" Philofophy, from the y>w/>^ *' Laws." To abl^ain from Creatures that die of them- felves, isputamong thePrecepts of Pythagoras, by Hierocles,zii<i Porphyry in his Epiftle loAnebo^ and JElian, Book IV. that is, o\xx.oi Levit. iv. 15. Deut.xiv, 2 1. Thou Jh alt not engranje the Figure of God on a Ring, is taken out of Pythagoras, in Malchus^or Porphyry'sExhot- tation to Philofophy, and in Diogenes La'ertius i and this from the vSecond Command- ment. Take not auoay that nuhich thou didjl not place, Jo- fephus in his Second Book againft Appion, puts amongft the Je^i/h Precepts, and Phi' lojiratui amongft the Pythago- reans, Jamblicus fays, A ten- der and fruitful Tree, ought not to be corrupted or hurt, which he had out of Deuteronomy xx, 19. The foremen tioned Her- mippus afcribes this to Pythago- ras, not to pafs by a Place where an Afs has fet upon his Knees: The Foundation of which is the Story in Numb, xxii. 27. Porphyry acknow- ledges, that Plato took many things from the Hebre--ws, as Theodoret obferves, in his firft Difcourfe againft the Greeks. You will fee Part of them in Eufebius\ Preparation. (I fu- fpe^ that Hermiptus, or Jo- F z fephus.
68 Of the Truth of Book L about the Law and Rites given by Mofes^ [a) Straho and Juftin^ out of 'Trogus^ remarkably teftify con- cerning the Religion and Righteoufnefs of the ancient Jews: So that there feems to be no need of mentioning what is found, or has formerly been found, ot'Jqfijua and others, agreeable to the He- hrew Books; feeing that whoever gives Credit to Mcfes (which it is a Shame for any one to re- fufe) cannot but believe thofe famous Miracles done by the Hand of God •, which is the principal Thing here aimed at. Now that the Miracles of later Date, fuch as thofe of (b) Elijah^ Elijhah^ and others, fliould not be Counterfeit, there is this further Argument; that in thofe Times Jud^a was become more known, and becaufe of the Difrerencc of Religion, was hated by the Neigh- bours, who could very eafily confute the tirft Rife Rife fephusy inftcad of Jei.vs, (liould have faid Llcans, that is, the Priefls of Jubiter Id.^us in Crete, whom Pythagoras en- vied. See Sir 'John Marjham\ CoUe^f^ian ot thefe. in his ^TentK Age of the Egyptian {a) Straho and Jufiin, &cj Straho \v\ his XI Vth Book, al- ter ihe Killory of Mofes, fays. That his FoUouoers, for a con- JiderabU time ^ kept his Prec&pts, and "jocre truly righteous and godly. And a litnc aker He fays, that thofe whvO beHeved'in Mo- fes, ^^L'oyjhippcd C*od, and ivere lovers of Equity. And ^Juflin fays thus. Book XXXVI. Ch 2. Whofc ilighteoufncfs, (iji^. the King«5 and Prielh) mixed Kvith Religion., increafvd bcyond Belief. AriJlatU aho (witneis Clcarchus in his fecond Book of Sleep, which yofepbus tran- fcribed) gives a great Character of a Jevj whom he had feen, for his Wifdom and Learning. "TacituSf amongll his many Fal- fitiesjlays this one Truth, that the Jen-vs worfhipped that Su- preme and Eternal Being, iicha nvns immutable J and could not perijh; that is, God, ( as Dion Cajjius fpeaks, treating of the fame Je^'js) nxjho is ineffable and innjifihle.
[Ij] Elijah, &c.] Concerning whofe Prophecy, Eufehius fays, Pr^rp Book IX. Ch. 30. that Eupolemus wrote a Book In the 39th Chapter of the ftme Book, Ezifebius quotes a Place of his, concerning the Prophe- cies of Jeremiah.
Rife of a Lie. The Hiftory of Jonah\ being three Days in the Whale's Belly, is in {a) Lyco- fhron and JEneas Gazeus^ only under the Name of Hercules \ to advance Vv^hofe Fame, every thing that was great and noble 11 fed to be related of him, as {b) Tacitus obferves. * Certainly nothing but the manifefl Evidence of the Hiftory could compel Julian (who was as great an Enemy to the Jews as to the Chridians) to confefs (c) that there were fome Men infpired by the Divine Spirit amongfl: the Jezvs^ (d) and that Fire de- fcended from Heaven, and confumed the Sacrifices of Mofes and Elias, And here it is worthy of Obfervation, (a) LycophroTty c^jc] The Verfes are thefe.
Of that three-ni<ihted Lyon^ njjhom of old 1 riton'j fierce Dog ^jith furious fanui devour'' d, IJ ithin nx;hofe Bo^vehy tearing his Li^ver^ He rolled^ hiirmng nvith Heat, though '■xmlhout Fire, His Headtvith Drops of S~cveat bede^ d all o" er.
Upon which Place Txetfes fays, ** Becaufe he was three Days ** -.vithin the Whale." And j'Eneas Gazeusmlheophrajius. '* According to the Story of '* Hercules y who was faved hy '^ a Whalelwallowing him up, *' when the Ship in which he *' failed was wrecked," (b) Tacitus, &c ] And Ser- n>iuSf as Varro and Verrius Tlaccus affirm.
[c] That there^werc fame, Zi:c ] Book III in Cyril.
{d") That Fire defc ended, &c.] Julian in the Xth Book of Cyril, •* Ye refufe to bring Sa- ** orifices to the Altar and offer *' them, becaufe the Fire does ** n«t defcer.d from Heaven ^■* and confume the Sacrifices, *' as it did in M&Jes*^ Time: *• J his happened once to Ma- *^ fes, and again long after to ♦' Elijah the TifiMter See what follows concerning the Fire from Heaven. Cyprian in III. of his Teftimpnies, fays, *' That in the Sacrifices, all " thofe that God accepted of, *• Fire came down from Hea- " ven, and confumed the " Things facrificed.*' Menan- der alio in his Phcznician Hi- ftory mention^ that great Drought, which happened in theTimcof £//fl.st;hatis,when 1th oh a I us reigned amongll the Tyrians. See Jofephus in his Ancient Hiftory, Book VTII. Chap. 7.
70 Of the Truth of ^ Book I.
fcrvation, that there was not only very (a) fevere Punifhments threatned amongft the Hebrews^ to any who fhould falfcly afllinie the Gift of Prophecy, (h) but very many Kings, who by that means might have procured great Authority to them- felves •, and rpany learned men, (c) fuch as Efdras and others, dared not to alTume this Honour to themfelves -, (d) nay, fome Ages before Chrift's Time, no body dared to do it. Much lefs could fo many thoufand People be impofed upon, in avouching a conftant and public Miracle, I mean {e) that [a] Se'vere Tumfhinenti^ &c.} Deut. XIII. 5. XVIII. 20. and the following (^) But *very many Kingfy &-C.] No body dared to do it after Danjid.
(r) Such as Efdras, &c.] The JlebrenjL's ufed to remark upon thofe Times, Hitherto the Pro- phet* s noiv begin the Wif? Men. id) Nay^ fome Ages before Chriji'^s Time, &c ] Theiefore in the III Book of Maccabees, IV. 46. we read, that the Stones of the Altar which was defiled were laid aiide, untii there fhould come a frophit to fhexv njohat fhould he done nvith them. And in the IXth Chap. *ver. 27. of the fame Book, •* So was there a great AfPic- *• tion. in Jfrael, the.like •' whereofhad never been, ilnce '* the Time that there were ** no Prophets r.mongll them. ■* The fame vve find in the Tal- vtudy in the Title concerning the Council.
[e) That of the Oracle, &c.] S^€Q Exodus XXV \\\. 30. Le- ,a;^yiU. 8. Numh. XXSIL XXIII. 2,..5, 9, ID, II, 12. XXVIII e'MANehem.Wl. 65. and Jofcphus'z Book III. 9. This is what is meant by the Words ^po;T»/yA S'it?.^}!', the confulting (an Oracle), njohere you njoill have an uififiver as clear as Light it felf: In the Son oiSyrach XXXIII. 4. For the Word ^vtha^ elear, anfwers to th& Hebrew CD^'Tlh^ Urim, and fo the Seventy tranflate, it in the forecited Places, Numb, XXVII. 21. I.VrXXVIIL 6. and e\{cwheYeS{ihf'>'J'i flak- ing clear, as Exod. XXVIII. 26, Lev. Vlll. 8. Theyalfo tranflate IZj*?2n Thunim, aAn- H'naVj'Truth; The Egyptians imiratf d this, jufl: as Childrea doMen. P/W^rw;, Book I. re- nting the Alf lirs of the Egyp- tians, fays of the Chief "Judge ^ that He hath Truth hangiiig about his Neck And again af- terwards, •* The King com- ** mands that all Things ne- ** cclfary and fitting fliould be *' provided for the Subfiflence Sed. 17. the Chriflimi Religion, 71 that of the Oracle, {a) which fliined on the High Prieil's Bread, which is fo firmly believed by all the Jews^ to have remained till the Deftrudtion of the firft Temple, that their Anceftors mult ofnecefTity be well afiured of the Truth of it.
Sect. XVII. ^e fame proved alfo from Pre- dictions.
There is another Argument to prove the Pro- vidence of God, very like to this of Miracles, and no lefs povverful, drawn from the foretelling of future Events, which was very often and very exprefsly done amongft the Hebrews; fuch as the ib) Man's being childlefs who fhould rebuild Jeri- cho \ the deftroying the Altar of Bethel^ by King Jofiah by Name, (c) above three hundred Years be- fore of the Judges, and that the Chief " great Plenty *• carries *' Image adge flioiild have This Man about his Neck, an of precious Stones, '* hanging en a golden Chain, ** which they call Truth, and" ** they then begin to hear *' Cafes, when the Chief Judge *' has fixed this Image of " Truth.'' And ^^lian, BookXIV. Ch. 24. of his va- rious Hiftory. " The Judges •* in old Time amongft the ** Egyptians, were Prieils, the " oldeit of which was Chief ** Prieft, who judged every *' one; and he ought to be a ** very juft Man, and one that *• fpared no body. He wore •* an Ornament about his ^* Neck,madeof SaphirdStone, •* which was called Truth." The BabylonilhG^w^r/?, Ch. I.
of the Book called Joma, fays, that fome Things in the fi.rft Temple, were wanting in the fecorid, as the Ark with the Mercy-Seat, and the Cheru- bimsy the Fire coming from Heaven, the Schecinah, the Holy GhoH:,.and,ti^e Urim • [a) Which Jhine/ton the High Prieft" s Breaft, &:c.] This is ^ Cbnjedlure of the 'Rabbins^ without any Foundation from Scripture. It is;nuch more credible, that the Prieft prO' liounced the Oracle with his Mouth. See our Obfervat. on Exod XXVIII. 30. l^umb. XXVIT. 31. UChrc.
■ [b] The Mart's being childlefs, &c. ) Compare Jofuah VI. 26. with I Kings XVT. 34.
{c) Above three hundredTears, &c.] CCCLXI. as Jofephus F 4 thinks 72 Of the "Trufh of Book I, fore it came to pafs: fo alfo Ifaiah foretold the {a) very Name and principal Adls of Cyrus; and Jere7mah the Event of the Siege of Jernfalem., after it was furrounded by the Chaldeans \ and Daniel (h) the Tranflation of the Empire from the Ajjy- rians^ to theMt'^^j' and Perfians^ and (c) from them to Alexander of Macedon (d) whofe Snccefibrs to part of his Kingdom, were to be the Pofterity of Lagtjs and Sekucus; and what Evils the Hebrews fliould undergo from all thefe, particularly (e) the famous J'dtiochiis •, fo very plainly, (/) that P^r- phyry^ v/ho compared the Grecian Hiflories, extant m his Time, with the Prophecies; could not make it out any other v^^ay, but by faying, that the Things afcribed to Daniel^ were wrote after t:hey came to pafs ^ v/hich is the fame as if any one fhould deny, that what is now extant under the Name of Virgil^ and was always thought to be his, was Chap XXXVir, XXXVIU. &c.] VII. 8, II, 20, 24, 25.
for the fiiliiliing, fee Chap. VliL 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, ai^d other Greek Writers.
Se(5l. 17. the Chrijlian Rdlgion. 73 was writ by him in Anguftus^s> Time. For there was never any more doubt amongfl: the HehrewSy concerning the one, than there was amongfl the Romans^ concerning the other. To all which may be added, the many and exprefs Oracles (a) a- mongft thofe of Mexico and Pe^'u^ which foretold tiie coming of the Spaniai'ds mm thofe Parts, and the Calamities that would follow.
And h ^^^^^ Arguments.
{h) To this may be referred very many Dreams, exaftly agreeing with the Events-, which both as to themfeives and their Caufes, were fp utterly un- known to thofe that dreamed them, that they can- not without great ShameleiTnefs be attributed to natural Caufes ^ of which kind the beft Writers afford us eminent Examples, (c) TertulUan has made [a) Jfnongfi thofe ij/Mexico, Zee'.'] [Garcjlaz-zo de la Vega) Jnca, Acojia^ Heyrera^ and gthers, relate ilrange Things of thefe Oracles See Peter G- eza, Tome II. of the Indian Affair.^.
{h) To this may he referred^ ccz.] What is here faid, does not fb much prove thp Exift- ence of God, who takes care of the AfFciirs of Men; as that there are prefent with them fome invifible Beings, more powerful than Men, which whoever believes, will eaiily believe that there is a God. For there is no necefTity that all Things, which come to pafs different from the common Courfe of Nature, fliould be aV<:nbed to God himfcif; as if v/kiteyer cannot beeffccled by Men, or the Power of cor- poreal Things, muil be done by him himfelf. Le Clerc.
[c] Tertulliafj has made a Col- leSiion, &c ] Chap. XLVT. where he relates the remark- able Dreams of Jljlyages, of Philip of Macedon, of the Hi- men-rean Woman, of Laodice, oi Mithridates, of lllyrian Ba- /aris, of M Tidly, of Artorius, of the Daughter o{ Poly crates. Samius, whom Cieero calls hi* Nurfe, of Clconomus PiSia^ of SophocleSy of Neoptolemus the Tn-.gedian. Some of thefe we find in Valerius Maximus, Book I. Ch. 7. befides that of C^/- furnia concerning Ca-far, of P. D edits and T. Manlius, the Confuls, r. Atinius, M Tully in his Banifhment, Hannibal^ Aee-xander the Great ^ SimoniJes^ Craeftts^ made a Colledlion of them in his Book of the Soul; and {a) Ghofls have not only been feen, but alfo heard to fpeak, as we are told by thofe Hiftorians who have been far from fuperftitious Creduhty; and by WitnefTes in our own Age, who lived in Sina^ Mexico^ and other Parts o^ Ame- rica 'y neither ought we to pafs by (b) that com- mon Crfsfiis, the Mother of Dionv- fius the Tyrant C Sempronius Gracchus; CaJJius oi Parmenia^ Aterius Rufus the Roman Knight, Hamilcar the Cartha- ginian, Alcihiades xki^Athenian^ and a certain Arcadian. There are many remarkable things, in Tullys Books of Divination; neither ought we to forget that of Pliny, Book XXV. Chap. 2. concerning the Mo- ther of one that was fighting in Lufttania. And alfo thofe of Antigoniis and Artucules; who was the firll of the Race of the Ofmanida in the lApJian MonitUy Book I. Chap. 5. and others colIeSed by the inda- ftrious Theodore Zuinger,Y o\.Y, Book IV. the Title of which l^ Concerning Dreams (a) AndGhoJis ha^us not Ofily, &c.] See Plutarch in the Life of Dion and Brutus, and Ap- fion of the fame Brutus^ in the fourth of his Ci'viliay and /"/orr^j,BookIV.Chap 7. Add to thefe, Tacitus concerning, which fame Hiflory is in Pliny, Epift. XXVir. Book VII. to- gether with another; concern- ing that which that wife and couragious Philofopher^/>6^«(j- dorus law at Athens. And thofe in Valerius Maxinius, Book I. Chap. 8. efpecially that of CaJJius the Epicurean y who was frighted with the fight of C^/ar, whom he had killed; which is in Lipjius, Book I. Chap. 5. of his Warnings, Many fuch Hillories are col- lected by Crsjippusy Plutarch in his Book of the Soul, and Nu- menius in his fecond Book of the Soul's Immortality, men- tioned by Origen m his fifth Book?igainft Cel/us, >, {b) That commonMethodySiQ.^ See the Teflimonies of this Matter, collected by Francis Jurety upon the 74th Epiftle of Lvon Bifhop of Chart re$^ Sophocles'"^ Antigone r.ells us how old this is, where the Theban Relations of Oedipus fpeak Curti'.us Rufus, Annal. XI If^e are prepared to handle red hot Iron^ To pafs through Fire, or to in-ooke the Godst That nve are innocent, and did not do itV '^'^'^ ' Which we learn alfo, from the Pliny s Natural Hlft. BookVII. Report of S'/rtf^<7, Book V. and Chap. 2. and Servius upon mon Method of examining Perfons Innocence, by walking over red hot Plow-fliares, viz. Fire Ordeal^ mentioned in fo many Hiftories of the German Nation, and in their very Laws.
Sect. XVIII. ^he Ohje5fion of Miracles not being feen noWy anfwered.
Neither is there any Reafon, why any one fhould objed againft what has been faid, becaufc no fuch Miracles are now feen, nor no fuch Pre- didions heard. For it is fufficient to prove a Di- vine Providence, that there ever have been fuch. Which being once eftablifhed, it will follow; that we ought to think God Almighty forbears them now, for as wife and prudent Reafons, as he be- fore did them. Nor is it fit that the Laws given ] to the Univerfe, for the natural Courfe of Things, and that what is future might be uncertain; fhould j always, or without good Reafon, be fufpended, i but then only, when there was a fufficient Caufe; i as there was at that time, when the Worfhip ofj the true God, was banifhed almoft out of the World, being confined only to a fmall Corner of it, 17*2;. Judaa \ and was to be defended from that Wickednefs which furrounded it, by frequent Af- fiftance. Ox when the Chriftian Religion, con- V x.*i u^.v-nv,v..v,...-...^vcerning V'trgiV^ Xlth j^neid. Alfo Teftimonles, concerning thofe • thole Things, which were feen who have fpoke after their cf old, in Feronias Grove upon Tongues were cut out upon the the Mountain Sora^e. To account of Religion, fuch as thefe Things, which happened Jujiinian, Book I. C. of the contrary to the common Courfe Pr^torian O^ize i concerning cf Nature, we may add, I aPrasfe^t in y^r/<:<ar. Piocopius think, thofe we find made ufe in the i ft of his Vandalkh.
of, to preferve Mens Bodies Victor Uticenjis in his Book of, from being wounded by Ar- Perfecutions, and jEneas Garows. See alfo the certain za in Theof)hraJius.
76 Of the Truth of Book I.
corning which we fhall afterwards particularly treats was, by the Determination of God, to be fpread all over the World.
Sect. XIX. And of there being fo much JVickednefs.
Some Men are apt to doubt of a Divine Pro- vidence, becaufe they fee fo much Wickednefs pradlifed, that the World is in a manner over- whelmed with it, like a Deluge: Which they con- tend fliould be the Bufinefs of Divine Providence, if there were any, to hinder or fupprefs. But the Anfwer to fuch, is very eafy. When God made Man a free Agent, and at liberty to do well or ill, (referving to himfelf alone a necelTary and immutable Good nefs) {a) it was not fitthathefhould put fuch a Reftraint upon evil Actions, as was incqnfiftent cqnfiftent [a) It tuas notfj, &c.] Thus Te?'tulli an 'Jg3.in^ Marcion If. " An entire Liberty of the •• Will, is granted him ei- •* ther way, that he nnay al- «* ways appear to be MaRer of •-* himfelf, by doing of his *:■' own accord that which is •* good, and avoiding of his •Vown accord that which is *■• €j?ii. Becaufe Man, who is *" \\\ other Refpefi.^ fubjeit [o •* the Determination of God, *^ OQght (6 do that which is *',j'4ft, 6i>t ©f the good pleu- *' fare o*^, his own free WIH. ♦'But Reither the Wages of *''-thi«?- which is good or evil, ** can jufily be paid to him *' who ib found to be good or p' evil out of Necelilty, and ** pot out of Choice. And •'■/or.'this Reaiph wars' the *' Law' appointed, nQt w^cxclude, but to prove Liberty, by voluntarily performing Obedience to it, or by vo- luntarily tranfgreffing it; fo that in either Event the Li- berty of the Will is mani- fcft.'* And again afterwards. Then the Confequence would have been.; that God would have withdrawn that Liberty, which was once granted to Man, that is, would have retained within himfelf his Fere knowledge and exceeding Power,where- by he might have interpofed, to hinder iMan from falling into Danger, by trying to ' make an illUfe of his Liber- ■ ty. For if he had interpofed, hewould the uiiave taken away ihat Liberty, which his Rea- foh and Goodnefs had given 'them.*'' Or?Vc^;? ill his I'VtK Book Seft. 19, 20. the Chrijlian Religion. 77 confiftent with this Liberty. But whatever Means of hindering them, were not repugnant to fuch Li- berty; as eftablifhing and promulging a Law, ex- ternal and internal Warnings, together withThreat- nings and Promifes; none of thefe were neglediecl by God: Neither would he fufFer the Effedls of' Wickcdnefs, to fpread to the furtheft; fo that Go- vernment was never utterly fubverted, nor the Knowledge of the Divine Laws entirely extin- guifhed. And even thole Crimes that were per— mitted, as we hinted before, were not without their Advantages, when made ufe of either to puniih thofe who were equally wicked, or to chaftife thofe who were dipt out of the way of Virtue, or elfe to procure fome eminent Example of Patience and Conftancy, in thofe who had made a great Pro- grefs in Virtue, {a) haftly^ Even they themfelves, whofe Crimes feemed to be overlooked for a time, were for the mofl part punifhed, with a propor- tionable Punifhment, that the Will of God might be executed againft them, who adled contrary to his Will.
$^Qf^^^^,.^ijdthatfo greats as to opprefs good Men.
And if at any time. Vice fliould go unpunifhed, or, which is wont to offend many weak Perfons, fome good Men, opprefled by the Fury of the Wicked, fhould not only lead a troublefome Life, but alfo undergo an infamous Death; we muft not prefently from hence conclude againft a Di- vine Providence; which, as we have before obferved.
Book a'gaini^ "cV^i,, handlqs Virtue ^ifynu take auoayLlhertu this Matter, as he ufes to do {a) LapJ\\ E<ven they them" others, very learnedly \ where fehes\ &c.]. Concerning this r.mongll other things, he (ays, whole Matter, See tl>e Note ac That you dejlroy the tUture 0/ Sed. VIH. -.
yS Of the Tfuth of Book I.
ferved, is eftabliriied by fiich ftrong Arguments; but rather, with the wifeil Men, draw this follow- ing Inference; Sect. XXI. This may he turned upon them, fo as to prove, that Souls furvive Bodies.
That fince God has a Regard to human Adlions, who is himfelf juft; and yet thefe things come to pafs in the mean time; we ought to ex- pedl a Judgment after this Life, left either re- markable Wickednefs fhould continue unpunifhed, or eminent Virtue go unrewarded and fail of Hap- pinefs.
Sect, XXII. Which is confirmed hy 'Tradition.
In {a) order to eftablifh this, we muft firft ihew^ that Souls remain aftei* they are feparated from their Bodies; which is a moft ancient Tradition, derived from our firft Parents, (whence elfe could it come?) to almoft all civilized People; as ap- pears {h) from Homer's Verfes, {c) and from the Philofophers, not only the Greek, but alio the ancient Gauls, (d) which were called Druids, * {a) In order to ejlahlijly.thts^ added, the like, in Virgil, in &c.] Whoever has a mind to Seneca s, Oedipus, Luc an, St aread this Argument more large- tins, and that in Samuely I \y handled, I refer him to Sam XXVIII.
Chry/ojiom on the lid Cor. [c] And from the Fhilofophers^ Chap. 18. and Ko\C\% Ethicks &c ] Pherecydes, Pythagoras, Tome VI. againft thofe who and Plato, and all the Difciaffirm that human Affairs, are pies of them. To thele Jujiin regulated by Demons: And adds Enipedocles, and manjt to his IVth Difcoiiife upon Oracles in his lid. Apologe- Providence. tick; and Xenocrates.
Efpecially in that Part called ids, &c.] Tlieie taught, that viKiJ^idL,concermngtbofe that are Souls did not die. ^^^Cafar, departed: To which may be Book VI. of the War with the Sedt. 22. the Chrijlimi Religion. 7^ {a) and from the Indians called Brachmans^ and from thofe Things, which many Writers have related, {b) concerning the Egyptians (c) and Tbracians, and alfo oftheGermans. And moreover, concerning a Divine Judgment after this Life, we find many- Things extant, not only among the Greeks^ {d) but alfo the Gauls ^ and Strahoy Book IV. of the fame. 7hefe and others fay, that Souls are incor- ruptible; (fee alfo Lucan^ Book {a) And of the Indians called Brachmans, &c.] Whofe Opi- nion Strabo explains to us thus. Book XV. •* We are to think " of this Life, as of the State •' of a Child before it be born; ** and of Death, as a Birth to *' that which is truly Life and '* Happinefs, to wife Men." See'alfo a remarkable place con- cerning this Matter, in Por- phyry\ IVth Book, againfl eat- ing Living Creatures.
[b] Concerning //Lr Egyptians, &c.] Herodotus in his Euterpe fays, that it was the Opinion of the Egyptians, That the Soul of Man ^vjas immortal. The fame is reported of them by Diogenes Lairtius, in his Pre- face, and by Tacitus Book V. of his Hidory of the "Jeixs. They buried rather than burnt their Bodies, after the Manner cf the Egyptians; they having the fame Regard and Perfnafion concerning the Dead. See Dio- dorus Siculusy concerning the Soul of Ofris; and Ser^vius On the Vlth Mneid, moll of which is taken from the Egyp- tiarii.
[c) And Thracians, &c ] See again here, the Places of Hermjppus, concerning Pytha- goras, which we before quoted out of Jofephus. Mela, Book II. concerning the Thracians^ fays, *' Some think, that the " Souls of thofe who die, re- " turn again; others, that " though they do not return, *' yet they do not die, but go *• to a more happy Place.** And Solitius concerning the fame, Ch X. ♦* Some of them *' think, that the Souls of thofe ** who die, return again; o* " thers, that they do not die, •* but are made more happy.'* Hence arofe that Cuftom of at- tending the Funerals with great Joy, mentioned by thefe Wri- ters, and by Valerius Max. Book I. Chap. V. 12. That which we before quoted out of the Scholiaft upon Arijio- phanes, makes this the more credible, nuz, that fome of the He b revjs o( old came into (d) But alfo among the Egyp- tians, &c.] Diodorus Siculus, Book I. fays, that what Or- pheus delivered, concerning Souls departed, was taken from the Egyptians. Repeat what we now q^uoted out of Tact" tus.
8o Of the Triith bf Book I.
alfo among the Egyptians [a) and Indians^ as Strahd, Vidgenes Laertius^ and {b) Plutarch tells us: T6 which wc may add a Tradition, that the World Ihould be burnt; which was found of Old (c) in Hy- ftafpes and ih^Sibyls, and now alfo {d) in Ovid (e) and Lucajiy {a) And Indians •^•-'c ] A- nou> Place of h's, quoted by BookXV.ieckom that concern- his Goi'pel Preparat. out of ifig the Jtidgmenti that are ex- the Dialogue concerning the ercifed a?nongJi the Souls de- Soul.
farted. [c) In Hyftafpes avd the Sicerning thofe whofe Puniih- Apologetick, and Clemens^ inent is deferred by the Gods, Strom. VI. whence is quoted and concerning the Face of that from the Tragosdian. the Moon's Orb. See a fa-