and in (b) Nicolaus Damascenus; which latter names the <51> Ark, which we also find in the History of Deucalion in Apollodorus: And many Spaniards affirm, that in several (c)
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Parts of America, as Cuba, Mecho acana, Nicaraga, is preserved the Memory of the Deluge, the saving alive of Animals, especially the Raven and Dove; and the Deluge it self in that Part called Golden Castile. (a) That Remark of Pliny’s, that Joppa was built before the Flood, discovers what Part of the Earth Men inhabited before the Flood. The Place where the Ark rested after the Deluge (b) on the Gordyaean Mountains, is evident from the constant Tradition of the Armenians from all past Ages down (c) to this <52> very Day. (d) Japhet, the Father of the Europeans, and from him, Jon, or, as they formerly pronounced it, (e) Javon of the Greeks, and
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(a) Hammon of the Africans, are Names to be seen in Moses, (b) and Josephus and others observe the like <53> Footsteps in the Names of other Places and Na-<54>tions. And which of the Poets is it, in which we
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<55><56> do not find mention made of the (a) Attempt to <57> climb
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the Heavens? (a) Diodorus Siculus, (b) Strabo, (c) <58> Tacitus, (d) Pliny,
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(a) Solinus speak of the Burning of Sodom. (b) Herodotus, Diodo-<59>rus (c),
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Strabo (a), Philo Byblius (b), testify the ancient Custom of Circumcision, which is confirmed by those Nations (c) descended from Abraham, not only Hebrews, but also (d) Idumaeans, <60> (e) Ismaelites, (f) and others.
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The History of <61> Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, agreeable with Moses, (a) was extant of old in (b) Philo Byblius out of Sanchuniathon, in (c) Berosus, (d) Hecataeus, (e) <62> Damascenus, (f) Arta panus, Eupolemus,
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Demetrius, and partly (a) in the antient Writers of the Orphick Verses; and something of it is still extant in (b) Justin, out of Trogus Pompeius. (c) By almost <63> all which, is related also the History of Moses, and his principal Acts. The Orphick Verses expressly mention (d) his being taken
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out of the Water, and the two Tables that were given him by God. To these we may add (a) Polemon. (b) And <64> several Things about his coming out of Egypt, from the Egyptian Writers, Manetho, Lysimachus, Chaeremon. Neither can any prudent Man think it at all credible, that Moses, (c) who had so many Enemies, not only of the Egyptians, but also of many other Nations, as the (d) Idumaeans, (e) Arabians, and (f) Phoenicians, 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 contradictory to the antient and received Opinions:
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or that he would relate any thing of Matters in his own Time, that could be confuted by the Testimony of many <65> Persons then alive. (a) Diodorus Siculus, and (b) <66> Strabo, and (c) Pliny, (d) Tacitus, and after them (e) Dionysius Longinus, (concerning Loftiness of Speech) make
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mention of Moses. (a) Besides the <67> Talmudists, (b) Pliny, and (c) Apuleius, speak of Jamnes and Mambres, who resisted Moses in Egypt. (d) Some things there are in other Writers, and many things amongst the (e)
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Pythagoreans, <68> about the Law and Rites given by Moses, (a) Strabo and Justin, out of Trogus, remarkably testify concerning the Religion and Righteousness of the ancient Jews: So that there seems to be no need of mentioning what is found, or has formerly been found, of Joshua and others, agreeable to the Hebrew Books; seeing that whoever gives Credit to Moses (which it is a Shame for any one to refuse) cannot but believe those famous Miracles done by the Hand of God; which is the principal Thing here aimed at. Now that the Miracles of later Date, such as those of (b) Elijah, Elishah and others, should not be Counterfeit, there is this further Argument; that in those Times Judaea was become more known, and because of the Difference of Religion, was hated by the Neighbours, who could very easily confute the first <69> Rise of a Lie. The History of Jonah’s being three Days in the Whale’s Belly, is in (c) Lycophron, and
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Aeneas Gazaeus, only under the Name of Hercules, to advance whose Fame, every thing that was great and noble used to be related of him, as (a) Tacitus observes. Certainly nothing but the manifest Evidence of the History could compel Julian (who was as great an Enemy to the Jews as to the Christians) to confess (b) that there were some Men inspired by the Divine Spirit amongst the Jews, (c) and that Fire descended from Heaven, and consumed the Sacrifices of Moses and Elias. And here it is worthy of Ob-<70>servation, that there was not only very (d) severe Punishments threatned amongst the Hebrews, to any who should falsely assume the Gift of Prophecy; (e) but very many Kings, who by that means might have procured great Authority to themselves; and many learned men, (f) such as Esdras and others, dared not to assume this Honour to themselves; (g) nay, some Ages before Christ’s Time, no body dared to do it. Much
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less could so many thousand People be imposed upon, in avouching a constant and publick Miracle, I mean (a) <71> that of the Oracle, (b) which shined on the High Priest’s Breast, which is so firmly believed by all the Jews to have remained till the Destruction of the first Temple, that their Ancestors must of necessity be well assured of the Truth of it.
SECT. XVII. The same proved also from Predictions.
There is another Argument to prove the Providence of God, very like to this of Miracles, and no less powerful, drawn from the foretelling of future Events, which was very often and very expressly done amongst the Hebrews; such as the (c) Man’s being childless who should rebuild
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Jericho; the destroying the Altar of Bethel, by King Josiah by Name, (a) above three hundred Years be-<72>fore it came to pass; so also Isaiah foretold the (b) very Name and principal Acts of Cyrus; and Jeremiah
