A Legacy to the Friends of Free Discussion: Principal Historical Facts and Personages of the Books Known as The Old and New Testament; With Remarks on the Morality of NatureOffen, Benjamin
Religion
A Legacy to the Friends of Free Discussion: Principal Historical Facts and Personages of the Books Known as The Old and New Testament; With Remarks on the Morality of Nature
Offen, Benjamin
Bible -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
According to Bible history, the nations on the other side of Jordan were
so alarmed at the frightful news they received of the Jewish army, and
the ravages they committed, that five Kings, with their armies, came out
to stop their progress; and in this account, we have the climax of
divine interference on the part of Jehovah. After a desperate effort was
made by the five Kings to stop the progress of Joshua, and after
fighting the whole day, until _towards the going down of the sun_, they
retreated. At that moment Jehovah is said to have given support to his
chosen people, by causing a hail-storm to descend, and more were slain
by the hail than fell by the sword. But when the hail was exhausted,
something more was requisite to be done; Divine aid was still wanting.
Then Joshua, in sight of his army, said, “_Sun stand thou still upon
Gibeon, and thou, moon, in the valley of Ajalon_,” and they obeyed his
command. So that, according to this miracle, the hostile armies were
completely destroyed, and the sun and moon (we suppose) were ordered to
pursue their courses.
And now, reader, to believe this improbable, or rather impossible tale,
and hundreds of others of the same sort, even in our day, will make a
man respectable, and fit to fill any office where intelligence and
honesty are required. But to doubt it, and publicly express the doubt,
will cause him to be considered infamous, and unfit for “public trust or
private care.” And this will be the case until men shall be bold enough
to express their honest convictions that it is a libel to charge the
Sovereign Ruler of the Universe with being the direct, or the indirect,
author of the Bible, or having ever chosen the Jews to be his peculiar
people.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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