Chap. VII. AN T I E N T M E T A P H Y S I C S. 159 



fuch men cannot be taught by theorems of fcience and inferences 

 from thefe, but by objects of fenfe and fads which are faiijiliar to 

 them. It was in thi- way tliat our Saviour inllruded the Jews by his 

 parables ; and in the Old Teftament there is an example of a para- 

 ble, which I think is the fmeft fable that ever was wriitcn. It is 

 what is called the Parable of Jolhanr-, the fubjedt of it is the meet- 

 ing of the trees of the foreft to chufe a king : And the mor^.! of it is 

 a great and important truth in politics, That thofe, who are mof^ un- 

 fit to govern, are moft defirous of governing ; while thofe, who are 

 fittefl; for it, decline it, knowing how to employ their time better for 

 the improvement of their minds and their own happinefs. I he whole 

 ftory, therefore, of the Garden of Eden, and of the Trees of Life and 

 of the knwiedge of Good and Evil, mud: be fuppofed to be nothinp- 

 elfe but an allegorical way of informing us that man fell by pretend- 

 ing to know good and evil, and from an immortal creature, which we 

 mud; fuppofe hhn to have been, before the fall, became m.ortal. In 

 this way the ftory of the Fall is undcrftood by Jofephus, wlio, I 

 think, muft be fuppofed to undcrftand the books of Mofes better 

 than we do. And, indeed, I think, it would be impious, (for It 

 would be a ridicule of Religion), to fuppofe, that the Trees of Life 

 and of the knowledge of Good and Evil really cxifted. In this al- 

 legory it may be obferved, that there is a great deal of dialogue 

 mixed with the narrative, v^'hich would make it more familiar and 

 more pleafing to the people for whom Mofes wrote. This allet^ory 

 when explained in the manner I have done, gives a veiy probable 

 account of the fall of man ; for it was very natural, that being fo 

 much fuperior to all the other animals on this earth, by his bein"- 

 the only intelligent animal, he fliould fancy himfelf flill more fu- 

 perior, and believe himfelf to be nothing Icfs than a god. Now, 

 the natural confequence of fuch a diforder of his governing 

 principle, that is of his intelligence, was that he ihould lofe the 



S2 ufc 



* Judges, Chap. ix. v. 8. 



