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Nonfenfe. I think it is neceffary to fhew it from the Original. If it feems ftrange how they could take them out of the Scriptures, and Chriftians cannot fee them. in it, the Anfwer is fhort, the elder Hea thens understood the Things the Ideas are taken from, which the Words in Scripture refer to, and Chriftians have neglected the Knowledge of them. Em blems or Draughts of the Heavens, or Reprefentations, as at firft, and downwards to, and in the Temple of the Heathens, or Reprefentations, or new Defcriptions in Words in the facred Books, are but Copies of the Archetype. The Ideas of the Effence, and of the Perfons remain there, as they did when the Ideas taken from them were exhibited by fupernatural Reprefentations, and committed to Forms or Figures, or Letters. So indeed the Heathens had their Knowledge from the Light of Nature, not in the Sense the Words are ufed, nor any otherwife. To reftore the Knowledge of the Things from whence the Ideas are taken, is the chief Part of my Intent.

I think myfelf bound to follow Chrift's Directions, which were given when only the Hebrew Scriptures were writ; John v. 39. Search the Scriptures, for in them ye

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think ye have eternal Life; and they are they which teftify of me. Ver. 46. For had ye believed Mofes, ye would have be lieved me, for he wrote of me, (Marg Gen: iii. 15. Deut. xviii. 15.) So John xvii. 17. Thy Word is Truth. If this be taken for the Letter, the Ideas of Things or Actions natural, moral, or myfterious, raised by the Word, correfpond with their Exemplars, or Archetypes. Though 'tis plain this firft, if not the fecond, was spoken to the Perfons then prefent of the He brew, yet Scriptures now include what was fince writ moftly in Greek, a Language which had been adapted for other Gods, which did not afford Words to exprefs what concerns these Points fo ftrongly and clearly as the Hebrew had exprefs'd them. And as there was no Dispute whether any other Effence was God, except the Effence of the Heavens, and as that was clearly settled; and as all the other Names of God were either fuch as relate to the Covenant, or were taken from the Heavens as a Type of the Effence and Perfonality, or reclaimed from the Heavens, or in Diftinction to the imagined Power in the Heavens; and as that Matter was fully fettled in the Hebrew Text, 'tis feldom, and, if I may be allowed

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to ufe fuch a Word in fpeaking of the Scripture, but accidentally touch'd upon in the Greek or New Teftament, and then by way of Reference to the Old. And as there is, and the Heathens always acknowledg'd, a Trinity in the Subftance of the Heavens, and as the Scriptures make Ufe of that Perfonality to carry on the material Ideas of the Perfonality in the eternal Effence by them; and as the Heathens had a Tradition of fomething more, which they always join'd in that Trinity, there never was any Difpute about that, till the Defign of the Salvation of Man by the Coming of Chrift was perfectly manifefted and compleated, and the Devil set the ancient Hereticks to work to oppofe it. Indeed, the New Teftament is call'd, (General Epistle of James i. 21.) The engrafted Word, which is able to fave your Souls. The Gofpel of Christ is engrafted or built upon former Manifeftations, and cannot grow or ftand without them, viz. The Evidence of Jehovah, Elohim, &c. Nay, the Greek Language is but engrafted into the Hebrew; as a Graft grows and bears the Fruit, and the Stock fupplies it with Nourishment, fo here. And though the ancient Fathers have proved, from the Original in the Greek Language, and our

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Divines from that, and the Writings of the Fathers in that and the Latin Tongue, more than enough to fatisfy thofe who are willing to know and accept the Truth, yet it feems 'tis not enough to ftop the Mouths of Wranglers. Therefore 'tis our Business to fearch the Scriptures, if poffible, more diligently than they have been fearch'd, for Evidence about thefe Matters, and to fhew the Root and Stem which support the Graft.

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It has been often faid, that if you diffect and examine any Creature which has Poifon in fome of its Parts, it has one Part, which, if apply'd to the Part bit or ftung, kills the Poifon : So, I believe, has Philofophy. I am refolv'd to try the Experiment.

I fhall presently give up Metaphyficks, or abftracted Notions, pretended to be form'd in the Mind without outward, or reveal'd by outward Helps, and allow that Man is fo form'd, that no Idea comes into his Mind but by Senfe, or by fupernatural Means, by the Affiftance of fenfible Objects. But because feveral cited by Mr. W in his Longitude by the Dipping-Needle, p. 88. could find out no Mechanifm in Gravity, our learned Men, who pretend to be Divines, ftill imagine

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they have little or nothing to do with Nature. I have faid, in the Introduction to the fecond Part of M. P. p. 45. that the Heathens forced the Chriftian Church to caft out their Philofophy with their Gods: Now I may add, that they thereby forced them to caft out the Knowledge of the Things which give the Idea of the Perfonality, upon which the Chriftian Religion is founded. All the Ideas of Divinity are formed from the Ideas in Nature every Description of Divinity in the Scripture is taken from natural Things; fo they have Words of Divinity without Ideas, who have not Ideas of Nature; that is, all the Ideas of the Effence exifting, of the Perfonality, of their Operations, &c. are revealed to us in the Scriptures by Words which raise Ideas taken from other Things, or are emblematically represented by Things which God has created, formed, or fitted, and by Scripture conftituted; or by Things which God has exhibited by fupernatural Means, or has, by Scripture, ordered Man to form and conftitute for those Ends: And he who does not take his Ideas, by thofe Rules, from those Objects, has not, nor can have any from any other, nor can have any at all, or, at least, no true or proper ones of them, and is without

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