rance, and unpardonable inattention to the facred writings, or fuch mean malice, and stupid buffoonry, as rendered it equally beneath refutation and abufe.

HAD Mr. Bayle read no more in the facred. ftory, but that David was girded with a linen ephod, could he naturally have concluded from thence that he was naked; or would the direct contrary have been the natural inference? Suppofe the ephod (against the cleareft demonftration to the contrary) to be nothing but a fash, there is no inftance or fufpicion of its ever having been worn alone. The use of it, as of all other fafhes, muft be to bind, and keep fuccinct, the robe it furrounded; fo that the phrafe of being girded with a linen ephod, far from implying nakednefs, plainly implies a vesture; and what that vefture was, and what other vefture it covered, hath been already fhewn. And be the care with which the facred writers have guarded against any juft ground of reproach upon David, on this head, or least suspicion of indecency, (but in the reproaches of his wife) for ever adored!

WHEN the facred text informs us, that Doeg flew in one day fourfcore and five perfons that wore a linen ephod, did it ever enter into any man's head to imagine, that he flew fourfcore and five men, (aged and venerable priests) that went flark-naked, all but a little fafh about the waift?

WHEN the facred writer informs us*, that

* 1 Sam. ii.

Samuel

Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod, was it ever imagined, that he ministered stark naked, all but a little fafh about the waist? not to infift, that his mother might then have spared herself the trouble of bringing him his annual coat. There never was any public worship from the founda-. tion of the earth, fo guarded against any degree of nudity or indecency in the adminiftration of it, as that of the Aaronic priesthood: befides the long robe, the broidered coat, the ephod, and the girdle of the ephod, which was to bind all, and keep them tight and fuccinct, they were obliged to wear linen breeches, to cover their nakedness; which, from the beft accounts of them, nearly resembled those now in ufe; 'bating, that they had no opening, (either before or behind) and were tied round the loins, with a running string *. These the priests wore, and were prohibited, upon pain of death, to approach the altar, or minifter in the holy place, without them (Exod. xxviii. 42, 43.). Was it hard to perceive the further purpose, and full extent, of

I am fenfible, that some critics have imagined from GOD'S commanding Mofes, Exod. xx. 26. Neither halt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon, that the breeches appointed for Aaron, and his fons, were fuch as could not hide their nakedness from those that stood below them, when they miniftered upon the altar. But this is the effect of great inattention for this precept refpects only fuch altars as fhould be built (and at least one fuch was built, Exod. xxiv. 4) before proper cloathing was prepared for Aaron, and his fons. That it refpected no other altar, is, I think, evident to a demonstration, inafmuch as the altar of Go D's own peculiar appointment and defigning had fteps, Ezek. xliii. 17. and confequently his priefts a proper covering, which effectually hid their nakedness.

Dd 3

this

this precept? especially when the expreffion rendered in the English translation, to minister in the holy place, is in the original, to minifter in holiness.

DAVID now miniftered in a facred folemnity; he fo far put himself into the priests habit, as to wear the ephod, its robe, and its girdle. Is it to be imagined he would omit the only part of that drefs, which could not be omitted in the miniftration of facred things, but upon penalty of death?

UZZAH had lately beene ftruck dead before his cycs, for an error, feemingly of lefs confequence, in his miniftry upon the ark. It is evident, that this made David study the whole ceremonial of removing it, with great care. Did he study it only to infult it, at the hazard of his own life? Let Mr. Bayle believe this, if he can; for my part, I cannot.

I CANNOT help quoting upon this occafion, an expreffion, which fell from a gentleman of my acquaintance, a little too much heated in difpute with a frivolous conceited antagonist; Man, though born to mifery, was never forced upon a more vexatious task, than to reafon against ribaldry.

NEEDI add, after all this, that, when princes, or other perfons, put off their robes of state, did it ever enter into the idea of fuch an unrobing, that they stript themselves ftark-narked? And therefore though we had not been told, that David put on a robe of byffus on this occasion, and girded it with a linen ephod, 1 Chron. xv. 27,

and

and though we had no reafon to believe, that he added any. other part of the priestly drefs, we fhould rationally have concluded, that, upon ftripping off his regal robe, his under-garments continued the fame as before; nor fhould we have haftily believed, that any-man in his fenfes would, at his time of life, (turned of forty years) and in that cool season, which fucceeds autumn, ftrip himself ftark-naked. If no regard to decency, yet, furely, a common care of health, would forbid this.

BUT, after all, the ftripping off of his regal robes might fufficiently justify Michal's expreffion of his uncovering himself; as hath been fhewn in the first part of this hiftory.

UPON the whole, the candid reader is intirely referred to his own judgment, whether he will from henceforth confider Mr. Bayle, in this account of David, under the character of an honeft and judicious writer of an hiftorical and critical dictionary, or a negligent and inattentive examiner of truth, and fhameless vender of ribaldry.

GIVE me leave to add, that the rude revileings of Michal, and railleries of Mr. Layle, will be a monition to thinking men, how they haftily admit either the dictates of proud wrath, or dull drollery, for real truths.

CHAP. XII.

A Digreffion, containing a fort Inquiry, in what Part of the City of DAVID the Ark was depofited.

HEN David had depofited the ark of the covenant of the Lord in its place, the facred hiftorian relates, that he left there before it Afaph, and his brethren (to minifter before the ark continually, as every day's work required); and Obed-edom, with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obed-edom also, the fun of Jeduthun, and Hofah, to be porters. And from hence, I think, we may date the efstablishment of the public liturgy of the Jews.

IT may be thought a matter of more curiofity than ufe, to inquire, in what part of the city of Sion, David depofited the ark of the covenant; but I hope it will not long be fo deemed; at least not by every reader.

THE city of Sion is in a peculiar manner intituled the city of GOD; and I humbly apprehend it to be fo intituled, not only because God chose that city, in preference to all others, to place his name there; but because he kept his refidence there, in a very peculiar and distinguished manner; in his tabernacle, as in his palace: which I apprehend to have been placed in a court, in the centre of David's palace, on the summit of Sion.