But Alexander himself in his Epiftles fpeaks of no Miracle, but only fays he paffed by Climax as he came from Phafelis. Now 'tis plain this was no Miracle, by the joint Authority of thefe two excellent Hiftorians, who make the Paffage there an ordinary Thing; but the Mofaick Tranfu muft remain a Miracle ftill, till you can find as good Hiftorians to vouch for the fame Commonnefs of a Paffage through the Red-Sea.

5. As for your alledging the Tradition of the Egypti- The Egyp ans making this Miracle only a Trick of Mofess I think tian Tradi there is little to be built upon the Credit of the Ægyptian tion groundTraditions, which if hearkened to, would fill all Hiftory lefs. full of Fable. And they are lefs to be depended upon, when they feem to be fet up on Purpofe to difcredit the Nation of the Jews, whom they had fuch a mortal Enmity to, and whom to difcredit they coined fo many Lies, as appears by the Books of Manetho, Lyfimachus, &c. Well, but what is this Egyptian Tradition? It is only a Report of the Memphites, which was as strongly oppofed by the Heliopolitans. As appears from the Fragment of Artapanus's Hiftory of the Jews*. Now the Memphites (fays he) tell, that Mofes, who was well acquainted with all the Country, knowing the Time. when the Tide would be out, carried over all the Multitude when the Sea was dry. But the Heliopolitans fay atherways, That the King followed the Jews going away with what they had borrowed from the Egyptians, bringing with him a great Army and his holy Animals. But Mofes was commanded by a divine Voice to strike the Sea with his Rod; he touched the Sea with his Rod, and the Waves giving Place, he led over his Forces in a dry Tract, Now fet this Tradition of the Heliopolitans, which is very agreeable to the Letter of Scripture, and that of the Memphites, which feems only to be a groundless Cavil against the Jews, both together; and what do they make more for the Infidels than the Believers? And why are the Memphites to be believed against the Scripture-Hiftory, more than the Heliopolitans for it? But there is no Won

* Vid. Clem. Alex. Strom. Lib. 1. Eufeb. Prep. Lib.9. Cap. 27.

der

der to be made, but that there would be Variety of Traditionary Stories in the Neighbourhood about fuch a wonderful Occurrence as this. And thus we find a like Story among the Ichthyophagi, who were fituated not far off from that Place of the Red-Sea, where the Ifraelites in Probability went over, being over against Mount Sinai, thus related by Diodorus Siculus, Tots waior naloisir. Among the Ichthyophagi, who live hard by, this Hiftory is handed down by Tradition from their Forefathers, that once there was a mighty Ebb of the Sea, fo that every Place of this Bay was dry, which then looked green, the Sea flowing to the contrary Parts. Parts. But when the Earth had for fome Time appeared, there then came again a great Tide, and made the Bay as it was before. So that you fee, Philologus, that these Traditions of the Egyptians are fo far from difcrediting the Truth of this Mofaical Miracle, that they tend much to fupport it. It not being to be fuppofed, that the Tradition of fuch a remarkable Action fhould be totally loft in the Country where it was performed; or that it fhould be handed down with all the Particulars of Truth, with which he that did it himself has related it. And befides, if you confult the Descriptions of this Bay given by Belon, Furerus, Thevenot, &c. you will not find that any fuch Reflux ever happens there now, or that, tho' there be fome Shoals which incommode the Ships, Men can at any Time pafs over upon dry Ground,

Phil. This is pretty plaufible, Sir; but pray how will you be able to excufe his Laws from the Abfurdities which they abound with? Now thefe ftab the Jewish Religion to the Heart; for how can thofe Laws have God Almighty for their Author, which do not fo much as feem to be compofed by wife Men? I cannot stay to run through his whole Syftem of Laws; but for my Part I look upon a great Number of them to be abfurd and ridiculous, others contrary to common Juftice, and the reft but mean and pitiful, and unworthy of God the Author. What more filly than the Command of not

Hift. Fab. Lib. 3.

Eating the Blood of an Animal? as if it was worth the Cognifance of a Legiflator to forbid Men the Ufe of Black-Puddings. Is it worthy a divine Law to forbid the fowing of Mallin, or that poor Folks fhould wear Linfey-wolfey? And does it not look a little like a Jeft gravely to establish, that an Ox and an Afs fhall not be yoked together? Befides, there are other Things in the Body of his Laws, which contradict the common Notions of ordinary Juftice. What is the fetting up in his Common-wealth fo many Afylums, but only making a Rendezvous, or an Alfatia, for a Number of HedgeRogues to plague their honeft Neighbours? His Lex Talionis is unmerciful Cruelty; that when I by Chance, or in a Scuffle, have beat out a Man's Eye, I muft ftand ftill to let him bore out mine in cold Blood. His Redemption of Estates, after the Year of Jubilee, is to difcourage good Parts and Industry, and to entail Eftates for ever, it may be, upon the Block-headed Heirs of thofe particular Families which firft laid Hands upon them. His other Laws about Murder, Theft, Sacrifices, &c. are fuch as are equalled by the meaneft Common-wealths, and the ordinarieft Superftitions; only here are fome Things more ridiculous than are to be found elsewhere, with a deal of Injunctions about Red-Cows, Scape-Goats, and forty Things more of the fame Nature. But if God had been the Author of these Laws, and this Institution, they had without all Doubt been grounded upon admirable Reason, excellently fitted to the Benefit of Mankind, and the Usefulness of them to Society, and to make Men good would have been apparent to all that confidered them; but these feem only to be an odd Jumble of arbitrary Precepts; for which there is no other but a Woman's Reafon to be given, Becaufe, forfooth, God would command them. And is not this a fine Way of making

Laws

Cred. I find you are running, Philologus, upon your old Strain, and therefore I muft beg Leave to interpofe a little. I believe it is Want of due Confideration of the Laws of Mofes, which makes you talk against that, which

when

The Jewis the best of all political

Laws.

when you understand better, you would rather admire. For my Part, I look upon the Judaical to be the most excellent civil Constitution which ever was, or ever will be in the World; and if you will but compare the three Legislative Books of Mofes, with what are extant of the Egptian, Attick, and Lacedemonian Laws, the Roman twelve Tables, their Plebifcita, and Imperial Refcripts, nay even when they were collected into the Digefts, you will find, that they all fall fhort of thefe Laws of Mofes. I do not speak this at Random, nor in the least to detra& from the Roman Laws; but confidering the Circumftances of the Jewish Nation, their Laws do, I think, far exceed the other. Indeed the Jewish Laws were not drawn up into fuch an exact fyftematical Method, nor adorned with fuch artificial Terms, nor do fo precifely fet out the minute Boundaries of Right and Wrong, as the Roman; but yet they are better calculated for ordinary Juftice and neighbourly Society; and what is better yet, The extra- for Mercy and Charity: I fay Mercy and Charity, and I ordinary, defy any civil Conftitution in the World to fhew fo maMerciful- ny good-natur'd Laws, and enacted with fuch a tender ness of them.

Regard to their Fellow-Creatures, as the Jews can. What more kind Conftitution could there be, than to ordain Cities of Refuge for the innocent Man-flayer to fly to, to avoid the impotent Anger of the Relations of the killed, which according to the Cuftom of thofe Times, were wont immediately to revenge their Kindred's Death; thereby to give him Time to clear himself: which if he could not, the Law allows him to be dragged even from the Horns of the Altar, Exod. xxi. 14. The kind Ufage which by thofe Laws is to be given to Slaves, and the Stripes which are not to be exceeded in punishing Crimihals, are another Argument of the Mercifulness of these Laws above others. The great Care which is taken to prevent Mischief which might happen by the flat-roof'd Buildings of thofe Times, by ordering Battlements to be made round them; and the Penalty of Women's taking abortive Potions, do confirm the fame. The forbidding

the

the Jews to fuffer a Beggar among them, and not allowing new married Men to be forced from their Wives the firit Year to the Wars, are a Tenderness which most other Nations are wanting in. Indeed the fame Laws punish Adultery with Death, but then they are fo mild as to punish Theft with only abundant Reftitution. In which Sanctions you may fee an admirable Temperament of Juftice and Clemency; and which may ferve for an Example to other Governments, where Adulteries, which are irreparable, are pretended to be recompenfed by pecuniary Mulets; and Thefts, for which Reftitution may be made, are Capital. Nay, in thefe Laws there is a tender Regard had to Beafts themfelves, of which the forbidding to muzzle the Mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the Corn, is a fufficient Inftance; mercifully providing, that the poor Beaft which provides Suftenance for us, fhould not be denied its natural Cravings after its own. And fo it is in the Cafe of the Coupling an Ox and an Afs, and other rua, tenderly taking Care, that one Beast of greater Strength fhould not force another poor Creature of lefs, Toil beyond its Ability. Thus, much I have thought fit in fome few Particulars to point out the merciful Difpofition of thefe Laws, which is not fo vifible in civil Conftitution in the World as in this.

any

them.

And befides, you may perceive as much Wisdom and The great excellent Defign running through the whole Frame of it. Wisdom in The Diftinction of Families, and Regiftery of their Names, was the most useful Thing which could be in a Commonwealth; thereby to know its own Strength and Abilities, to prevent Law-fuits, and to fettle Inheritances. The fabbatical or fallow Year was a noble Contrivance to keep a Country in Fertility, and from being worn out of Heart by covetous Tillers. The weekly Sabbath, fetting afide the Religioufnefs of it, was a wonderful Eafe both to Servants and Cattle, and muft even upon this Account be : esteemed a very wife Establishment, which other Nations were wanting in. But their fevere Punishment of Idolatry of all Sorts, and the great Encouragement of the Worhip of the one true God, from whom the whole World

had