by his being chofen, 'tis likely, had all the Learning of the Jews, and, 'tis likely was taught all the Learning and policy the Court of Nebuchadnezzar could afford ; and perhaps a little Star-gazing, and to know when an Eclipfe would happen; and if he would have learn'd to have polluted himself, he might have learned other things there. And it feems he had a great Genius, and fome Degree of extraordinary Affiftance, Dan. i. 17. God gave bim Knowledge, and Skill in all Learning, and Wisdom, and Understanding in all Visions and Dreams-ver. 20. And in all Matters of Wisdom and Understanding that the King enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the Magicians and Aftrologers that were in his Realm. But none of thefe natural Capacities, or Acquifitions by Learning, enabled Mofes to tell what was paft from the Beginning, nor Daniel what Nebuchadnezzar had feen in a Vifion, and wifely kept a Secret, till he heard who could discover it, judging rightly, that he who could difcover it, was moft likely to interpret it. This forced the Chaldeans (as all fuch Pretenders must when they are fairly brought to the Teft) to own, as Dan. ii. 10, 11. The Chaldeans anfwered before the King, and faid, there is not a Man upon

Earth

Earth that can fhew the King's Matter; therefore there is no King, Lord, nor Ruler, that asketh fuch things of any Magician or Aftrologer or Chaldean; and it is a rare Thing that the King requireth, and there is none other that can Thew it before the King, except the Gods whofe Dwelling is not with Flesh. Daniel, after his Vision, says to the King, ver. 28. But there is a God in Heaven that revealeib Secrets. And when one fees how exactly the Description by Mofes tallies with all the other Writings, and with the Things and Actions, as well as Nebuchadnezzar heard how Daniel's did with his Vifion, it would, if Mofes, &c. had not taught us better, make one do as Nebuchadnezzar did to Daniel, fall down upon one's Face and worship him, &c. If it be allow'd that Job lived before Mofes, or the Things mention'd in that Book were tranfacted before Job had the Knowledge of Mofes's Writings, which I think 'tis pretty plain they were, it may be allow'd that Fob had a Retrofpection, or View of many Things paft, though they are not inferted in Order, as in a regular History, but in Transports; and that he had those amazing Queries from God, which shew'd him the Difference between God and

Man

Man, put him in mind of the Confe quences, and thoroughly humbled him; and that he had a prophetick View of Writing; but it does not appear from thence, that any had writ before, or that Job writ his own Life or Book, which he might have done if he had understood Writing; but that his Book might be writ by Mofes, or any other Prophet, in purfuance of his prophetick Wishes, after Writing was reveal'd, as thofe of Abraham, &c. were; as in like manner, Exod. xvii. 14. And the Lord faid unto Mofes, Write this for a Memorial in a Book, and rehearse it in the Ears of Joshua, I will utterly put out the Remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven. Ver. 15. And Mofes built an Altar, and called the Name of it Jehovah-nifi. Ver. 16. For he faid, becaufe the Lord hath fworn, that the Lord will have War with Amalek, from Generation to Generation. Instead of Writing, he then built an Altar, and gave it a Name which had been anciently, and was then, one of the Ways, as fetting up Pillars, raifing Heaps of Stones, &c. were; whereby they had preferv'd the Memory of Agreements, Things, or Actions. But after Mofes had been in the Mount, and was inftructed how to write, he literally obey'd that

Com

Command, Deut. xxv. 17. Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the Way- that thou shalt blot out the Remembrance of Amalek from under Heaven, thou shalt not forget it. And his conditional Request to or be blotted out of God's Book, refers only to the Book of God's Covenant with that People, which Mofes writ in the Mount.

Mofes's Books have been variously reprefented: The firft Part, a Hiftory that no Body could know what it was writ for, nor no Body could understand; he knew nothing of Philofophy, but had learned a little King-craft in Egypt, and a little Prieft-craft at Midian; and that under Pretence of Revelation, he got the Government of a poor ignorant fuperftitious People, and that he only acted and writ to keep them in Awe. And the Book of Job was only an Allegory, or a poetical Fiction; and none knew whether ever there was such a Man.

But to pass over other idle Suggestions, and proceed: Why should the Relation of Mofes be imperfect, or what Temptation had he to give a too short or false Account, or to use Deceit, either for his own Sake, or for God's Sake? Suppofe he had writ as an Hiftorian, why meddle with Things

which as fuch, he could not understand? All the Pretences of Tradition from Adam to Mofes, fignify nothing; Adam could know nothing without Revelation, and if there could be a Revelation to Adam, why not to Mofes? What Occafion for having it spoiled by Tradition, and imperfectly recorded? Suppofe as a Philofopher, was he likely to gain greater Power over the People, by giving them an unintelligible or falfe Account, which it appears he then explained to them, or if he had not, which might have been confuted as he did not fet up any thing of his own, but attributed all he did to God, though not in a Preface, yet by fhewing his Credentials? If his Book happened, as it has, to be preferved, and any thing found falfe in it, when that fhould have been discovered, would not he have been difcovered to have been an Impoftor, and instead of having honoured, difhonoured God? If he writ as a Prophet, or one infpired, and had the Knowledge of Things paft and to come, why an imperfect Account? I warrant you, because those he then writ to, were vulgar People, and not Philofophers. That is begging two Queftions, which will neither of them be granted: First, that they were vulgar; because it will appear that all

Men