wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and
wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and
.312 Egyptians the ?mji conftant Book I.veiling into Egypt upon the former account) but alfo that their ardour towardsthe liberal fciences did by degrees languifli and abate-, fo xS\xx.Strabo'in his time could find little more in Egypt^ befides the empty houfcs andpalaces, in which priefts, formerly famous for aftronomy and philofophy, haddwelt. Neverthelefs, their arcane theology remained more or lefs amongftthem unextincSb to the laft, as appears from what Orige>i, Porphyrins, andJamblichus have written concerning them.The learning of the Egyptians was either hiftorical, or philofophical,or theological. Firft the Egyptians were famous for their hillorick learningand knowledge of antiquity, they being confefled in Plato ' to have hadfo much ancienter records of time than the Greeks, that the Greeks were butchildren or infants compared with them. They pretended to a continuedand uninterrupted feries of hiftory from the beginning of the world down -ward, and therefore feem to have had the clearelt and ftrongeil pcrfuafions ofthe Cofmogonia, Indeed it cannot be denied, but that this tradition of theworld's beginning was at firll in a manner univerlal among all nations.For concerning theGreeks and Perfians we have already manifefted the fame;and as Sancboniathon teftifieth the like concerning the Ph^nicians, fo doesi. 15.715- Sircbo likewife of the Indian Brachmansy affirming, that they did agiee withthe Greeks in many things, and particularly in this, cVi yt-jtiTo; ko(^ij.^1^ (p&xfoc, that the world was both made, and p..ould be dejlroyed. Andthourh Diodorus» affirm the contrary of the Chaldeans, yet we ought inEu/eh, CA;o». reaf(^n toaflent rather to Bercfus*, in refpeft of his greater antiquity, who^' "• reprefents the fenfc of the ancient Chaldeans after tliis manner, J'sveVS-j-.i p/^cw^h d: TO TTOju (jkoti^ >^ 'oS-jip Tou CI B*iAov, o\ Ala iJLi^!py.i'.i-^>iQi, yiQo' TiiJLOvra, tocy.OT©^, p^cjfiVat ynj x^ ispawv, ccrr aAXrAtov, x> Sixlx^xi ri\i y.oT^ov xttotiXicoh StTOv B>;Aov Yj clr^x >^ rAioi/ >c) a-eXrr.rfj xj ra? vivTi TrXxvriTx.;' Thai there was a time,when all was darknefs and water, but Bell {who is interpreted Jupiter) cuttingthe darknefs in the middle, Jeparated the earth and heaven from one another,and fo framed the world ; this Bel alfo producing the ftars, the fun, and thevioon, and the five planets.From which teftimony of Bcrofus, according tothe verfion oi Jlexander Polykijlcr, by the way it appears alfo, that the ancientChaldeans acknowledged one fupreme Deity, the maker ot the whole world,as they are alfo celebrated for this in that oracle oi Apollo, which is cited outof Porphyry by Etiftbius,Eufcb. Prap. MJvoi X^'-Ajaroi copv.yj "ki-Xy^t1^?' ''
Chap. IV. y^Jferters of the Cofmogonia. 313it, and the firmed of all other nations : they (as Kircher telJs iis'j thereforepidluring Horns, or the world, as a young man beardlefs, not only to fignifyitsconftant youthful and flourifliing vigour, but alfo the youngnefs and newnefsof its duration. Neither ought it to be fufpefted, that though theEgyptians held the world to have had a beginning, yet they conceived it tobe made by chance without a God, as AnaxitTiander, Detnoaitus, and Epicurusafterwards did ; the contrary thereunto being fo confefled a thing, thatSimpliciiis, a zealous contender for the world's eternity, affirms the Mofaick.hiftory of its creation by God to have been nothing elfe but y.vBoi A'-y-j-n-ltoi,Egyptian fables. The place is fo confiderable, that I Ihall here fet it down inthe author's own language; E* J'e rn twv 'Ik^;ciwvvo,uo3-£tw ivSiMvSla.i^iyo'fla.^h "^fX? 'f'^p/'/-ETroi'jjtTfj/ S-Jo; TOvioMO]) xj Try yvwi' r, Si yr, ?i) dioo^l^ ^ X'ko^Ixitv.vjx^o;' }^ ""'"'''''' fi A/ »68.'tTravi) mf aS'J^ffK, xzi mvjy.a. ^i\s iTri(pip-1o iirxjui tk SSxl^. arx 7roi»ii7«vlof «.'Jra "ro col. I.(pwf, Kai Sixyjjis'iTcx.'Pio^ avx fAicroj tk (P'Jlo; kx\ x\iX y.tirov t» (txot)!;, nrriyxyi^ xxtixdXvjcrej a 5io; to (pMj v^ipAv, xat to (tkoto; vCxlx' xxt iysislo iQaipx v.xi lyivelo vpiaiVijiiox jU.i'a* £1 8V rayrtiu tk J(;fovK noy.i'^n yiveTiv rri-j xno X,^o)i>!, evvoei-u oti ^i/9iX5i rijirtv V TTxcxScQi;, xx) xtto fAuj-uv Ai^-wTiui/ clx-K'jQiJ.hri. If Grammaticus heremean tkc laxt-giver of the Jews, writing thus, [In the beginning God madeheaven and earth, and the earth was invifible and unadorned, and darknefswas upon the deep, and the fpirit of God moved upon the water; ] a7idthen afterward when he bad made light,and feparated the light from the darknefsyadding, [And God called the light day, and the darknefs night, and theevening and the morning were the firft day :] I fay, if Grammaticus thinkthis to have been the firfl generation and beginning of time ; / would have himto know, that all this is but a fabulous tradition^ and wholly drawn fromEgyptian fables.As for the philofophy of the Egyptians, that befides their phyfiology,and the pure and mixed mathematicks, (arithmetick, geometry, and aftronomy)they had another higher kind of philofophy alfo concerning incorporealfubftances, appears from hence, becaufe they were the firfl; alTerters ofthe immortality of fouls, their pre-exillence and tranfmigration, from whencetheir incorporeity is neceflfarily inferred. Thus Herodotus ; 7rp-o» rivSi rovEuterp. iz'j.Xoyo'j Ai'j'UTrlioi ElVl rvo'vlsf, wV xvieonrs Yv^vi x9x'jx~o; i~i' t» crdij-xlo; it kxtx^P^^vo-jIo;^t: xKXo i^Ko-j xi\ yniuvjo-j i'ktSCiIxi, &c. The Egyptians were the firfi affertcrs ofthe foul's immortality, and of its tranfmigration, after the death and corruptionof this body, into the bodies of other animals fuccejfively, viz. until it haverun round through the whole circuit of terrefirial, marine tvtd volatile animals^after which (they fay) it is to return again into a humane body ; they fuppofingthis revolution or apocataflafis of fouls to be made in no lefs fpace thanthat of three thoufand years. But whether Herodotus were rightly catechizedand infliruL^ted in the Egyptian do
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.312 Egyptians <strong>the</strong> ?mji conftant Book I.veiling into Egypt upon <strong>the</strong> former account) but alfo that <strong>the</strong>ir ardour towards<strong>the</strong> liberal fciences did by degrees languifli <strong>and</strong> abate-, fo xS\xx.Strabo'in h<strong>is</strong> time could find little more in Egypt^ befides <strong>the</strong> empty houfcs <strong>and</strong>palaces, in which priefts, formerly famous for aftronomy <strong>and</strong> phil<strong>of</strong>ophy, haddwelt. Never<strong>the</strong>lefs, <strong>the</strong>ir arcane <strong>the</strong>ology remained more or lefs amongft<strong>the</strong>m unextincSb to <strong>the</strong> laft, as appears from what Orige>i, Porphyrins, <strong>and</strong>Jamblichus have written concerning <strong>the</strong>m.The learning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Egyptians was ei<strong>the</strong>r hiftorical, or phil<strong>of</strong>ophical,or <strong>the</strong>ological. Firft <strong>the</strong> Egyptians were famous for <strong>the</strong>ir hillorick learning<strong>and</strong> knowledge <strong>of</strong> antiquity, <strong>the</strong>y being confefled in Plato ' to have hadfo much ancienter records <strong>of</strong> time than <strong>the</strong> Greeks, that <strong>the</strong> Greeks were butchildren or infants compared with <strong>the</strong>m. They pretended to a continued<strong>and</strong> uninterrupted feries <strong>of</strong> hiftory from <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world down -ward, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>refore feem to have had <strong>the</strong> clearelt <strong>and</strong> ftrongeil pcrfuafions <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> C<strong>of</strong>mogonia, Indeed it cannot be denied, but that th<strong>is</strong> tradition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>world's beginning was at firll in a manner univerlal among <strong>all</strong> nations.For concerning <strong>the</strong>Greeks <strong>and</strong> Perfians we have already manifefted <strong>the</strong> fame;<strong>and</strong> as Sancboniathon teftifieth <strong>the</strong> like concerning <strong>the</strong> Ph^nicians, fo doesi. 15.715- Sircbo likewife <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Indian Brachmansy affirming, that <strong>the</strong>y did agiee with<strong>the</strong> Greeks in many things, <strong>and</strong> particularly in th<strong>is</strong>, cVi yt-jtiTo; ko(^ij.^1^ (p&xfoc, that <strong>the</strong> world was both made, <strong>and</strong> p..ould be dejlroyed. Andthourh Diodorus» affirm <strong>the</strong> contrary <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Chaldeans, yet we ought inEu/eh, CA;o». reaf(^n toaflent ra<strong>the</strong>r to Bercfus*, in refpeft <strong>of</strong> h<strong>is</strong> greater antiquity, who^' "• reprefents <strong>the</strong> fenfc <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ancient Chaldeans after tli<strong>is</strong> manner, J'sveVS-j-.i p/^cw^h d: TO TTOju (jkoti^ >^ 'oS-jip Tou CI B*iAov, o\ Ala iJLi^!py.i'.i-^>iQi, yiQo' TiiJLOvra, tocy.OT©^, p^cjfiVat ynj x^ <strong>is</strong>pawv, ccrr aAXrAtov, x> Sixlx^xi ri\i y.oT^ov xttotiXicoh StTOv B>;Aov Yj clr^x >^ rAioi/ >c) a-eXrr.rfj xj ra? vivTi TrXxvriTx.;' Thai <strong>the</strong>re was a time,when <strong>all</strong> was darknefs <strong>and</strong> water, but Bell {who <strong>is</strong> interpreted Jupiter) cutting<strong>the</strong> darknefs in <strong>the</strong> middle, Jeparated <strong>the</strong> earth <strong>and</strong> heaven from one ano<strong>the</strong>r,<strong>and</strong> fo framed <strong>the</strong> world ; th<strong>is</strong> Bel alfo producing <strong>the</strong> ftars, <strong>the</strong> fun, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>vioon, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> five planets.From which teftimony <strong>of</strong> Bcr<strong>of</strong>us, according to<strong>the</strong> verfion oi Jlex<strong>and</strong>er Polykijlcr, by <strong>the</strong> way it appears alfo, that <strong>the</strong> ancientChaldeans acknowledged one fupreme Deity, <strong>the</strong> maker ot <strong>the</strong> whole world,as <strong>the</strong>y are alfo celebrated for th<strong>is</strong> in that oracle oi Apollo, which <strong>is</strong> cited out<strong>of</strong> Porphyry by Etiftbius,Eufcb. Prap. MJvoi X^'-Ajaroi copv.yj "ki-Xy^t1^?' ''