MOSAIC LAW, or the Law of Moses, is the most Wilson's ancient that we know of in the world, and is of three Archæol kinds; the moral law, the ceremonial law, and the Ditt. judicial law. The different manner in which each of these was delivered, may perhaps suggest to us a right idea of their different natures. The moral law, or ten commandments, for instance, was delivered on the top of the mountain, in the face of the whole world, as being of universal influence, and obligatory on all mankind. The ceremonial was received by Moses in private in the tabernacle, as being of peculiar concern, belonging to the Jews only, and destined to cease when the tabernacle was down, and the veil of the temple rent. As to the judicial law, it was neither so publicly nor so audibly given as the moral law, nor yet so privately as the ceremonial; this kind of law being of an indifferent nature, to be observed or not observed, as its rites suit with the place and government under which we live. The five books of Moses called the Pentateuch, are frequently styled, by way of emphasis the Law. This was held by the Jews in such veneration, that they would not allow it to be laid upon the bed of any sick person, lest it should be polluted by touching the dead.
A TABLE or HARMONY of the MOSAIC LAW, digested into proper Heads, with REFERENCES to the several Parts of the PENTATEUCH where the respective Laws occur.
| Class I. The Moral Law written on the two Tables, containing the Ten Commandments. | |---| | Exod. chap. | Levitic. chap. | Numb. chap. | Deut. chap. | | 20. 23. | — | — | 5. 6. 13. | | 20. 23-34. | 19. 20. 26. | — | {4. 5. 6. 7. 8.} | | 20. 23. | — | — | 10. 11. 12. | | — | — | — | 13. | | — | — | — | 5. |
The... The fourth commandment,
The second table includes
The fifth commandment,
The sixth commandment,
The seventh commandment,
The eighth commandment,
The ninth commandment,
The tenth commandment,
The sum of both tables,
Class II. The Ceremonial Law may be fitly reduced to the following heads, viz.
Of the holy place,
Of the matter and structure of the tabernacle,
Of the instruments of the same, viz.
The laver of bras,
The altar of burnt offering,
The altar of incense,
The candlestick of pure gold,
The table of shew-bread,
Of the priests and their vestments for glory and beauty,
Of the chooing of the Levites,
Of the priests office in general,
Of their office in teaching,
Of their office in blessing,
Of their office in offering; which function largely spreading itself, is divided into these heads, viz.
What the sacrifice ought to be,
Of the continual fire,
Of the manner of the burnt offerings,
— the peace offerings,
Of the manner of the sacrifices according to their several kinds, viz.
For sin committed through ignorance of the law,
For sin committed through ignorance of the fact,
For sin committed willingly, yet not through impiety,
The special law of sacrifices for sin,
Of things belonging to the sacrifices,
Of the shew-bread,
Of the lamps,
Of the sweet incense,
Of the use of ordinary oblations, whereof there were several kinds observed by the priests,
Of the consecration of the high priests and other priests,
Of the consecration and office of the Levites,
Of the dwelling of the Levites,
Of the anointing the altar, and all the instruments of the tabernacle,
Of the continual daily sacrifices,
Of the continual Sabbath day's sacrifices,
Of the solemn sacrifice for feast days, which were diverse, and had peculiar rites, distinguished into these, viz.
Of trumpets,
Of beginning of months,
Of the three most solemn feasts in general,
Of the feast of passover,
Of the feast of pentecost,
Of the feast of tabernacles,
Of the feast of blowing the trumpets, Of the feast of expiation, Of the first fruits, Of tythes, Of fruits growing and not eaten of, Of the first born, Of the sabbatical year, Of the year of jubilee, Of vows in general, What persons ought not to make vows, What things cannot be vowed, Of redemption of vows, Of the vows of the Nazarites, Of the laws proper for the priests, viz. Of pollutions, Of the high priest's mourning, Of his marriage, Of the mourning of the ordinary priests, Of their marriage, Of their being forbidden the use of wine, &c. Of sanctified meats, Of the office of the Levites, viz. Teaching, Offering, Other promiscuous ceremonial laws, viz. Of uncleannesses in general, Of uncleannesses in meats, viz. Of blood, Of fat, Of dead carcases, Other meats, and diverse living creatures, Of uncleannesses in the issue of seed and blood, In the dead bodies of men, In the leprosy, Of circumcision, Of the water of expiation, Of the mourning of the Israelites, Of mixtures, Of their garments, and writing the law privately, Of young birds not to be taken with the dam, Of their paddle slaves,
Class III. The Political Law.
N. B. The Magistrate is the keeper of the precepts of both Tables, and to have respect to human society; therefore the Political laws of the Israelites are referred to both the Tables, and are to be reduced to the several precepts of the Moral Law.
Laws referred to the first table, namely,
1st, To the first and second commandments, viz. Of idolaters and apostates, Of abolishing idolatry, Of diviners and false prophets, Of covenants with other gods,
2nd, To the third commandment, viz. Of blasphemies,
3rd, To the fourth commandment, viz. Of breaking the Sabbath,
Political laws referred to the second table, 1st, To the fifth commandment, viz. Of magistrates and their authority, Of the power of fathers,
2d, To the sixth commandment, viz. Of capital punishments, Of wilful murder, Of manslaughter unwittingly committed, and of the cities of refuge, Of heinous injury, Of punishments not capital, Of the law of war,
3d, To the seventh commandment, viz. Of unlawful marriages, Of fornication, Of whoredom, Of adultery and jealousy, Of copulation against nature, Of divorcements,
Other matrimonial laws,
4th, To the eighth commandment, viz. Of the punishment of thefts, Of sacrilege, Of not injuring strangers, Of not defrauding hirelings, Of just weights, Of removing the land-mark, Of lost goods, Of strayed cattle, Of corrupted judgments, Of fire breaking out by chance, Of manifesting, Of the fugitive servant, Of gathering fruits, Of contracts, viz. Borrowing, Of the pledge, Of usury, Of felling, Of the thing lent, Of a thing committed to be kept, Of heirs,
5th, To the ninth commandment, viz. Of witness, The establishing the political law, The establishing the divine law in general, From the dignity of the lawgiver, From the excellency of the laws, From the promises, From the threatenings,