(I)

ΑΝ

ESSAY

TOWARD A

NATURAL HISTORY

OF THE

BIBLE, &c.

HAVE in a brief Manner explain'd the Defcription Mofes has given of the Agent or Power which God has

created and framed, to form this and other Globes, and to carry on that œcunomical Operation we call Nature. 'Tis now made a Question, how Mofes came to concern himself with what is call'd Natural Philofophy, and whence he had it?

As the Books of Mofes, and perhaps that of Job, give us the largest and cleareft Accounts by Retrofpection, or of what pafs'd before Writing was, there have been always fome who difputed, or preVOL. I. tended

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tended to difpute, their Authority, or by Miftake or Endeavour misconstrued their Defigns: And as I have made a Beginning to make fome Parts of them, which were not understood, intelligible and useful, 'tis neceffary, before I go further, to attempt to clear thofe Points. Later Books bear Witness of their Authority, and help to prove their Design; but I fuppofe those who dispute their Authority, will difpute that of the reft: And fince they will not take what is Evidence for the oldeft Books out of the later Books, they ought not to have the Liberty to take what they think is against them, because every Record is to be taken together. But as there is nothing in any other Book which looks like hurting them, firft let us fee what that which they pretend is against them will do, and then let us fee if we cannot find out a Method to make thofe eldest Books their own Evidence. I mean not only reafonble Evidence, for that will never do with Men that fet up their own Imaginations for Reafon; but Evidence to that Degree which they alfo talk fo much of, Demonftration: I do not mean as they mean, with Data, but without. To pafs over, for the prefent, an Enquiry, What human Affiftance could poffibly furnish Mofes with Accounts

Accounts of what he has writ, which was tranfacted before his Time, befides his philofophical Account, and how he came to concern himself with Philofophy, we shall firft confider how he could have it.

It appears that God was pleased to reveal many Things to Adam before his Fall, and fome afterwards, and to feveral of his Defcendants, in several Lines downward, before Writing was; and that by the fame means the History of fome Parts thereof is preferv'd and convey'd to us by Writing, as well as Parts of that reveal'd fince, fome paft, and fome to come, and amongst the reft of the first Part, this before us.

I am now told, that St. Paul says, Acts vii. 17. And Mofes was learned in all the Wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in Word and Deed. And that this implies that the Fgyptians had Learning and Wifdom, and fo of Course Philofophy, and that he might learn what he has writ there, without having Recourfe to Revelation, and that poffibly they might understand fome Points better than we do now, but that Philofophy is still as uncertain as ever. And I must tell them, that 'tis likewife writ, Dan. i. 3. And the King (Nebuchadnezzar) Spoke unto Afhpenaz the Master of the Eunuchs, that he should bring CERTAIN of A 3

the

the Children of Ifrael, and of the King's Seed, and of the Princes; Children in whom was no Blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all Wifdom, and cunning in Knowledge, and understanding Science, and fuch as had Ability in them, to ftand in the King's Palace; and whom they might teach the Learning and Tongue of the Chaldeans-ver 6. Now among these were Daniel-Thefe Phrafes do not imply, that either the Egyptians or Chaldeans had more Knowledge than other Nations; but only that each Nation had a particular Manner of Learning, and that each Perfon had the beft the Nation he was in could afford; no more than faying a Man was brought up in all the Knowledge of the English, or that by understanding the Heathen Poets, as they are now understood, or that understanding the Romance of Gravity or Attraction, as well as thofe who writ it, would make a Man a Philofopher, or give him any true Knowledge of the Origin of Philofophy, or of the Religion, or of the Learning of the Antients; much less of what was done before Writing was. Mofes had learned the Knowledge of God, &c. whilst with his Nurse; the Wisdom of the Egyptians was in a small Compass; they had fome little Knowledge of the Ufe of Horfes and Chariots in War, which Mofes was forbid to

put

put in Practice, and fome poor Religion and Policy, which he was not allow'd to imitate: And their Way of tranfmitting the Memory of Perfons or Actions was fo unintelligible, that about two hundred and seventy Years after the Death of Joseph, the King knew nothing of the Perfon who had procured one of his Predeceffors all the Money, and one fifth of the Profits of all the Land for ever, and fav'd the Lives of all his People. The furtheft they could go, was to give a rough Reprefentation, by Scratch or Figure, of the Man; but they could form nothing which could preferve or raise any Idea of his Actions, only fet up a Pillar, or raise a Heap of Stones, to record fome great A&. Act. We will allow Mo fes to have been a Man of Parts, and that at forty Years of Age he had fome Glimpfe of what was to be done by him afterwards, as Acts vii. 25. For be fuppofed his Brethren would have understood, how that God by his Hand would deliver them; but they understood it not (a). And Daniel had acquir'd the Knowledge of God and his Law, and

(a) Mofes was a Prophet before his Miffion into Egypt, Exod. iv. 10. O My Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor fince, thou haft spoken to thy Servant. So that God had formerly fpoken to him.