Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/58

 jja The Plan of the Ages.

was therefore this reasonable and just provision. Nor 5s this all: the tithe, though, as we have seen, a just debt, wau not enforced as a tax, but was to be paid as a voluntary contribution. And no threat bound them to make' those contributions: all depended upon their conscientiousness. The only exhortations to the people on the subjuct are as follows :-~-

" Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Invite as long as thou livcst upon the earth." (Dent, u : i>) And the Lcvite that is within thy gales, thou shall not forsake him ; for he hath no part nor inheritance with Ihee " [in the land]. Dcut. 14 ' 7-

Is it, we ask, reasonable to suppose that this order of things would have been thus arranged by selfish and ambi- tious priests 1 an arrangement to disinherit themselves and to make them dependent for support upon their brethren? Does not reason teach us to the contrary ?

In harmony with this, and equally inexplicable on any other grounds than thoBO claimed that Ciotl is the author of those laws is the fae't that no aerial pro\ isiun wan mode for honoring the prieKihood. In nothing would iiiipuslcMi be more careful than to provide reverence and mspcci for themselves, and severed penalties mid eifwes upon thoHe who misused them. J*ut nothing of the kind appears : no special honor, or reverence, or immunity irom violence or insult, is provided. The common law, whirh mflde no ilis- tiucthm between clauses, and was no respecter of persons, wa-* their only protection. This is the mure remarkable because the treatment of servants, aiul HtranKC'ra, nti the ftged, was the aubjcft of spcdul legislation. For inHtmicc; Thou Khali: not vex nor oppress a Afnintftr, or witfow, or jbtkfrfas MM; f<jr if they cry at all tmto me [to God] I will surely hvar their cry ; and my wrath hll wax hot, and I will kill you with the nworj, and your wivo* shall be wid-

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