SECT. gation, it can be fhewn, that by much the I. greatest part of the facts, contained in the Mofaical history, is to be found likewife in the writings of profane authors, this undefigned coincidence, one of the most decifive evidences of truth, will form a ftriking argument in favour of the authenticity and accuracy of the Pentateuch.

СНАР.

CHAP. II.

HEATHEN COSMOGONIES.

1. CHALDEE AÇ

IV.

COUNT OF THE CREATION. II. PHENICIAN ACCOUNT. III. PERSIAN ACCOUNT. HINDOO ACCOUNT. V. CHINESE ACCOUNT. VI. TUSCAN ACCOUNT. VII. GOTHIC ACCOUNT. VIII. VIRGINIAN ACCOUNT. IX. OPINIONS OF THE ANCIENT PHILOSOPHERS; I. ORPHEUS. 2. PYTHAGORAS. 3. THALES AND ANAXAGORAS. 4. HESIOD 5. ARISTOPHANES. X. JEHOVAH'S NAME

KNOWN TO THE PAGANS. XI. GENERAL USE OF THE SABBATH, ORIGINATING FROM THE FIRST GRAND WEEK OF THE CREATION.

IN examining the records of ancient Pagan nations, we must prepare ourselves to expect a variety of difficulties, and to encounter a multitude of dark and incoherent traditions. The adulteration of truth with mythological fables, and the mutilated state of many primeval narratives, severally contribute, though in a manner diametrically opposite to each other, to diffuse a great degree of obfcurity over the remains. of heathen antiquity. In the firft of these cafes, the fair face of truth is hid like the

fun

SECT. fun behind a cloud; in the fecond, fhe is I. fhorn of her rays, and fhines with only

half her native luftre. The traditions of the Pagan world, when viewed from a diftance, present to the imagination a wild and fantastic group of distorted images, which refemble rather the unreftrained effufions of romance, than the fober detail of authentic history. A perpetual love of the marvellous; an unwillingness to relate even the most fimple circumftance, without fome degree of exaggeration; and a national vanity, ever defirous of appropriating to a particular country, facts which equally concerned all mankind, form the moft ftriking characteristics of ancient mythology. No truth was captivating, unless arrayed in the gaudy drefs of allegory; nor was any allegory interesting, unless immediately connected with the hiftory of each separate nation. Hence, though we meet with nearly the fame traditions diffused over the face of the whole earth, yet we find the principal actors in them, and the particular district in which the events are faid to have taken place, immediately adapted to the imaginary annals of every different people. If we consider these several mythological narratives detached from each other,

they

II.

they will convey to us only the idea of ex- CHAP. clufive locality. We may indeed be occafionally ftruck with fome partial refemblance between them and the Mofaical hiftory; yet the impreffion will foon be obliterated, when we find, to all appearance, that the facts took place in two totally dif ferent countries. But, if we combine them together, so as to behold at one glance their fingular mutual resemblance, and then compare the whole with the records contained in the Pentateuch, this momentary illufion will speedily vanish; and we shall be convinced, that, however each nation may have appropriated a circumstance to their own peculiar gods, and their own peculiar country, it is impoffible for all to concur in relating the fame facts, unless thofe facts had really happened in fome remote. period, when all mankind formed, as it were, but one great family. Had a fingle people only given an account of the creation fomewhat refembling that of Mofes, or preferved a tradition, that one of their ancient kings escaped from the waters of a deluge; we might then with juftice conclude, that the former of these coincidences was merely accidental, and that the latter related entirely to a partial inun

dation.

SECT. dation. But when we find, that nearly all 1. the Pagan cofmogonies bear a strong likenefs to each other, though different deities. may be represented by different nations as completing the work; and, when we meet with fome tradition of a deluge in every country, though the perfon faved from it is faid, in thofe various accounts, to have reigned in various districts widely separated from each other; we are constrained to allow, that this general concurrence of belief could never have originated from mere accident. While the mind is in this fituation, Scripture comes forward, and offers to it a narrative more fimple, better connected, and bearing a greater resemblance to authentic hiftory, than any of those mythological accounts, which occur in the traditions of Paganifm. A conviction immediately flashes upon the understanding, that this must be the true hiftory of those remarkable facts, which other nations have handed down to us, only through the medium of fable and allegory. The univerfality of fimilitude between Heathen and Mofaical antiquities bears down every objection, and the authenticity of the Pentateuch is placed upon the fure basis of undefigned coincidence.

The