nor will any Reader allow it to be probable, that collects and duely compares the Particulars related by Mofes of the Rife and fall of the Waters, and of Noah's Conduct and Obfervations. The Raven and the Dove here spoken of, were undoubtedly fent out, both upon one and the fame Day: As to Archbishop Uber's feeming to be of Opinion, that the ancient Jewish Year was in this manner made up of 365 Days, with an Allowance for about a quarter of a Day in every Year; he had computed, and found that a Number of Years of the Ifraelites were capable of being made to answer to a like Number of Julian Years; and this led him to think they were, as to length, of much the fame Nature: I need only observe that, if the Ifraelites computed their Years in the Manner above mentioned by me, a Number of fuch Years will not much vary in the Sum of them, from the Sum of a like Number of Julian.

I intended to attempt in this Place to answer the Objections of fome Writers, who would argue Mofes not to have compofed the Books we afcribe to him; but having in many Parts both of this and the former Volumes obviated the Difficulties, which feem to arife from fome fhort Hints and Observations now interspersed in the facred Pages, which the learned are apprized not to have been inferted by the Authors of the Books, they are now found in (a), I should in a great measure only repeat what I have already remarked, were I to refute at large what is offered upon this Topic: If the Reader has a mind to examine it, he may find the whole of what can be pretended on the one fide in Spinoza (b), and Le Clerc's third Differtation prefix

(a) See Book xii. p. 502, 503, 504. P. 290. et in al, loc. (6) Tract. Theologico-polit. in part. alter, c. S.

ed

ed to his Comment on the Pentateuch may furnifh Matter for a clear and diftinct Answer on the other: We have indeed an Hint or two upon this argument in fome Remains of a very great Writer: "The Race of the Kings of

Edom, it is obferved, before there reigned any "King in Ifrael, is fet down in the Book of Ge"nefis; and therefore that Book was not writ"ten entirely in the Form now extant, before "the Reign of Saul." The Reader may find this Difficulty attempted to be cleared in its proper Place, I fhall therefore only refer to what is already faid upon it (c).

"The History [in the Pentateuch] hath been "collected, we are told, from several Books, "fuch as were the Hiftory of the Creation com"pofed by Mofes, Gen. ii. 4. the Book of the "Generations of Adam, Gen. v. 1. and the Book of the Wars of the Lord, Numb. xxi. 14.' It is fomething difficult to form any Notion of the Force of the Argument here intended: St. Matthew writes; The Book of the Generation of Jefus Chrift (d): Can we hence argue, that the Gofpel we now have and ascribe to him, was collected from a Book of the Generation of Jefus Chrift written by him? Spinoza indeed offers the Point, which may perhaps be here intimated to this Purpose. The Books which Mofes wrote, are exprefly named, and sometimes cited in the Pentateuch; confequently the Pentateuch is a different Work from the Books cited in it (e): But the fact is this: Mofes has in fome Parts of his Books, told us exprefly, that he wrote them, and this Writer would infer the direct contrary from these very Intimations.

(c) See Vol. II. B. 7. (d) Mat. i. 1. at. Theologico-polit, ubi fup.

(e) TracIn

In the xxxiiid Chapter of Numbers ver. 1, 2. We have thefe Words: Thefe are the Journeys of the Children of Ifrael which went forth out of the Land of Egypt, with their Armies under the Hand of Mofes and Aaron: And Mofes wrote their Goings out according to their Journeys, by the Commandment of the Lord: And these are their Journeys according to their Goings out, &c. Let us now fuppofe, that thefe Words, and what follow them to the End of the 49th Verfe of this Chapter, were perhaps Mofes's Conclufion of the Book he wrote upon this Subject, whether he called it Motzah, a Word answering to Exodus, or Shemoth, i. e. The Book of Names, as the Jews feem afterwards to have nominated it, or whether he really affixed no Title to it. Let us fuppofe it to have began from the first Chapter of Exodus, and to have contained all the Journeyings of the Ifraelites, with the hiftorical Circumstances, that led to them or attended them, and that it ended with the Recapitulation of them that is offered us in this Chapter: In the xxivth Chapter of Exodus, it may feem to be intimated, that Mofes wrote another Book called the Book of the Covenant (f): Let us now fuppofe, that Mofes at firft wrote in this Book, no more than what God had commanded, and the People folemnly engaged themselves to perform, at their entring into Covenant with God; namely, what is of fered us in the xix, xx, xxii, xxiv. Chapters of Exodus; it may ftill be reasonably concluded, the Covenant being not limited to the Obfervance of the few Commandments contained in these Chapters, but obliging the Ifraelites to obey God's Voice, to obferve, and to do all the Statutes and Judgments which God fhould give them (g), that the Commandments after(f) Exodus xxiv. 4—7. (g) See Exodus xxxiv. 27.

wards

wards given unto Mofes, were also written in this Book in the following Order; Firft, The Laws given in Mount Sinai, towards the End of which might be thus written, Thefe are the Statutes, and Judgments, which the Lord made between him, and the Children of Ifrael in Mount Sinai, by the Hand of Mofes (b): After which Words we may poffibly imagine he added the Laws contained in the xxviith Chapter of Leviticus, and concluded with thefe Words, These are the Commandments which the Lord commanded Mofes for the Children of Ifrael in Mount Sinai (i): Next to these might be added the Laws, which God gave out of the Tabernacle of the Congregation (k): And in this manner we may imagine the Book of the Covenant to have confifted of all the Laws which God gave the Ifraelites both from Sinai, and from the Tabernacle of the Congregation. In the xxixth Chapter of Deuteronomy, we are told of a Covenant which the Lord commanded Mofes to make with the Children of Ifrael in the Land of Moab, befides the Covenant which he made with them in Horeb (kj): And we find these Words at the End of one of his Chapters: These are the Commandments and the Judgments which the Lord commanded, by the Hand of Mofes, unto the Children of Ifrael, in the Plains of Moab, by Jordan near Jericho (): It will not be doubted but that Mofes wrote all the Words of this Law alfo in a Book (m): Let us fuppofe that the Words above-cited, were the Conclufion of it: Let us fuppofe farther, that unto all these Mofes added in another Book the Words which be fpake unto all Ifrael on this fide Jordan (n) in the

(i) xxvii. 34

(k) Levit. i. 1.

(b) Levit. xxvi. 46. Numb. i. 1. (kj) Deut. xxix. 1. (7) Numb. xxxvi. 13. (1) Deut. xxxi. 24. (n) Deut. i. 1.

I might here anfwer

the Wilderness, and all these together with the Book of Genefis make the Pentateuch, or five Books, which we call the Books of Mofes.

It will here be faid, that if we look for the Books of Mofes in the Pentateuch in this manner, we must allow fome Paragraphs and even Chapters not to follow now, exactly in the Places where Mofes at firft put them: But in Answer to this, I apprehend, that it will not be thought a very material Queftion, whether any of the Leaves, Sheets, Rolls, or Skins, that were written by Mofes have, or have not, by fome Accident, been difcompofed, and are not perhaps put together again, every one in its proper Place; but the Point is, whether in the present Pentateuch we have all, and nothing but all, that Mofes wrote in the Books that were penned by him: And of this a ferious Examinant may fufficiently fatisfy himself: If we must suppose, that Mofes wrote his Books under fuch Titles as I have mentioned, yet under these the whole of all the Books of Mofes may be collected, and perhaps

Javer a trifling Cavil offered concerning the Book of Deuteronomy, raifed from the Words here cited. It is pretended that be neber ha Jarden, which we tranflate on this fide Jordan, do rather fignify beyond, or on the other fide Jordan, and confequently, that thefe Words imply Mofes not to have wrote the Book of Deuteronomy, for that the Book fo called was wrote by a person who had passed over Jordan, and could, according to the Intimation of these Words, remark, that the Words of Mofes were spoke on a different fide the River from the Place where the Book was written: But were there no other, the 10 and 13 Verfes of the L. Chapter of Genefis are fufficient to fhew the Word beneber to have the Signification we here take it in. When Jofeph went up out of Egypt to bury his Father, they journeyed from Gofhen into Canaan, and came to the Cave of Machpelah before Mamre, in their way to which they flopped at the Threshing-Floor of Atad, beneber ha Jarden not beyond, but on this fide Fordan; for they did not travel into Canaan, so far as to the River Jordan.

Vol. III.

fome