspirations of the prophets, which we have such a veneration for, were nothing more than the effect of drunken orgies and Bacchanalian revels;" and thus apply them to the prophets of God; when it is obvious that the prophet Isaiah was directed to accuse the idolatrous priests of these vices.

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OBJECTION.

"It was for fear that men should build a tower to reach to heaven, that made him confound their language; could he imagine men could ever reach heaven by a tower ?"

ANSWER.

It is not said in the Hebrew, "Whose top may reach unto heaven, but with his head (or top) like heaven. The meaning of which is, that the dome or ceiling of the temple of Babel should be like the firmament; for the Babylonians were worshippers of the host of heaven.

OBJECTION.

"The great evangelical prophet Isaiah, could foretell the downfall of Babylon by Cyrus, but could not tell the name of the Messiah, though his coming was an event of infinitely greater consequence; nay, the prophet has made a blunder, if we admit the opinion, that Christ was intended by the names, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, and Immanuel, since he was never called by them."

ANSWER.

But there is no foundation for the opinion that Christ

was intended by the name Maher-shalal-hash-baz: because it is said in ch. viii. 3. that this was the name of the son of Isaiah's wife. And with regard to the name Immanuel not signifying Christ, because he was never called by that name." This is a specimen of bad reasoning: for as he was never called by the names, STAR of Jacob-SHILOHPROPHET-REDEEMER of Israel-MESSENGER of the covenant-or LION of the tribe of Judah; it may with the same propriety be said, that none of these terms were appli ed to him. Consequently the DEIST gives no proof that the prophet has made any blunder.

OBJECTION.

"Isaiah might take the advantage of writing his prophesy concerning Cyrus after the events took place, but could not avail himself of the same pious cunning in the affair of the Messiah."

ANSWER.

But Isaiah lived in the time of Uzziah, Jotham and Ahaz, kings of Judah; now Uzziah reigned 52 years, Jotham 2 years, and Ahaz 17 years, making 71 years; and he must at the commencement of his prophetic office, have been considerably advanced in life; so that at the reign of Ahaz, when he prophesied concerning the appearance of Immanuel, the prophet Isaiah must have been above 100 years old, which was near 180 years before the time of the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus. Consequently if the prophet Isaiah had "taken the advantage of writing his prophesy concerning Cyrus after the events took place," he must have been near 200 years old. These writers have evidently paid no attention to the chronology.

This statement is contradicted in point of possibility, and it will appear that the staters of this objection must be sensible that this is so. For can any man possessed of common sense suppose, that the prophet would have attempted so barefaced a thing in the eyes of the whole Jewish nation, to which people he was then writing? Certainly not, he would have been immediately detected. This needs no

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