LXXIV. THE succeeding revelations, which were made to the blessed
legislator Moses, and by him collected into a body of statutes and
rules, known under the title of Pentateuch, bear the same relation to
the Decalogue as that of a finished edifice to the first outline which
traced its limits and compartments--they are the elaboration of it, they
branch into the same triple classification of duties which we have
remarked in it, and present its development and completion. What in the
Decalogue appeared, as in nucleus, under the form of duties of man
towards God, towards his fellow-man, and towards himself, is developed
by those laws into detailed instructions, through which the people of
Israel was to learn the knowledge of God, to practise justice and
charity, and to effect its own sanctification; three cardinal points,
corresponding to the three classes of duties above mentioned, which
embrace the whole sum and substance of revealed religion. We shall not,
therefore, proceed to enumerate here, one by one, those multifarious
laws,--a great part of which, being contingent on the existence of the
temple and the possession of Palestine, have now no practical
application,--but we shall only treat of the three principles which form
the bases of them all, viz., God, Justice, and Sanctification, leaving
to the intelligence of those who sedulously investigate the single
precepts, the easy task of tracing them to one or other of the said
three categories.
LXXV. To the elucidation of these three principles we must, however,
premise two observations. In the first place, it is to be remarked, on
the one hand, that although the human intellect can by itself (provided
it be not overruled by the sway of sensual appetites) recognise
summarily the excellence of such principles, and give them unreservedly
its sanction, yet its perceptions with respect to their specialities
remain very imperfect, for several reasons: first, because it finds
itself unable to rebut and conquer one by one all the objections which
the infidel may bring forward; secondly, in consequence of the doubts
which its own limited powers sometimes suggest, impairing its own sense
of the truth; and lastly, because wanting the knowledge of many details
and circumstances, about which it can form no judgment, the intellect
cannot construct a complete rationalistic system of moral theology.
Whereas, on the other hand, emanating as they do from the infinite
wisdom and mercy of God, formulated in the shape of positive precepts,
and corroborated by the portentous manner of their promulgation, those
principles acquire an undisputed authority, remove every doubt, illumine
the mind with unexpected sublime truths, satisfy the heart which finds
them consentaneous with its own feelings, and are thus more apt to
accomplish the objects towards which they are directed. And if there be
among them some precept, of which we do not in our present time clearly
perceive the true tendency, we accept it, nevertheless, with that filial
confidence inspired by its divine origin; and, by analogy, we consider
it as calculated to contribute to the promotion of our own weal.
LXXVI. In the second place, it is necessary to distinguish, in the
aggregate of this revelation, the universal theories applicable to, and
concerning all mankind, from the special prescriptions obligatory only
on those to whom they were addressed. Generally, all the children of
Adam are bound to know God, to practise justice, and to procure their
own sanctification; such duties are inherent in human nature itself,
they correspond exactly to the destination of man, and none can exempt
himself from them, without rebelling against nature and the sovereign
Author of it. Consequently, the doctrines contained in the revealed law,
in regard to these three points, apply to all rational beings, and
everybody is called upon to participate in, and profit by, them; they
are the inheritance of all mankind. But it was obvious that those, who
were in the first instance selected to receive those dogmas, and to
become their jealous conservators and perpetual propagators, should have
some distinctive and peculiar devices, and be charged with observances,
qualifying them for adepts to the ministry of such a sublime mission.
Hence it is, that among the precepts of universal appurtenance there are
several which Israel alone is bound to observe, and these consist partly
of external acts to be performed, either at certain stated times, or at
all times, partly of particular forms and rules to be followed, either
in reference to one's self or to others, and to some external objects of
animate or inanimate nature, and partly, in fine, they prescribe
abstinence from certain things which to all others are left permissive.
It will be easy to every attentive student to discern and point out the
prescriptions of this class, as their very nature is sufficient to
characterise them; we shall have, however, occasion to mention them,
after we shall have endeavoured to place in a clear light the three
principal articles of the revelation.