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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

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3 1 11:e Egypttansy heficles <strong>the</strong>ir vulgar^ Book I.had alfo Harpccrates <strong>and</strong> Sigalians in <strong>the</strong>ir temple?, whicli are thus deferibed by tlie poet ',^uque fremnvt "vocem,digitoq^uefikntia fuadcHt.<strong>the</strong>y being <strong>the</strong> ftatucs <strong>of</strong> young men prefTing <strong>the</strong>ir lips with <strong>the</strong>ir finger.DeJf.^Ofir,'j;\iQ meaning <strong>of</strong> which Harf cerates <strong>is</strong> thus cxprefTed by Plutnrrh, tom ilAfTox^:^TJ!V, a fifOv dnXri y.a.\ v-iirjov, dWcc tk ttf^i ^li-yj iv d'A^'Jiroi; Xoyn vcy.ciiTTf<strong>of</strong>^xEj/AEvov, £;n^£/>i,yOnz? !.tyia.;,concerning <strong>the</strong> <strong>all</strong>egorical <strong>the</strong>ology both <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Greeks <strong>and</strong> Egyptians. And hereby <strong>the</strong> way we may obferve, that th<strong>is</strong> bufinefs <strong>of</strong> <strong>all</strong>egorizing in matters <strong>of</strong>religion had not its firft <strong>and</strong> only rife amongft <strong>the</strong> Chriftians, but was athing very much in ufe among <strong>the</strong> Pagan <strong>the</strong>ologers alfo : <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>reforeCelfus in Origen ' commends fome <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Chriftians for th<strong>is</strong>, that <strong>the</strong>ycould <strong>all</strong>egorize ingenioufly <strong>and</strong> h<strong>and</strong>fomely. It <strong>is</strong> well known, how bothPlutarch "< <strong>and</strong> Syneftus ' <strong>all</strong>egorized th<strong>of</strong>e Egyptian fables oUfrs <strong>and</strong> Ofr<strong>is</strong>,<strong>the</strong> one to a phil<strong>of</strong>ophical, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r to a political fenfe. And <strong>the</strong> Egyptianhieroglyphicks, which were figures not anfwering to founds or words, butimmediately reprefenting <strong>the</strong> objefts <strong>and</strong> conceptions <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mind, werechiefly made ufe <strong>of</strong> by <strong>the</strong>m to th<strong>is</strong>purp<strong>of</strong>;", to exprefs <strong>the</strong> myfteries <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>irreligion <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ology, fo as that <strong>the</strong>y might be concealed from <strong>the</strong> prophanevulgar. For which caufe <strong>the</strong> hieroglyphick learning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Egyptians <strong>is</strong>commonly taken for one <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> fame thing with <strong>the</strong>ir arcane <strong>the</strong>ology,• Ovid. Metam. Lib. IX. De Ifide & Ofnide.* De Ifi-le & Ofnide, 'p. 378.De Provideniia, p. 89. Oper.3 Lib. I. p. 14. Edit. Cantab,or

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