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think, was, that those who had fallen away from the true Confeffion, and were beginning to frame another, inftead of agreeing upon a new Form for them all, difagreed among themselves about wording it, and the Manner and Degres of the Service. Each Principal gained a Party, and each followed the Reafon or Dictates of their respective Leader. So each Party formed themselves into a Sect, and each Sect fet up a particular Form of Confeffion to their Object; and each took a Name from the Matter, or one of the three Names in it, or from the Title or chief Attribute that Sect gave to thofe Agents for this or that Action; by which it appears, feveral of them were afterwards diftinguished: To which each Sect annexed inferiour Attributes and Forms of acknowledging them by which we have the Names of those three Agents, and (I think) I may almost say, every diftinct Power in them; and their diftinct Actions remaining upon Record in the Original Writing of the facred Scriptures which were first revealed emblematically. And tho' thefe Names of their Objects feem but to be occafionally mentioned in Scripture, yet the Claims of all thofe Powers and Actions which were

proper

proper to be made, were writ to preferve those who were not corrupted, and to retrieve those who were: And as the first thews the Reasons why the latter were writ, they are both for our Information.

It follows, that each Sect perfifted fo obftinately, that it produced a Separation, and forced each, except the ftrongest, which 'tis likely Nimrod headed, to feek a separate Settlement, and fo caufed a Difperfion: And this is all the Effect, which appears to me, that the Prophecy had at that Time. And tho' in the Introduction to the fecond Part of M. P. I left the reft to Time and Accidents, I fhall now come to the Manner. And I think I may affert, that there is scarce one eminent Miraele performed in early Times, and recorded by Mofes, but the latter Prophets, nay, even the Apocryphal Books, or at leaft the New Teftament, refer to it, or recite it. I think I may fafely affirm, that the pretended Miracle of the Confufion of Tongues at Babel, is never recited nor referred to. But the Deftruction of this new Religion, as then not accomplished, very frequently under this Word,. Pfal. xii. 3. Jehovah hall cut off all the Lips of Deceit. Ibid. xxxi. 19. The

Lips of Falfebood shall be put to Silence. Prov. xvii. 4. The Wicked gives heed to the Lip of Iniquity. So under many other Words.

We fhall fuppofe that the feveral Parties, who went off from Shinar at firft, march'd moftly Eastward and Weftward, kept in the most commodious Latitude, and fettled each in the most commodious Place, not many Days March from each other, till new Sects arofe, or till Kingdoms were established, and Parties, which had been forced or oppreffed, or wanted Room, difperfed further and further, out of the Reach of those Kingdoms, &c.

Difperfion was one and the firft Step to confound their Religion; which Confufion was not compleated, as I have faid, till the Fulness of Time, till Chrift came, when they had loft the Knowledge of the Power and Actions of their Object: And as 'tis faid by John iv. 22. They worshipp'd they knew not what, and fo were prevailed upon to return to the true Object. But this first Step had no Relation to, nor Effect upon their Language; that continued the fame till Writing was revealed to Mofes, which fixed the Knowledge of the true Object, and the Terms and Means of Man's Salvation

Salvation in the Original Language, and naturally produced a new Language in every other Country; which made them neglect the firft Method of preferving Knowledge, and in Time feparated the firft Set of Words from their proper Ideas, and formed new Words with improper and uncertain Ideas, which, as aforefaid, loft the Knowledge both of first and fecond Agents; their refpective Powers and Actions, and of all the great Points which concerned Man to know and remember: nay, confounded all the Worshippers, and at laft the very Being of that Religion; and will always confound all who attempt by them to retrieve the Knowledge of the firft, or to fet up any Scheme of the Second Causes.

The Word Language, is writ among other Things, which were afterwards to be, Gen. x. So Deut. xxviii. 49. But no Mention of it, or any Word which expreffes or implies any Difference in Language, till long after Writing was revealed to Mofes.

We find in the Time of Abraham this new Religion was advanced to a great Height; But we find not that there was any confiderable Alteration in this Language. He who was bred at Ur of the Chal

deans,

deans, could not only, at the Places between, but Gen. xii. 18. converse with the Egyptians. And Ibid. xiv. 21, with the King of Sodom. lbid xix. Lot with the Sodomites. Ibid. xix. 9. and 21, 22, Abraham with Abimelech, the King of Gerar. And 'tis very natural to fuppofe, that these then were the most Western Settlements, because there were fuch vaft Tracts of Land vacant, between Settlement and Settlement, as to admit of Abraham, Lot, &c. with their Flocks in Canaan; and of Lot, Ifbmael and the reft of Abraham's natural Children, Efau, &c. Eaft of Canaan. And to fuftain the Increase of the Canaanites in Canaan, and of the Ifraelites in Egypt. Gen. xxiv. 17, Abraham's Steward difcourfed in Mefopotomia with Rebekah, and treated with the Family about her Marriage. Ibid. xxix. 9, &c. So Jacob there with Rachel, Laban, &c. Ibid. xxxi. 47. they converfed in Hebrew Words. Tho' Joseph, who furely understood his Native Language, understood the Language of, and tranfacted all the Affairs of Egypt, Gen. xlii. 23. spoke with his Brethren by an Interpreter ; tis plain, it was not out of Neceffity, * but

* And it was cuftomary for great Men to speak by an Officer with their Inferiors out of Grandeur, to keep up their State, and Jofeph was Vice-Ray,

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