plaint by any one, they were to attend to the case presented, listen" at all seasons" having no respect to persons, thus rendering the settlement of all questions, practicable, speedy, cheap and just. Like the princes, they were representative men, clothed with delegated powers, engaged for the people as well as for their greater chief. By virtue of their office they seem to have been entitled, subsequently, to legislative positions.

IN FRONT OF SINAI.

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The place selected, as a legislative hall, was solemnly impressive and appropriate to the occasion. Here was the commencement of the THEOCRATIC and MOSAIC legislation, in its higher and more significant sense. At a distance of two hundred miles from Egypt, and at the end of the forty-fifth day, the people pitched camp on the Sinaitic plains, a locality familiar to Moses from a residence in that vicinity the forty years preceding. On the ninetieth day from Egypt he submitted to the people a proposition from God to make Jehovah their king and supreme Ruler, promising to make them a kingdom of priests" in return. Doubtless it was through the " elders of Israel" and the judges that the proposition was extended to the people. The forth-coming convention bears the marks of a delegated body, chosen by and on behalf of the people to consider the proposition. Concurrent with this was the presentation of the covenant or ten commandments, preceded by a brief preamble, as a declaration of' rights on the part of God. These comprised the first section of the constitution, each being a separate article. Others were added at subsequent times, as recorded from the 20th of Exodus to the 23d; also in the chapters following to the 11th of Numbers, are amendments, resolves and special acts, called, taken together, the commandments and statutes of the Lord." All of these were acted upon, first by delegated bodies, then by the masses. The first were called (Numbers 1: 16) "the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel."

Their deliberations were brief, resulting in the unanimous acceptance of the proposition. This acceptance was unanimously sanctioned by the masses in a more general convention where

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ally developed and applied.

THEOCRACY.

ere is its inauguration, a government from God, ena administered by Moses during his lifetime, then by Joshua uccessors for more than four centuries. In some resp minds one of the consular government of Rome, though g from that and all others, yet warring upon none.

s object was three-fold; first, to insure the worship of the true God, as supreme, perfect and worthy; second, top De idolatry, then universally prevalent; third, to secure in the highest welfare of the people. An additional object n e been, the illustration of moral principles in human g

ments.

Cesistance to any theocratic requirement or to any one 6 ted with the administration of government, was rebelli nst God, against the state and church, a violation of a sole enant. In accepting God as king, they pledged themselves et obedience to him, and, of necessity, to whatever he ed. By popular vote they had made idolatry a crime, tre punishable with death. Hence, the severity of the legisl - against the worship of idols.

UNION OF CHURCH AND STATE.

We have it in Theocracy as here established. The gover at then forming, was, from the nature of the case, theocrati of a two-fold nature, religious and secular. It was quit

unlike all other existing governments in being furnished with a written constitution, proposed to and considered by the people, acted upon and accepted by popular vote.

RELIGION A STATE INSTITUTION.

This was deducible from theocracy. It was required of all ; to it, all were pledged. They were forbidden to copy or mix with the heathen, the worship of whose gods was treason. The presidency and worship of the one God were to be acknowledged and promoted; and when, subsequently, they rejected their theocratic government, they repudiated God as king, and in his dethronement were chargeable with the highest possible crime.

UNITY OF THE PEOPLE.

This comes from the consolidation of the tribes. By that, though twelve separate bodies, they were cemented into one. The precise time of consolidation, whether previous to their Sinaitic encampment or subsequent, may not be as apparent as the fact itself, but, by reorganization or otherwise, the compact was formed, and the twelve tribes, united in one, held councils on public affairs; the united body having the same oneness of interest, a similar individuality characterizing the larger as the less. In both instances, the general welfare was the object; for this they entered into union, the parts were blended into a whole; yet, like our states, each retained certain prerogatives and local considerations, not essential to the perfection of the union. But this perfection of organization was only that of an earthly compound, for the compact was frequently broken. The tribes, as states, having interests of their own not surrendered to the union, took exceptions to the majority rule and occasionally revolted. The loyal tribes resorted to coercive measures to reduce the disloyal to submission. A revolt against the general government, by person or tribe, was an offence against each loyal person and tribe. Examples are found in the 11th and 20th chapters of Judges, and also in the cases of Absalom and Rehoboam. Tribes struggled for supremacy, especially Ephraim and Judah. Each was ambitious to lead, hence the conflicts and trials of relative strength, recorded in several of the Biblical historical books. Yet these were exceptions, and occurred a

n of the tribes, but from the unity of the object of their p, from the requirement of unity in their worship, from ity of church and state, in short, from their accepted acy. It is evident also from the manner in which they ar essed, always implying one people; in the prohibit 1 requirements and also in the guarantees of government urn for individual concessions to the state. There was tral power to overawe beyond what the people delega d being the source of power, they could withdraw it if abu er holding magistrates responsible.

The part which the masses took in the formation of the gov ent, as seen in their frequent conventions, by delegates or en m e interest had in carrying forward the government in the intments and elections, also their public sanctions, the consu n of one and the same oracle by magistrate and people thro e invariable medium, and also the general neutrality of the rul druled, are all in proof that their confederation was a one p e's government. And this was strengthened by the 1 at their officers were not salaried, at once preventing disti ns arising from popular favor; and, being plain men, labor - the general welfare, patrons of morality, promoters of ion, serving church and state, having neither badge nor diade cepting the high priest, the masses regarded them fraternally.

AGRICULTURE.

The Hebrews were a nation of peasants,

agriculture was t sis of the state, the ownership of land the source of powe e same principle universally holds good at the present tim e possessors of the greater amount of landed property bei

the government.

class distinctions,

allowed corresponding influence and power in Excess leads to monopoly and oppression, to but the legislation of Moses provided against this in a general distribution of land. Large estates and baronies were proscribed. Excepting the Levites, every Hebrew male child was put in possession of a tract of land. A farm for every one was the policy. All were equal in this, none could become absolute. The cultivator of the soil was its owner. All were interested in the soil they cultivated. All were stimulated to activity, to improvment, to the increase and support of families, to the development of manhood, to the means of happiness and to an equal interest in the state, its magistrates, laws and institutions. To the same extent was forced, unpaid labor prevented; poverty, unthrift and dependence guarded against, and independence secured. In the same proportion were the people not only interested in the state and its government, but were able to meet current expenses, pay taxes, and otherwise contribute to the public welfare.

PERMANENT PROVISION.

To preserve equality and secure ownership of land on a permanent basis, provision was made, that, where lands had been mortgaged, as sometimes they were, and temporarily passed into other hands, they should return to the original owners. If allowed to remain permanently possessed by the mortgagee the equilibrium of society would be disturbed; estates would enlarge, power accumulate in the hands of a few, aristocracy and wealth on the one hand, servility and poverty on the other, would inevitably follow; labor become unpopular, the land unproductive, and suffering or want be confronted by affluence and oppression. To prevent this, lands were made hereditary, and as an additional safeguard, there was an established limitation to debts and other obligations.

THE SEVENTH YEAR.

The foregoing provision received an illustration on every seventh year. Even the land shared in its cultivation that year being forbidden, the year previous producing enough for two