fented to it, yet without being able to produce any Thing of itself.

THE Ideas, by the Platonicks fuppofed innate, are, according to their Doctrine, learned by Souls, when dwelling in the upper Regions, long before their Banishment into these Bodies: But, in confidering the Nature of the human Mind, Plato very well perceived, that it was but a fimple naked Principle of Activity; and, omitting its Agency, it is indeed Ariftotle's Tabula rafa. Is not this precifely infinuating that it has nothing in itself; and that whatever it has, or feems to have, does and muft be adventitious?

IN Effect, when this is urged home to the Learned, they muft neceffarily allow that every Man immediately receives from others a Heap of Lights and Principles, and even learns from them the Manner of combining and applying them, which is called Reasoning on them: So that with us all is Tradition. However we may exclaim against this Affertion, it ever will be found the Cafe, as is manifeft in all Arts and Sciences.

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Now, if there was a firft Man of the fame Nature which he has tranfmitted to others, as he

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had

had learned nothing by Tradition, none haveing been antecedent to him; it argues great Need of Hellebore not to own, that he must have received every Thing by Revelation, that he might be the natural and neceffary Source of Tradition to his Children, from whom all Mankind have proceeded.

HAVING only one Book which treats of the Origin of the World, and this Book having gained great Veneration among the most esteemable Perfons for above thirtyfeven Centuries, fome Deference may be allowed it, especially as nothing reasonable has been brought to the Difparagement of it. And do not all the Literati hold Herodotus, Diodorus, Livy, and many others, in great Veneration, though they are not without their marvellous Paffages?

THERE are other Works, in which are explained the certain Marks of a much more refpectable and far fuperior Character, which fhines in the Hiftory of Mofes, than can be produced from any other known Author: But this is not the Time for dwelling on the Proofs, as it would break in upon an Argument, the Force whereof depends on the unin

terrupted Connection of the Propofitions, which communicate Light to each other.

B

CHAP. III.

UT what puts the Extravagancy of hu man Understanding beyond all Queftion, is, that fo many grave Writers should fide with that opprobrious Abfurdity, which places Men originally roving in the Woods and Fields like. wild Beafts, without any Society: Nay, they have taken all the Pains imaginable to brand these Men with an Inaptitude and Averfion to Society, not to be overcome but by Terrors, or fome fuch Baits as the Charms of Orpheus's Mufick.

It seems these Authors had quite forgot that Men univerfally have iffued from Marriages betwixt Families immemorially affociated; and that if, by a very fingular Accident, a human Pair ever fled from Juftice or. Violence to the Woods, their Defcendants have foon been compelled by Diftrefs to fhift their Quarters, and throw themselves upon the Mercy of their Fellow-Creatures, who never refufed

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fused to admit them again into Society, and cultivate and reform them, pursuant to a Law which Nature itself impofes,

THAT thofe Authors fhould not be aware of fuch a prominent Error, that they should build on without feeling the palpable Weakness of their Foundation, is amazing, if not worse, Though Tradition and the general Affent had not informed them that all Men are originally fprung from one Father, and at first must have been Members of one Family, and in Time of a large Society, was not the present State of the whole Earth fufficient to rectify their Miftake? Not at all. When once Prejudice is rooted in the Mind, it is not even the Information of our Senfes which can extirpate it.

It was the manifeft Neceffity of providing a Subfiftence for their growing Numbers, which firft obliged Mankind to separate: New Lands were to be cleared, and their inexhaustible Bowels ranfacked, for the Support and Conveniency of those Nations which began to cover the whole Earth: Yet they ever feparated in large Societies, and as fuch maintained themselves, with the Help of those

1

terrupted Connection of the Propofitions, which communicate Light to each other.

CHA P. III.

UT what puts the Extravagancy of hu man Understanding beyond all Question, that so many grave Writers should fide with that opprobrious Abfurdity, which places Men originally roving in the Woods and Fields like wild Beafts, without any Society: Nay, they have taken all the Pains imaginable to brand these Men with an Inaptitude and Averfion to Society, not to be overcome but by Terrors, or fome fuch Baits as the Charms of Orpheus's Mufick.

It seems these Authors had quite forgot that Men univerfally have iffued from Marriages betwixt Families immemorially affociated; and that if, by a very fingular Accident, a human Pair ever fled from Justice or. Violence to the Woods, their Defcendants have foon been compelled by Diftrefs to shift their Quarters, and throw themselves upon the Mercy of their Fellow-Creatures, who never refufed

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