THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 345; 
curfe * attended the mere feeing that part of the body of 
axparent,.and not inftantly throwing a covering over it, . 
I po not propofe difcuffing at large the arguments for 
or againft the time of the beginning to circumcife. The: 
fcripture has given fuch.an account of it, that, when weigh- 
ed with the promife. fo exadtly.kept to the end, feems tome 
to be a-very-rational'one. But, confidering all revelation: 
eut of the queftion, I think there: is no room to-inftitute 
any free or fair inquiry. I.give no pre-eminence to Mofes 
nor his writing’s.. I fuppofe hima profane author; but, till. 
thofe that argue againft his account, and maintain circum- 
cifion: was earlier: than Abraham, fhall: fhew me another 
profane writer as old.as Mofes, as-near the time they fay it 
- began as Mofes was- to the time of Abraham, I will not 
argue with them in fupport of Mofes: againft Herodotus, . 
nor difcufs who Herodotus’s Phenicians, and who his Egyp- 
tians- were. that. circumcifed. Herodotus knew not Abra-- 
ham nor:Mofes, and;.compared to their days, he is-but as. 
yefterday.. Thofe Phenicians and Fgyptians might, for any. 
thing he knew at his time, have received circumcifion from: 
Abraham. or. Ifhmael; or fome of their pofterity,.as the As- 
byflinians. or Ethiopians, whom he refers to, actually. fay: 
they did, which Herodotus did not know, it is plain, thowgh: 
he mentions they were circumcifed.. This tradition of the 
Abyffinians merits fome confideration from what they fay 
of it them{felves, that they were, in the. earlieft.time;circum- 
cifed before they left their native country, and fettled in. 
Tigre. From-this they derive no honour, nor.do they pre- 
tend 
*<Gen. chap, ix. ver, 223°. 
