*' to him, went from hence " into the Land called Ca- *' naan, but now Jud^a, ** where he and thole that de- *• fcended from him dwelt, " of whofe Affairs I ihall treat ** in another Place. The ** Name o{ Abraham^ is at this ** Day, famous in the Country «« about Damafcus^ and they •* {how us the Town, which ** from him is called Abra- <* /J'flw's Dwelling."
[a] Ariapanm^ EupolemuSy &c.] Eufebius in his Preparation, Book IX. Chap. i6, 17, i8, 21, 23. has quoted feveral Thing?, under thefe Mens Names, out of Alexander the Hiftorian, but the Places are too long to be tranfcribed; no body has quoted them before Eufebius. But the Fable of the Bethulia ns, which Eufebius took out of?hilo Bib litis, Prepar. Book I. Chap. 10. came from the Altar of Bethel, built by Jacob, mentioned Gen. 36. {^) In the antient Writers, &c,] For certainly thofe that we find in Cletnens Alexandrimis. Storm. V. and Eufebius, Book Xlir. Chap, i 2. can b© underftood of no other.
^he Maker of all Things is knonvn to nonty But One of the Chaldean Race, his Son Only begotten, <rvho ^vell underjiood, I'he fiarry Orb, and h^ nvhat La-ns each Star Moves round the Earth, embracing all Things in it.
Where Abraham is called 9nly Begotten, as in Ifaiah LI. 2. "THN Achad. We have before feen, in Berofus, that Abraham was famous for the Knowledge of Aftronomy; and Eupolemus, in Eufebius, fays of him; that he ivas the Inventor cf Aflronomy amongjl the Chaldeans.
(f) In Jujlin, &C.J Book XXXVI. Ch. 2. •' The Ori. " ginal of the Jenjus, was from ** Damafus, an eminent City ** in Syria, of which afier- •' wards Abraham and Ifraei " were Kings." Trogus Poinpeius calls them. Kings, as A7colaus did; becaufe tr.ey exercifed a Kingly Power in theii* Families; and therefore they are called Anointed, Pf. CV.
[d] By almoflnll nvhich, d'c] See Eufebius in the forementioned Book IX. Ch. 26, 27,-28. Thofe things arc true, which are there quoted out of Tragicus fudaus Ezechiel, part: of which we find in Cle?nens Alexandrinus, Strom. I. who* reports out of the Books of the Priefts, SeS. 1 6. the Chrtftian Religion. 6^^ all which, is related alio the Hiftory of Mofes, and his principal Adls. The Orphick Verfes exprefsly mention {a) his being taken out of the Water, and the two Tables that were given him by God. To thefe we may add {b) Polemon: (c) And feveral Priefts, that an Egyptian was flain at Mofes's Word j and Strom. V. he relates fome things belonging to Mofes, out of Jrtapanus, tho* not very exaftly. yujiin, out of Tragus Pompeius, fays of Mofes, ** He *' was Leader of thofe that ** were banilhed, and took ** away the facred Things of ** the Egyptians; which they ** endeavouring to recover by ** Arms, were forced by a *' Tempell to return honrxe; ** and that Mofes having en- " tered into his own Country ♦* of Damafcus, took Pofleffion ** of Mount 5/««/&;" and what follows; which is a Mixture of Truth and Falfehood. Where we find Ar^vas written by him, it (hould be read Amas, who is Aaron f not the Son, as he imagines, but the Brother of MofeSy and a Prieft.
{a) His being taken out of tht Watery &c.] As the great 5'r«- liger has mended the Place; who with a very little Variation of the Shape of a Letter, inftead of Jaoq/^^ik, hulogenes^ as it is quoted out oi Ari/iobulusy by Eufebiusy in his Gofpel Preparation. Book XIII. Ch. 1 2. bids us read vJ^oyiViic^ hu' dogeneSf Born of the Water^ So that the Verfes are thus; So nvas it fat d of Old, fo he commands Who* s born of Watery njoho received from Gad The t=tvo great Tables of the moral Lanxj.
The antient Writer of the Orphick Verfes, whoever h«e was, added thefe Words, after he had faid, that there was but one God to be worfhipped, who was the Creator and Governor of the World.
[b] Polemon, &c.] He feems to have lived in the Time of Ptolemy Epiphanes', concerning which, fee that very ufeful Book of the famous Gerard Vofjiusy of the Greek Hillorians. Africanus fays, the Greek Hiftories were wrote by h?m; which is the fame Book Athen.'eusz^XW E.hKciS'iKov. His Words are thefe: "In the *' Reign of Apis the Son of ** Phoraneusy part of the Egyp* ** tiankxmy went out of Egypt, ** and dwelt in Syria, called ** Palefine, not far from Ara- *' bia.''' As Africanus "prefcTved the Place of Polemon^ fo Eufebius in his Chronology, preferved that of ^/"r/r^?;?^.
(f) And federal Things, Sec,'] The Places are in Jojephus againft Appion, with abundance of feveral Things about his coming out of Egypti from the Egyptian Writers, Manetho^ Lyfima^ chus^ Cbaremon, Neither can any prudent Man think it at all credible, that Mofes^ (a) who had fo many Enemies, not only of the Egyptians^ but alfo of many other Nations, as the (J?) Idu^ m^eansy {c) Jrabians^ and {d) PhcenicianSy would venture to relate any thing concerning the Creation of the World, or the Original of Things, which could be confuted by more antient Writings, or was contradidtory to the antient and received Opinions: or that he would relate any thing of Matters in his own Time, that could be confuted by the Teilimony of many Perfons Perfons of Falfities, as coming from People who hated the Jeivs; and from hence Tacitus took his Account of them. But it appears from all thefecompared together, that the Hebreivs dc' fcended from the Ajfyriansy and poffefGng a great Part of Egypt, led the Life of Shepherds; but afterwards being burthenM with hard Labour, they came out of ^gypt under the Command of Mofes, feme of the £'^y;5^/^;7j accompanying them, and went through the Country of the Arabians unto Palejiine Syria, and there fet up Rites contrary to thofe of the Egyptians: But Jofephus in that learned Book has furprizingly Ihown, how the Egyptian Writers, in the Falfities which they have, here and there, mix'd with this Hiftory, differ with one another, and fome with themfelves, and bow many Ages the Books of Mofes exceeds theirs in Antiquity.
\a) Who had fo many Enemies, &c.] From whom they went away, by Force, whofc Laws the Je^ws abolifh'd Concerning the implacable Hatred of the Egyptians againft the "Jeivs, fee Philo againft F/«£-f«/, and in his EmhaJJy; and Jofephus in each Book againft Ap-^ pi on, [b] Theldum^ans,8cc] Who inherited the antient Hatred between Jacob and Efau j which was increafed from a new Caufe, when the Idumaans denied the Hebreivs a PafTage, Numb. XX. 1 4.
(c) Arabians, Sec] Thofe, I mean, that defcended from Ifmael.
[d] Phoenicians, Sec] Namely, the Canaanites, and the neighbouring Nations, who had continual Wars with the Bebre'vjs.
6eA. 1 6. the Chrijlian Religion, Perfons then alive. (^) Diodoriis Siculus, and (l) [a) Diodorus Siculus, &C.] In his firll Book, where he treats ofthofe who made the Gods to be the Authors of theirLaws, he adds; Amongjithe Jews <:u/7x ^'iofes, 'who cdlled God by the Name of ^la.&t lao, where by 'Icti.', Ino, he means, mn* Jehovah, which was io pronounced by the Oracles, and in the Orphick Verfes mentioned by the Ancients, and by the Bafilidian Hereticks, and other Gnoiticks. The fame Name the Tyrians, as we learn from PhiloBiblius, pronounced '*livc'\ leno. others 'Ic'.K, laoit^zs we fee in Clemens Jhxandrinus. ThtSamaritans pronounced it, "U'l^cc/, labai, as we read in Theodoret; for the Eafiern People added to the fame Words, fome one Vowel, and fome another; from whence it it is that there is fuch difference in the proper Names in tlieOldTeftament. Fhilo rightly obferves, that this Word lignifies Exijience. Befuics Diodorus, of thofe who make mention of Mofes^ the Exhortation to the Greeks^ which is afcribed to Ju/iin; v.zmesJppiany P/oIemy on MandeJiuSf Uellanicus^ PhilochoruSy Cajior, Thallus, Alexander the llifiorian: And Cyril mtnuon^ iome of them in his firft Book again il Julian.
{b) Straboy&c] The Place is in the fixteenrh Book, where he thinks that ]}>I:/ej was an Egyptian Pridl; which he had from the Egyptian Writers, 2.1 apj^rs in Jo/ephus: Afterwards he adds his own Opinion, which has fome Mifiokej in it. *' Many who worfhip-** ped the Dei:y, agreed with " him ( Mofes ) \ for he both " faid and taught, that the ♦* Egyptians did not rightly *' conceive of God^ when *' they likened him to wild •* Beafts and Cattle; nor th* ** Lybians, nor the Greeks, in ** refembling him by a hu- ^* man Shape; for God is no ** other than that Univerfe ** which furrounds us; the ** Earth, and the Sea^ and ** the Heaven, and the World, ** and the Nature ofallThings, " as. they are called by us. *' Who (fays he) that has any ** Underiianding, would pre- " fame to form any Image •* like to thefc things that are '* about us? Wherefore we *' ought to lay afide all carved *' Images, and worfbip him in •* the innermofti^artof aTem- *' pie worthy of him, withcut " any Figure." He adds, that this was the Opinion of good Men: He adds alfo, that facred Rites were inilituted by H.-ra, which were not burdenfoma for their Coillinefs.uor hateful, as proceeding from Madnefs. He mentionsCircumcifion, the Meats fhit were forbidden, ai d the like; and after he h?d fhovvn that Man was naturally defirous of civil Society, he tells u5, that it is promoted by Divine and Human Precepts, bat more cfFisdluaUy by Divine.
F 66 Of the Truth of Book I.
Strabo^ and {a) Fliny^ (h) 7'acitus, and after them (c) Diqtiyftus Longifius^ (concerning Loftinefs of Speech) make mention of M<?/^j. (d) Befides the {a) Pliny, &C.] Book XXX. cfMagiciansnvhkhfpran? from Q\iVi^.l.fhereisa?iotherSeSi. Mofes. And Juvenal i Ihey learn, and keep, and fear the Jevvifh Lai-v, Which Mofes /« his fecret Volume gave.
{h) Tacitus, See.'] FliftoryV. the Tanchuma or llmedenu. Where, according to the Egyp- Mention is there made of the tian Fables, Mofes is called one of thofe that 'were banifhed.
(r) Dionyjius Longinusy &C.3 He lived in the lime of ^//:- relian the Emperor, a Favourite oiZenobia, Queen of the Paltnyrians. In his Book of the Sublime, after he had faid, that they who fpeak of God. ought to take care roreprefent him, as Great, and Pure, and without Mixture j He adds, ♦• Thus does he who gave •• Laws to the Jen.1'3, who wab *' an extraordinary Man, who ** conceived and fpoke worthi - " \y of the Power of God, •' when he writes in the B6- ** ginning of his Laws, God ** ipake: What r Let there'bs •* Light, and there Was Light. •• Let there be Plarrh, and 'it *' was (0^"^' Cha/cidi:;s t^Qk many Things out of Mofes,' of whom he fpeaks thus^j -"*^'Mc- **fgs was the wifeft of MeA, ^* who, as they fay, WaS en- ^ livened, not by human El6- •♦ quehce, but by Diviiie Itt- [dt BffdestheTalmWfpr,^'] In the Gemara, in the 'I'ltle, Concerning Oblations, and the Chapter, Jll the Oblatiifns of thf Synagogue, To which add chief of Pharaoh'' % Magicians, and their Difcourfe witn Mofes is related. Add alfo Numenius, BookllL concerning they*?wj: Eufehius quotes his Words, Book VIIL Chap. 8. •' Af- " rer-.vards Jamnes and Mam- *' bres, Egyptian Scribes, were ** thought to be famous for •* magical Aits, about the *' time that the Jezvs were ** driven out of Egypt; for •*' thefe were they who were ^' chofen, out of ihc?vlulritude *' of the Egyptians, to contend ** wixh Mufa^us the Leader of **the '/ff^cy, u Man very pbW- ^' erfulvvith God by Prayers; *' and they feemed to be able ^' to repel thoie fore Calami- *' ties which Weic brought •' upon Egypt by Mzfce-us^'' ■■Where Mojes'n Called Mufiay,^ Word very near it,a6isc^{lomary with the Greeks; as others Call feff.Sy Jafon; and Sai'l, Paul. Grigen againft Celfus refers as to the fame Place ofA«-meiiius, Artabanus in the fame Eufehius, Book I X Chap. 27. •Ciills them the Priefls of Memfhis. who were commanded by the King to be put to Death, if they did not t<^ things ecjual to M<}fesn Sed:. 1 6. the Chriftian Religion. 67 Talmudijis, {a) Plhiy^ and {h) Apuleius^ fpeak of Jamnes and Mamhres^ who refilted Mofes in £-gypt, (c) Some things there are in other Writers, and many things amongft the (d) Pythagoreans^ about ciied Place.
{b) Jpuhiusy &c.] In his fecond Apologetkk (c) Some things there are, Scz.*\ As in Strabo ^ Tacitus^ and Theophrajliis^ quoted by Porphyry, in hisfecond Book againll eating living Creatures, where he treats of Priefts and BurntofFerings; and in the fourth Book of the fame Work, where he fpeaks of Fillies, and other living Creatures^ that were forbidden to be eaten. See the ]t*hceof Hecat^us, in 'Jofephus'^ firR Book againft Appioriy and in Eufehius'i Prepar. Book IX. Chap. 4. You have the Law of avoiding theCuftoms of llrange Nations, iny2f/?/«'sand7^aV//i's Hiftories -, of not eating Swines Flefh, in Tacitus, Jwvenal, Piutarch's Sympof iv. and Mafro^/«^ from the Ancients. In the fame place of Plutarch, j'ou will find mention of the Le^itesy and the pitching of the Tabernacle.
{d) Pythagoreans y 5^c.] Esrtiiippui in the Life of Pythagoras, quoted hyjofephas againft /Ippion, Book II. ** Thefe ** Things he faid and did, *' imitating the Opinion of the ** yeuji and '^Phracians^ and " transferring them to himfelf; *' for truly this Man took ** many Things into his own " Philofophy, from the y>w/>^ *' Laws." To abl^ain from Creatures that die of themfelves, isputamong thePrecepts of Pythagoras, by Hierocles,zii<i Porphyry in his Epiftle loAnebo^ and JElian, Book IV. that is, o\xx.oi Levit. iv. 15. Deut.xiv, 2 1. Thou Jh alt not engranje the Figure of God on a Ring, is taken out of Pythagoras, in Malchus^or Porphyry'sExhottation to Philofophy, and in Diogenes La'ertius i and this from the vSecond Commandment. Take not auoay that nuhich thou didjl not place, Jofephus in his Second Book againft Appion, puts amongft the Je^i/h Precepts, and Phi' lojiratui amongft the Pythagoreans, Jamblicus fays, A tender and fruitful Tree, ought not to be corrupted or hurt, which he had out of Deuteronomy xx, 19. The foremen tioned Hermippus afcribes this to Pythagoras, not to pafs by a Place where an Afs has fet upon his Knees: The Foundation of which is the Story in Numb, xxii. 27. Porphyry acknowledges, that Plato took many things from the Hebre--ws, as Theodoret obferves, in his firft Difcourfe againft the Greeks. You will fee Part of them in Eufebius\ Preparation. (I fufpe^ that Hermiptus, or Jo-F z fephus.
68 Of the Truth of Book L about the Law and Rites given by Mofes^ [a) Straho and Juftin^ out of 'Trogus^ remarkably teftify concerning the Religion and Righteoufnefs of the ancient Jews: So that there feems to be no need of mentioning what is found, or has formerly been found, ot'Jqfijua and others, agreeable to the Hehrew Books; feeing that whoever gives Credit to Mcfes (which it is a Shame for any one to refufe) cannot but believe thofe famous Miracles done by the Hand of God •, which is the principal Thing here aimed at. Now that the Miracles of later Date, fuch as thofe of (b) Elijah^ Elijhah^ and others, fliould not be Counterfeit, there is this further Argument; that in thofe Times Jud^a was become more known, and becaufe of the Difrerencc of Religion, was hated by the Neighbours, who could very eafily confute the tirft Rife Rife fephusy inftcad of Jei.vs, (liould have faid Llcans, that is, the Priefls of Jubiter Id.^us in Crete, whom Pythagoras envied. See Sir 'John Marjham\ CoUe^f^ian ot thefe. in his ^TentK Age of the Egyptian {a) Straho and Jufiin, &cj Straho \v\ his XI Vth Book, alter ihe Killory of Mofes, fays. That his FoUouoers, for a con- JiderabU time ^ kept his Prec&pts, and "jocre truly righteous and godly. And a litnc aker He fays, that thofe whvO beHeved'in Mofes, ^^L'oyjhippcd C*od, and ivere lovers of Equity. And ^Juflin fays thus. Book XXXVI. Ch 2. Whofc ilighteoufncfs, (iji^. the King«5 and Prielh) mixed Kvith Religion., increafvd bcyond Belief. AriJlatU aho (witneis Clcarchus in his fecond Book of Sleep, which yofepbus tranfcribed) gives a great Character of a Jevj whom he had feen, for his Wifdom and Learning. "TacituSf amongll his many Falfitiesjlays this one Truth, that the Jen-vs worfhipped that Supreme and Eternal Being, iicha nvns immutable J and could not perijh; that is, God, ( as Dion Cajjius fpeaks, treating of the fame Je^'js) nxjho is ineffable and innjifihle.
[Ij] Elijah, &c.] Concerning whofe Prophecy, Eufehius fays, Pr^rp Book IX. Ch. 30. that Eupolemus wrote a Book In the 39th Chapter of the ftme Book, Ezifebius quotes a Place of his, concerning the Prophecies of Jeremiah.
Rife of a Lie. The Hiftory of Jonah\ being three Days in the Whale's Belly, is in {a) Lycofhron and JEneas Gazeus^ only under the Name of Hercules \ to advance Vv^hofe Fame, every thing that was great and noble 11 fed to be related of him, as {b) Tacitus obferves. * Certainly nothing but the manifefl Evidence of the Hiftory could compel Julian (who was as great an Enemy to the Jews as to the Chridians) to confefs (c) that there were fome Men infpired by the Divine Spirit amongfl: the Jezvs^ (d) and that Fire defcended from Heaven, and confumed the Sacrifices of Mofes and Elias, And here it is worthy of Obfervation, (a) LycophroTty c^jc] The Verfes are thefe.
Of that three-ni<ihted Lyon^ njjhom of old 1 riton'j fierce Dog ^jith furious fanui devour'' d, IJ ithin nx;hofe Bo^vehy tearing his Li^ver^ He rolled^ hiirmng nvith Heat, though '■xmlhout Fire, His Headtvith Drops of S~cveat bede^ d all o" er.
Upon which Place Txetfes fays, ** Becaufe he was three Days ** -.vithin the Whale." And j'Eneas Gazeusmlheophrajius. '* According to the Story of '* Hercules y who was faved hy '^ a Whalelwallowing him up, *' when the Ship in which he *' failed was wrecked," (b) Tacitus, &c ] And Sern>iuSf as Varro and Verrius Tlaccus affirm.
[c] That there^werc fame, Zi:c ] Book III in Cyril.
{d") That Fire defc ended, &c.] Julian in the Xth Book of Cyril, •* Ye refufe to bring Sa- ** orifices to the Altar and offer *' them, becaufe the Fire does ** n«t defcer.d from Heaven ^■* and confume the Sacrifices, *' as it did in M&Jes*^ Time: *• J his happened once to Ma- *^ fes, and again long after to ♦' Elijah the TifiMter See what follows concerning the Fire from Heaven. Cyprian in III. of his Teftimpnies, fays, *' That in the Sacrifices, all " thofe that God accepted of, *• Fire came down from Hea- " ven, and confumed the " Things facrificed.*' Menander alio in his Phcznician Hiftory mention^ that great Drought, which happened in theTimcof £//fl.st;hatis,when 1th oh a I us reigned amongll the Tyrians. See Jofephus in his Ancient Hiftory, Book VTII. Chap. 7.
70 Of the Truth of ^ Book I.
fcrvation, that there was not only very (a) fevere Punifhments threatned amongft the Hebrews^ to any who fhould falfcly afllinie the Gift of Prophecy, (h) but very many Kings, who by that means might have procured great Authority to themfelves •, and rpany learned men, (c) fuch as Efdras and others, dared not to alTume this Honour to themfelves -, (d) nay, fome Ages before Chrift's Time, no body dared to do it. Much lefs could fo many thoufand People be impofed upon, in avouching a conftant and public Miracle, I mean {e) that [a] Se'vere Tumfhinenti^ &c.} Deut. XIII. 5. XVIII. 20. and the following (^) But *very many Kingfy &-C.] No body dared to do it after Danjid.
(r) Such as Efdras, &c.] The JlebrenjL's ufed to remark upon thofe Times, Hitherto the Prophet* s noiv begin the Wif? Men. id) Nay^ fome Ages before Chriji'^s Time, &c ] Theiefore in the III Book of Maccabees, IV. 46. we read, that the Stones of the Altar which was defiled were laid aiide, untii there fhould come a frophit to fhexv njohat fhould he done nvith them. And in the IXth Chap. *ver. 27. of the fame Book, •* So was there a great AfPic- *• tion. in Jfrael, the.like •' whereofhad never been, ilnce '* the Time that there were ** no Prophets r.mongll them. ■* The fame vve find in the Talvtudy in the Title concerning the Council.
[e) That of the Oracle, &c.] S^€Q Exodus XXV \\\. 30. Le- ,a;^yiU. 8. Numh. XXSIL XXIII. 2,..5, 9, ID, II, 12. XXVIII e'MANehem.Wl. 65. and Jofcphus'z Book III. 9. This is what is meant by the Words ^po;T»/yA S'it?.^}!', the confulting (an Oracle), njohere you njoill have an uififiver as clear as Light it felf: In the Son oiSyrach XXXIII. 4. For the Word ^vtha^ elear, anfwers to th& Hebrew CD^'Tlh^ Urim, and fo the Seventy tranflate, it in the forecited Places, Numb, XXVII. 21. I.VrXXVIIL 6. and e\{cwheYeS{ihf'>'J'i flaking clear, as Exod. XXVIII. 26, Lev. Vlll. 8. Theyalfo tranflate IZj*?2n Thunim, aAn- H'naVj'Truth; The Egyptians imiratf d this, jufl: as Childrea doMen. P/W^rw;, Book I. renting the Alf lirs of the Egyptians, fays of the Chief "Judge ^ that He hath Truth hangiiig about his Neck And again afterwards, •* The King com-** mands that all Things ne-** cclfary and fitting fliould be *' provided for the Subfiflence Sed. 17. the Chriflimi Religion, 71 that of the Oracle, {a) which fliined on the High Prieil's Bread, which is fo firmly believed by all the Jews^ to have remained till the Deftrudtion of the firft Temple, that their Anceftors mult ofnecefTity be well afiured of the Truth of it.
Sect. XVII. ^e fame proved alfo from Predictions.
There is another Argument to prove the Providence of God, very like to this of Miracles, and no lefs povverful, drawn from the foretelling of future Events, which was very often and very exprefsly done amongft the Hebrews; fuch as the ib) Man's being childlefs who fhould rebuild Jericho \ the deftroying the Altar of Bethel^ by King Jofiah by Name, (c) above three hundred Years before of the Judges, and that the Chief " great Plenty *• carries *' Image adge flioiild have This Man about his Neck, an of precious Stones, '* hanging en a golden Chain, ** which they call Truth, and" ** they then begin to hear *' Cafes, when the Chief Judge *' has fixed this Image of " Truth.'' And ^^lian, BookXIV. Ch. 24. of his various Hiftory. " The Judges •* in old Time amongft the ** Egyptians, were Prieils, the " oldeit of which was Chief ** Prieft, who judged every *' one; and he ought to be a ** very juft Man, and one that *• fpared no body. He wore •* an Ornament about his ^* Neck,madeof SaphirdStone, •* which was called Truth." The BabylonilhG^w^r/?, Ch. I.
of the Book called Joma, fays, that fome Things in the fi.rft Temple, were wanting in the fecorid, as the Ark with the Mercy-Seat, and the Cherubimsy the Fire coming from Heaven, the Schecinah, the Holy GhoH:,.and,ti^e Urim • [a) Which Jhine/ton the High Prieft" s Breaft, &:c.] This is ^ Cbnjedlure of the 'Rabbins^ without any Foundation from Scripture. It is;nuch more credible, that the Prieft prO' liounced the Oracle with his Mouth. See our Obfervat. on Exod XXVIII. 30. l^umb. XXVIT. 31. UChrc.
■ [b] The Mart's being childlefs, &c. ) Compare Jofuah VI. 26. with I Kings XVT. 34.
{c) Above three hundredTears, &c.] CCCLXI. as Jofephus F 4 thinks 72 Of the "Trufh of Book I, fore it came to pafs: fo alfo Ifaiah foretold the {a) very Name and principal Adls of Cyrus; and Jere7mah the Event of the Siege of Jernfalem., after it was furrounded by the Chaldeans \ and Daniel (h) the Tranflation of the Empire from the Ajjyrians^ to theMt'^^j' and Perfians^ and (c) from them to Alexander of Macedon (d) whofe Snccefibrs to part of his Kingdom, were to be the Pofterity of Lagtjs and Sekucus; and what Evils the Hebrews fliould undergo from all thefe, particularly (e) the famous J'dtiochiis •, fo very plainly, (/) that P^rphyry^ v/ho compared the Grecian Hiflories, extant m his Time, with the Prophecies; could not make it out any other v^^ay, but by faying, that the Things afcribed to Daniel^ were wrote after t:hey came to pafs ^ v/hich is the fame as if any one fhould deny, that what is now extant under the Name of Virgil^ and was always thought to be his, was Chap XXXVir, XXXVIU. &c.] VII. 8, II, 20, 24, 25.
for the fiiliiliing, fee Chap. VliL 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, ai^d other Greek Writers.
Se(5l. 17. the Chrijlian Rdlgion. 73 was writ by him in Anguftus^s> Time. For there was never any more doubt amongfl: the HehrewSy concerning the one, than there was amongfl the Romans^ concerning the other. To all which may be added, the many and exprefs Oracles (a) amongft thofe of Mexico and Pe^'u^ which foretold tiie coming of the Spaniai'ds mm thofe Parts, and the Calamities that would follow.
And h ^^^^^ Arguments.
{h) To this may be referred very many Dreams, exaftly agreeing with the Events-, which both as to themfeives and their Caufes, were fp utterly unknown to thofe that dreamed them, that they cannot without great ShameleiTnefs be attributed to natural Caufes ^ of which kind the beft Writers afford us eminent Examples, (c) TertulUan has made [a) Jfnongfi thofe ij/Mexico, Zee'.'] [Garcjlaz-zo de la Vega) Jnca, Acojia^ Heyrera^ and gthers, relate ilrange Things of thefe Oracles See Peter Geza, Tome II. of the Indian Affair.^.
{h) To this may he referred^ ccz.] What is here faid, does not fb much prove thp Exiftence of God, who takes care of the AfFciirs of Men; as that there are prefent with them fome invifible Beings, more powerful than Men, which whoever believes, will eaiily believe that there is a God. For there is no necefTity that all Things, which come to pafs different from the common Courfe of Nature, fliould be aV<:nbed to God himfcif; as if v/kiteyer cannot beeffccled by Men, or the Power of corporeal Things, muil be done by him himfelf. Le Clerc.
[c] Tertulliafj has made a ColleSiion, &c ] Chap. XLVT. where he relates the remarkable Dreams of Jljlyages, of Philip of Macedon, of the Himen-rean Woman, of Laodice, oi Mithridates, of lllyrian Ba-/aris, of M Tidly, of Artorius, of the Daughter o{ Poly crates. Samius, whom Cieero calls hi* Nurfe, of Clconomus PiSia^ of SophocleSy of Neoptolemus the Tn-.gedian. Some of thefe we find in Valerius Maximus, Book I. Ch. 7. befides that of C^/- furnia concerning Ca-far, of P. D edits and T. Manlius, the Confuls, r. Atinius, M Tully in his Banifhment, Hannibal^ Aee-xander the Great ^ SimoniJes^ Craeftts^ made a Colledlion of them in his Book of the Soul; and {a) Ghofls have not only been feen, but alfo heard to fpeak, as we are told by thofe Hiftorians who have been far from fuperftitious Creduhty; and by WitnefTes in our own Age, who lived in Sina^ Mexico^ and other Parts o^ America 'y neither ought we to pafs by (b) that common Crfsfiis, the Mother of Dionvfius the Tyrant C Sempronius Gracchus; CaJJius oi Parmenia^ Aterius Rufus the Roman Knight, Hamilcar the Carthaginian, Alcihiades xki^Athenian^ and a certain Arcadian. There are many remarkable things, in Tullys Books of Divination; neither ought we to forget that of Pliny, Book XXV. Chap. 2. concerning the Mother of one that was fighting in Lufttania. And alfo thofe of Antigoniis and Artucules; who was the firll of the Race of the Ofmanida in the lApJian MonitUy Book I. Chap. 5. and others colIeSed by the indaftrious Theodore Zuinger,Y o\.Y, Book IV. the Title of which l^ Concerning Dreams (a) AndGhoJis ha^us not Ofily, &c.] See Plutarch in the Life of Dion and Brutus, and Apfion of the fame Brutus^ in the fourth of his Ci'viliay and /"/orr^j,BookIV.Chap 7. Add to thefe, Tacitus concerning, which fame Hiflory is in Pliny, Epift. XXVir. Book VII. together with another; concerning that which that wife and couragious Philofopher^/>6^«(jdorus law at Athens. And thofe in Valerius Maxinius, Book I. Chap. 8. efpecially that of CaJJius the Epicurean y who was frighted with the fight of C^/ar, whom he had killed; which is in Lipjius, Book I. Chap. 5. of his Warnings, Many fuch Hillories are collected by Crsjippusy Plutarch in his Book of the Soul, and Numenius in his fecond Book of the Soul's Immortality, mentioned by Origen m his fifth Book?igainft Cel/us, >, {b) That commonMethodySiQ.^ See the Teflimonies of this Matter, collected by Francis Jurety upon the 74th Epiftle of Lvon Bifhop of Chart re$^ Sophocles'"^ Antigone r.ells us how old this is, where the Theban Relations of Oedipus fpeak Curti'.us Rufus, Annal. XI If^e are prepared to handle red hot Iron^ To pafs through Fire, or to in-ooke the Godst That nve are innocent, and did not do itV '^'^'^ ' Which we learn alfo, from the Pliny s Natural Hlft. BookVII. Report of S'/rtf^<7, Book V. and Chap. 2. and Servius upon mon Method of examining Perfons Innocence, by walking over red hot Plow-fliares, viz. Fire Ordeal^ mentioned in fo many Hiftories of the German Nation, and in their very Laws.
Sect. XVIII. ^he Ohje5fion of Miracles not being feen noWy anfwered.
Neither is there any Reafon, why any one fhould objed againft what has been faid, becaufc no fuch Miracles are now feen, nor no fuch Predidions heard. For it is fufficient to prove a Divine Providence, that there ever have been fuch. Which being once eftablifhed, it will follow; that we ought to think God Almighty forbears them now, for as wife and prudent Reafons, as he before did them. Nor is it fit that the Laws given ] to the Univerfe, for the natural Courfe of Things, and that what is future might be uncertain; fhould j always, or without good Reafon, be fufpended, i but then only, when there was a fufficient Caufe; i as there was at that time, when the Worfhip ofj the true God, was banifhed almoft out of the World, being confined only to a fmall Corner of it, 17*2;. Judaa \ and was to be defended from that Wickednefs which furrounded it, by frequent Affiftance. Ox when the Chriftian Religion, con-V x.*i u^.v-nv,v..v,...-...^vcerning V'trgiV^ Xlth j^neid. Alfo Teftimonles, concerning thofe • thole Things, which were feen who have fpoke after their cf old, in Feronias Grove upon Tongues were cut out upon the the Mountain Sora^e. To account of Religion, fuch as thefe Things, which happened Jujiinian, Book I. C. of the contrary to the common Courfe Pr^torian O^ize i concerning cf Nature, we may add, I aPrasfe^t in y^r/<:<ar. Piocopius think, thofe we find made ufe in the i ft of his Vandalkh.
of, to preferve Mens Bodies Victor Uticenjis in his Book of, from being wounded by Ar- Perfecutions, and jEneas Garows. See alfo the certain za in Theof)hraJius.
76 Of the Truth of Book I.
corning which we fhall afterwards particularly treats was, by the Determination of God, to be fpread all over the World.
Sect. XIX. And of there being fo much JVickednefs.
Some Men are apt to doubt of a Divine Providence, becaufe they fee fo much Wickednefs pradlifed, that the World is in a manner overwhelmed with it, like a Deluge: Which they contend fliould be the Bufinefs of Divine Providence, if there were any, to hinder or fupprefs. But the Anfwer to fuch, is very eafy. When God made Man a free Agent, and at liberty to do well or ill, (referving to himfelf alone a necelTary and immutable Good nefs) {a) it was not fitthathefhould put fuch a Reftraint upon evil Actions, as was incqnfiftent [a) It tuas notfj, &c.] Thus Te?'tulli an 'Jg3.in^ Marcion If. " An entire Liberty of the •• Will, is granted him ei- •* ther way, that he nnay al- «* ways appear to be MaRer of •-* himfelf, by doing of his *:■' own accord that which is •* good, and avoiding of his •Vown accord that which is *■• €j?ii. Becaufe Man, who is *" \\\ other Refpefi.^ fubjeit [o •* the Determination of God, *^ OQght (6 do that which is *',j'4ft, 6i>t ©f the good pleu- *' fare o*^, his own free WIH. ♦'But Reither the Wages of *''-thi«?- which is good or evil, ** can jufily be paid to him *' who ib found to be good or p' evil out of Necelilty, and ** pot out of Choice. And •'■/or.'this Reaiph wars' the *' Law' appointed, nQt w^cxclude, but to prove Liberty, by voluntarily performing Obedience to it, or by voluntarily tranfgreffing it; fo that in either Event the Liberty of the Will is manifcft.'* And again afterwards. Then the Confequence would have been.; that God would have withdrawn that Liberty, which was once granted to Man, that is, would have retained within himfelf his Fere knowledge and exceeding Power,whereby he might have interpofed, to hinder iMan from falling into Danger, by trying to ' make an illUfe of his Liber-■ ty. For if he had interpofed, hewould the uiiave taken away ihat Liberty, which his Reafoh and Goodnefs had given 'them.*'' Or?Vc^;? ill his I'VtK Seft. 19, 20. the Chrijlian Religion. 77 confiftent with this Liberty. But whatever Means of hindering them, were not repugnant to fuch Liberty; as eftablifhing and promulging a Law, external and internal Warnings, together withThreatnings and Promifes; none of thefe were neglediecl by God: Neither would he fufFer the Effedls of' Wickcdnefs, to fpread to the furtheft; fo that Government was never utterly fubverted, nor the Knowledge of the Divine Laws entirely extinguifhed. And even thole Crimes that were per— mitted, as we hinted before, were not without their Advantages, when made ufe of either to puniih thofe who were equally wicked, or to chaftife thofe who were dipt out of the way of Virtue, or elfe to procure fome eminent Example of Patience and Conftancy, in thofe who had made a great Progrefs in Virtue, {a) haftly^ Even they themfelves, whofe Crimes feemed to be overlooked for a time, were for the mofl part punifhed, with a proportionable Punifhment, that the Will of God might be executed againft them, who adled contrary to his Will.
$^Qf^^^^,.^ijdthatfo greats as to opprefs good Men.
And if at any time. Vice fliould go unpunifhed, or, which is wont to offend many weak Perfons, fome good Men, opprefled by the Fury of the Wicked, fhould not only lead a troublefome Life, but alfo undergo an infamous Death; we muft not prefently from hence conclude againft a Divine Providence; which, as we have before obferved.