VIII.

In coolest Blood he lay'd a long Defign

Against his best and dearest Friend;

Did ev'n his Foes in Zeal exceed,

To fpirit others up to work fo black a Deed;

Himself the Center where they all did join,

CÆSAR mean time, fearless, and fond of him,
Was as industrious all the while

a

To give fuch ample Marks of fond Esteem,

As made the gravest Romans smile,

To fee with how much ease Love can the Wife beguile. He whom thus BRUTUS doom'd to bleed,

Did, fetting his own Race afide,

Nothing less for him provide,

Than in the World's great Empire to succeed :

Which we are bound in Juftice to allow

Is all-fufficient Proof to fhow

That BRUTUS did not ftrike for his own fake: And if, alas, he fail'd, 'twas only by mistake.

NOTES.

NOTE S

TH

HE Doubtful.] In which number are comprehended all the Sceptics of both Sorts, viz. they who without much confideration are apt to flight the Holy Bible, and all Religion depending on it, because they have neither the Patience, nor the Parts, to examine any thing throughly; and others more modeft, who would on feveral accounts accept those Doctrines which are taught us, if their Judgment informed by a well-meaning and induftrious Inquiry (which is all that God has given us for our Guide) did not perceive, in fome of them at least, a manifest Abfurdity; apprehending also a kind of Impiety in believing things inconfiftent not only with common Senfe, but with that reverend notion we ought to have of the Deity. They conceive it to be one of thofe Abfurdities, that a poor Animal call'd a Man, fhould be invefted by God with a right of defpotick Dominion over all the

reft

feft of the Creation, when all the while we are bur
too plainly fenfible of being unable to comprehend
rightly the minuteft part of it.
of it. Should we not, (fay
they) undervalue and laugh at one of our felves, for
giving a large Patrimony to a Booby Son, without
inftructing or breeding him up to understand or en-
joy it? But when no other Anfwer is to be well
made, the Reply to all is; that, as odd as this ap-
pears, yet God has done it, and therefore we ought
to believe it well done, and highly prudent; which
most certainly is a true Confequence, if the Pre-
miffes were right; but that will be examined im-
partially in the following Notes.

b Concern'd.] A Word of a double Signification; both of being interested in a Business, and of being troubled at any ill Succefs of it. The Word in this place implies both; firft, because the Doubtful are a part of Mankind who claim this Dominion, and fo are reasonably inquifitive about it; and fecondly, because they have occafion to be troubled upon finding their Title to it so very weak, after fo much Wealth and Blood spent in the Controverfy. 'Tis well too, if we are not one Day call'd to account, and made to pay dear Cofts for fo contentious a Quarrel.

C

© Only one Man.] Here now comes properly the Examination of what grounds they go on, who pretend that God has done us this great Honour, and that therefore we ought to believe it well and wifely done, whatever Incongruities may appear in it; which is a confequence that muft certainly be agreed to, if the first part can be as well made out: But alas (fay our Sceptics) when we come to that, inftead of a Proof, there is nothing produced but one poor Text in Genefis, whether written by Mofes or fome other Man, (for that is now difputed among Divines themselves) is of no importance, fince a Man ftill, one of our own imperfect, unknowing kind; and, if he is to be credited on his fingle Word against all our Sense and Reason, in a thing also that seems to derogate fo much from the infinite Wisdom of divine Providence, fure there is need firft of proving him infallible; whereas all the Proof of that is only derived by Tradition from other Men ftill, who therefore cannot certify for one another. 'Tis faid alfo by thefe Sceptics, that 'tis worth our obferving, how the Author of this Text of Man's Dominion over all other Creatures, has written another very extraordinary one, viz. that God walked in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the Evening; which, if excus'd on the account of being only a figurative Expreffion, yet much invalidates a Narra.

tion of such a vaft Importance, that Tropes and Fi gures feem a little improper in it. Divines are unwilling to fave its Credit by the difficulty of our understanding the Hebrew Tongue, (tho' no ill Excufe, fince it is allowed to be fometimes unintelligible) for fear of their Adversaries making the fame Objection to other Texts as extraordinary, and perhaps to all the Old Teftament. Upon the whole Matter, and to end fo tedious a Note, 'tis probable the wife Author of Genefis, for Reasons that might be given, and many more which we now cannot guefs at, had found it fit and neceffary to infuse this Opinion of Man's Superiority into the Jews. And who knows but it was as needful to encourage them against the Beafts of a Wilderness in which they wander'd so long, as against the Kings of Canaan; whom MOSES, like a wife Leader, affured them before-hand the Lord would deliver into their hands.

d

Reafon.] Left their aforefaid Argument in defence of this Opinion may not appear convincing, Divines have added that of Reason, and fet it up to be not only an 'inftance, but an evidence of our Title over all things; as being a particular Talent and Blefling bestowed on Mankind alone. But the Sceptics evade this again, firft, by denying that 'tis a

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