glected, or even fometimes treated with Indecency, because not understood, is capable of giving folid Satisfaction to a rational Inquirer, as it accounts for every Thing in a Manner worthy of the Supreme Being, the Great Firft Cause. Mofes convinces us that true Philofophy is infeparable from Divinity, and that it is impoffible to be a real Philofopher without being a Divine; or a thorough Divine without being a Philofopher. But how rarely, if ever, do we meet with these two Characters united in the fame Perfon! Nay, on the contrary, how frequently do we find them at the utmost Variance?

SOME Philofophers, not able to make the Mofaic Writings fquare with fome particular Notions, or fome favourite Hypothefis, are too apt not only to call their Veracity in question, but to treat the whole with Contempt; and from thence take Occafion to decry all Revelation in general. On the other Hand, many well-meaning Divines dazzled with the Parade of what the others call Demonftration, think to extricate themselves out of this feeming Difficulty, by afferting "That Mo

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fes was not a Philofopher, but a Law-giver; "that he was commiffion'd by God to inftruct "the People only in the Duties of Religion; "and that whenever he spoke occafionally about "Points which come properly under the Cog"nizance of the Philofopher, he made Ufe of "fuch Expreffions as were beft adapted to the "Capacity of a plain illiterate People, who had

no

* no other Ideas of the Works of God or the "Operations of Nature but what they receiv'd "immediately by their Senfes." If the Philofopher admits, or seems to admit of this plaufible Anfwer, the Point in Difpute is compromised, and the Divine is fatisfy'd. Both here are alike mistaken, and the Mistake in both arises from the fame Cause; which is, the Want of a compe tent. Knowledge of the Hebrew Language, in which the Mofaic Writings were originally written, and without which Knowledge they can never poffibly be understood. This Defect, long indeed complain'd of, appears in the Writings of many great Men, who very juftly merit the Attention and Efteem of the learned World. Yet ftill it is a Defect, tho' I think much more unpardonable in the Divine than in the Philofopher. Should a Philofopher thus circumstanc'd attack Mafes (and I lament while I fay that too many fuch have appear'd in the World) he would be continually shooting his Arrows in the Dark, and combating Phantoms of his own raifing; and as long as he continued a Stranger to the Hebrew Language, fo long he would be at a Lofs to find out the only Clue to guide him out of the endless Mazes of thofe Creatures of the Imagination, Hypothefes and Syftems. But no Excufe in this Cafe can be admitted for the Divine. Train'd up to defend as well as to inftruct others in a Religion, which is a Stem arifing from a Jewish Root, how can he poffibly fulfil either the

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one or the other Duty whilft he remains ignorant of the only Means that can enable him to do it with Succefs?But I beg Pardon for this Digreffion, in which I have only thrown out a few Hints, which I may very probably refume, and treat more fully of in the Course of these Letters. I OBSERV'D before, that our Philofophers unanimously agree, that Fire pervades the whole Universe. This too was the Doctrine of many of the Greek Philofophers, from whom a great Part of what is call'd Modern Philofophy feems plainly to be derived. And tho' the Moderns are greatly to be esteem'd and honour'd for the many curious as well as useful Obfervations they have made, and the immenfe Pains they have taken in improving what they have receivd, yet if we impartially examine the feveral Notions on which most of their refpective Theories are founded, I believe it will be no difficult Matter to trace them backwards up to the fame Source. This I fhall endeavour to do occafionally in the Courfe of our Correspondence; and if that should happen to be the Cafe, I think they cannot be faid justly to be intitled to the Honour of having made many new Discoveries.

THE Greeks receiv'd their Letters from the Phenicians, and, without Doubt, their Philosophy too, as well as from the Chaldeans and Ægyptians. The Philosophy of those eastern Nations confifted only of traditional Remains of the first Philofophy receiv'd by Adam from God, then deC

liver'd

liver'd down by him to his Pofterity, and after wards publish'd by Mofes and the Prophets in the facred Writings. But as thefe People deviated into Idolatry, they loft the chief Part of their Philofophy; and when they had totally lost the Knowledge of the true God, they miferably corrupted the Remainder. From this impure Source Philofophy flow'd to the Greeks, who corrupted it ftill more, and quickly reduc'd it to the moft wretched Condition. As they had loft the only true Philosophy, they foon ran into the wildeft Chimeras, which they call'd Hypotheses, to account for those Appearances in Nature, the Cause of which they could not poffibly comprehend. To explain how, or by what Means the Universe existed; how, or by whom it was formed; who, or what first gave Motion to Matter, threw them into infinite Perplexity. To get over this Difficulty (which muft ever be infuperable to People fo circumftanced) they fell from one Abfurdity into another, 'till they at last found themselves intangled in a moft inextricable Maze of Error. Some affign'd one Cause, some another. Some afferted Fire to be the firft Cause or Producer of every Being; others attributed this Power to Air or Æther; others claim'd it for Water; and fome deriv'd it even from the Earth. But ftill the main Difficulty recurr'd; not only to account for the firft Mover or Cause of Motion, but for that amazing Contrivance and Wifdom, which they could not help obferving in

the

the Mechanifm; and the Power, which they faw daily exerted in the Government of the Univerfe. They faw but one Way to conquer this, which was, to ascribe Intelligence to their refpective first Agents; and, at laft, as Ignorance prevailed, they exalted them into Gods. Thus each Element was deify'd in its Turn, and was hor nour'd with Temples, Priests, Images, òr Emblems, with proper Infignia, and Sacrifices, all representative of its refpective Powers or Attributes. As it is not my Design at this Time to trace out Idolatry up to its Origin, or to point out its Progress, I fhall only just hint,—that Deities were multiplied in Proportion as the Ignorance of their Worshippers increas'd; till, at laft, almost every Vice, for Inftance, Murder, Rapine, Luft and Drunkenness, had its refpective God; and I cannot help obferving upon the Occasion, that the ruling Paffion of the Priest was generally the darling Attribute of his peculiar Deity. Some Philofophers indeed, of fuperior Parts, afham'd of the Philofophy as well as Religion which prevail'd in the Times they liv'd in, very wifely difcarded both, and defcrib'd the First Caufe as a Spirit or Intelligence pervading the Universe,-as every where prefent, and animating and governing the whole like a Soul or Mind: but ftill, for Want of a proper Guide, were involv'd in perpetual Doubt and Obscurity, whilst others ftruck a bold Stroke at once, roundly afferted Matter to be infinite and eternal, gave C 2

it