As the Sabean religion was thus in many inftances diametrically oppofite to that of Mofes, the few particulars wherein they have any resemblance, may very well be imputed to ancient tradition; for the Sabeans boast of having derived many things from Enoch, whom they called Adris, who is supposed to have been the original Zoroafter, of whom it may not be amiss to say a few words.

It has been a question whether any fuch perfon exifted as Zoroafter from the many difcordant relations of him, and the dogmata imputed to him: from which confideration it has been imagined that Zoroafter was rather a title of eminence given to perfons of wifdom, and the inventors of science, than a proper name, the derivation is by the Greeks faid to be from Zwov argov a living star, by others it is formed of the Hebrew TSOUR ASTSETRE, which fignifies a form of hidden fire,

that

that there have been many Zoroafters, or in other words, profeffors of magic art, and the inventors of other abftrufe sciences. Arnobius fpeaks of four, the first being a Chaldean, the fecond, a Bactrian; and the third called Erus of Pamphilia, and the fourth, an Arminian.

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Abenephius fays, he was Cham, the son of Noah, another will have him to be Chus, the fon of Cham. Again, he is called the Mifraim of Mofes; It is faid that when Zoroafter was born, he laughed, that his brain had fuch a pulfation, as to repel the hand laid on his head, which prognofticated his future fuperiority of wisdom, that he wrote five books of nature, one of precious-ftones, and five concerning the ftars. Geledin mentions a book of Zoroafter, concerning the ftars; for a defcription of Zoroafter's theory of the world, I refer the reader to Kircher : as to his doctrines of the immortality of the foul, and a future ftate, they are variously represented, and we have no fixt or certain record to inform us. But we may collect from Jamblicus and others, that the principal information which the ancients received, was reputed to be taken from the pillars of Mercury, or from his voluminous works.

This

This Mercury, whoever he was, whether Enoch, Adris, or Cham, was undoubtedly one of the celebrated Zoroafters, whofe philofophic or religious principles, were diverfified and modelled fo as to be the origin of Sabeanism, from whence the magic of Perfia received those elements of their knowledge, calling him (whether a Bactrian or a Perfomede) their Zoroafter: with respect to fome particulars which have a fimilarity to the mofaic fyftem, and to revelation, they are, eafily accounted for, either as fprung from primæval tradition, or introduced amongst the Gentiles, by intercourfe with the Ifraelites, or acquaintance with the works of Mofes. The Queen of Saba might have introduced fome of the mosaic tenets amongst the Sabeans, in addition to what might have defcended by tradition, whereby men were inftructed in the belief of a future ftate, and the promife of a Mediator, which became a general expectation of all nations; which expectation accompanied with the accomplishment of prophecies, was fo powerful that Volney allows it to have been fufficient on the bare report that fome perfon or other, had seen the Meffiah, to establish the belief that he had come, when at the fame time he af

ferts, that no fuch perfon did actually exist ; and to make out this wonderful hypothefis, he endeavours to perfuade us, that all chriftianity is but a mere fable, grounded on a new theory of the conftellations.

To thofe who have in this enlightened age, ftudied that excellent Science of Aftronomy, a few words will fuffice- the original names of the conftellations were changed, and new modelled by the Greeks, and are very different from the most ancient. That various and difcordant fables have been invented, which ftill are not able totally to hide the original defign, which was to express the feafons of the year by hieroglyphic reprefentations, is evident. But how far this world may be an analogical picture of a future ftate, we know not; this fubject has been beautifully reprefented by Cheyne, in his philofophical principles of religion, where we fee imagination invigorating reafon. But Volney has indeed expofed both the weakness of his understanding, and the wildnefs of his imagination, by which he has vainly endeavoured, by the aid of declamation, to impofe ill conftructed and romantic reveries on the world, inftead of rational information, and the prevalence of truth. His whole book entitled THE RUINS, is compofed

pofed in a fort of dramatic form, where he makes the different characters argue in what manner he pleases; a mode indeed, well fuited to his abominable scheme, to operate on the vulgar, and thereby to banish from the world all religious and moral obligations, in order to involve the different ftates of Europe in one common ruin with the regicides of France.

FINI S.