from thence, that the greatest part of the Penta teuch was not written by Moses.

18. We will not deny the laft Chapter of Deuteronomy to be writ by fome one elfe, where Mofes's going up to Mount Nebo, and his death, are related, and yet all the foregoing Chapters are not therefore to be given away from him. We may easily suppose that this Book was fupplied by another hand, which had been in a manner imperfect, if it had not ended with the death of Mofes. But thofe Jews that are of opinion, that Mofes foretold all these things, as being affifted by a Prophetical Spirit, do not deferve to be heard. What can be faid more plainly, to make us understand that these things were written long after Mofes's death, than what we find in the three last Verses ?

IV. Hence we may gather from thefe eighteen places, which are commonly brought to prove the Pentateuch to be of a later date, that most of them are doubtful, and confequently ought not to be made ufe of as Arguments to prove these five Books to belong to another Age. Very few of them manifeftly feem to be added by another hand, and do not in the least hinder, why we should not afcribe thefe Volumes to Mofes. After the fame manner, some ancient Grammarians tell us, there are several Verses here and there inferted into Homer's Poems, yet no one from thence takes occasion to deny that the Iliads and the Odysses were written by Homer. We must not imagine that in former Ages they

had

had fuch plenty of Books, or fo many Copies of the fame Book as now we have; and fo it might eafily happen, that in fucceeding Times one of the Prophets might make fome Additions to Mofes, which afterwards were incorporated with all the Copies.

Indeed if it did not otherwife evidently ap pear, that the greatest part by far of the Penta teach was written by Mofes, I confefs there would be great weight in the above-mention'd Obje ctions, to incline us to believe that these Volumes were written much later than is commonly pretended; but fince we have proved it beyond all manner of doubt, that almost all the Pentateuch belongs to Mofes, we have no reason to ascribe those Books to any one but him.

V. It has been long controverted among Learned Men, who it was that made thefe Addi tions which we find in the Books of Mofes, and they have gone upon various Conjectures. Some would have him to be Joshua, others Efdras, and laftly, others to be the under Scribe among the Hebrews,but this is only gueffing, for they bring no Reasons to enforce their Opinions. Because Fofbua fucceeded Mofes, therefore fome People fancy it was he that inferted those Paffages that feem to carry Discoveries of a later Age. Again, others afcribe this to Efdras, who is,by the Jews, faid to have regulated the Sacred Volumes, and by fome, to have made them up again out of his Memory after they were certainly loft. But fince thefe different Hypothefes are fupported

by

by no competent Witneffes,that is to fay,fuch as flourished in the fame Times, or fuch as might have learn'd the Truth out of the Memoirs of their Contemporaries, they may be as easily rejected, as they are brought upon the Stage. Nor is a multitude of Authors, who lived feveral Ages after,and never cite any that are older than themfelves, and who do but tranfcribe one another,of any weight.Efdras is only called a Scribe, and a ready Scribe in the Law of Moles, in thofe Books that go under his Name. See chiefly the feventh Chapter of Eldras, and this feems to have given occafion to that Fable,of his restoring the Sacred Books; though Texual's rather fignifies a Learned Man, as we might eafily demonstrate, than one that is bufied in transcribing of Books. Several uncertain things have been pofitively afferted concerning thefe under Scribes, as we fhall fhew at a more proper place upon the following Books, but this is the most uncer tain of all, viz. That they inferted the above-mention'd Additions into the Mofaical Volumes..

And therefore after a diligent Examination of the Matter, we ingenuously own that here we do not know what to conclude; perhaps one of those who are already fuppofed, perhaps fome one elfe, and perhaps feveral hands have at feve ral times inferted these things into Mofes. There fore we can have no furer or fafer Sanctuary here, than prudently to fufpend our Judgments; by which conduct, if we do not discover the Truth, yet at leaft it is not excluded from the Mind.

VI. If

VI. If we were able to difcover all the Defigns that Mofes proposed to himself in writing, this would be of much greater Importance towards the better Interpretation of his Volumes; for thefe Books are not like the Works of Mathema ticians, where we find nothing but general Pro pofitions, that have a relation neither to certain Places,nor Times,nor Men, and do not allude to any thing but the bufinefs in hand. Moses writ for the Benefit and Infiruction of a particular People called the Jews, though I do not deny that by the means of Divine Providence, his Books were afterwards serviceable to innumerable other Nations. Upon this account he faid abundance of things merely for the use of that People, which he had omitted, if he had not been influenced by this Confideration. He likewise had an Eye to the Opinions and Customs of the neighbouring Nations, which he affented to, or rejected, according as they agreed with Reafon and the Truth.

"We know indeed, from the nature of the thing it felf, that the general aim of his writing, was to teach the Ifraelites the Worship of one God, and to deliver them the Laws which he had received from him; but it is to be wifhed, that we particularly knew for what Reafons he followed öne certain Method in Writing more than another, and what he chiefly had an eye to in that Abridgment of the ancient History which he has left behind him. From hence perhaps we might be able to comprehend why he omits feveral Tranf

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Tranfactions, to give us a Narration of fome other Events, which are not, as we imagine,of fo great Importance; why he used fuch and fuch Words and Expreffions, why he mentions fome things only en paffant, and treats of others in a more copious and frequent manner; with other things of the fame nature, which would give confiderable light to many obfcure places.

Were it poffible for any one fo to fecure his Readers, before they were admitted to the perufal of Mofes, that they fhould find no rugged places, or at least but few, that were hard to be understood; fo univerfal an Obligation could never be requited with Thanks and Commendations enough. For Example, No one reads the fhort Prologomena which Afconius Pedianus has given us, before fome of Cicero's Orations against Verres,but he would with all his heart be at any Expence, that all the rest of his Orations were recommended and illuftrated by fuch Prefaces. For thofe Prefaces or Arguments are no fmall helps towards the understanding of Tully, and would be infinitely more ferviceable to the World, if they were but longer.

Now fince we are deftitute of fuch Affistances, by reafon of the fhortnefs of Mofes's History, and the great Scarcity of ancient Oriental Authors, and can by no means fupply the Defect of those things which are neceffary to fuch a Defign, it remains that we must often be involv'd in the greatest Difficulties. And as I often confidered of this Matter, when I had the Mofaical Writings in

my