I must own they heard me with a great deal of Patience, nay, they seem'd to be pleas'd, and to acquiesce in the greatest part of what I said. But I was very much surpris'd when the Priest ask'd me, with a very serious Countenance, whether I believ'd it all. Verily, said I, I believe every Tittle of it. Those who question'd the Law of Moses, dy'd without Mercy; and the Apostles assure us, that we cannot doubt of the Truth of Christ's Words, and the whole Oeconomy of Salvation, without danger of everlasting Punishment. But that which is the Motive to my Belief, is not Force, but Evidence itself. What would you think of me, continu'd I, if I told you exactly not only your most secret Transactions past, but what you will do hereafter, and what must happen to your Country? If I should cure the Sick, raise the Dead to Life, pass the Seas dryshod, cleave the Rocks with a Rod, and bring Water enough out of them to quench the Thirst of a whole Nation, and if I work'd a thousand more such Miracles? Would you not say, either that I was a God, of at least an Instrument in the Hand of God, to work so many different Miracles, since all this is above the Power of Mortals? And yet, continu'd I, 'tis no more than what was done by the Prophets, the Apostles, and especially by Jesus Christ, as I just now hinted; so that we have no reason to doubt of the Truth of what they have left us upon Record.

Your Consequence is not just, said the Priest. Pray, did you see all those fine things? I own I did not, said I; but the Sight of a Thing is not always necessary to the Belief of it. You never saw Europe, its Kingdoms, Wars, Religions, and Customs, yet you believe what we relate to you about it, because you take us for honest Men, and because two or three other Travellers before us inform'd your Ancestors almost the same things. When a Fact is supported by the Testimony of several Persons of Probity, there's no longer any Reason to call it in question. Now the Facts of which I speak to you, are not only confirm'd by a sufficient Number of wise and good Men, but by Clouds of Witnesses, by intire Nations, which we cannot possibly suspect, because the Worship of some of them is quite different from ours, and they are our mortal Enemies into the Bargain: Even the Jews know after what manner God appear'd to our Fathers, one while in Dreams, another while in a Burning Bush, and that at other times he conducted them in the Form of a Cloud by Day, and a Pillar of Fire by Night, and stopp'd where they were to encamp in the Deserts[1], when he himself led them to the great

[1]I have heard of a learned English gentleman, who lately publish'd a Dissertation to prove that there's nothing miraculous, nor even extraordinary, in this Pillar of Fire, by which the Israelites were conducted into the Wilderness; and to shew them from the best Authors, ancient and modern, that it was always the Custom in Deserts of this kind; to make use of a Fire to direct Armies or Multitudes of People in their March, by causing it to be carry'd before them in such a manner that the whole Company might see the Smoke by Day, and the Flame by Night. He pretends that the Person who had the Direction of this Fire, and serv'd as a Guide to the Israelites, was only Hobab, the Father-in-law of Moses; which he endeavours to prove from the 29th and 30th Verses of the Tenth Chapter of Numbers, and from many other Passages of the sacred Scriptures. Country, of which he had promis'd them the Possession. Surely, after such strong Evidence, I think we should be very much in the wrong to be Unbelievers.

To be ingenuous with you, said the Judge, there's something in all this which is surprising, and which, tho' supernatural, yet appears very probable. Not so probable as you imagine, reply'd the Priest; you know how our Ancestors were bubbled, much after the same manner, by the Craft and Violence of our former Kings. There's Parchment to write upon at all times, and the Punishments inflicted on those who don't subscribe to pretended Facts which are given out as Truths, force People to be silent, who would otherwise take a Pride in talking big. The Creation you was just now speaking of, continued he, looking on me willfully, is a meer Allegory, which I think very gross of its kind, and form'd by an Author altogether ignorant of the Nature of things, insomuch that he makes Effects precede the Cause; for, according to what you have said, Light was created on the very first Day, and the Luminaries from whence that Light comes to us, not till the fourth. Besides, 'tis certain that the Idea of a God who labours, and rests from his Labour, is what cannot be digested by any, but very stupid ignorant People, such as dare not say their Souls are their own, and over whom this Moses you speak of, aim'd to be temporal Lord, while his Brother Aaron domineer'd without Mercy over their Consciences.

I dare not tell you after what manner he treated Jesus Christ and his Mother: But as to the Soul, that Spiritual Substance in us, of which they said they had no Notion, I can't help observing to you an Objection that was started by the Priest, when we talk'd about the Resurrection of the Dead. 'Tis certain, said he, that the Earth is compos'd of innumerable small Particles whose Figures are extremely different, as appears from the variety of Things which this same Earth produces. Certain Parcels of Earth which are proper to form one sort of Fruit, would not be at all proper for the Production of some others. What is good to make Copper, is worth nothing for Iron. From hence it comes, that if Wheat be sow'd for several Years together in one and the same Field, it appears at last that all the Parts of Matter which were proper to yield us Wheat, being spent, and no more of it left, the Earth will absolutely bear no more Wheat till 'tis dung'd. We'll apply this Example to Man: The Particles which are proper for the Composition of Human Flesh, are not more infinite than those of Corn; and undoubtedly in this Kingdom there are no more than what will form a certain determinate Number of Persons. Now make this Number as great as you please, I don't think 'tis equal to that of all the Men that have liv'd since the Beginning of the World. Nay, said he, I know not if there be not reason to question whether there are enough of these Parts here for the People that have been born in it for only ten Centuries. They who have studied the Nature of Beings ever so little, know, that as the Hair and Nails grow, wear away, and fall off, the external Parts of the Fibres of our Body wear in like manner, while the Blood has its Pulsation, and augments the internal Parts. 'Tis incredible what a Dissipation is occasion'd every Day by that thing only which is call'd Perspiration; but then there is this Advantage, that the Loss of the Parts one way is supply'd another. So that if all that we lose were to be transported into another Country, without any Return to ours, 'tis probable that a Famine and Mortality wou'd happen among us every now and then, to the end that the Parts of those who dy'd might serve for the Increase of the others, till in short there be no more left. From hence, said he, I infer, that if we were to rise again, it is impossible that of the Parts proper for the Construction of Man, there would be enough left to distribute to all that have liv'd so much as is absolutely necessary for forming a Body of a middling Stature; and God knows whether there would be enough of the other Parts, because if all that have dy'd for the several thousands of Years past which the World has subsisted, were laid together in a Heap, 'tis probable that the Bulk would even exceed that of the Earth, from whence they deriv'd their Origin.

We will illustrate this Paradox by a general Calculation, as follows. We have in this Country 41600 Villages, and computing Twenty-two Families in each Village, at the rate of nine Persons in every Family, one with another, every Village will contain near 200 Inhabitants; so that throughout the Kingdom we may suppose 8323000. Now we'll allow to every Humane Body, consider'd under the Form of a Parallelopepid of five Foot high, and half a Foot broad and thick, one with another (you see I take it at the least Computation) it will appear on the Day of Resurrection that 8323000 Bodies will contain about 10400000 Cubic Feet of Flesh. Suppose again, that this Number of Men be renew'd every fifty Years, then there must be 208 Millions of Cubic Feet of Flesh, for the People that have liv'd in the Space of only 1000 Years, and 2080 Millions for the People within 10000 Years. Continue this Multiplication, and consider what a vast Length it will run; but, said he, with a great Exclamation, what would it not amount to, if the Opinion of some learned Men be true, which, as you told your Landlord, passes for certain, that the very Seed of most, if not of all Animals, is compounded of innumerable Animalcules which have Life and Motion, so that in a Body no bigger than a Grain of Millet, there are thousands which, small as they are, yet are Individuals of the same Species as the Animals by which they were engender'd, and must consequently partake of the same Advantages as the others, tho' they surpass them as much in Bigness, as the highest Mountain does a Grain of Sand; in which Case 'tis manifest that your Opinion is ridiculous, and a palpable Contradiction.

You talk of thousands of Years, said I, as if they were but so many Minutes, and according to you, the World must be much more ancient than it is. I make use of a definite Term, said he, to denote an indefinite Number; there's no Necessity for being so very strict. Be the World ancient or not, that does not alter the Nature of Things; 'tis certain that we believe it to have subsisted, Time out of mind, which we cannot express either by Words or Figures. You are not the only People, I reply'd, that have been deceiv'd in this Matter. The Chinese have Chronologies for above 40000 Years, and the Ægyptians carry theirs at least as far back. That ancient Philosopher, Plato, introduces an Ægyptian Priest, who, in a Discourse with Solon, tells him that 'twas 9000 Years since Minerva built Sais. Diodorus reckons 23000 Years from Osiris and Isis, to the time of Alexander the Great. Laertius speaks of a Term of 49000 Years, during which they had calculated all the Eclipses. They pretended, according to a Remark by St. Austin, to have observ'd the Stars for 100000 Years; and by the Report of Cicero, they had done it for 570000 Years. But all this is advanced without any Foundation, and from a Principle of Vanity to challenge a Superiority over the other Nations of the Earth. As for us, we adhere to Moses's Account, who assures us that the World has not subsisted above 6000 Years. And really, if we give our selves the trouble to reflect: upon this Matter ever so little, there is no room to question the Truth of his Assertion. One undeniable Proof that the World is not very ancient, is that we have no Histories which go above 4000 Years back. The Arts are also very modern. We don't find that above 500 Years ago they had any Knowledge of the Mariner's Compass, of the printing of Books, of Gunpowder, Fire-Arms, Perspectives, Microscopes, and other fine Inventions. 'Tis certain likewise that the Use of Money was unknown to the ancient Writers. Clocks, Watches, Glass, Paper, temper'd Steel, and abundance of other things, are of a very modern Date. I infer therefore, that in this, as well as in other Matters, 'tis absolutely necessary to be guided by the Word of God.

I told you before, said the Priest, that none of us pretends to determine the Age of the World. We are persuaded that it had a Beginning, but we know not when, and all that I can say is, that it was a vast while ago. The first Man has not remark'd it, nor have we any thing like a Register of the Time; all that we know of it is by Tradition. Most of the Arts that you have now mention'd are unknown to us, and yet for all this, our Part of the World is as old as yours: We may be here a Million of Years without knowing them, because we have no need of them, and 'tis not impossible but others may do without them a long time, as well as we. Necessity, or the like Causes, have been the Mother of Inventions within 100 Years, which were unthought of before in as many Ages. But all this is not conclusive. What I know is, that from Father to Son we always hand it down, that the Years which we have continu'd are not to be number'd: And it is certain, that notwithstanding the vast Quantity Of Wood which we burn, the Mountains of Coal which we have already levell'd are so considerable, that if we were to compute them, this alone would be sufficient to confirm us in our Opinions. But the most remarkable thing of all is that about 7000 Years ago, as the Men were digging in one of those Mountains, they found within 30 Foot of the Top, a double Hook of Iron of above 1500 Weight, which we still keep, and which the Foreigners that have been here from time to time, affirm is one of those Instruments that are us'd at Sea to stop great Ships; from whence one would think that the Ocean was in possession of this fine Country before us, and that perhaps our highest Mountains only serv'd then to break its Billows.

Besides this, who knows but those Arts, of which you pretend to the Invention, were not known to your Predecessors? I plainly observe here that the Sciences are upon the Decay. My Great Grandfather was much better skill'd than my Father in Astronomy: I know even less of it than both; and by what I learn from them, the Knowledge they had of it was very obscure in comparison of what their Ancestors knew. 'Tis the very same in all other Families. There are Sciences which are cultivated at certain times, in complaisance to the Mode that then prevails, but are intirely neglected at others; and 'tis possible they may be so far bury'd in Oblivion, that those who are born afterwards, seeing no Trace of them, imagine when they come to the Exercise of 'em, that they are the first Inventors.

That may be, I reply'd, in your Country, where you have no Communication with other Parts of the World; but with us, if the Sciences decay in one Place by Wars and Conflagrations, or by the Indolence and Indifference of some People, of which we have several Instances, yet they are advanc'd else where to a higher Degree of Perfection thro' the Diligence of others; and I question whether any considerable Part of former Inventions is lost; whereas on the contrary, every Day produces some Discovery or other that is curious and advantageous to Society.