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reasoning confused or sophistical. See, if he be not obliged to me for my indecision. Where I speak of the common opinion, I say, the command is supposed to be GIVEN as a trial only. He thinks fit to tell me, I say not true. But when he comes to prove it, he changes the terms of the question thus, "For the common opinion is that GOD'S INTENTION in this command was," &c.. Now the purpose of God's giving a command to Abraham, for his sake, might be one thing; and his general intention, in that command, as it concerned the whole of his dispensation, another.. I leave it thercfore to the reader to determine, whether our Examiner changed the terms of the question by design or ignorance. But I have another reason why he should have allowed me, in this place at least, not to have been mistaken. And that is, because a great man (whose authority is deservedly the highest in the learned world, and which our Examiner has more reasons than one to pay a due regard to) is in the same sentiments; and takes it for granted, as we shall see by the words that follow, that the common opinion is that God's giving this command was only to try Abraham." "I was (says he) under a "difficulty [a case, which, I dare say, never happened

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to our Examiner] to account for this action on the foot "of its being a trial only *." But to prove further that I said not true, when I said, that, according to the common interpretation the command was given for a trial uly; he observes, that I myself had owned that the resemblance to Christ's sacrifice was so strong, that inFerpreters could never overlock it. How much this is to the purpose, unless we allow Abraham's knowledge of the figure, has been seen already. Nor does he appear to be less conscious of its impertinence; therefore, instead of attempting to inforce it to the purpose for which he quotes it, he turns, all on a sudden, to show that it makes nothing to the purpose for which. I employed it. But let us follow this Proteus through all his windings. "The resemblance (says he), no doubt, is very strong:: "but how this corroborates your sense of the command, I do not see. Your sense is, that it was an actual › information given to Abraham, of the sacrifice o

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Div. Leg. vol. vi. p. 5.

Christ. But to prefigure, and to inform, are different "things. This transaction might prefigure, and does prefigure, the sacrifice of Christ; whether Abraham "knew any thing of the sacrifice of Christ or no. For

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it does not follow, that because a thing is prefigured; "therefore it must be seen and understood, at the time when it is prefigured." pp. 150, 151. Could it have been believed that these words should immediately follow an argument, whose force, that little it has, is founded on the principle, That to prefigure and to inform are NOT different things? But. retrospects, with bad reckoners, are troublesome things. At this rate, I should soon find my task double. I shall therefore take his accounts as they lie... And if they betray themselves, why so. He says then," he does not see how this CORROBORATES "iny sense, because to prefigure and to inform are dif "ferent things." It was that very difference which inade me call it a corroboration of my sense. Had there becni no difference, I should not have called it à corroboration of my sense, but my very sonse itself. As to the observation that follows, and the explanation of it, all he says is very true. But a truth the most unlooked for; 1. Because it is a truth I myself had much inculcated throughout The Divine Legation. 2. Because it is a full answer to all he has himself urged in the body of his pamphlet for a future state's being known or taught to the Jewish people. 3. Because (as is hinted at above) it is as full an answer to the very question we are upon, viz. Whe ther, according to the common opinion, the command was given only to try Abraham; or whether both to try and to prefigure, &c. Now I was there speaking of the command, as given to Abraham. Therefore to prefigurë could not be one end, because it was not to inform.

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XIV. But we are yet only in the skirts of his argu ment, on which, indeed, I have sat too long. Thus much (says he) being observed to PREVENT confusion." p. 151. This puts ine in mind of the constable, who being called in to appease a quarrel, first knocked down every one he met; and then said, "Thus much to prevent disorder." For the reader secs all the confusion is of his own making; and that, I have reason to fear, will keep rising by every new observation. Let us no

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says he) attend to your argument." p. 151. Indeed it is time; and so, without more ceremony, take it. of my proofs against the common interpretation was, that according to that, there was no reward subsequent to the trial. To which he answers, "But how can you prove that, according to the common interpretation, "there was no reward subsequent to the trial? p. 151. How shall I be able to please him? Before he was offended that I supposed the author of the book of Genesis might omit relating the mode of a fact, when he had good reason* so to do. Here, because I suppose no fact, from there being none recorded, when no reason hindered, he is as captious on this side. "How will you prove it?" (says he). From the silence of the historian, say I, when nothing hindered him from speaking. Well, but he will shew it fairly recorded in Scripture, that there were rewards subsequent to the trial. This, indeed, is to the purpose: "Abraham (says he) lived a great many years after that transaction happened. He lived to dispose of his son Isaac in marriage, and to see his "seed. He lived to be married himself to another wife, "and to have several children by her; he had not THEN "received all God's mercies, nor were all God's dispen"sations towards him at an end; and it is to be remem "bered that it is expressly said of Abraham, Gen. xxiv. 1. "(a long time after the transaction in question) that God "had blessed him in all things." pp. 151, 152. The question here is, of the extraordinary and uncommon rewards bestowed by God on Abraham; and he decides upon it, by an enumeration of the ordinary and common. And, to fill up the measure of these blessings, he makes the marrying of another wife one. Though unluckily, this wife at last proves but a concubine; as appears plainly from the place where she is mentioned. But let me ask him seriously; Could he, indeed, suppose me to mean (though he attended not to the drift of the argument) that God inmediately withdrew all his favours from the Father of the Faithful, after the last great reward he conferred upon him, though he lived many years after? I can hardly, I confess, account for this, any otherwise than from a certain turn of mind which I * See the reason assigned, Div. Leg. Book vi. § 5.

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don't care to give a name to: but which, the habit of answering has made so common that nobody either mistakes it, or is much scandalized at it. Though I, for my part, should esteem a total ignorance of letters a much happier lot than such a learned depravity. "But this is not all," (says he.)-No? I am sorry for it! Twas enough in conscience." What surprizes me most is, “that you should argue so WEAKLY, as if the reward "of good men had respect to this life only. Be it, that "Abraham had received all God's mercies; and that all God's dispensations towards him, in this world, were at an end; was there not a life yet to come, with respect to which the whole period of our existence "here is to be considered as a state of trial; and where "we are all of us to look for that reward of our virtues which we very often fail of in this?" p. 152. Well, if it was NOT ALL, we find, at least, 'twas all of a piece. For as before he would sophistically obtrude upon us common, for extraordinary rewards; so here (true to the genius of his trade) he puts common for extraordinary trials. The case, to which I applied my argument, was this;-God, determining to select a chosen people from the loins of Abraham, would manifest to the world that this patriarch was worthy of the distinction shewn him, by having his faith found superior to the hardest trials. In speaking of these trials, I said, that the command to offer Isaac was the last. "No, says the Examiner, that "cannot be, for, with respect to a life to come, the

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whole period of our existence here, is to be considered "as a state of trial." And so again, (says he) with regard to the reward; which you pretend, in the order of God's dispensations, should follow the trial: Why? We are to look after it in another world."-Holy Scripture records the history of one, to whom God only promised (in the clear and obvious sense) temporal blessings. It records, that these temporal blessings were dispensed. One species of which were extraordinary rewards after extraordinary trials. In the most extraordinary of all, no reward followed: this was my difficulty. See here, how he has cleared it up.-I would willingly believe the best yet the bringing in a future state (no more to clearing up the difficulty than a future parlia

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ment) looks so very like, what the logicians call, argumentum ad invidiam, that I don't know whether I shall r bring the reader to believe with me, "What surprizes me most (says he) is, that you should argue so weakly."Weakly, does he say? Let him speak out, and rather say wickedly; which is indeed what he would have the reader understand, though in tenderness he prefers a softer word: for he roundly asserts, that I have argued as if the reward of good men had respect to this life only. I had said, indeed, frequently said, that many good men had no respect to any other reward; but that the reward of good men had respect to this life only, I not only never said, but even abhor the thoughts of. I must therefore call upon my Examiner, for this FourthTime, to prove that I ever argued in that manier, on pain of passing for a calumniator,

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XV, But he seems to be sensible of his bad argument; whatever might be his intention in using it; and would save all by another fetch: for the weakest are ever most fruitful in expedients. "And what (says he)' "if, after all this, the wisdom of God should have "thought fit, that this very man, whom he had singled "out to be an eminent example of piety to all genera"tions, should, at the very close of his life, give evidence "of it, by an instance that exceeded all that had gone "before; that he might be a pattern of patient suffering, "even unto the end? Would there not be SENSE in "such a supposition?" p. 153. In truth, I doubt not, as he has put it: and I will tell him, why. Abraham was not a mere instrument to stand for an example only, but a moral agent likewise; and to be dealt with as such, Now, though, as he stands for an example, we may adurit of as many trials for patient suffering as our goodnatured Examiner thinks fitting; yet, as a moral agent, it is required (as I have proved from the method of God's dealing with his servants, recorded in sacred history) that each trial be attended with some work done, or some reward conferred. But these two circumstances in Abraham's character, our Examiner perpetually confounds. He supposes nothing to be done for Abraham's own sake; but every thing for the crumple's sake. Yet, did the good cause of answering require, he could as

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