in one sense; and prestigiators are such as dazzle men's eyes, and make them seem to see what they see not, as false colours and false shapes. But as some virtues and some vices are so nicely distinguished, and so resembling each other as they are often confounded, and the one taken for the other, (religion and superstition having one face and countenance,) so did the works and workings of Moses and of Pharaoh's sorcerers appear in outward show, and to the beholders of common capacities, to be one and the same art and gift of knowledge. For the Devil changeth himself into an angel of light, and imitateth in all he can the ways and workings of the Most High. And yet, on the contrary, every work which surmounteth the wisdom of most men, is not to be condemned as performed by the help or ministry of ill spirits. For the properties and powers which God hath given to natural things are such, as where he also bestoweth the knowledge to understand their hidden and best virtues, many things by them are brought to pass which seem altogether impossible, and above nature or art; which two speculations, of works of nature and of miracle, the Cabalists distinguished by these names; opus de beresith, and opus de mercana; the one they call sapientiam naturæ, "the wis"dom of nature;" the other, sapientiam divinitatis, "the "wisdom of divinity:" the one Jacob practised in breeding the pied lambs in Mesopotamia; the other Moses exercised in his miracles wrought in Egypt, having received from God the knowledge of the one in the highest perfection, to wit, the knowledge of nature; of the other, so far as it pleased God to proportion him; both which he used to his glory that gave them; assuming to himself nothing at all, either in the least or most. Also St. Augustine noteth, that from the time that Moses left Egypt to the death of Joshua, divers other famous men lived in the world, who after their deaths, for their eminent virtues and inventions, were numbered among the gods; as Dionysius, otherwise Liber Pater, who taught the Grecians the use of the vine in Attica: at which time also there were instituted musical plays to Apollo Delphicus, thereby to regain his favour, who brought

barrenness and scarcity upon that part of Greece, because they resisted not the attempts of Danaus, who spoiled his temple and set it on fire: so did Ericthonius institute the like games to Minerva, wherein the victor was rewarded with a present of oil, in memory of her that first pressed it out of the olive.

In this age also Xanthus ravished Europa, and begat on her Radamanthus, Sarpedon, and Minos, which three are also given to Jupiter by other historians. To these * St. Augustine addeth Hercules, the same to whom the twelve labours are ascribed, native of Tyrinthia, a city of Peloponnesus, (or, as others say, only nursed and brought up there,) who came into Italy, and destroyed many monsters there; being neither that Hercules, which Eusebius surnameth Delphin, famous in Phoenicia; nor that Hercules, according to Philostratus, which came to Gades, whom he calleth an Egyptian: Manifestum fit, non Thebanum Herculem, sed Ægyptium ad Gades pervenisse, et ibi finem statuisse terræ, (saith Philostratus, 1. 2.) It is manifest that it was the Egyptian Hercules, and not the Theban, which travelled as far as the straits of Gades, and there determined the bounds of the earth. In this time also, while Moses wandered in the deserts, Dardanus built Dardania.

But whosoever they were, or how worthy soever they were, that lived in the days and age of Moses, there was never any man, that was no more than man, by whom it pleased God to work greater things, whom he favoured more; to whom (according to the appearing of an infinite God) he so often appeared; never any man more familiar and conversant with angels; never any more learned both in divine and human knowledge; never a greater prophet in Israel. He was the first that received and delivered the law of God entire; the first that left to posterity by letters the truth and power of one infinite God, his creating out of nothing the world universal, and all the creatures therein; that taught the detestation of idolatry, and the punishment, vengeance, and eradication which followed it.

* Lib. De Civitate Dei, c. 12.

y Syracides calleth Moses the beloved of God and men, whose remembrance is blessed. "He made him," saith the same author, "like to the glorious saints, and magnified "him by the fear of his enemies, made him glorious in the

sight of kings, shewed him his glory, caused him to hear "his voice, sanctified him with faithfulness and meekness, "and chose him out of all men."

He is remembered among profane authors, as by Clearchus the Peripatetick; by Megastenes and Numenius the Pythagorean. The long lives which the patriarchs enjoyed before the flood, remembered by Moses, Estieus, Hieronymus, Ægyptius, Hecatæus, Elanicus, Acusilaus, Ephorus, and Alexander the historian, confirm. The universal flood which God revealed unto Moses, Berosus, Nicolaus Damascenus, and others have testified. The building of the tower of Babel, and confusion of tongues, Abydenus, Estieus, and Sybilla have approved. Berosus also honoureth Abraham. Hecatæus wrote a book of him. Damascenus, before cited, speaketh of Abraham's passage from Damascus into Canaan, agreeing with the books of Moses. Eupolemon writeth the very same of Abraham which Moses did; for, beginning with the building of Babel, and the overthrow thereof by divine power, he saith that Abraham, born in the tenth generation, in the city called Camerina, or Urien, excelled all men in wisdom; and by whom the astrology of the Chaldeans was invented: Is justitia pietateque sua (saith Eusebius out of the same author) sic Deo gratus fuit, ut divino præcepto in Phoenicem venerit, ibique habitaverit; "For his justice "and piety he was so pleasing unto God, as by his command"ment he came into Phoenicia, and dwelt there." Likewise Diodorus Siculus, in his 2d book and 5th chapter, speaketh reverently of Moses. There are many other among profane authors which confirm the books of Moses, as Eusebius hath gathered in the 9th of his Preparation to the Gospel, chapter the third and fourth, to whom I refer the reader. Lastly, I cannot but for some things in it commend this notable testimony of Strabo, who writeth of Moses in these y Syrac. 45. 12. 3.

words: z Moses enim affirmabat, docebatque, Ægyptios non recte sentire, qui bestiarum et pecorum imagines Deo tribuerunt: itemque Afros et Græcos, qui Diis hominum figuram affinxerunt: id vero solum esse Deum, quod nos et terram et mare continet, quod cœlum et mundum, et rerum omnium naturam appellamus: cujus profecto imaginem, nemo sanæ mentis, alicujus earum rerum, quæ penes nos sunt, similem audeat effingere. Proinde (omni simulachrorum effictione repudiata) dignum ei templum ac delubrum constituendum, ac sine aliqua figura colendum; "Moses "affirmed and taught, that the Egyptians thought amiss, "which attributed unto God the images of beasts and cattle; "also that the Africans and Greeks greatly erred in giving "unto their gods the shape of men; whereas that only is "God indeed, which containeth both us, the earth, and sea, "which we call heaven, the world, and the nature of all things, whose image doubtless no wise man will dare to "fashion out unto the likeness of those things which are "amongst us; that therefore (all devising of idols cast aside) "a worthy temple and place of prayer was to be erected "unto him, and he to be worshipped without any figure "at all therein."

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Now concerning the Egyptian wisdom, for which the martyr Stephen commended Moses, saying, a That Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in works and words; the same is collected (how truly I know not) by Diodorus, Diogenes Laertius, Jamblicus, Philo Judæus, and Eusebius Cæsariensis, and divided into four parts, viz. mathematical, natural, divine, and moral.

In the mathematical part, which is distinguished into geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and music, the ancient Egyptians excelled all others. For geometry, which is by interpretation, measuring of grounds, was useful unto them; because it consisting of infallible principles, directed them certainly in bounding out their proper lands and territories, when their fields and limits, by the inundations of Nilus,

were yearly overflown and confounded, so as no man could know what in right belonged unto him.

For the second part, to wit, astronomy, the site of the country being a level and spacious plain, free and clear from clouds, yielded them delight with ease, in observing and contemplating the risings, fallings, and motions of the

stars.

Arithmetic also, which is the knowledge of numbers, they studied; because without it, in geometry and astronomy, nothing can be demonstrated or concluded. But of music they made no other account, nor desired further knowledge, than seemed to them sufficient to serve and magnify their gods, their kings, and good men.

The natural part of this wisdom, which handleth the principles, causes, elements, and operations of natural things, differs little from peripatetical philosophy, teaching that materia prima is the beginning of all things; that of it all mixed bodies and living creatures have their being; that heaven is round like a globe; that all stars have a certain fovent heat and temperate influences, whereby all things grow and are produced; that rains proceed and be from mutations in the air; that the planets have their proper souls, &c.

The divine part of this wisdom, which is called theology, teacheth and believeth that the world had a beginning, and shall perish; that men had their first original in Egypt, partly by means of the temperateness of that country, where neither winter with cold, nor summer with heat, are offensive; and partly through the fertility that Nilus giveth in those places: that the soul is immortal, and hath transmigration from body to body; that God is one, the father and prince of all gods; and that from this God other gods are, as the sun and moon, whom they worshipped by the names of Osiris and Isis, and erected to them temples, statues, and divers images, because the true similitudes of the gods is not known; that many of the gods have been in the estate of mortal men, and after death, for their virtues and benefits bestowed on mankind, have been deified. That