a mighty Setter up of the Heavens for a God, and a mighty Seducer of others to worship the Heavens, or that falfe God: But as the Difperfion of the People over all the Face of the Earth was long before it was performed, fo the confounding of this new Worship by fcattering them, took not effectually till long after, (of which in its Place.) Hereby God is difcharged from the Imputation of Severity, in punishing all Mankind with the Confufion of Tongues, for doing an A&t, which, as it was reprefented, is done in every polite Country; and which none has fhewed to have tended to any great Evil: And it appears, that the Difperfion was an Act of Mercy, to prevent their being bound to a falfe Worship. As this Mistake has given these Imaginers great Opportunity to make Objections against the Congruity, or Veracity of Mofes's relations, and put his Defenders under very great Difficulties to obviate them; I hope fetting it right will give an Opportunity to pay them in their own Coin, with Intereft; and as it has led those who meant honeftly, to endeavour, by studying Languages, to remove this fuppofed Curfe, and to understand the Scripture, I hope to live to fee them convinced, that neither the antient Languages, nor VOL. I C Scriptures,

Scriptures, are to be understood, without understanding the Occafion of writing them, and Mofes's Philofophy; and this fhews literally what is faid, Rev. xvii. 5. Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harkts, (or, FORNICATIONS,) and Abominations of the Earth. After they were difperfed, it appears that the Knowledge of, and facrificing to God, continued in feveral Lines; and that the People which stay'd in the Country of Babylon had what they afterwards called the Gods of their Fathers; and that Terah, Abraham's Father, and his Family, were banifhed for worshiping the God of Heaven.

I am afraid I must be forced to fay, as St. Paul fays, 2 Cor. iii. 14. For until this Day remaineth the Veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Teftament. I hope I fhall be able to take off so much of it as to fhew what Mofes had to do with Philofophy, and whence he had it.

Wifd. x. 5. Moreover, the Nations in their wicked Confpiracy being confounded, fhe found out the Righteous, and preferved him blameless unto God.

Judith v. 5. Then faid Achior,—and there Shall no Lie come out of the Mouth of thy Servant. This People are defcended of the Chaldeans: And they fjourned heretofore in Mefamia, because they would not follow the

Gods

Gods of their Fathers, which were in the Land of Chaldea. For they left (or, WENT OUT OF) the Way of their Ancestors, and worshiped the God of Heaven, the God whom they knew; fo they caft them out from the Face of their Gods, and they fled into. Mefopotamia, and fojourned there many Days. Then their God commanded them to depart from the Place where they fojourned, and to go into the Land of Canaan.

Heb. vi. 18. Who have fled for Refuge, to lay hold upon the Hope which is fet before us.

2 Efdr. iii. 13. Now when they lived fo wickedly before thee, thou didst choose thee a Man from among them, whofe Name was Abraham.

Jof. xxiv. 2. Your Fathers dwelt on the other Side of the Flood of old Time, EVEN Terah, the Father of Abraham, and the Father of Nachor, and they ferved other Gods. Ver. 3. And I took Abraham from the other Side of the Flood, &c.

Deut. xxvi. 5. A Syrian ready to perish WAS my Father.

Acts vii. 2. The God of Glory appeared unto our Father Abraham, when he was in Mefopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, and faid unto him, Get thee out of thy CounC 2

try,

try, and from thy Kindred, and come into the Land which I fhall fhew thee. Then came be out of the Land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran; and from thence, when his Father was dead, he removed into this Land.

Gen. xi. 31. And Terah took Abraham his Son-and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldeans, to go into the Land of Canaan; and they came into Haran, and dwelt there.

Ch. xii. 1. Now the Lord faid unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy Country, and from thy Kindred, and from thy Father's Houfe, unto a Land which I will shew thee. Ver. 2. And I will make of thee a great Nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy Name great; and thou shalt be a Bleffing. Ver. 3. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curfe them that curfe thee; and in thee fhall all the Families of the Earth be blessed. Ver. 4. So Abraham departed-and to Canaan they came. Ver. 7. And the Lord appeared unto Abraham, and faid, Unto thy Seed will I give this Land. And there builded he an Altar unto the Lord that appeared unto him.

Ch. xiv. 18. And Melchizedeck, King of Salem, brought forth Bread and Wine; and he was the Priest of the Most High God. Ver. 19. And be bleffed him, and faid, Bieffed

BE

BE Abram of the Moft High God, Poffeffor of Heaven and Earth. Ver. 20. And bleffed BE the Moft High God, which hath delivered thine Enemies into thy Hand. And be gave him Tithes of all -Ver. 22. I have lift up my Hand unto the Lord the Moft High God, Poffeffor of Heaven and Earth, and I will not take any Thing that Is thine.

Gen. xv. 7. And the Lord faid unto him, I AM the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give thee this Land to inherit it. Ver. 9. And he faid unto him, Take me an Heifer of three Years old, and a She-Goat of three Years old, and a Ram of three Years old, and a Turtle Dove, and a young Pidgeon. Ver. 10. And he took unto him all thefe, and divided them in the midft, and laid each Piece one against another; but the Birds divided he not. Ver. 17. And it came to pass when the Sun was gone down, and it was dark, behold a fmoaking Furnace and a burning Lamp, (or, LAMP OF FIRE,) that paffed between thofe Pieces.

Heb. xi. 8. By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out-went, not knowing whither he went.

Ecclus. xliv. 19. Abraham was a great Father of many People, in Glory was there C3

none