words, Exod. 6. These are that Aaron and Mo-fes to whom the Lord faid, Bring out the children of Ifrael from the land of Egypt according to their armies. These are they which Spake to Pharaoh King of Egypt, to bring out the children of Ifrael from Egypt. These are that Mofes and Aaron, v. 26, 27. Tis fuppos'd that Mofes wou'd not write thus of himself. I answer,

1. That he may well be fuppos'd to write as a Third Perfon, as hath been fhewed before: And then,

2. Allowing him to write for the sake of Pofterity, and not onely for the Persons of that prefent Age (of which there can be no doubt) He may well be granted to be the Writer of these words, concerning himself and Aas ron, who were both greatly concerned in the Matters related afterwards.

Obj. XII. The Author of the Book call'd Tractatus Theologico-politicus mentions fome other Books written by Mofes; and wou'd thence inferr (by a way of reasoning peculiar to himself) that Mofes was not the Author of the Pentateuch: He mentions the Book of the Covenant (Exod.24.) This Book, he says, contains very little; viz. Thofe Precepts onely which are found from Exod. 20. 24. to chap. 24. And he allows that Mofes wrote the Book of the Law of God, Deut. 31.9. which Joshua afterwards enlarged; viz. with the Relation of the Covenant which the People enter'd

into in his Time, Josh. 24. 25, 26. And because we have no Book that contains at once the Covenant of Mofes and that of Joshua, he concludes that this Book of the Law is loft. He grants that Mofes wrote a Book of the Law, and gave it to the Priests, with a Command that it thou'd be at a certain time read unto the People, which cou'd not therefore be the Pentateuch, that being too great a Volume to be read at one Solemnity. He grants alfo that Mofes wrote the Song mentioned Deut. 32. And this Book of the Law containing part of the Deuteronomy, and this Song is all that he will allow him to have written and left to Pofterity. I anfwer,

1. I am willing to grant that the Book of the Covenant might not contain more than three or four Chapters of Laws. And let it be granted, that the Book of the Law, to be read to the People, did not contain the whole Pentateuch. Be all this as it will, I cannot fee how 'twill ferve the Purpose of this Author. For,

2. It does not follow from thence, that MoJes did not write the whole Pentateuch. When 'tis agreed that he wrote and deliver'd fome parts of it; does it thence follow he did not write the whole? I fhou'd have been much afham'd to have troubled the Reader with this paffage of the Author above-written, because there is nothing worthy of the Reader's notice; no Argument, nor appearance of any : any: But I think my felf oblig'd fairly to reprefent what the Objector's fay in this matter, though they prove nothing. Obj. XIII.

Obj. XIII. It is farther pretended that Mofes cou'd not write those words where Jofeph is brought in, faying, I was stollen away out of the Land of the Hebrews. It is pretended that it was not then the Land of the Hebrews; and that therefore Mofes cou'd not term it fo, nor any Writer till after his time, when the Ifraelites had invaded and taken poffeffion of the Land. To which I answer,

1. That the Writer of this paffage does onely report the words of Jofeph; fo that the Obje ction bears as hard against a later Writer, as against Mofes For who-ever the Writer be, 'tis not the Writer that calls it the Land of the Hebrews; he brings in Jofeph, calling it so. If Jofeph did not call it fo, the Relater or Writer hath not told us Truth; and then the Objecti on bears against any Writer, be it Mofes or some other perfon; and then, in truth, it is an Objection against the Book it felf, as not wor thy of belief. If Jofeph did call it the Land of the Hebrews, why might not Mofes be the Writer as well as a later Author? He was rather better able to report the Matter a-right, than a later Writer, as he liv'd nearer to that time when the words were spoken.

2. That Jofeph might at that time very properly call that Country the Land of the Hebrews. And that he might do upon these accounts: (1.) Because it was the Land in which the Hebrews did at that time (and had ever fince the Time of Abraham done fo) inhabit. Surely

Surely it may be call'd the Land of the Hebrews, where the Hebrews dwelt, and where they have dwelt for fome-time paft; whether they dwelt there by permiffion or by force of Arms against the Will of the other Inhabitants. (2.) Twas also that Land which was promis'd the Hebrews, and particularly to Abraham the Father of that People. And, (3.) The Hebrews had fome propriety in that Land. Abraham by purchafe, Gen. 23. Jacob by conquest, Gen. 24. who afterwards bestow'd his part of the Land to fo feph by his Laft Will and Teftament, ch. 48. 22.

Obj. XIV. It is pretended that Mofes cou'd not write those words, Gen. 35. 21. And Ifrael journeyed and spread his Tent beyond the Tower of Edar. This Tower of Edar, or Tower of the Flock, is by the Objector fuppofed (for I fee no offer of proof) to be a Tower plac'd in After times, and put upon one of the Gates of the City of Jerufalem, called the Sheep-gate; and then this must be written not by Mofes, but by a later Writer, who liv'd after that Tower was fo call'd. To which I answer,

1. That here being nothing but the Obje ctor's Suppofition, this Objection needs no Anfwer; for 'tis not reasonable that mere Suppofitions fhou'd be regarded without any fhadow of proof.

2. That it is by no means reasonable to fuppofe this I ower of Edar to be a Tower upon the Sheep-gate in Jerufalem. One of the Anci

ents

ents (who is a more competènt Judge than any later Objector) affirms that the Tower of Edar was the place of the Shepherds near to Bethlehem, (where the Company of Angels declar'd the Nativity of our Saviour) and that it was the place where Jofeph fed his Flock, and where the Shepherds that watched by night at the time of our Saviour's Birth (Luke 2.) heard the heavenly Hoft, faying, Glory be to God in the higheft, and on Earth peace, good-will toward's Men. [Hieron. quæft. in Genef. Idem ad Euftochium Epitaph. Paul.] This account is confirm'd by the Context, and alfo by the Targum of Jonathan on Gen. 35. 21. who adds to the Text, That this is the place from whence the King Mef fias fhall be revealed in the last days. And ftill this account receives a farther Confirmation from Micah 4.8. where we meet with the Tower of Edar in a moft illuftrious Prophecy of the Meffias. There are the fame words with these of Gen. 35. 21. For the Sheep-gate in Jerufalem, there is no kind of Affinity between the words in the Hebrew, that fignifie the Sheep-gate, and those which import the Tower of the Flock, and that are used both in Genefis and in Micah: And 'tis therefore most like that this Name of the place continued from the Time of Jacob; and therefore this can be no Objection of any moment in this cafe.

Obj. XV. It is pretended that Mofes cou'd not write those words, Gen. 20. 7. Now there – (e)

fore