SPENCER'S ECCLESIASTICAL INSTITUTIONS. 211 



tion) that he is aware of the numerous passages in 

 the Psalms and prophets in which omnipotence 

 and exclusive godhead are ascribed to Jehovah. 

 To prove his case Mr. Spencer quotes two passages, 

 and alludes airily to a third. But of the two 

 passages quoted one is, by Mr. Spencer's request, 

 to be cancelled, presumably because it is based 

 upon a foolish mistake. We are left, then, with 

 two proofs, which are worth noticing. The first is 

 " the alleged failure of his (Jahveh's) attempt per- 

 sonally to slay Moses." No reference is given for 

 this, but we can hardly be wrong in supposing 

 that Mr. Spencer has in his mind the words in 

 Exod. iv. 24. " The Lord met him and sought to 

 kill him." The passage is a difficult one, no doubt, 

 but so far as Mr. Spencer's point is concerned it is 

 transparently clear. Whether the explanation 

 which is commonly given is right or not ^viz. 

 that God sent a dangerous sickness to Moses 

 because of his having neglected to circumcise the 

 child the statement is that the Lord "met him 

 and sought to slay him," but (after Zippo.rah had 

 performed the rite of circumcision) let him go. If 

 this had been quoted in proof that God repents, it 

 might have been worth something. It is abso- 

 lutely valueless as proving God's inability to slay 

 Moses. Either Mr. Spencer only read the first of 

 the three verses in which the incident is recorded, 

 or (can it be possible ? ) he interpreted " he let him 



