A Defence of the Old Testament; In a Series of Letters, Addressed to Thomas Paine (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1798 Excerpt: ... LETTER VII. f SIR, T Shall now proceed to take notice of what yow observe concerning Isaiah, and the other prophets. You say, " Whoever will take the trouble of reading the book ascribed to Isaiah, will sind it one of the most wild and diforderly compositions ever put together: it is one continued, incoherent, bombastical rant, sull of extravagant metaphor, without application, and destitute of meaning; a school boy would scarcely have been excusable for writing such stuff." I really know not which most to admire, your ignorance or presumption. " Whoever will take the trouble," &c. I sir, have taken that trouble nay, I have commented on a great part of it; (See my Dissertations on the prophecies vol. I. & II.) and am allowed to have fome little knowledge in the language in which it is written: but have not found it to be " such stuff," asyou assert it is. On the contrary, I have found the diction pure; Page 43. pure; the sentiments grand and sublime; and the imagery strong and beautiful. You compare, "the burden of Babylon, the burden of Moab, &c. to the story of the knight of the burning mountain," &c. But if you had read the burden of Babylon with attention, and compared it with its present slate, as I have done, I doubt not but it would have made as strong an impression on your mind, as it has on mine; especially, if you consider that this prophecy was delivered near two hundred years besore its completion; and that the captivity of the Jews, for which the Babylonians were to be thus punished, did not sully take place till about one hundred and thirty years after the delivery of thisprophecy: that the Medes, who are expressly mentioned (chap. xiii. 17.) as the principal agents in the overthrow of the Babylonish monarchy, by which the Jews were released ...