PREFACE. all Sorts, and Hieroglyphics, from the Egyptians; that the Greeks taught him the whole Circle of Liberal Sciences (when it is certain that all the Greeks, in the Age of Mofes, were rude, unlettered Savages). Philo fays, the People of the neighbouring Countries taught him the Affyrian Letters, and the Chaldaic Knowledge of the Heavenly Bodies; but Clemens fays, that thefe Sciences were taught him both by the Egyptians, and Chaldeans, and calls the Letters Egyptian. Philo farther fays, he had Mathematics from the Egyptians; by Mathematics undoubtedly meaning conjectural Aftrology. For this Reafon Clemens omits this Paffage, as having an ill Opinion of that pretended Science. The Words of Philo, as well as of Clemens, join together the Knowledge of thefe Letters, and the Chaldaic Knowledge of the Heavenly Eodies, only Clemens calls them Egyptian, inftead of Affyrian Letters. As by the Chaldaic Knowledge can be meant nothing but Aftronomy; fo the Letters learnt at the fame Time, and from the fame Hands, can, in just Analogy, be no other than fuch as are used by the Students in that Science. Clemens calls them Egyptian Letters, not only because they were in great Ufe among the Egyptians, who were as converfant in the Stars as

any

any other People, but because fome PREFACE. afcribed the Invention of thefe Letters to the Egyptians, as Pliny informs us in the Citation, pag. 12, juft above. If Philo, by the Afyrian Letters, had meant an Alphabet used by that Nation, he would certainly have brought Masters from that Country to teach it to Moses. Nor could there have been any Dif pute what Nation was the Inventor of thefe Letters, if they were originally formed for the writing of the Affyrian, or Egyptian Languages. In a word, Clemens must have been guilty of a most intolerable Abfurdity, in fending to Chaldea for Preceptors to teach Mofes Egyptian Letters, if by thefe Letters he meant the common Egyptian Alphabet. This is juft as wife as if a King of France fhould fend for Swedes, or Danes, to teach a Prince of his own Blood to write, and read the French Tongue. But the Aftronomical Characters were as perfectly known by the Chaldeans, as by the Egyptians. And there were probably fome nice Variations between these People in their Formation of thefe Characters. And it was just that, in order to finish the Education of fo great a Prince, he fhould have Masters of each Nation. I am aware that * Diodorus Siculus,

VOL. II.

* Lib. 3.
B

and

PREFACE. and Clemens Alexandr. do afcribe three Sorts of Letters to the Egyptians, the first common, or fuch as Men use in writing Epiftles; the fecond facred, or fuch as were used by their Priefts only in religious Matters; the third Hieroglyphical. But they must be underftood of the Egyptians in their own Age, who were really Greeks. Diodorus, and Clemens, knew no more of the Egyptians in the Age of Mofes, than my Reader and I.

In fine, I can difcern no Proof, nor Appearance of Proof, that any Man, or Body of Men, had the Ufe, or Knowledge of Alphabetical Letters before Mofes, and therefore conclude this Head with the Saying of the only Author, fo far as I know, who gives to Mofes the Honour of being the firft Man of Letters, I mean 'Eupolemus, viz. That Mofes was the first wife Man, that he first taught the Knowledge of Letters to the Jews, that the Phenicians received it from the Jews, and the Greeks from

* Strom. Lib. 5.

1 Mox poft ultimam citationem. ex Clem. Alex. Strom. 1 paz 413. Ευπόλεμος δὲ ἐν τῷ περὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ Ιεδαία, Βασιλέων τὸν Μωσῆ φησὶ πρῶτον σοφὸν γενέσθαι, και (ρια Γραμματικών, Γράμματα habet Eufebius, L. ΙΧ. Præpa Evangel. c. 26. pg 431.) [gaμμatiniu Te@JOV τοῖς Ιεδαίοις παραδέναι· καὶ παρ' Ιεδαίων Φοίνικας παρ ραλαβών, Ελληνας δὲ παρὰ Φοινίκων.

2

the

the Phenicians. In this I am fully per- PREFACE. fuaded, he spake the very Truth. He does not exprefsly fay, whether Mofes invented Letters himself, or were taught them by God. But by calling Moses the first wife Man, he may be thought to afcribe the Art to the Strength of his own Genius, especially because he gives not the least Hint, that the Invention was in any Measure owing to God. And I am therefore forry, that he who faw so much muft at last be efteemed by me, as a Man that did not fee the whole Truth. For he over-look'd that which I have laid down as the

II. Propofition, viz. That God taught Mofes the Ufe of Letters. And this is what I am in the next Place to fhew, when I have first premised one proper Caution, viz. that whatever Works of fingular Providence are attributed to God, may justly be fuppofed to have been performed by the Miniftry, or Subferviency of Angels. Thus, though the Law of Mofes is generally fpoken of as given by God, yet it is, in fome Places of Scripture, called the Word Spoken by Angels, Heb. ii. 2. and ordained by Angels, Gal. iii. 29. And fome very good Chriftian Philofophers have been, and are of Opinion, that though God be the Maker of the Bodies of all Animals, B 2

yet

PREFACE. yet that Angels are fubfervient to him

in the Formation of them. I crave the fame Liberty of Thought and Expreffion, that while I affirm God to have been the Author of Letters, I may be fo understood, as to fuppofe he ufed Angels as Under-agents in the carving, or writing of them, and drawing Copies for the Ufe of Mofes.

1. And all that hath been faid under the first Head, to prove the want of Letters before Mofes, does at the fame Time tend to prove the Infufficiency of human Faculties to this Purpose. Above two thousand five hundred Years, by the fhortest Account, had paffed from the Creation to the Exodus of the Ifraelites out of Egypt. During all this Time, the Intellectuals of Men were as clear and vigorous as ever after, and for the firft fifteen or fixteen hundred Years their Lives longer than ours by nine in ten, which gave them great Advantages for the Discovery and Improvement of all Arts and Sciences. They must have been fenfible of the miferable Inconveniencies which they laboured under for want of this Art, and have made several Effays toward the attaining of it, but by Experience found it to be above the Reach of human Understanding. Some Men of great Worth have fo ag

gravated