lgad, in the valley of
Lebanon, under mount Hermon, and all their kings he took, and smote
them, and slew them. Joshua made war a long time with all these kings.
There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, _save
the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon_, all others they took in battle.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come
against Israel in the battle, _that he might destroy them utterly_, and
that they might have no favor, but that he might destroy them, _as the
Lord commanded Moses_." In this account of their _destruction_, the
Gibeonites, who deceived Joshua, are excepted, and the reason given is,
that Joshua in their case, failed to ask counsel at the mouth of the
Lord. Here is the proof: "And the men took of them victuals, and asked
not counsel of the mouth of the Lord."--Josh. ix: 14. This counsel
Joshua was expressly commanded to ask, when he was ordained some time
before, to be the _executor_ of God's _legislative will_, by Moses. Here
is the proof--Numb. xxvii: 18-23: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Take
thee Joshua, the son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay thy
hand upon him; and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the
congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. And thou shalt put
some of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children
of Israel may be obedient. _And he shall stand before Eleazar the
priest, who shall ask counsel for him, after the judgment of Urim before
the Lord: at his word shall they go out, and at his word shall they come
in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the
congregation._ And Moses did as the Lord commanded him; and he took
Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the
congregation. And he laid his hands upon him, _and gave him a charge, as
the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses_." These scriptures furnish a
palpable contradiction of the first assumption, that is--that the Lord
gave a _special permission to enslave_ the seven nations. The Lord
ordered that they should be destroyed utterly.

As to the second assumption, so far from the Israelites being prohibited
_by implication_, from enslaving the subjects of other nations, they
were expressly authorized by the law _to make slaves by war, of any
other nation_. Here is the proof--Deut. xx: 10 to 17 inclusive: "When
thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace
unto it.