of late date, such as those of _Elija_, _Elisha_, and others, should not be counterfeit, there is this further argument; that in those times _Judæa_ was become more known, and because of the difference of religion was hated by the neighbours, who could very easily confute the first rise of a lie. The history of _Jonah’s_ being three days in the whale’s belly is in _Lycophron_ and _Æneus Gazeus_, only under the name of _Herculus_; to advance whose fame, every thing that was great and noble used to be related of him, as _Tacitus_ observes. Certainly nothing but the manifest evidence of the history could compel _Julian_ (who was as great an enemy to the _Jews_ as to the Christians) to confess that there were some men inspired by the divine Spirit amongst the _Jews_, and that fire descended from heaven, and consumed the sacrifices of _Moses_ and _Elias_. And here it is worthy of observation, that there was not only very severe punishments threatened amongst the _Hebrews_, to any who should falsely assume the gift of prophecy, but very many kings, who by that means might have procured great authority to themselves, and many learned men, such as _Esdras_ and others, dared not to assume this honour to themselves; nay, some ages before Christ’s time, nobody dared to do it. Much less could so many thousand people be imposed upon, in avouching a constant and public miracle, I mean that of the oracle, which shined on the High Priest’s breast, which is so firmly believed by all the _Jews_, to have remained till the destruction of the first temple, that their ancestors must of necessity be well assured of the truth of it.” GROTIUS. Footnote 42: Vid. Joseph Antiq. Footnote 43: Reason will affirm that every effect speaks a cause; then we ask how it should happen that a dozen illiterate fishermen and mechanicks of Galilee, after the wisdom of the philosophers had left the world in darkness, should have introduced so much light of knowledge, that our children and servants are wiser than the ancient philosophers? Let no one say, that they only began, what the wisdom of after ages have carried on towards perfection. The writings of the apostles are the same to this day; as is proved by the earliest versions, quotations, and manuscripts. So perfect was the system of morals they left, that no error has been detected in it, and all attempts to build upon or add to it, have only exposed the ignorance of the individuals who have essayed to do so.