Of the S T u D Y uf 11 I S T O K Y.

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to : : family were divided into several languages, evenitiit whilst they lived together, ípoke tlie famé lan -guage , and were employed in the faîne work.dent Ont of 011 e of the countries into which they dii-ut,:; perfed them sel ves, Chaldea , God caiied Abraham ost fome time aftervvards ,, vvith magniiicent promises,oie and conducted hiui to a country called Chanaan.,vî; Did thts autnor. my lord, inteiid au u inversaiw: hiílory ? Certainly not. 1 he tentli chapter ofto : Genehs names indeed íoine of the générationsdteri deícending frorn the sons oí'Noah, fome of tiremit citìes fonnded, and fome of the countries planted&ab; b y thern, - But what are bare naines, naked ofsv; circumílances, without descriptions of countries,;SEl or relations of events P They furnisti matter onlyed:; for gueís and dispute ; and even the similitude ofle ’.- them, which is often nfed as a clue to lead us to; n ; f the aiícovery of historical truth, has notoriously[p,,, contributed to propagate efror , and to fncreaíe, à the perplexity of ancient tradition. Thele imperfeâc. and dark accounts hâve not furnilhed matter fory. guefs and dispute alone ; but a much worfe use

.. has been made of them by Jewiffi rabbies, Christianà fathers, anrl Mahométan doctors, in their profane. extensions of this part oftheMoíaic history. Thecréation of the hrst man is defcribed by lomé , asif, streadamites, they had aslisted at it. They talk,of his beauty as if they had feen him, of hisgigantic size as if they had meafured him, and ofhis prodigious knovvîedge as if they had conversedwith hirn. They point ont the ver y ípot whereEve laid her head the hrst time he enjoytd her,

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