I had hoped, Mr. Chairman, that the document which I presented to Mr. Owen on the subject of his favorite position, would have merited his consideration; that the objections which I there offered to his favorite thesis would have commanded some attention; that before repeating, and rehearsing, and then re-reciting his twelve propositions, he would have made an effort to reply to these objections. But, instead of such an attempt, my opponent has repeated, almost verbatim, what he had antecedently told us at least three or four times. I must again solicit an exposition of some of the important terms which my opponent uses; for example, I solicit, and I have a right to claim from him, his definition of the term fact, the term millennium, and the term heaven. These are terms of very frequent recurrence in my opponent's vocabulary; and I think it more than probable that the ideas which we attach to these names differ, toto caelo, from those which are attached to them by my opponent. That knowledge, sincerity, and candor, which my opponent so much extols, would not appear disadvantageously in himself on this occasion. It is a disingenuous and unfair imposition upon us to use terms except in their current application, [231] and according to their usual and most known signification. My opponent has given us a terrific picture of Christianity. To the triumphs of Christianity has he attributed all the insincerity, malevolence, and vices of society. From the address which you have heard from Mr. Owen, you would naturally conclude, on opening the sacred volume, to find it filled with such beatitudes as these, Blessed are the slanderers, blessed the hypocrites; happy the liars, happy the miscreants. You would, from Mr. Owen's account of the book, expect to find, at least, one section inculcating such moral precepts as these: "Thou shalt kill, thou shalt commit adultery, thou shalt bear false witness, thou shalt hate thy neighbor, and thou shalt live in discord and dissension with thy fellows, and in the practice of everything calculated to destroy human happiness." If you pay any attention to Mr. Owen's libels on the scriptures, what else could you expect to find in them but benedictions of such import? He has, however, given us some idea of his standard of morality. After speaking of the mischievousness and hypocrisy of the priesthood, he tells us that he would not displace them. He would have these priests supported in their lying and deceptions trade, lest this projected revolution should deprive them of bread. He has told you that you ought not, yet awhile, to tell the truth, if you expect to be tolerated in society. By his own showing, such are my opponent's views of morality and sincerity. So much in passing, with regard to Mr. Owen's last address.

      In the prosecution of the argument we have before us, we have arrived at that period of Jewish history which gave to the whole world (Jews and Greeks) the oracles containing the religion which Moses taught the children of Israel. We have alluded to the effect which the dissemination of these oracles produced. We have noticed the universal anticipation of a new order of society--insomuch that this Messiah might be called, as he is in ancient prophecy, the "Desire of ALL nations." This is the very name which the ancient prophet Haggai so significantly and so emphatically bestows upon him. But it was now become necessary that these oracles should be universally disseminated, in order to produce such a desire as this. When we come to speak of the prophesies, we shall more fully show that such was the universal desire and expectation, and that it sprang from this source. Before concluding our remarks on the historic evidences of the Jewish religion, we asserted yesterday that these historic records of the Old Testament were not only written and read to the whole congregation of Israel by Moses, that an exhortation founded upon them was delivered viva voce, and afterward written by Moses, during the last month [232] of his life, called Deuteronomy, and deposited in the sacred chest; but also, that there are in the histories of the world, remotely as they penetrate, so many allusions to these records, as to render it almost absolutely certain, even upon Pagan testimony, that these writings are genuine, and were received and venerated by the nation, from the earliest notices of them as a people.

      It is, however, enough for us to affirm, that there is no counter testimony in the world. There is no way to set aside historic testimony, except by adducing counter testimony of greater validity. The skeptics have been called upon for their counter testimony. They have been coolly and calmly requested to search the annals of the world, in order to produce it. They have been asked whether it was possible that the Egyptians and Israelites could have existed together, and such stupendous miracles falsely asserted concerning the manifestations of divine wrath against the Egyptians, and of divine favor toward the Israelites; and yet no document can be found to contradict them. The skeptics have been repeatedly challenged to this investigation. But you may search all the skeptical books in the world without finding even an attempt to produce such testimony. But we are not only able to produce these documents and these criteria, as sufficiently attesting the truth of these historic facts, but we can also show from all ancient history, that there are many references and allusions to facts mentioned in them, which, in their direct tendency, go to attest the verity of the Mosaic account. We shall just take a peep into the most ancient Greek historians, and see whether they furnish any data confirmatory of the historical records found in the book of Genesis.

      It is universally admitted by Deists, Atheists, and all, that the Bible is the oldest book in the world. No counter testimony can then be brought against the facts related in the most ancient parts of the Jewish history. But we will here attempt to show, that all the ancient historians which peep into the depths of remote antiquity, do, in all their allusions, confirm the sacred history.

      1. All the Greek writers acknowledge and represent Egypt as the most ancient and best policied empire in the world.

      This is confirmed by Moses. So early as Abraham's time we find a regular dynasty of the common name of Pharaoh. This kingdom (Gen. 12:15) is represented as abounding in corn and having a surplus.

      It appears, from the princes of Pharaoh's court, his princely presents to Abraham, and his retinue of state, that his court at that time had attained to great splendor.

      From the caravans of Ishmaelitish merchants who traded in spices, [233] much used in embalming the illustrious dead, and the slaves which they carried down for sale, it would appear that the Egyptians at that time were refined in the arts of opulence and splendor.

      From the standing militia, the chariots, and the cavalry, too, in Egypt, the time the Hebrews were in bondage, in building treasure cities, it appears that the Egyptians were very far exalted above all the nations of the earth in the time of the Pharaohs. The Greeks were entirely unskilled in cavalry until long after the Trojan war.

      2. But not only do the ancient Greek writers speak of the magnificence of the Egyptian empire in that early period, but also in detailing the civil and religious institutions of that people they afford additional evidence of their high advances in all the arts of refinement.

      Of the priesthood, Diodorus Siculus thus writes: "The whole country being divided into three parts, the first belongs to the body of the priests, an order in the highest reverence among their countrymen; for their piety toward the gods, and their consummate wisdom, acquired by the best education and the closest application to the improvements of the mind. With their revenues they supply all Egypt with public sacrifices. They support a number of inferior officers and maintain their own families, for the Egyptians think it utterly unlawful to make any change in the public worship, but that everything should be administered by their priests in the same constant and invariable manner. Nor do they hold it at all decent that those to whose care the public are so much indebted should want the common necessaries of life. For the priests are constantly attached to the person of the king as coadjutors, counselors, and instructors, in the most weighty matters. For it is not among them as among the Greeks, where one single man or woman exercises the office of the priesthood. Here a number are employed in sacrificing and other rites of public worship, who transmit their profession to their children. This order, likewise, is exempt from all charges and imposts, and holds the prime honors under the king in the public administration."

      Herodotus, also, to the same effect, testifies. He observes: "Of all the colleges of the priesthood, that of Heliopolis was the most famed for wisdom and learning." Strabo also declares that in his time very spacious buildings yet remained in Heliopolis, which, as the reports ran, was formerly the residence of the priests, who cultivated the studies of astronomy and philosophy.¹

      N.B. The Egyptian word chohen, which the Chaldaic paraphrast translates princeps, and which seems to be the same as the [234] Samothracian coes, denotes both a prince and a priest; this is explained by the fact that the privy counselors of the ancient kings of Egypt were priests, and were therefore called princes; and as Pharaoh intended to place Joseph at the head of the nation, he could not have allayed the envy and prejudices of the priests and privy counselors, better than by causing Joseph to marry the daughter of the priest of Heliopolis, in Hebrew, On.

      The priest of Heliopolis was the most illustrious of the order; for as Diodorus Siculus informs us, the sun and moon were the first gods of Egypt; and this city of the sun was so called because he was principally worshiped there; and as Strabo informs, the priests studied astronomy. The theology of the Egyptians made it peculiarly fitting that the priests who resided at Heliopolis should direct their attention to this subject naturally and religiously. The Egyptians taught either out of reverence to their chief god, the sun, or from astronomical observation, that the sun was the center of the whole system. From Egypt, Plutarch, in his history of Isis and Osiris, says that Pythagoras obtained this knowledge from CEnuphis, a priest of On, or of Heliopolis, the city of the sun.

      3. The religious rites of the Egyptians, as described by the Greek historian, is another proof corroborative of the Mosaic account. Herodotus expressly tells us that the Egyptians held it a profanation to sacrifice any kind of cattle except swine and bulls, clean calves, and geese, and that they hold heifers, rams, and goats sacred; for at this time, the Egyptians had not deified animals. This explains Moses' saying, "It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians to the Lord our God; so shall we sacrifice the abominations of Egypt before their eyes." Herodotus informs us that such impiety was punished with deadly hatred by the Egyptians.

      4. The civil rites of the Egyptians. Concerning the practice of physic, Herodotus says it was divided among the faculty thus: Every distinct distemper had its own physician, who confined himself to the study and cure of that, and meddled with no other; so that all places are crowded with physicians; for one class had the care of the eyes, another of the teeth, another of the body, and another of the occult distempers. From this account, it does not appear strange that Moses represents the household of Joseph as well replenished with physicians. "And Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel."

      There is also a remarkable allusion to this practice of the Egyptian skill in Jeremiah, when that prophet foretells the overthrow of [235] Pharaoh's army at the Euphrates: "Go up into Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt! In vain shall thou use many medicines; for thou shall not be cured." The same prophet, under the same figure, alludes to the Egyptian superstition in his own time. He says, "Egypt is like a fair heifer, but destruction comes from the north; also her herdsmen are in the midst of her, like fatted bullocks, for they also are turned back and fled away together." The allusion here is most apparent to the worship of Isis and Osiris, under a cow and a bull--the most celebrated of all the Egyptian ritual.

      The medical profession, naturally and according to history, is divided into surgery, and pharmacy, and the dietetic practice. Surgery was naturally the most ancient; pharmacy was next to it, and the dietetic the last. Hence physic must have been far advanced in Egypt at the time to which Diodorus alludes.

      5. The funeral rites of the Egyptians are thus described by Herodotus: "Their mourning and funeral rites of sepulture are of this kind: when a principal person dies, all the females of that family besmear their heads and faces with loam and mire; and so leaving the dead body in the hands of the domestics, march in procession through the city with their garments close girt about them, their breasts laid open, beating themselves and all their relations attending. In an opposite procession appear the males, close girt likewise, and undergoing the same discipline. When this is over, they carry the body to be salted--there are men appointed for this business, who make it their trade and employment; they first of all draw out the brain, with a hooked iron, through the nostrils. After this they hide it in niter for seventy days, and longer it is not lawful to keep it salted."

      Diodorus Siculus agrees with Herodotus in all the essential circumstances of mourning and embalming, except he varies in one particular; he says they anoint the whole body with gum or resin of cedar and of other plants, with great cost and care, for above thirty days; and afterward seasoning it with myrrh, cinnamon, and other costly spices, not only to preserve the body for a long time, but to give it a grateful odor; they then deliver it to the relations.

      All this scripture history confirms and explains; and does more--it reconciles the two Greek historians concerning the number of days during which the body was in the care of the embalmers. Moses says, "And the physicians embalmed Israel; and forty days were fulfilled for him, for so are fulfilled the days for those who are embalmed; and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days." Now we learn from the two Greek historians that the time of the mourning was while [236] the body remained with the embalmers, which Herodotus tells us what seventy days. This explains why the Egyptians mourned for Israel threescore and ten days. During the time the body lay in niter, and when in the compass of thirty days this was reasonably well effected, the remaining forty of Diodorus were employed in anointing it with gums and spices to preserve it, which was the proper way to embalm it; and this explains the meaning of the forty days which were fulfilled for Israel, being the days of those which were embalmed. Thus the two Greek writers are reconciled, and they and scripture are mutually explained and supported by each other.²

      By the way, we may remark, that the infidel objection against Joseph for making the free monarchy of Egypt despotic, is without foundation. The law-giving power Pharaoh did not transfer, but reserved it in his own hands in these words: "Only on the throne will I be greater than thou." Joseph, as prime minister, administers justice; but Pharaoh guards to himself the prerogative of giving law. In commanding the people to give their money, cattle, and lands to Pharaoh, it is reasonable to conclude that this law emanated from Pharaoh.

      In one sentence, we may affirm that the farther we penetrate into remote antiquity, the more reason we will have to place implicit confidence in the divine mission of Moses.

[COD 231-237]