THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 235 



of rocks, where the water was fhallow, fo that an army at 

 particular times might pafs over? Secondly, Whether the 

 Etefian winds, which blow ftrongly all Summer from the 

 north weft, could not blow fo violently againft the fea, as to 

 keep it back on a heap,fo that the Ifraelites might havepaffed 

 without a miracle ? And a copy of thefe queries was left for 

 me, to join my inquiries like wife. 



But I mull confefs, however learned the gentlemen 

 were who propofed thefe doubts, I did not think they me- 

 rited any attention to folve them. This paffage is told us, 

 by fcripture, to be a miraculous one; and, if fo, we have no- 

 thing to do with natural caufes. If we do not believe 

 Mofes, we need not believe the tranfa&ion at all, feeing 

 that it is from his authority alone we derive it. If we be- 

 lieve in God that he made the fea, we mull believe he could 

 divide it when he fees proper reafon, and of that he muft be 

 the only judge. It is no greater miracle to divide the Red. 

 Sea, than to divide the river of Jordan, 



If the Etefian wind blowing from the north-well in fum— 

 mer, could heap up the fea as a wall, on the right, or to 

 the fouth, of fifty feet high, ftill the difficulty would remain, 

 of building the wall on the left hand, or to the north. Be- 

 fides, water Handing in that pofition for a day, muft have 

 loft the nature of fluid. Whence came that cohefion of 

 particles, that hindered that wall to efcape at the fides ? This 

 is as great a miracle as that of Mofes. If the Etefian winds 

 had done this once, they muft have repeated it many a 

 time before and fince, from the fame caufes. Yet, * Dio- 



G g 2 dorus 



* Died. Sic. Lib, 3. p. izz. . 



