CRUELTIES The law given through Moses has been de nounced as being unnecessarily severe, but law is always stern and uncompromising, and a way ward people numbering more than six hundred thousand men besides women and children, were not to be trained in everything pertaining to their own welfare without strict military discipline.
(1) Less Cruel Than English Code. The Mo saic law, however, was less severe than was that of England even in the eighteenth century. The code which was given to Israel mentions only about seventeen capital crimes. while English law in the time of Blackstone (1723-178o) specifies no less than one hundred and sixty offenses which were by act of Parliament declared worthy of instant death. (See Blackstone's Corn. iv :4, r5 18, Christian's Edition, N. Y., 1822.) The law itself then was less cruel than was that of England at a time when Great Brit ain was the most civilized nation on the globe.
(2) Vigorous Warfare. In relation to the vigorous warfare which Israel waged upon the peoples around them it is certain that in one or two cases, future civilization depended upon the extirpation of moral lepers, for even idolatry was sometimes the most innocent of their loathsome crimes. In cases like this, death was the most merciful thing that could come to the children, even though it came by the tempest or by the sword, for they were poisoned by an heredity which would have made hie a curse to them selves and to all around them. In exterminating a nest of serpents one foes not stop to enquire which members of the family may at that partic ular time be innocent.
A child who might witness a surgical operation would be able to see only the most barbarous cru elty in the action of the surgeon in removing a limb. in order that the whole body might not be poisoned by its presence. So also men often judge of God's penalties without a knowledge of future or even of present necessities. Would it not he better to suspend judgment in cases where we know so little of far-reaching results? (3) The Amalekites. The bloodthirsty Amal ekites had hung along the line of the march and murdered in cold blood all who were unable to keep up with the main column of the Israelites, those who were old and feeble, or faint with weari ne-s falling into their hands. And it appears that this was done not merely for the purpose of rob bery or of disputing the possession of this dis trict with the Hebrews. but to assail Israel as the nation which God had chosen to work out His purpose, and if possible to destroy it (Deut. xxv: Hence the order was given for the practical ex termination of a race in which there was found no good thing. And Israel being used as the ex ecutor of the Divine penalty learned to avoid the abominations for which they were cut off. "Not for thy righteousness or the uprightness of thy heart, dost thou go to possess their land, but for the wickedness of these nations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee" (Deut. ix :t-6).
(4) The Cannanites. Another illustration may be found in the conduct of the Canaanites. They were in the habit of practicing the most loathsome vices (Lev. xviii :22-24 ) and even burned their children in honor of their gods. Such was their depravity that the land is represented as "vomit ing out her inhabitants." The command to destroy a race which had be come utterly unworthy of life, laid upon the peo ple the awful responsibility of becoming the Di vine instruments of justice, and they thus learned God's abhorrence for that class of crimes In speaking of the terrible and bloody measures which were employed by Cromwell in relation to the Irish insurgents, Carlyle says: "An armed soldier, solemnly conscious to him self that be is the soldier of God, the Just, a con sciousness which it well beseems all soldiers to have always,—an armed soldier, terrible as death.
relentless as doom; doing God's judgments on the enemies of God! It is not a phenomenon of a joyful hut of an awful nature." (Cromwell's LeI Iers and Speeches, ii .;53. Second edition.) Ewald, the great German critic, in relation to this subject, writes as follows: " It is an eternal necessity that a nation, such as a great majority of the Canaan itcs then were, sinking deeper and deeper into the slough of discord and moral perversity, must fall before a people roused to a higher life." ( /fist. of Israel ii:237.) Note also the following from Dr. Thomas Ar nold : "If we are inclined to think that God dealt hardly with the people of Canaan, let us think what might have been the fate of every other na tion under heaven at this hour had the sword done its work more sparingly....The Israelites' sword in its bloodiest execution, wrought a work of mercy for all the countries of the earth to the very end of the world....Whatever were the faults of Jeplithali or of Samson, never yet were i any men engaged in a cause more important to the whole world's welfare." (Ser. iv, Wars of the Israelites.) (5) The Midianites. Another forcible illus tration of the actual necessity of cutting of at least the male line of a corrupt people is found in the case of the slidianites.
Here we find a people so vile that the mothers decked their virgin daughters in their gayest ap parel, and sent them into the neighborhood of the Israelites with full instructions how to win the attention and admiration of the soldiers and then seduce them into wickedness and idolatry. (Jo sephus Bk. iv, Ch. vi, Sec. 6. According to Reland this story is also preserved in the Samar. itan Chronicle and by Philo.) It was by means of their intercourse with this people that the plague came among the Israelites and cost twenty-four thousand lives (Num. xxv : 9). What wonder then that the order was given for the virtual extermination of the race? And yet Moses saved the girls who were still innocent, and they were taken into service in the Israelitish households, but no man was allowed to even marry a captive without at least a month of delay, during which time she might be won (Dent. xxi:t2).
We have seen that in these extreme cases no quarter was given on account of the indescribable "abominations" of the people, but the general rule was the taking of captives and their humane treat ment. "And he answered thou shalt not smite them ; would'st thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and thy bow? Set bread and water before them that they may eat and drink and go to their master" (2 Kings. vi :22. Also 2 Citron. xxviii:t5).
Thus the apparent cruelty of God is ever the necessary severity of the surgeon's knife, but shortsighted men too often sit in judgment upon the nature of the act, without taking into consider ation either the necessity for it or the ultimate and probably incalculable good to be derived from it.
Shall we venture to question the wisdom of Ilim "whose ways are past finding out ?" "Justice and judgment are the habitation of I his throne," and though to us his ways may be at times sur rounded with clouds and darkness, still "Ills ten der mercies arc over all I lis works." E. A. R.