No. II. DISSERTATION, REFERRING TO Vol. I. p. 135, Octavo, and p. 86, Quarto, CONCERNING THE USE OF THE WORD HEAVENS. THE fublimity, and manifestly designed variety of the different expreffions, in Holy Writ, concerning Heaven,-and the Heavens, -and the Heaven of Heavens,-may juftly lead us to apprehend, that fome of the ancient Patriarchs, and Prophets, and Sacred Penmen, were not only led, by Divine infpiration, to ufe words and language accurately adapted to the most abftruse truths; but that they were even themselves acquainted with most enlarged ideas of aftronomy.. The country, and atmosphere, in which they lived; their contemplative habits of life; the celebrated fame of Chaldæan, and of Eastern Science; and the tradition, that Pythagoras received the knowledge of the Solar Syftem, and many of his philofophical principles, from the Eaft; are circumstances that do all lead us to this conclufion. And the fact feems in reality to have been, merely that the knowledge of it was for a time loft, or obfcured; by means of the abominable perverfions of it*, and by the introduction of horrid idolatry The Chaldæans feem to have been the firft introducers of the corruptions of idolatry, by means of the myfterious reprefentations under which they veiled their aftronomical knowledge, and discoveries. And the Egyptians not only followed them in this matter, but grossly increafed the abomination.-Yet there is the utmofl reafon to believe, that, whilst Abraham, the Father of all Believers and Apprehenders of Divine Truth, fied from the torrent of impiety; and was called, and left his country, to preferve the true worship and knowledge of GOD; and to convey to future ages, the Divine Promises of final Deliverance, and Redemption; that both the Chaldean Magi, and the Egyptian Priefs, and the Indian Bramins, preferved as hidden and fecret fcience, much more knowledge of the true aftronomical account of the univerfe, than we are at all aware of.-There is no small reafon to believe that the Edomites, who had the know ledge, idolatry in worshipping the hoft of heaven ;-from which Abraham turned away, and came out of his own country, with fuch holy abhorrence. It was loft alfo poffibly ftill further, in confequence of the extraordinary and myfterious care, taken by those who were really well learned, to keep their fcience from profanation;—and in confequence alfo of the deluge of violence, wickedness, and ignorance, that foon fpread over the world. Let this fact, however, be, or not, as it may; it seems to be a fair conclufion, arising from the comparison of the different expref ledge of conftellations and letters before the time of Job*, derived their knowledge of aftronomy and of letters from Abraham ;—and the journey of the Magi to Jerufalem, on the birth of OUR LORD; and the ancient use of the signs of the Zodiac preferved in India ‡; the observations of Abbe la Pluche, concerning the Egyptians §; and the still more curious, and extensive researches of Mr. Maurice, concerning Indian Antiquities ;-all tend to convince usy that the Gentiles were not ignorant of the works of Creation, though they did not retain GOD in their knowledge. * See Newton's Chronology. Bishop Horfley's edit. Vol. V. p. 10. 155. Matthew, ch. ii. ver. 2. 7. 9. 10. Philof. Tranf. Vol. LXII. p. 353. Hiftory of the Heavens, Vol. I. p. 2. 108. 183. 233. See also Newton's Chronology, Vol. V. p. 56. 61. Romans, ch. i. ver. 2S. 5 fions |