forefathers to leave Egypt, and return to their
own country, this Moses took the many tell thousands that were of the
people, and saved them out of many desperate distresses, and brought
them home in safety. And certainly it was here necessary to travel over
a country without water, and full of sand, to overcome their enemies,
and, during these battles, to preserve their children, and their wives,
and their prey; on all which occasions he became an excellent general of
an army, and a most prudent counselor, and one that took the truest
care of them all; he also so brought it about, that the whole multitude
depended upon him. And while he had them always obedient to what he
enjoined, he made no manner of use of his authority for his own private
advantage, which is the usual time when governors gain great powers to
themselves, and pave the way for tyranny, and accustom the multitude
to live very dissolutely; whereas, when our legislator was in so great
authority, he, on the contrary, thought he ought to have regard to
piety, and to show his great good-will to the people; and by this means
he thought he might show the great degree of virtue that was in him, and
might procure the most lasting security to those who had made him their
governor. When he had therefore come to such a good resolution, and
had performed such wonderful exploits, we had just reason to look upon
ourselves as having him for a divine governor and counselor. And when
he had first persuaded himself [17] that his actions and designs were
agreeable to God's will, he thought it his duty to impress, above all
things, that notion upon the multitude; for those who have once believed
that God is the inspector of their lives, will not permit themselves
in any sin. And this is the character of our legislator: he was no
impostor, no deceiver, as his revilers say, though unjustly, but such
a one as they brag Minos [18] to have been among the Greeks, and other
legislators after him; for some of them suppose that they had their laws
from Jupiter, while Minos said that the revelation of his laws was to
be referred to Apollo, and his oracle at Delphi, whether they really
thought they were so derived, or supposed, however, that they could
persuade the people easily that so it was. But which of these it was who
made the best laws, and which had the greatest reason to believe
that God was their author, it will be easy, upon comparing those laws
themselves together, to dete