as he perceived he was driven out of the place, which was more particularly devoted to Religion. He was then afraid of all things inanimate, Creatures, wild Beafts, Angels of his own children, who he thought would no better respect the right of blood then he himself had done: He thought that other Children that might iffue from Adam, and other Men, that should be born might flay him. For the wicked fleeth, though there be none to pursue bim.

And, to the fecond part of the Objection, we answer that Cane very likely built a City, when he found himfelf continually tormented by that fear and distrust, which pursued him every where, that he built it, by the help of his children, in order to defend himfelf against the affaults of the Children of Seth, who were very much increased in the Earth, that the Scripture fpeaks of the City which Cain built, before it mentions any thing concerning the birth of Seth, because it obferves here the order of perfons, and defigns to fpeak whatever it had to fay concerning Cain, before it would proceed to fpeak any thing concerning Seth, all which it doth by a tranfpofition, which is common to all both facred and profane Writers, and lastly, that Cain only built a few Houses, or rather fome small hutts, and that his work was afterwards continued by his pofterity, which however retained the name of Enoch, which Cain himself had given it: But these are no very hard Objections to folve.

VII. But of all the Objections, which the Incredu lous oppose against us, that would be the most plaufible, which Spinofa urges moft, were it not grounded upon a foundation evidently falfe, and which is taken from this fuppofition, that the Prophets prophefi'd according to their intereft, education and temper.

But we are fo far from being any ways concerned

at

1

at it, that we must own our felves in fome manner obliged to the difingenuity of that Man: Because he has unwarily given us a proof of the Divinity of the Jewish Religion, for we need but invert his Principle to make of it an invincible Proof for our opinion,

The Prophets did never prophefie through the mor tions of felf intereft, 1. Because there was none of them, that had any profpect of establishing of his Family thereby, which of all human Cares is the most Natural. Mofes, Samuel, Elias, Elifbah, &c. Do feem rather unaffectionate and unnatural to their Relations, than any ways concerned for the private advantage of their Family and Children. 2. They continually prophefied against Kings, by whom they were hated, banifhed, perfecuted. 3. Neither do they fhew any more regard for the People or Priests, from whom they might reasonably have expected fome kindness or Protection. 4. All their Writings are feasoned with Piety and Zeal. They do not conceal the least thing, neither are they affraid of Death, when it concerns them to rebuke Sinners, as it appears by what Feremiah himself fays of it.

Secondly, The Prophets followed not the Inclinations of their natural Temper. Jeremiah continually Prophefies against the Jews, fhould we wonder at it, fince in his time the total overthrow of the Jews was fo nigh at hand? But yet Jeremiah foretels them that their Captivity fhould not laft above Seventy Years. Was it his malancholic Temper, that enabled him fo exactly to foretel the precife time of that Deliverance; by an Oracle that made fuch an impreffion in the minds of the Jews, that they which were carried into Ba bylon, no fooner faw the time of their Captivity expired, but they offered up their Petitions to God? Feremiah, 'tis true, foretells that defolation which was to happen in his Time, and which actually came to pals.

pafs. But then at the fame time Ferman en in joy; when he confiders how great Bear in Gut se. figned for Men, and more especially for the Jews. Behold the days come, lays he, faith the Lord, that I will raife unto David a righteous Branch, and a King sball reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and rightfuefs in the Land, &c. Therefore behold the days come, faith the Lord, that they shall no more fay, The Lord liveth which broug be up the Children of Ifrael out of the Land of Egypt. Bu, the Lord liveth,, which brought up, and which led the feed of the House of Ifrael out of the North Country, &c And elsewhere, Therefore fear thou, not O my Servant Facob, faith the Lord, neither Chap. 30. be dismayed. 'Tis true, that fometimes he threatens, but then he prefently adds fome comfort to his threatnings. And ye shall be my People, and I will be your God: Behold the Whirl wind of the Lord goeth forth with fury, &c. By this any one may eafily judge right upon this matter.

ver. IO.

Chap. 30.

22, 23.

whether Spinola has hit

Thirdly, Education is not the Rule of Prophefies. Indeed I must needs own that God ufually leaves ftill in the Minds of the Prophets, thofe Impreffions which Education had made in them. But then he exalts their Imagination in a moft divine manner; fo that with the help of any fimple and easie words, they exprefs fuch lofty Thoughts, fuch fublime Notions, that they make every thing elfe feem very moan and rampant, in comparison of what they utter. Amos was but an Herdsman, he never speaks but of Forests, of Mountains, of Fire, of Mount Carmel and Libanus, of Vineyards, of Gardens, of Olive-trees, of roaring Lyons, and of Cottages filled with Lamentation and Wailing. But then what great Notions are not inclofed in those Images

Images which are more frequent to him than to any other Prophet? How exalted is his Spirit? With what divine Fire, doth not his Heart burn, when he feems fo jealous for the Glory of God? And what fuper natural Enthusiasm makes him utter fuch things, as are in reality more lofty in themfelves, than whatever

the most polite and the most eloquent OChap. 4. rators did ever think upon? Prepare to meet ver. 12. thy God, O Ifrael: For lo he that formeth the Mountains, and createth the Wind, and declareth unto Man what is his thought; that maketh the morn ing darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, the Lord the God of Hofts is his name. Is this the ftile of a Shepherd? And did ever the most eloquent Orators in the World speak in a more fublime manner, more worthy of God?

CHAP. XIX.

and

Where we further answer the Difficulties of the Incredulous, and make it appear that the strongest of their Objections Supplies us with an invincible Argument for the Truth of the Jewish Religion.

WE

E think our felves very much obliged to Spinofa for having fupplied us with an invincible Argument, for the Divinity of the Jewish Religion, in giving us occafion to fhew that the Prophets, who pen ned the Books of the Old Teftament, did not write conformably to their Prejudices, Education or natural Temper, which we suppose to have plainly demonftrated in the foregoing Chapters. But because this matter is of a very great import, it requires a more elaborate Exami nation.

If we begin by Mofes the greatest of all the Prophets of the Old Teftament, and the most ancient Writer of all, we fhall eafily prove, neither he, nor any of the fucceeding Writers ever followed their prejudices in their Compofitions.

It cannot be denied, but that the main profefs'd Opinion of Mofes was, that God had fet apart the Ifraelites from all other Nations of the Earth, in order to depofite his Oracles into their hands, and to honour them with his Covenant. What other Nation, fays he, bas God fo dealt with?

And yet Mofes writes feveral things against this profefs'd Opinion of his; for First, he speaks of one Melchifedech King of Salem, whom he calls the Priest of the most high God, although he lived among other Nations, and was not of the Family of Abraham, which feemed to be the only one that was honoured with God's Covenant. I do not here intend to examin that place of Genefis, neither do I think it very much to the purpose to inquire here, who this Melchifedech was. 1 shall stick to what Mofes fays of him, which in all appearance was all he knew of him. Melchifedech was a juft King; Melchifedech was the Prieft of the most high God. As fuch, he bleffed Abraham, nay, he fhewed himself in this refpect, greater than Abraham. There may be perhaps in this particular, fome mystery or other, that we are unacquainted with. But then Mofes in all probability was no better ins formed of it than we, because he obferves so profound a filence in this refpect. It is not very neceffary to mind here the Speculations of the Commentators, but only to follow the plain defigns of the Hiftory.

The Scripture reprefents Mankind to us, as being fallen into Idolatry and Superftition much before that time. It was a prejudice of Mofes, that the Family of Abraham had withdrawn her felf from all other

Fami