ural "history," it, that
is, the literal meaning, must be the one retained: and contrariwise if
these passages literally interpreted are found to clash with principles
derived from Scripture, though such literal interpretation were in
absolute harmony with reason, they must be interpreted in a different
manner, _i.e._, metaphorically.

If we would know whether Moses believed God to be a fire or not, we must
on no account decide the question on grounds of the reasonableness or
the reverse of such an opinion, but must judge solely by the other
opinions of Moses which are on record.

In the present instance, as Moses says in several other passages that
God has no likeness to any visible thing, whether in heaven or in earth,
or in the water, either all such passages must be taken metaphorically,
or else the one before us must be so explained. However, as we should
depart as little as possible from the literal sense, we must first ask
whether this text, God is a fire, admits of any but the literal
meaning--that is, whether the word fire ever means anything besides
ordinary natural fire. If no such second meaning can be found, the text
must be taken literally, however repugnant to reason it may be: and all
the other passages, though in complete accordance with reason, must be
brought into harmony with it. If the verbal expressions would not admit
of being thus harmonized, we should have to set them down as
irreconcilable, and suspend our judgment concerning them. However, as we
find the name fire applied to anger and jealousy (see Job xxxi. 12) we
can thus easily reconcile the words of Moses, and legitimately conclude
that the two propositions God is a fire, and God is jealous, are in
meaning identical.

Further, as Moses clearly teaches that God is jealous, and nowhere
states that God is without passions or emotions, we must evidently infer
that Moses held this doctrine himself, or at any rate, that he wished to
teach it, nor must we refrain because such a belief seems contrary to
reason: for as we have shown, we cannot wrest the meaning of texts to
suit the dictates of our reason, or our preconceived opinions. The whole
knowledge of the Bible must be sought solely from itself.

III. Lastly, such a history should relate the environment of all the
prophetic books extant; that is, the life, the conduct, and the studies
of the author of each book, who he was, what was the occasion, and the
epoch of his writing, whom did he