abfurd than to fuppofe an infenfible change wrought either in the form of their civil government, or the ceremonies of their religion.

Indeed it is an unfufferable piece of boldness to charge the Jews with forging these books of Mofes, or adulterating of them in this period of time, when it appears they have kept them without any alteration for the fpace of 2700 years, as hath been fhewed already: If it be faid, that the Jews being divided into two kingdomes, and dispersed into distant countries, were not in a condition to forge or adulterate any of the faid books, because it might eafily have been discovered; it may be anfwered, that the fame reafons took place in this interval of 580 years, for from the time of Mofes to Rehoboam they were not only greatly divided amongst themselves, but almoft continually fubject to neighbouring states, who fubdued them by turns, as we fee in the book of Judges.

Moreover we are to take notice, Firft that these books of Mofes are the rife and foundation of the laws and cuftomes of the heathens, as well as of their fictions, which we shall have occafion to point at in the fequel of this difcourfe.

Secondly, That the hiftory contained in the Pentateuch, is evidently confirm'd by the following books of Jofbuah and Judges, which have an effential reference to the fame, and contain a relation of the publick acts of many nations, attested, and acknowledged by heathen authors, who were the mortal enemies of the Jews.

Thirdly, That the faid books are so closely link'd and related to those publick and known actions, that it is impoffible to separate the laws they contain from the matters of fact attested by Pagan history, or to be ignorant that the form of the Jewish government, was nothing else, but an execution of the laws contained in the Pentateuch, which equally lays down that platform of their policy and worship.

My bufinefs at prefent only is to hint these general reflexions concerning the truth of the books of the Old and New Testament; tho' the fequel will oblige me to make fome more particular reflexions upon each book, when I thall come to confider the feveral relations they contain.

I now come to the matter in hand, beginning with the book of Genefis; where we find an account of the creation of the world, the forming of man, the fall, the promife of the Meffiah, the propagation of mankind, the deluge, with other matters until the death of Jofeph, which contains the hiftory of the world for the space of 2369 years.

That the Teftimony of MOSES concerning the Creation of the World, and the Promife of the Messiah, is unquestionable.

ORAS MUCH as amongst thofe matters which Mofs relates Fin the book of Genefis, that of the Creation of the World in feven days, and of the Promife of the Meffiah, are fuch upon

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which all the reft do depend (as I fhall fhew hereafter) it is evident, that I must make it my business in a special manner to evince the truth of the fame..

Towards the confirmation of which matters of fact, the one of which is, that God created a firft man; the other, that God hath promised in due time to fend the Meffiah for redemption of mankind from the punishment of fin, I shall propose these following remarks.

Mofes the great law-giver of the Jews, laid thefe two matters of fact as the bafis of the laws he was to publifh; and he relates them to us, as things which were not only known to him, and fome others of the Jewish nation, but to all the people of the world; and particularly the whole nation amongst whom he lived.

To understand the force of this argument we must mind three things; the first is, the nature of the matters themselves, the other is the character of him that relates them; and the third, the use Mofes makes of them.

For the first, nothing was more needful to be known than these two two things before us; they were matters which concern the whole world, and of which every one ought to be informed; they are matters about which it is not eafie to be deceived, every one being in a condition to fatisfie himself about them, and of which confequently they could not but be moft throughly informed.

I dare maintain that there are no facts in prophane history of importance, comparable to thefe of the creation of the world, and the promife of the Meffiah, as Mofes has related them.

2. And as for the author who relates these points, it is as plain that his character did wonderfully contribute to the making of his book famous. He was a man illuftrious, as well by reason of his education, as the rank he held amongst men; a man equally expos'd to the judgment of enemies and friends, and who could not vent the leaft thing contrary to truth, in matters of great importance, without feeing himself immediately refuted, or rather without expofing himself to publick scorn.

Befides I aver, and am ready to maintain, that we find no author of fo illuftrious a character as Mofes was, or who is diftinguish'd with fa many effential marks of faithfulness and veracity, as appears throughout the whole tenour of his writings.

3. This will appear more evidently when we confider the ufe to which Mofes defigns thefe two relations of the creation of the world, and the promife of the Meffiah.

In a word, his defign was not in furnishing his books with the recitals of these important facts to engage others to read them with more attention, or to get himself reputation, by exciting a curiofity in people for his books. This would not have been becoming the gravity and wifdom of fo great a legislator, of whom all fucceeding ages have borrowed their laws.

It is apparent, that his end in the recording of thefe matters was to inspire with a sense of piety and religion, those who were committed to his charge.

This is that which in general we may obferve about these matters; but more particularly it is certain, that Mofes his end in recording the oracles

oracles by which God promised to Abraham the establishing his posterity in the land of Canaan, was to represent to the Jews the right they had to that land, according to the design and intent of the Divine wisdom.

But without making this particular reflexion, it is clear, that the law took its beginning at the twelfth of Exodus, where God prescribes to his people the manner of celebrating the paffover; at least this is the first law which God gave them through the miniftry of Moses; but forasmuch as Mofes his end was to juftifie in the minds of his people, the defign he had to make them leave Egypt as well as their pretenfions to the land of Canaan, whither he was to lead them; it was natural for him to lay before them the ground of those pretenfions, which he could not do without relating the whole series of the hiftory until the time of their bondage in Egypt, which we read in Genefis; the greatest part of which only concerns the ancestors of that people, after that Mofes had first laid down the grounds of religion, and that which was known to all nations.

Let us now imagin to our felves a man endeavouring all of a fuddain to introduce into the world the belief of things so far diftant from common apprehenfion as these two points must needs be, viz. That of the creation, and the promife of Chrift, in cafe we fuppofe them generally unknown. Let us yet further conceive a man not only relating those things, but making them the foundation of a new fort of laws never before heard of. Is there any wit, or judgment in fuch an undertaking? Can we therefore fuppofe that Mofes, whofe writings teftifie his great wisdom, should ever have entertain'd fuch unaccountable thoughts.

I dare aver that there was never any legislator so stupid and inconfiderate, as to pretend to engage a whole people to fubmit themselves to the yoke of obedience, and to receive a great number of laws respecting their civil government and religion, by declaring to them two fictions, of which they had never before had the least idea.

It is alfo very confiderable, that these things are not recited by Mofes as a preface to the Decalogue, as if then first they had been proposed to Mofes, or the people by God; but Mofes fets them down as truths known to them all, and as principles, univerfally admitted, and fuch as the meer mentioning of them could not but ftrongly engage the Jews to render a ready obedience to the laws which God gave to Mofes in their prefence of the Divine authority, of which their very fenfes were convinc'd..

Let us alfo confider the nature of those things, the relation of which Mofes has joined with these two general points, to make an impreffion on the minds of the Jews. Let us confider the account he gives them of their ancestors, nearer or farther off, whom he reprefents as equally inform'd of these matters, as having feverally delivered the knowledge of them to their children, and having join'd to these first truths of the creation, and the promise of a Saviour, many other notions thereon depending, and which tied their hopes and expectations, to the land of CaAnd now judge whether Mofes were not to be accused of great folly and fenfelefnefs, if he had proceeded to make fuch a vast people (all of the fudden) to receive for truths publickly and generally owned, what indeed was nothing but the moft ridiculous and ill cohering romance that ever was broached.

naan.

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Now fince as it is vifible (taking in the circumftances I have hinted) that the authority of fuch an hiftorian and law-giver as Mofes was, relating fuch importent matters cannot be call'd in queftion; it follows, that the Atheist can have nothing to object against his teftimony with the leaft fhadow or pretence of reafon. So that we may already affert, that there is nothing better attefted than the creation of the world, and the promise of Chrift, which are the immoveable foundations of the Chriftian Religion.

Nevertheless for a more evident conviction, we are willing, before we draw this conclufion, to make it appear how weak and inconfiderable all those objections are, which Atheists can poffibly frame against what Mofes relates concerning these matters.

What can they with reafon object? Perhaps they'l fay, that Mofes is not the author of Genefis, but that it was foisted in under his name, and confequently, that whatsoever is built upon the authority of Mofes and his evidence, is all without ground. Or they may object, that if Mofes be indeed the author of Genefis, that he lived at fuch a diftance of time from the things which he relates, that it makes void the authority of his writings. They may moreover alledge, that Mofes relates things impoffible, and of which therefore those that mentioned them before, the things themselves being fo long fince paft and done, could not be fully inform'd of, and that they may well be fuppos'd greatly changed and alter'd by a tradition of fo many ages. They may also alledge, that according to the common opinion, Mofes penn'd not these things as an hiftorian, but as a prophet; and that the apprehenfion of moft concerning his books are, that he wrote of things, whereof the knowledge before his time, was very obfcure and confufe, or rather were generally unknown.

They may object against these relations of Mofes, that which the most ancient people, fuch as the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Chinese, alledge for their antiquity, which far furpaffeth the date of the world according to Mofes.

These are the principal ways to affault the truths which Mofes relates, either by maintaining with the Atheists on one hand, that the things which Mofes relates, are indeed mentioned by other authors, but that they forged them themfelves; or that Mofes being an able and refin'd politician defign'd by creating a belief of thefe matters in the Jews, to make them more fubmiffive and obedient to him.

In a word, it may be faid, that fuppofing the book of Genefis to be writ by Mofes, it was an eafie matter for him to dictate whatsoever he pleased to a people who were under a law that made it capital to call in queftion the truth of his relations, or the authority of his laws.

This certainly is the fartheft, to which the height of obftinacy can carry this matter, and the very laft refuge of the strongest prejudice. But it is an eafie matter to confound the Atheists and Libertines in every one of these articles, and to fhew that all their objections do in effect ferve for nothing elfe but to make a more lively impreffion of this argument taken from matter of fact, which I have undertaken to fet forth in a full and clear light.

V.

I

CHAP.

That MOSES is the Author of the Book of GENESIS.

SHALL in the fequel of this difcourfe make it appear, that

we cannot with reason, conteft the authority of a tradition which hath those characters which we find in the relations con tain'd in the book of Genefis: the only thing that can be question'd in this matter is, whether Mofes the great captain of the Ifraelites, and founder of their common-wealth, be the author of it. This therefore is the thing which we ought folidly to evince.

Tho' it seems that we might difpenfe with this trouble: forafmuch as it is eafie to fhew, that the greatest part of the most confiderable events, which are recorded in the book of Genefis, were generally believed by others, as well as the Jews.

At least it must be granted, that these matters have given occafion to most of their fables, viz. To that of the chaos, to that of the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, for the forming of man to that of Prometheus, to that of Jupiter's continued laughter for the feven first days of his life, which they look'd upon as the original of the folemnity of the seventh day, known amongst the heathens; to that of the golden age, and of the deluge; to the name of Deucalion, to the fable of Janus, to that of the divifion of the world amongst Saturn's fons, to the name of Jupiter Hammon, to the fable of the Titans, and of the changing of women into statues of stone; to the ftories of the inceft the gods committed with their daughters; to that of the firing of the world by Phaeton; and to a great number of other fictions, which cannot be otherwise explained, as the learned have fhewn at large.

Whofoever was the author of Genefis, whether Mofes or another, fure it is that he was exactly inform'd of the matters he relates, and that he lived foon after Jofeph.

First then I fay, that it appears he was fully inform'd of those matters of which he treats; he fets down the names of the heads or fathers of the feveral nations of the world, and does it fo, that what he faith doth very well agree with what the most ancient historians have left us concerning that matter: he speaks of these nations, of the countreys they poffeft, and their kings, as of things he was perfectly inform'd of: he very carefully diftinguishes the original of these several nations; and the fame being at that time commonly known, no hiftorian could represent them otherwife than they were, without expofing himself to the laughter of all by endeavouring to mix fables with relations of this

nature.

In the fecond place, I fay, that this book was writ by a man that lived foon after Jofeph: he speaks very exactly of what Jofeph did in his place of chief minister to Pharaoh, in particular, he fets down the first original of the fifth penny which the Egyptians fo many ages after, continued to pay to their kings, being a thing which no Egyptian could be ig

norant of,