French Prophets had, kept him not from foretelling the Event of an Impoffibility, but from fixing it in his Time. I can forefee no Hopes he could then have to make fuch an Affertion, or even to puzzle the Cause much longer, except it should be done by introducing this Method under Pretence of Friendship, with fomething which should appear well, to be fucceeded by fuch Rubbish as must come : And if this be a concerted Affair, 'tis high Time to confider the Confequences, and keep clear of all fuch Defigns, and of the Authors of them.

I may safely fay, as 'tis faid, Numb. xxiii. 23, Surely there is no Enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any Divination against Ifrael: So there is none will fucceed against the Bible: And this can come to nothing, but muft end in Confufion, and appear to be ridiculous: But perhaps it may feem ftrange, why I fhould neglect proceeding upon Subjects apparently of greater Importance. In Excufe, I am warn'd, from what has happen'd, in feveral Sciences in my Time. People are arrived at fuch a Degree of Indifferency and Laziness, if I fay no worse, that if any one will make an Excufe for them, to fave them from any Trouble in their Studies

Studies or Duty, they will take it without further Examination. And the firft Pretender to fuch an Excufe generally makes his Fortune; and let it be ever fo fhallowly laid, as you may prove by feveral late Inftances, holds for each of their Lives, and perhaps with fome of the Party after their Deaths, if they have been ever fo manifeftly confuted and exposed.

It has been propofed to explain the facred Scriptures by themselves, in a plain, fimple Manner; and a confiderable Progrefs has been made in them, which has been shew'd to proper Judges, and their Approbation has recommended it, to perfuade Students to learn the Hebrew Alphabet, and inform themselves. It has been given out, that the Knowledge in them is to be come at only by understanding Arabic; And this they think will pafs for a reasonable Excufe, why not one in an University should learn to understand Hebrew; and to make all Attempts of that Kind be neglected, and fo long useless, because it will be done better, and more certainly by fuch a one another Way, and then they may have it as he will have done it, without any Trouble. Whether giving out the latter Propofal be only to divert them from fuing the firft, or otherwife, 'tis plain they all ufe that only for an Excufe, to fave

pur

Trouble;

Trouble; because, if they believed either, and had any Value for the Knowledge in the Scriptures, they would pursue the Study of the Original, and either confider the Method propofed, and fo recommended, to acquire the Knowledge of them that Way, or alfo study the Arabic, to be able to judge, whether the Knowledge contain'd in them could be better acquired that Way, and fo might know which is the proper Way, and not take and deliver Things of that Importance upon Truft; I could propofe fome effectual Remedies; but I fhall fufpend doing it a little longer.

If fome Perfons of Note were determin'd to have profecuted the Method propofed, of fettling the Hebrew Tongue by itfelf; and the Parties to the other Design were privy to their Refolutions, and threw out this Project at that Time, with a Defign to prevent the Execution of fuch Undertaking, and that they had no other Way to evade it, but by fuch a Project; 'tis to the laft Degree deceiving and expofing the want of Learning and Judgment of fuch to whom it was recommended, and were withheld by fuch filly Pretences. If they were alfo privy, that Defign of the Second Part of Mofes's Principia was for a Foundation, to be exhibited or Evidence to prove the Trinity; and

that

that gave the first Difguft, and was the Occafion of that Attempt; then that determines me in what I have long fufpected; and I can guefs from what Quiver that Arrow came.

If the Perfon hinted at keeps a settled Correfpondence with, and is highly applauded by fuch as do not defire the Bible Thould be explained, and perhaps that it fhould not be believ'd, that gives us further Light into the Defign. Every body says, a late King, and an oppofite Party, each gave Encouragement to Pere Simon, &c. And that a late great King gave a great Penfion, even in Time of War, to a late great Philofopher, for the fame Reasons. If these Authors understood what they were doing, each of them must know he was but a Cat's Foot.

Away with the idle Notions of travelling to learn Eastern Languages, or learning them at Home, to make us understand the Hebrew: It is founded upon, and is a Copy of the Ideas or Images of Things, and their Actions, exhibited mechanically in this System, which is evident here, and in all the habitable Parts of the World equally and alike: Every Man, in Proportion to his Share of Senfe, may acquire the Knowledge of it, as well here as in any

other

other Place. Learn to understand the Things, and you will find the Meaning, and the true Ideas convey'd by the Hebrew Words: And if there be any Obfervations and Experiments which have been truly made, they will answer the Words; and those which have been falfely made, or falfely reported, and all the Deductions which have been, or fhall be falfely made or made, or falfely reported, will appear to be only Imaginations, and not to correfpond with the Things and their Actions: And as the Ideas of Things out of this System are there convey'd to us by those here, thence and from no other Language or Knowledge can we have them; nay, even the Greek in the New Testament, which is a continued Reference to the Hebrew, must be understood by it: For had it been, as our Projector fays, Chrift, inftead of faying, John v. 39, Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal Life, and they are they which teftify of me; must have faid- feach the Arabic. And inftead of what they did write, Acts xvii. 11. And fearched the Scriptures daily, whether thefe Things were fo, it must have been writ- they fearched the Arabic. And if there was no Writing in Arabic, then it must have been, Go and live

among