Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-03-14

| and thus indicate the sense in which the
latter words are used. As ansillustfation
OF the meaning generally attached tofhese
and similar terms, when applied to the
Canaanites in Scripture, we refer the
/ reader 10 the history of the Amalekites
] In Elk. xvii. IA, God says, will utter
/ " put out the remembrance OF Amalek
| from under heaven -In Deut. XIV ~,
/" Thou shalt blot out the remembrance
of Amalek from under heaven thoushalt
not forget it."-ln Sam. XIV. 2. 8. .Smite
Amalek and utterly destroy all that they
have, and spare them NOT, but slay both
man and woman, infant and sucking. OK
/ and Sheep In the seventh and eighth
verses ofithe same chapter, we are told,
saul sinote the Amalekites, aud took
Agag the king of the Amalekites, alive,
and UTTERLY DESTROYED ALL THE PEo-
PIE with the edge of the sword" In
verse 20, Saul says 1 have obeyed the
voice Of the Lord. and have brought Agag,
the king of AmsIek !; and have utterly
destroyed the Amalekites." 5-~a q
In Sam. 30th chapter, we find the
Amalekites at war again, marching an ar
my into Israel, and sweeping every thing
before them-and all this in hardly more
than twenty years after they had all been
! uTTERLY DESTROYED .% 49,
| Deut. TX. 16, IL, will probably be quot
ed againss the preceding view. But of
the cities of these people ,Ohich tie Lord
! thy God doth gre thee for an inheritance,
thou shalt sare Glice nothing that breath
eth: but thou shalt utterly destroy them;
namely. the Hit:ites, and the Amorites,
the CanaGnites, and The Perrizites, the
Hiuites, and the Jebusites. as the Lord fhy
God hath commanded thee We argue
that this command to exterminate, did not
include all the individuals of the Canaan
itish nations, but only the Inhabitants of
the cities, land even those conditianally,1
for the following reasons 81 -s.11 -
| L. Only the inhabitants of cities are
specified, -" of the cities of these people
thou shalt save alive nothing that breath
eth The reasons forthis wise disc rim
nation were, no doubt, ~ Cities then,
as now. were pest-houses of vice-they
reeked with denominations little practiced
in the country. On this account, their
influence would be far more perilous to
the Israelites than that of the country.
(2) These cities werethe centres Of idola-
try-the residences of the priests, with
their retinurs of the baser sort. There
\ were their temples and affairs, and idols,
without number. Even their buildings,
streets, and public walks were SO. many
visibilities of idolatry. The reason as
signed in the 18th verse for exterminatlng
them. strengthens the idea, -" that then
teach yoG not to do after all The abomina-
lions Uh;ch they hare done unto their
/ gods This would be reason sor .ex-
Terminating all the nations and iniiyid-
llals around them, as all were idolaters /;
but God permittei, and even commanded
them, in certain cases, to spare the inhab-
nanis. Contact with any of them would
be perilous-wi.h the inhabitants of the
cities peculiarly. and of the CanaGaitish
cities prominently so. - - -
i 1t will be seen from the 10th and / lth
verses. that those cities which acceptedthe
Offer of peace were to be spared d" When
thou comest nigh unto a city 10 fehtaga;nst
1t, then praciG:D peace unto 1t. Aud u
shall be. If IL make thee ansacer of peace
and open unto thee, then itshqjL be, that
al the people Thai is found therein shall
be TRIBUTARIES unto Thee, aid they shall
serve thee. deuteronomy Xxx. 10, H..
These verses contain the general rule pre-
scribing the method in which cities were
to be summoned 10 surrender
T I. The offer of peace-if It was ac-
cepted, the inh5bitants b-came Tributaries
if it was rejected, and they came on,
against Israel in bate, the men were to
J be killed. aad the women and little ones
, savei alive. Sc Deuteronomy Xxx. i2,
Is, Ia. The 18th verse restricts their it.-
MEN, treatment IN saving the wives and
little ones of hose who fought them, to
the inhabitants of the cities a ar off. The
. 10th verse gives directions for the dispo
sal Of the inhabitants Of Canaanitish cit.
, les, after they had taken them. Instead
of sparing the women aud children, they
: wereto save alive nothing that brealhed
r The common mistake has been, in taking
, i for granted, that the command i'm the | )
/ verse, Thus shalt thou do unto all the
Cities" SC. refersto the uHole system o,
s directions preceding. commencing with
: the 10th verse, whereas it manifestIy re-
J.. sers only to the injfictions specified in The
> verses Immediately preceding, viz. the
:. 18th. 18th, and l4th, and thus make q
distinction between those Caaaanitish cit
! les that fought, and the cities atar off tha
i fought-ln one case destroying the males
e and females, and in the other, The male
q only. The offer Of peace, ard the seonti
Il tiOnat Preserration. were as really qua
1 ran,ied to CnaaGnitish cities ITO others
IF Their inhabitants were not to be extermi
y mated unless they eaue ont against Israe