day,) as the erection of temples, and sometimes placing in them images of metal or stone; the construction of altars, and offering sacrifices and oblations of various kinds of food upon them; the celebration of festivals; the assembling of the people to prayers and other parts of worship in their temples; in which they also constructed stately monuments, calling them the Temples of Intellectual Forms; the setting up of images on high mountains; their reverence for groves or trees; the erection of statues; and various other things, of which the books already noticed will furnish information. An intimate knowledge of their opinions and practices, will therefore open the door to an acquaintance with the Reasons of the different Precepts of the Law; for the very foundation and hinge on which our whole Law turns, is, that it is designed to eradicate from the heart, and obliterate from the memory, every root and trace of their opinions; as it is said, “That your heart be not deceived, and turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them." (Deut. xi. 16.) And also, "Lest there should be amongst you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations." (Deut. xxix. 18.) And again, "Ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire, and you shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place." (Deut. xii. 3.)

In short, every part of the Law presents us with the repetition and enforcement of these injunctions. Our Sages also teach us, that this is its first and principal design. Thus, in their exposition of what God hath said in those words, "Whatsoever the LORD commands you by the hand of Moses," they write, "Behold! from hence thou mayest learn, that whosoever embraces idolatry is considered as having renounced the whole Law; and that whosoever renounces idolatry, is regarded as receiving the whole Law."

CHAPTER V.

Why the ancient Idolaters united Agriculture with the Worship of the Stars.

THE reasons of the union of Agriculture with

the worship of the stars, are sufficiently evident from those vain and foolish opinions, which have been avowed by the ancient idolaters themselves, since they confessedly believed that the fruitfulness of the earth depended upon the worship of the planets and other heavenly bodies. (18) Their Sages, Doctors, and Prophets accordingly taught, and endeavoured to prove to the people, that Agriculture, without which men cannot subsist, depended upon the influence of the Sun, and the rest of the Stars, for its success; and that they must therefore be worshipped, since, if they were displeased, the cities and fields would be wasted and destroyed. In their books they write, that, by the anger of Mars, places are rendered desert and desolate, and become destitute of water and trees, and inhabited by horrible dæmons ;-and loudly extol Husbandmen and Vine-dressers, who are engaged in cultivating the earth and rendering it habitable, as entertaining the highest affection and devotion for the Heavenly Bodies.

These Idolaters, also, greatly valued oxen and cattle, and the reason they did so, was, because

of their usefulness in husbandry; and hence they affirmed it was unlawful to slay them, since they were not only of use in cultivating the ground, but were by the influence of the stars the means of rendering it fruitful; and that they were subjected to men, because the Deity was pleased with their being employed for agricultural purposes. Such being the opinions universally prevalent, the worship of idols was readily joined with the culture of the earth, Agriculture being necessary to both men and animals.

These sentiments gained additional strength also, from the public discourses of the IdolPriests, (19) who, in their congregations and assemblies, impressed the minds of the people with the belief, that, by this kind of worship, rain was obtained from heaven, the trees of the field were rendered fruitful, and the earth was caused to produce plentiful harvests. Read what they themselves say in the book " Of the Agriculture of the Egyptians;" where, when speaking of Vines, they explicitly state their sentiments, and tell us, that their Sages and Prophets formerly commanded, that, on their Festival-Days, they should play on certain instruments in the presence of the Idols, for that the gods would confer benefits and ample remunerations on those who should act in this manner. They even point out the nature of several of these advantages, as, that they shall be favoured with long life ;-be preserved from sickness, and be shielded from misfortunes ;-that the earth shall

yield its increase, and the trees bring forth fruit in abundance. Such is the language of the Zabii. When, therefore, these opinions began to be entertained and promulgated, it pleased the Ever Blessed God, in his great mercy towards us, in order to eradicate those errors from our minds, and to deliver us from those toilsome and useless services, (20) to give us his Law, by the hand of Moses, of blessed memory, who declared to us, in the name of God, that if we worshipped the stars and the other heavenly bodies, the rain would be withheld, the earth become barren and unfruitful, the trees cease to yield their fruit, various temporal evils and diseases befal us, and lastly, life itself be cut short. For all these declarations are in the Covenant which God made with us, and are to be found in every part of the Law, where it is again and again stated, that, from the worship of the stars, follows the withholding of rain; the laying waste of the earth; general depravity; bodily diseases, and brevity of life; but on the contrary, that the relinquishment of idolatry, and conversion to the true God, is succeeded by the descent of rain, the fertility of the earth, general prosperity, bodily health and long life, the very contrary to what the Idol-worshippers taught, in order to induce men to embrace idolatry. For the chief design of the Law, and what may be regarded as its foundation, is that it is intended to extirpate those opinions, and totally destroy the remembrance of them.