The Court of the Gentiles, Discourse · Part 1 · Book 3 · Chapter 2
CHAP. II. Of Pagan Hiſtorie, and its Traduction from ſacred Records.
The Traduction of Pagan Hiſtorie from Sacred, is demonſtrated; 1. from the ancient Hiſtoriographers, 1. Phenician, as Sanchoniathon &c. 2. Egyptian, as Manethos, and Hermes. 3. Chaldean, as Beroſus &c. 4. Grecian, as Cadmus, Mileſius, Eumelus, Hecataeus, Ariſteas, Pherecydes, Lerius, and Diodorus. The 2d Demonſtration from the matter of pagan Hiſtorie, and its parallel with many Matters, ſtoried in Scripture. Euſebius's great deſign to prove, that Ethnick Hiſtorians traduced their chief materials from ſacred Records. Cleodemus's imitation of Moſes. Alſo Diodorus and Strabo mention many pieces of Moſes's Hiſtorie. Pagan Chronologie derived from Scripture account of Times. Pagan Geographie from ſacred. Iapetus from Japhet, Chemia from Cham, Cadmus from Cadmonim. Gen. 15.19. From Hermon Joſ. 11.3. came Harmonia. Moſes's Geographie the moſt perfect Idea of all other Mythologick Hiſtorie not meerly feigned, but Fables of real ſtories. Its original ground was Gods miraculous works, ſtoried in Scripture, or conveyed by Tradition &c.
§. 1. Saered Hiſtorie the original Idea and Spring-head of all Pagan; which is demonſtrated,HAving gone through Poeſie, which is generally eſteemed the moſt ancient of Grecian Literature, we now paſſe on to Hiſtorie; wherein, we no way doubt, but to give evident Demonſtration of its Traduction from ſacred Hiſtorie. That ſacred Scripture-Hiſtorie was moſt ancient, and that which gave the original Idea and platforme to all Pagan Hiſtorie, we ſhall endeavor to evince by ſeveral Demonſtrations.
1 From an inquiry into the originals of all pagan Historie.1. This may be demonſtrated by a particular examen or Inquiſition into the moſt ancient Pagan Hiſtoriographers, and pretenders to Antiquitie. Amongſt Hiſtorians, the Grecians come ſo far ſhort of any real pretenſion to precedence herein, as that there is no one amongſt them, who is not 500 years and more, younger than the Trojan war. And indeed, they themſelves ingenuouſly acknowledge themſelves to be, as to all Records of Antiquitie, much younger than the Barbarians. Whereby we muſt underſtand the Phenicians, Egyptians, Chaldeans, and originally the Jews; whoſe ſacred Oracles, and Eccleſiaſtick Hiſtorie, was the Spring head of all that followed.
Phenician Hiſtorie from Scripture.The firſt piece of pagan Hiſtorie ſeems to have been ſeated amongſt the Phenicians, who had amongſt them two famous Hiſtoriographers, Sanchoniathon, and Mochus. Sanchoniathon (who is by Bochart ſuppoſed to have been more ancient than the Trojan war) writ in the Phenician tongue an Hiſtorie, partly Mythick and Theologick, touching the Theogonie or Genealogie of the Gods; and partly Natural, touching the firſt origine of the Univerſe, the Chaos, &c. The materials, he confeſſeth, he had from the Prieſt of the great God Jao, or Jeno, i.e. Jehovah, the God of Iſrael, whom the Pagans called Jao, as before B. 2. C. 1. §. 8. and C. 8. §. 11. And that Sanchoniathon did really derive the choiceſt parts of his Phenician Hiſtorie from the ſacred Scriptures, we have elſewhere ſufficiently proved, by a parallel betwixt one and t'other, according to what fragments we find of Sanchoniathon in Euſeb. praepar. l. 1.10. out of Philo Byblius his verſion. Thus Voſsius de Hiſtor. lib. 1. cap. 1. pag. 3. Greece (ſaies he) has none, who is not much younger than Sanchoniathon. Porpbyrie lib 4. adverſus Chriſtian. ſaith, that Moſes and Sanchoniathon gave the like account of perſons and places; and that Sanchoniathon extracted his account, partly out of the Annals of the Cities, and partly out of the book reſerved in the Temple; which he received from Jerombalus, Prieſt of the God Jeno, i.e. Jao, or Jehovah. The like we have proved of Mochus his Phyſiologick Hiſtorie, in what follows of Phenician Philoſophie. This Mochus continued Sanchoniathon's Phenician Hiſtorie; his works were turned into Greek by Laetus: he is ſaid to be the firſt Founder of the Doctrine of Atomes; as hereafter.
§. 2. The Egyptian Annals from Jewiſh.But the great pretenders to ancient Annals and Records were the Egyptians; who framed a monſtrous Regiſter or Account of Dynaſts; even ſuch, as if true, would have extended beyond Adam. But this miſtake Bochart (in a conference he was pleaſed to favor me with) rectifieth, by ſhewing, how theſe Egyptian Dynaſts, or Kings, could not poſſibly be ſuppoſed to have followed ſucceſſively, (for then they would have reached up even beyond Adam,) but were ſeveral Reguli, or particular Dynaſts, which governed at one and the ſame time ſeveral principalities, (anſwerable to the Saxon Heptarchie:) ſo that the Egyptians, out of a vainglorious humor, reckoned them as ſucceſsive, who were contemporarie. This Bochart farther confirmed, by ſhewing, how the Egyptian Gods, who were the moſt ancient of their Dynaſts, extended not beyond Ioſeph, Moſes, &c. Others rectifie theſe foul miſtakes, touching the Egyptian Dynaſts, by ſhewing, that the Egyptians reckoned their Dynaſts according to the Lunarie years, whereof 13 make but one entire Solarie year. See more fully of this, Voſsius de Idololatr. lib. 1. cap. 28. The Egyptian Dynaſts were not ſucceſsive, as Manethos thought, but collateral, &c. But whereſoever the miſtake lies, it matters not: it ſeems probable, that theſe Egyptian Records never publickly appeared in the world, at leaſt in the Greek Tongue, till after the LXX their Tranſlation of the ſacred Scriptures into Greek. Of Manethos's …iſtorie.For the firſt Egyptian Hiſtorian, we find any conſiderable mention of, was Manethos, one of the Heliopolitan Flamens, who flouriſhed under Philadelphus, about the 130 Olympiad; and writ many things, as Euſebius praepar. Evang. lib. 1. thus. The Egyptian Manethos tranſlated into Greek all the Egyptian hiſtorie, and all that belonged properly to the Theologie of this Nation, compiled in the ſacred book which he writ, as in his other Commentaries. Voſſius, Hiſtor. Graec. lib. 1. cap. 14. tels us, that by this ſacred book of Manethos, muſt be underſtood the Hiſtorie, which he compoſed at the command of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus, wherein he begins from the moſt ancient and fabulous times, and continues unto almoſt the times of Darius Codomannus, whom Alexander overcame. And Euſebius, in his Chronicon, annotates on the 16th year of Artaxerxes Ochus, (i.e. Olymp. 107.) &c. Manethos diſtinguiſhed his Hiſtorie into 3 Tomes: the firſt contained foreign, the Dynaſties of the Gods and Semi. Gods, in number eleven: the ſecond comprehended 8 Dynaſties; the 3d two. Whence Manethos traduced his Hiſtorie, he himſelfe informes us; who ſaies, foreign, that in writing his ſacred books, he followed his Fore-father Hermes Triſmegiſtus. Euſebius, in his Chronicon, tels us, that Manethos extracted his Hiſtorie from Pillars erected in the land of Seriadica; on which there were ſacred notes engraven, in a ſacred Dialect, by Thout, the firſt Mercurie. Theſe Manethos tranſlated into Greek, and dedicated to Philadelphus. Ioſephus lib. 1. contr. Appion, gives us ſome fragments of this Hiſtoriographer. We have alſo an Epitome of this whole worke, brought to light by Ioſeph Scaliger, in his notes on Euſebius Chron. fol. 250. edit. 1a. Tis not improbable, that the ancient Hermes Triſmegiſtus, out of whoſe memoires Manethos is ſaid to extract his Hiſtorie, was either Joſeph or Moſes, as we have elſewhere proved. Touching the ancient Hermes Triſmegiſtus, ſee Stillingfleet Orig. S. book 1. c. 2. And tis as probable, that Manethos had great aſſiſtance in compiling his Hiſtorie from the ſacred Scriptures, which had been newly tranſlated into Greek, by the appointment of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus. So Stillingfleet orig. S. lib. 1. cap. 2. §. 8. &c. As for Manethos, and his Hiſtorie, it was publiſhed by the command of Philadelphus, which might very probably be occaſioned upon the view of that account, which the holy Scriptures, being then tranſlated into Greek, did give of the world, and the propagation of Mankind; upon which we cannot imagine, but ſo inquiſitive a perſon as Philadelphus was, would be very earneſt to have his curioſitie ſatisfied, as to what the Egyptian Prieſts could produce to confront with the Scriptures &c. That the choiceſt parts of the Egyptian Hiſtorie, were but broken Traditions of Jewiſh ſtorie, is hereafter demonſtrated in the Egyptian Philoſophie &c.
§. 3. The Chaldean Annals derived from the ſacred Annals of the Jews.The Chaldeans alſo were great pretenders to ancient Annals and Records: yea there was (as Juſtin tels us) a great conteſt betwixt them and the Egyptians, about the Antiquitie of their Dynaſties, and Records. But certain it is, the Chaldeans may not compare with the Iewiſh Church, as to the Antiquitie of Records. For, albeit they had ſufficient occaſion given them for a conteſt in this kind, from the Jews daily converſation with them in Babylon; yet the firſt, that we find durſt publiſh their Annals in Greek, was Beroſus, who (as Voſſius Hiſtor. Graec. lib. 1. cap. 13.) was borne two years before the death of Alexander; and was onelyonly 64 years aged, when Antiochus foreign began to reigne; to whom he offered his Book, which he publiſhed in the time of Ptolemaeus Philadelphus. Thus Voſsius; who is herein followed by Stillingfleet, Origin. S. Book 1. chap. 2. ſect. 8.9.10. where he ſhews, how the Chaldean Dynaſties of Beroſus, and the Egyptian of Manethos, were publiſhed about the ſame time the LXX's Tranſlation of the Bible was effected. And then he concludeth: Now for Beroſus, that he publiſhed his Hiſtorie of the Chaldean Antiquities, after the LXX's Tranſlation, is evident, in that he dedicates it to Antiochus foreign. The like he addes, chap. 3. §. 10. Now for Beroſus, although the Chaldeans had occaſion enough given them, before this time, to produce their Antiquities, by the Jews converſe with them in Babylon; yet we find this Author the firſt, that durſt adventure them abroad in Greek. Now that Beroſus publiſhed his Hiſtorie after the LXX's Tranſlation, is manifeſt &c. Though I queſtion, whether this Learned mans Aſſertion, [that Beroſus publiſhed his Annals after the LXX] can be clearly demonſtrated: becauſe Voſsius (de hiſtor. Graec. lib. 1. cap. 14.) makes him to be an old man, when Manethos was a Youth &c. Yet this, I conceive, may be groundedly concluded, that both Beroſus the Chaldean, and Manethos the Egyptian Hiſtoriographer, in the compoſing their Hiſtories, could not but have much light, and aſſiſtance from the ſacred Records and Antiquities of the Jews, with whom they had daily converſation. For as there were, about this time, many of the moſt learned Jews in Egypt, ſo alſo at Babylon; where, after their returne, they left three famous Scholes, Sora, Pompeditha, and Neharda: whence we need not to doubt, (as we have elſewhere proved, viz. in the Chaldean Philoſophie,) but that the Chaldeans received many choice Traditions, and pieces of Antiquitie. Yea, we find many fabulous narrations in Beroſus, relating to the Cataclyſme, the Tower of Babel, &c. which we cannot rationally conjecture, could have any other original Idea, and ſpring head, but Scripture relation, or ſacred Tradition; whereof we find very many veſtigia and characters, in thoſe mythologick Hiſtoriographers, Beroſus, &c. though mixed with a world of their own figments. Neither need we ſuppoſe theſe Traditions to have been derived to them by the Greek verſion of the LXX, but by daily converſation with the Jews in Babylon, and Egypt. Yea, why may we not aſſert (what we have elſewhere endeavored to prove) that the Egyptian and Chaldee Tongues, differing from the Hebrew onelyonly in ſome Dialect; theſe Learned men in both Nations, (as the Phenicians alſo,) might read the ſacred Scriptures (without much aſſiſtance) in its original Hebrew, without being obliged to any Greek Tranſlation or Interpretation. That the Chaldean Annals were conformable unto, and derived from the ſacred Annals of the Jews, I was informed by conference with Learned Bochart, who proved his aſsertion out of Simplicius; who makes mention of a Book of Ariſtotles, wherein he relates, how he deſired Alexander to ſend him the Records of the Chaldeans; upon the view whereof he found, that their Dynaſties, or account of Times, contained but ſo many years &c. which (ſaid Bochart) anſwers to the Scriptures account of Times.
§. 4. The Grecian Hiſtoriographie later than, and derived from the Moſaick.We now paſſe on to the Grecian Records and Annals, wherein we doubt not, but to give very evident notices and demonſtration of their Traduction from Sacred ſtorie, and Jewiſh Antiquities. Voſſius, de hiſtor. Graecis lib. 1. c. 1. proves, that the Grecian Hiſtoriographers were much younger than Moſes. For the Grecians could not name any one Hiſtorian of their Nation, who was not more than 500 years younger than the Trojan war. But Moſes was more ancient, and that by ſome Ages, as Pagan writers acknowledge; particularly Appion the Alexandrine, who makes Moſes to have lived in the time of Inachus: whence there muſt be, betwixt the death of Moſes and the deſtruction of Troy, no leſſe than 685 years. But if we follow Euſebius, (as we ought,) Moſes lived in the time of Cecrops, the firſt Athenian King. And ſo Moſes was 400 years younger than Inachus; yet 285 years before the Trojan war. Yea, the ſame Voſſius proves, that not onelyonly the ſacred Hiſtoriographers, but alſo the Phenician, Egyptian, and Chaldean, preceded, by many Ages, the Greek Hiſtorians. For the Grecians had nothing comparable for Antiquitie to the Phenician Annals, compoſed by Sanchoniathon; or to the Egyptian, which Manethos tranſcribed; or to the Chaldean, collected by Beroſus; not to name the fountains, whence theſe were extracted. Juſtin Martyr aſſures us, that the Grecians had no exact Hiſtorie of themſelves, before the Olympiads: his words are foreign; The Greeks had nothing ſtoried of them before the Olympiads. Yea Thucydides, in the beginning of his famous Hiſtorie, confeſſeth, that before the Peloponneſian war, which was waged in Artaxerxes's and Nehemiah's age, he could find nothing, which he could ſafely confide in, by reaſon of the extent of time. His words are, foreign: whence Learned Bochart, in the beginning of his Preface to his Phaleg, collects, that all the ancient Greek Hiſtorians were but Mythologiſts, fable-writers, or relaters of fabulous Traditions, which they had traduced from the Oriental parts. So that the true and ſimple Greek Hiſtorie began, but where the Sacred ended &c. The like is aſſerted by Stillingfleet, Origin. S. Book 1. cap. 4. How far (ſaies he) the Greek Hiſtorians are from meriting belief, as to their account of ancient times, will appear to any that ſhall conſider, 1. that their moſt ancient Writers were Poetical, and apparently fabulous. 2. That their Elder Hiſtorians are of ſuſpected credit, even amongſt themſelves. 3. That their beſt Hiſtorians either diſcover or confeſſe abundance of Ignorance, as to the Hiſtorie of ancient times &c. Greek Hiſtorians.All this will be more fully evident, if we a little conſider and examine ſome of the moſt ancient Greek Hiſtoriographers, their Antiquitie, &c. 1. Cadmus.I ſhall begin with Cadmus Mileſius, the ſon of Pandion, whom Clemens Alexandrinus foreign. lib. 6. cals foreign, the ancient Cadmus, who is ſuppoſed to have lived about the Trojan war; as Plinie lib. 7. cap. 56. But this, Voſsius (de Hiſtor. Graec. lib. 1. cap. 1.) conceives to be a miſtake, and therefore inclines rather to the opinion of Joſephus, who lib. 1. contra Apion. tels us, that the firſt, who eſſaied to write Hiſtorie, were Cadmus Mileſius, and Acuſilaus Argivus, who lived a little before the Expedition of the Perſians againſt the Grecians, &c. By which tis evident, that this Mileſian Cadmus was many Ages after the ancient Cadmus, who brought Letters out of Phenicia into Greece. This Mileſian Cadmus is ſuppoſed to have been the firſt, that left behind him Hiſtorie in Proſe. He is ſaid to have written 4 Books, touching the Edification of his own Citie, as alſo of all Ionia. 2. Eumelus.2. To whom we might adde Eumelus Corinthius, who lived about the 9th Olympiad; whoſe genuine piece was foreign, a precatorie Hymne of one entring into Delus: whence Pauſanias tranſcribed ſome things. To whom alſo is attributed the Corinthian Hiſtorie. But of this Eumelus ſee more Voſſius, Hiſt. Graec lib. 4. c. 1. 3. Hecataeus.3. Next follows Hecataeus the Mileſian, who flouriſhed in the beginning of Darius Hyſtaſpis, about the 64 Olympiad, as Suidas; who alſo makes him to have been the Auditor of Protagoras, and to have led the way to Herodotus Halicarnaſsus. Some make this Hecataeus the firſt that writ Hiſtorie in Proſe; as Pherecydes, the Syran, was the firſt, that writ, in proſe, of the Gods, and the Nature of things. 4. Ariſteas.4. To theſe we may adde Ariſteas Proconneſius, who writ in proſe foreign, the Theogonie, or Genealogie of the Gods: alſo in verſe 3 Books, wherein he comprehended the Hiſtorie of the Hyperborean Arimaſpes. He flouriſhed about the 50 Olympiad, as Suidas. See more of him Voſſius, Hiſt. Grae. l. 1. c. 5. 5. Pherecydes Lerius.5. The next we ſhall adde, is Pherecydes Lerius, who flouriſhed about the time of Xerxes's expedition into Europe, (Olympiad. 75.) and was more ancient than Herodotus, though younger than Pherecydes Syrus, with whom ſome confound him. See Voſs. Hiſt. Graec. l. 1. c. 1. 6. Diodorus.6. As for Diodorus Siculus his hiſtorie, tis much fabulous, or, as he himſelf names it, foreign, the ancient Mythologie, conteining fabulous narrations of the ancient Heroick times, or the great Exploits of the firſt great Heroes; wherein there are to be found evident veſtigia, or footſteps of ſacred ſtorie, conveyed to the Grecians by Oriental Traditions. And indeed, much of the firſt Grecian Hiſtorie, as well as Poeſie, was Mythologick or fabulous, relating to ſome real ſtorie tranſacted or recorded in the Jewiſh Church, as will appear by what follows. Thus we have diſpatcht our firſt Demonſtration, touching the Traduction of Pagan Hiſtorie from Divine; by ſhewing, how all the firſt Pagan Hiſtoriographers, both Phenician, Egyptian, Chaldean, and Grecian, were not onelyonly much younger then, but alſo Imitators of, ſacred Hiſtoriographers. This will more fully appear in, and by the following Sections.
§. 5. 2d. Demonſtration from the matter of Pagan Hiſtorie, and its imitation of Divine ſtorieOur 2d Argument to demonſtrate the Traduction of pagan Hiſtorie from Divine, ſhall be taken from their parallel matter. That the ancient Ethnick Hiſtorians traduced many of their choiceſt materials, eſpecially of their Mythologie, from ſacred Eccleſiaſtick Records, is rationally evinced by the learned Philologiſts, who have made inquifition hereinto. Euſebius Pamphilus his deſigne to prove, that Ethnick Hiſtorians traduced their choiceſt materials from the ſacred Records.Amongſt the Ancients, none have ſpent more elaborate ſtudies herein than Euſebius, (who flouriſhed under Conſtantine, and was called Pamphilus, from his friendſhip with Pamphilus the Martyr,) Biſhop of Caeſarea in Paleſtine, who writ Chronicles from the beginning of the world, to the year of our Lord 326; wherein his foreign, or main deſigne is to demonſtrate, that the Moſaick Records were more ancient, by far, than the origines of all the Egyptian, and Chaldean Dynaſties, or Grecian Antiquities; yea, than the foreign, Genealogie of all the fabulous Gods &c. In this Chronicon, he gives us abundant notices of his indefatigable indeavors, and ſearches into the Libraries of Philoſophers, Hiſtorians, and Divines, not onelyonly Grecian, but alſo Egyptian, and Phenician; thereby to convince the Gentiles of the prioritie of the Divine Records, as alſo of the Traduction of their choiceſt Ethnick ſtories and Memoires from the ſacred Hebrew fountains. And this indeed he did moſt ſucceſſefully accompliſh, both in this his Chronicon, alſo in his learned Commentaries de praeparatione Evangelica; and in his 20 books Demonſtrationis Evangelicae, whereof there are now extant but 10: as Voſsius de Hiſt. Grae. lib. 2. cap. 17. This noble deſigne of Euſebius has been carried on by many Learned Philologiſts of this and the former Age, viz. by Joſeph Scaliger, Voſsius, Bochart, &c.
But to deſcend to particulars. That Sanchoniathon and Mochus amongſt the Phenicians, Manethos amongſt the Egyptians, Beroſus amongſt the Chaldeans, and the ancient Mythologick Hiſtorians amongſt the Grecians, derived many of their ancient Materials originally from the ſacred Records, has been already in part demonſtrated, and will farther appear in what follows. I ſhall at preſent give an inſtance or two more. 1. Cleodemus Malchus his imitation of Moſes's hiſtorie.Voſſius (de Hiſtor. Graec. lib. 4. pag. 510. Edit. 2a.) gives us an account of one Cleodemus Malchus, who compoſed an Hiſtorie, according to the forme, and in imitation of the Moſaick; concerning which Alexander the Polyhiſtorian thus ſpeaketh, in Joſephus (Antiquit. lib. 1. cap. 16.) foreign &c. Cleodemus the Prophet, ſirnamed Malchus, who compoſed an Hiſtorie in imitation of Moſes, the Iewiſh Law giver, declareth, that Abraham had ſome ſons by Chetura, naming three, particularly Aphera, Suris, Iaphra. From Suris, Aſſyria was ſo called; from Aphera, and Iaphra, the Citie Aphra, and the Region Africa. By the conduct of Hercules, theſe waged war againſt Libya, and Antaeus. Hercules alſo, by the Daughter of Aphra, begat his ſon Dedorus, from whom Sopho ſprang; whence the Barbarians were ſtiled Sophaces.
Diodorus and Strabo imitate Moſes his Hiſtorie.2. I ſhall adde hereto what I find mentioned by Preſton, on God's Attributes, Sermon 3. pag. 54 &c. And for Abraham many ſpeak of him, and alſo of Moſes; there are many that agree in their ſtories of him, but the Chaldee Hiſtorians eſpecially, and ſome of the ancienteſt Greek Hiſtorians. Diodorus Siculus relates the hiſtorie of him, (though mingled with falſehoods,) of what he did in Egypt, and what Laws he gave the people, and how he caſt out the Cananites; and that he ſaid, he received his Laws from a God called Jao; and that they were ſuch Laws, as ſeparated that people from all others; and that his God was ſuch an one as could not be ſeen &c. And Strabo ſaith, that he reproved the Egyptians for worſhipping viſible Gods, and therefore he was caſt out, and his people with him, &c. We find alſo many other conſiderable paſſages of ſacred Records, though mixed with many fables, in Beroſus, Hecataeus, Alexander the Polyhiſtorian, Hieronymus Aegyptius, Mnaſeas, and Abydenus, which we ſhall have occaſion to mention in the following chapters.
§. 6. 3d. Demonſtration from the forme of Pagan Hiſtorie, which is ſimple, or Mythologick.A third Demonſtration, to evince the Traduction of Pagan Hiſtorie from Divine, may be drawn from its Forme; which is either ſimple, or mythologick: whence Hiſtorie, as to its formal conſtitution, is diſtributed into ſimple, and mythologick. The chief parts of ſimple Hiſtorie are Chronologie, and Geographie, both of which owe their original to ſacred Records.
Pagan Chronologie derived from Scriptures.1. As for Pagan Chronologie, that it owes its original to ſacred Annals, is apparent by what has been formerly mentioned (§. 3.) out of Ariſtotle; who, by thoſe Records he received from Alexander, of the Chaldean Dynaſts, gives us an account of times anſwerable to, and, as we may juſtly preſume, in imitation of the Scriptures account of Times. This alſo was the great deſigne of Euſebius Pamphilus in his Chronicon, wherein he makes the Moſaick account of Times, the fountain and meaſure of Ethnick Chronologie. We have an excellent obſervation to this purpoſe given us by Learned Melancthon, in his Preface to Carion's Chronicon; whoſe words are theſe: God would have the Beginnings, Inſtaurations, and Conſervation of human kind to be known by his Church. — Therefore he would alſo have an Hiſtorie written, and delivered to us by the Fathers, in the beſt order, and moſt exact account of times. And this is the ſingular glorie of the Church, that no where elſe, in the whole maſſe of Mankind, there can be found a more ancient ſeries of Empires, and Times. Neither has any other Nation ſuch certain numbers of years paſſed, ſo exactly computed. — And let the younger Students conſider, that Herodotus begins his Hiſtorie, where Jeremiah ends; namely, in the King Aprye, who killed Jeremiah. Thus Melancthon. So alſo Bochart, in his Preface to Phaleg. The Grecians, if they write Hiſtorie, as ſoon as they riſe up to the more ancient times, they preſently fall into Fables: and Thucydides confeſſeth, he could know nothing certainly of things before the Peloponneſian war, by reaſon of the Longinquitie of Time. Thus th. Greek Hiſtorie began then, and there, when, and where, the Sacred left &c. This very much demonſtrates the Perfection, and Autiquitie of the Scripture Chronologie. But as for the Traduction of Pagan Chronologie from Sacred, we have it more fully demonſtrated to us by Preſton, of Divine Attributes, Serm. 3. pag. 54.55. I will (ſaies he) adde to this but one Argument for the Autoritie of the Scripture. Conſider the exact Chronologie which is found in the Scriptures, and the agreement of them with the Heathen Hiſtories. In latter times, there have been great confuſions: but the greateſt evidence, that is to be found, is the Table of Ptolomy lately found, which doth exactly agree with the Scripture. He exactly ſets down the time, that Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus reigned. — So alſo the time when Jeruſalem was taken; which compare with the Scripture, and you ſhall find theſe agree with Daniel and Ieremiah. And this is the greatest teſtimonie the Scripture can have from Heathen men. Thus Preſton.
§. 7. Pagan Geographie from ſacred Geographie.A 2d part of ſimple Hiſtorie is Geographie, or the Deſcription of Countries, Cities, and other places; wherein alſo ſacred Geographie, delivered in the Scriptures, has had not onelyonly a precedence, but alſo a very great Ideal cauſalitie on Pagan Geographie. Porphyry lib. 4. adverſ. Christian. tels, that Sanchoniathon gave an account of Perſons, and Places, conformable to that of Moſes; which account he received in part from Ierombalus, the Prieſt of Jeno, or Iehovah: as before §. 1. of this Chapter. This is incomparably well demonſtrated by Bochart, in his Phaleg; the deſigne of which book is to ſhew, how the Geographick deſcriptions, which the ancient Pagan Hiſtorians give of the diſperſion of Noah's Poſteritie throughout the world, are exactly conformable unto, and therefore, as we may regularly preſume, derived from Moſes's Geographick narration of Noah's poſteritie their diſperſion through, and peopling of the world. Gen. 10. From Japhet, Iapetus &c.So Phaleg lib. 3. cap. 1. Bochart proves, that from Japhet, mentioned Gen. 10.2. the Grecians refer their firſt Plantations and Genealogies to Iapetus, whom they make to be the moſt ancient man; ſo that it paſſed even into a Proverb, more old than Iapetus, or Iaphetus. Thus from Javan, Japhet's ſon, Gen. 10.2. the Grecians derived their Ionians. Alſo from foreign Eliſa, Javan's ſon, Gen. 10.4 the Grecians traduced their Elis, Elyſian fields, Hellas, and Eolus; as Phaleg. lib. 3. cap. 4. So from Chittim Gen. 10.4. foreign, the Grecians named Citium, a Citie in Cyprus; as Phaleg. lib. 3. cap. 4. Thus from foreign Tarſis, Gen. 10.4. came Iberis, or Spain; as Phal. lib. 3. cap. 7. The like originations of Regions or Cities Bochart collects from the other ſons of Japhet. From Cham Chamia, &c.He alſo demonſtrates the ſame in Cham, and his poſteritie, who peopled Canaan, Egypt, and Africa. Thus from Cham, Egypt is ſtiled, in Plutarch, Chemia, for Chamia, i.e. the land of Cham; as tis ſtiled in the Pſalmes. And from Canaan, the ſon of Cham, Gen. 10.6. Phenicia was called by the Grecians foreign, which is the contract of Canaan; thence in Stephanus the inhabitants of Phenicia, or Canaan, are called foreign, from foreign Chanaan; as Bochart Phaleg. lib. 4. cap. 34. Again, amongſt the ſons of Canaan, there were the Hivites, who inhabited about the mount of Hermon, Joſh. 11.3.Ioſ. 11.3. and Iudg. 3.3. which is in the Eaſterne part of Canaan, Pſal. 87.13. whence they are called Cadmonim, i.e. Orientals, Gen. 15.19.Gen. 15.19. and Hermonijim, i.e. of Hermon, Pſal. 42.7. Hence the Grecians called the chief Commander of this Phenician colonie, that came to build Thebes, foreign Cadmus, and his wife, Harmonia, or Hermonia. And they feigned, that both Cadmus, and Harmonia were turned into Serpents; becauſe the name, Hivite, according to the Hebrew, ſignifies a Serpent. Laſtly, Moſes tels us, Gen. 10.13. Mizraim begat Ludim. From Miſraim Egypt, and from Ludim Ethiopia were ſo called. Anſwerable whereto Diodorus lib. 3. ſhews, what communitie there was betwixt the Ethiopians, and Egyptians; and thence concludes, that they were very near akin and allied: as Bochart, in his Preface to Phaleg, about the middle. Thus has this Learned man demonſtrated at large the parallel, or rather ſameneſſe, betwixt Sacred and Ethnick Geographie; whence we may ſafely conclude the derivation of the latter from the former. And the ſame Bochart, in his Preface to Canaan, (about the beginning) tels us, Moſes's Geographie moſt perfect.that Moſes, by Divine Revelation, approved himſelfe more skilful in Geographie, than either Homer, or Heſiod, or any of later times amongſt the Grecians. For he mentions more Nations, and thoſe more remote by far. Neither doth it ſuffice him to name them, but withall he opens their original; ſhewing us in what Age, and from what Place, and upon what occaſion, each were diſperſed into Countries moſt remote, even from the Caſpian and Perſick Seas to the extreme Gades; and all this on one Chapter (Gen. 10.) and that obiter. Thus Bochart: who is followed herein by Stillingfleet, Origin. S. book 3. c. 4. §. 8. The certaintie of the Propagation of all Nations from the poſteritie of Noah is evident hence, that in all that account, which the Scripture gives of the propagation of Nations from the ſons of Noah, there is ſome remainder in the hiſtorie of that Nation, to juſtifie the reaſon of the impoſition of the name, from the names of the Nations themſelves, which have preſerved the original name of the Founder in their own: as the Medes from Madas, the Ionians from Iavan &c. Thus Stillingfleet. By all which it appears, that Sacred Geographie, or the Scriptures account of the origine of all Nations from Noah's poſteritie, is not onelyonly moſt certain, perfect, and ancient, but alſo the moſt perfect Idea and meaſure of all Pagan Geographie.
§. 8. Pagan Mythologick Hiſtorie from Scripture myſteries, and real events of Providence.Having gone through Chronologie, and Geographie, (the chief parts of ſimple Hiſtorie) we now proceed to Mythologie, another ſpecies of Hiſtorie, reſulting from its formal conſtitution. And indeed Mythologick Hiſtorie, as it was of all moſt ancient, ſo was it moſt proper for the infant ſtate of mankind, had it been rightly (and according to its original Idea in Scripture) undertaken. For in Hiſtorie, the forme ought to be ſuited to its matter, as in Nature; not the matter to the forme, as in our Scholes: wherefore the matter of the firſt Hiſtorie being the wonders of Providence, with many Iewiſh Types, and more ſublime myſteries; no wonder, if the firſt Pagan Hiſtoriographers clothed ſuch myſterious, and, as to them, unintelligible matters with a mythologick forme and garbe. Thus Strabo lib. 11. ſpeaking of the ancient Records of the Syrians, Medes, and Perſians, tels us, that they gained no great repute in the world, foreign &c. by reaſon of the Philomythie, or fabulous narrations of the Hiſtorians. And Diodorus cals this Mythologick Hiſtorie (wherein he much abounded) foreign, the ancient Mythologie; which, he confeſſeth, admitted of great diverſitie, and thence obſcuritie; whereof he gives this reaſon, foreign: In the ancient fables, there is no umforme, and, in all things, agreeing hiſtorie to be expected. Thus Diodor. lib. 4. Wherein he grants, that the hiſtorie of ancient times was mixed with many fables, which yet had ſome original Idea of Truth, unto which they related. Mythologick hiſtorie not meerly fictitious, but fables of real truths.Voſsius (de Hiſtor. Graec. lib. 2. cap. 2.) makes an Apologie for Diodorus Siculus, and the reſt of theſe ancient mythologick Hiſtoriographers, againſt the imputations of Ludovicus Vives, and Bodinus; wherein he ſhews, how theſe Mythologiſts, who delivered foreign mythick Hiſtorie, were not to be reputed as meerly fabulous, or feigned; for they had ſome hiſtorical truth wrapt up under theſe fables delivered by them, as tis evident, by what is ſtoried of the Floud, and Tower of Babel by Beroſus &c. Neither ought it to move us, that theſe Mythologiſts differ amongſt themſelves in many things; for albeit theſe fabulous narrations took their origine from ſome real ſtorie or truth, yet by reaſon of the length of time, and the varietie, and vanitie of wits, tis no marvel, if there be found ſome diſſenſion, yea falſhood in mythick Hiſtorie. By which its evident, that this mythologick Hiſtorie, though mixed with much varietie, vanitie, yea falſhood, was but a corrupt imitation of ſome marvelous iſſues of Providence; or ſome real ſtorie happening in, or about the Church of God, and communicated to the Grecians, by Oriental broken Tradition. This may be farther demonſtrated by what Ariſtotle, in his Proeme to his Metaphyſicks, (quoted by Stobaeus ſerm. 3.) mentions, touching the original of Mythologie: foreign &c. Men began to Philoſophize from Admiraetion &c. then he concludes, foreign, a fable is compoſed of things wonderful. This holds true in mythologick hiſtorie as well, as Philoſophie, the original of one and t'other being the ſame. For Mythologie, as well Hiſtorick, as Poetick, was founded on ſome real event of Providence, or Scripture ſtorie, traduced by Tradition, as has been well obſerved by Jackſon on the Scriptures. fol. 47. where he acquaints us, That from the true wonders of God ſtoried in Scripture, and tranſacted in Jurie, or thereabouts, the Medes, Perſians, and Syrians were ſo much addicted to fabulous narrations, which the firſt Ages were ſo much delighted in, and thence were ambitious of coining the like wonders, as Strabo tels us. And Greece, as it rereceived Artificial Learning from Aſia, ſo did it drink in this humor with it, whence ſprang all that ancient mythologie. For the Scriptures account of the Creation, Floud, Tower of Babel, with many other ſtories of God's miracles, vouchſafed in the behalf of his people in Egypt, Jurie, and the regions round about, having by ſome imperfect Traditions been far ſpread, when Greece firſt began to affect fabulous relations; hence, as children unacquainted with the real ſtorie, they made many additions of their own, and applied thoſe effects to many perſons and things, which had no affinitie therewith: as tis common amongſt men. Thus the reports of Gods miraculous works of Creation, Providence, and Preſervation of his Church (which were in that infant ſtate of the Church exceeding remarkable) flying up and down the world, cut and mangled by artificial inlargements and alterations, thoſe ancient Pagan Hiſtorians, being poſſeſt with a Curioſitie, yet ignorant of the true cauſes, and grounds of thoſe extraordinarie events, miſapplied the ſame to unſuitable matters, perſons, and cauſes amongſt themſelves, which had no affinitie therewith; as in the foregoing Chapter.