аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ§џџџўџџџўџџџўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot EntryџџџџџџџџТлЭ(т ЮЂšЊJr@МиТПРMatOSTџџџџџџџџ`ЧіЛиТП яџЛиТПMMџџџџџџџџџџџџMN0џџџџ њ$ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџNDўџ џџџџТлЭ(т ЮЂšЊJrMicrosoft Works MSWorksWPDocє9Вq "џџџџаъt†# "2"T CHAPTER IX. Numkr: xxxi. ~And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and ~-~sj the spoil of all their cattle, and all their Elocks. and CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџUџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџLt,. ?si~h of man and of beast, thou, and Elcanar the Irmi. and the chief fathers of the congregation 35 And Moss-s atid Ileazar the priest thid .ss thin Lord commanded Moses. 35 And the booty, /eing th. rest itt II,,, prey which the mt-n of war had c:tugh,s. was sin Itundred thousand -and seventy thous;snd and tise thousand sheep, ~And shreescore and twelve thi,us~tt,d ls.esi's. 3~ And threescore antI sine thiou,anh :1535-s 35 And thirty and two thousand ~wr~,ite 5 of women that had not known man. IT appears from the enumeration here of the booty, that the Israelites took in this war against the Midianites seventy- two thousand beeves, six hundred and sevcnty-fivc thousand sheep, sixty-one thousand asses and thirty-two thousand women virgins, beside the women and children killed, (as they said) by God's order. The thirty-two thousand women and ?women children were given to the soldiers and the priests. Why should tile social purity societies in England and America who helieve in the divine origin of all Scripture object to the use of women children by their stў•Sшш АT›аьњ$" " " " " "  р=а/а8d "џџџџаъt†# "2"T CHAPTER IX. Numkr: xxxi. ~And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and ~-~sj the spoil of all their cattle, and all their Elocks. and all their goods. so And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all their goodly castles with fire. na And they brought the captives, and the prey. and the spoil, unto Moses and Eleazar the priest, and onto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan ,seaejericho. 14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which caine from the battle. s5 And Moses said unto them, have ye saved all the women alive! nfl Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of aa~aam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Poor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the lord. s~ Nose therefore kill every male ismasng the little ones, and kill every woman that hsth known man. iS But all the women children, that lonve tiot known a man keep alice for yourselees. 25 ? And the Lord spake unit Moses, savie~. s6 ?lake the sum of the prey ths~st wis tiLt,. ?si~h of man and of beast, thou, and Elcanar the Irmi. and the chief fathers of the congregation 35 And Moss-s atid Ileazar the priest thid .ss thin Lord commanded Moses. 35 And the booty, /eing th. rest itt II,,, prey which the mt-n of war had c:tugh,s. was sin Itundred thousand -and seventy thous;snd and tise thousand sheep, ~And shreescore and twelve thi,us~tt,d ls.esi's. 3~ And threescore antI sine thiou,anh :1535-s 35 And thirty and two thousand ~wr~,ite 5 of women that had not known man. IT appears from the enumeration here of the booty, that the Israelites took in this war against the Midianites seventy- two thousand beeves, six hundred and sevcnty-fivc thousand sheep, sixty-one thousand asses and thirty-two thousand women virgins, beside the women and children killed, (as they said) by God's order. The thirty-two thousand women and ?women children were given to the soldiers and the priests. Why should tile social purity societies in England and America who helieve in the divine origin of all Scripture object to the use of women children by their statesmen and soldiers when the custom was permitted to tile chosen people of Israel ? True,tlle ~velfare of tile priests, lawgivers and soldiers was carefully' guar(le(l in selecting for them the purest of tue daughters of the Midianites. Surely such records are enough to make tile most obstinate believer doubt the divine origin of Jewish ilistory and the claim of that people to have been un'Jcr the special guidance of Jellovah. Their claim to have had conversations with God daily and to have acted under His commands in all their tergiversations of word and action is simply blasphemous. We must discredit their pretensions, or else the wisdom of Jehovah himself. ?Talking with God,? at that period was a mere form of speech, as ?tempted of the devil? was once in the records of our courts. Criminals said ?tempted of the devil, I did commit the crime.? This chapter places Moses and Eleazar the priest, in a most unenviable light according to the moral standard of any period of human history. Verily the revelations in the Pall Mall Gazette a few years ago, pale before this wholesale desecration of women and children. Bishop Colenso in his exhaustive work on the Pentateuch shows that most of the records therein claiming to be historical facts are merely parables and figments of the imagination of different writers, composed at different periods. full of contradictions, interpolations and discrepancies. He shows geologically and geographically that a flood over the whole face of the earth was a myth. He asks how was it possible to save two of every animal, bird and creeping thing on both continents and get them safely into the ark and back again to their respective localities. How could they make their way from South America up north through the frigid zone and cross over the polar ices to the eastern continent and carry with them the necessary food to which they had been accustomed, they would all have perished with the cold before reaching the Arctic circle. While the animals from the northern latitudes would all perish with heat before reaching the equator. What a long weary journey the animals, birds and fo~vls would have taken from Japan and China to Mount Ararat. The parable as an historical fact is hedged with impossibilities and so is the whole journey of forty years from Egypt to Canaan; but if we make up our minds to believe in miracles then it is plain sailing from Genesis to the end of Deuteronomy- Both Ezra and Jeremiah are said to have written the last book of the Pentateuch, and some, question whether Moses was the author of either. Bishop Colenso also questions the arithmetical calculations of the historians in regard to the conquest of the Midi;tnitcs, as described in the book of Numbers.E. C. S. But how thankful we must be that wc arc no longcr ohligcd to believe, as a matter of fact, of vital consequence to our eternal hope, each separate statement contained in the l'entatetlell, stIcli f ir instance, as the story related in i~umbers xxxi ?where we are told that a force of twelve thousand Israelites slew all the in;iles of the Midianites, took captive all the females and children, seized all their cattle and flocks, (seventy-two thousand oxen, sixty-one thousand asses, six hundred an(1 seventy-five thousand sheep,) and all their goods, and burnt all their cities, and all their goodly castles, without the loss of a single man,? aVId then, by command of Moses, butchered in COld blood all the women, except ?the women-children and virgins, to be given to the priests and soldiers.? They amounte(l to thirty-two thousand, mostly, we suppose, under the age of sixteen. We may fairly reckon that there were as many more under the age of forty, and half as many more above forty, making altogether eighty thousand females, (If whom, according to the story, Moses or(lere(l forty?eight thousand to he killed, besides (say) twenty thousand young boys. The tragedy (If Cawnpore, ~vhere three hundred \vere butchered, would sink jl3tl) nothing, compared \Vith such a massacre, if, indeed, we were required to believe it. The obvious intention of Moses, as shown in these directions, was to keep the Jewish race from amalg;nnation. But the great lawgiver seems to have ignored the fact, or been ignorant of it, that transmission of race qualities is even greater through the female line than through the male, and if they kept the women children for themselves they were Iflakillg sure tile fact that in day-s to come there would he J ~w~sh (lescelld;llsts who might be ews in flalne,IW- ns in s1irit. Jhilt, thIrollghI tile I(If liered itv, al ic The freedom of the natural law ~eill Iflake itself evident, for 5(3? called natural law is (hixilSe.I'. A. II.. Zipporah the wife of Moses was a Midianite, Jethro her father was a priest of some sagacity and consideration. When he met Moses in the desert he gave him valuable advice about the government of his people, which the great lawgiver obeyed. The sons of Zipporah and Moses, Gershon and Eliezer, were therefore of Midianite blood, yet Moses sent an army of twelve thousand armed for war; a thousand of each tribe, with orders to slay every man. If the venerable Jethro was still alive he must have been murdered by his grandsons and their comrades. This is a most extraordinary story. If after the men, women and male children were all killed, thirty thousand maidens and young girls still remained, the Midianites must have been too large a tribe to have been wholly destroyed by twelve thousand Israelites, unless the Jewish God fought the battle. L.D.B. ь{!#в2ЃфzЌi–'rCrqq рР!rОРТ;я + n p žЩЫЭЯю№Хц[‡‰‹‹|мфцшъьь@r‹ьABCGoudy Old StyleаЂ   р=а/а8  р=а/а8d