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 vain Pretences to Antiquity of those other Nations that were so very unwilling to yield to the Jews in this Particular. Who has ever given so rational and so intelligible an Account of the Design and Intent of the several parts of the ceremonial Law as Dr. Spencer? Who has acquainted the World with the Geography of Genesis, or the Natural History of the Bible, like Monsieur Bochart? These are much harder things than the lengthning of a fine-spun Allegory, or than a few moral Reflections which constitute the greatest part of the Ancient Comments. But the New Testament, you will say, was written in a Time that was nearer at Hand; and so was certainly better understood. Without doubt it was, by the First Fathers; for which Reason their Interpretations (g) and their Reasonings, if we could have recovered many of them would have been of infinite Value: But when once the Synagogue and the Church broke off all their Correspondence, when once the immediate Reasons of the first Establishment of many Parts of the Christian Discipline, and of great Numbers of Allusions to Jewish Customs and Traditions which are to be found in the New Testament, could only be known by Study and Reading, all which the first