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were calPd Chaldeans and Magi ; and the chief of them were Phyfiologers 
and Aftronomers, and ftudied lawfu! Arts, as may well be concluded ; for 
itiat Daniel accepted the Prefecture of them : Thefe excluded the Aftrologt- 
ans and Diviners from their Habitations. To thefe Pythagoras retorted to 
learn the Motions of the Heavens, and the Original of the World, faith J li- 
ft int. Koarpoovs-ctffiv and ic&ffpLstftiPmV' Thefe were then under the Perjians t 
but the remainders of the Chaldeans and Babylonians. However , nothing is 
left of their Opinions but whac Diodorus has hinged, That they believed the 
Matter of the World Eternal, but its Form, Order and Ornament to be .con- 
ftifuted by Divine Providence. And further, That they believed the Earth to 
be of tfye Form of a SchifT or Tray : Only he fpeaks of their Antiquity, and 
of making Agronomical Obfervations many Ages before Alexander. This is 
all that is intelligible ; All the reft concerning their Oracles of Ziroafter, Sec. 
is nothing but Canting, and a Jargon of Scraps of we know not who. 
'Tis pity we have loft the Works of Berofns, who had written their Opi- 
nions. 
In the Fifth Chapter he fpeaks of the Perfian Magi, who cultivated Phyfi- 
ology as well as Theology. Thefe had a Theogonia like the Greeks', and 
from thefe Pythagoras learnt the Origin of the World, and the Motions of the 
Heavens. Thefe taught likewife the Periods and Renovation of the World. 
The Prince oV thefe Magi was Zoroafter, of which he judges there were 
two. The Verfians held the Elements, Stars and the Heavens to be Gods % 
and worfhipped moft the Sun among the Stars, and the Fire among the Ele- 
ments : And under the Nature of Jupiter they comprehended the whole Cir- 
cuit of Heaven. They, as well as the Greefy Romans and Hebrews , con- 
tinually nourifh'd the Fire. And the Egyptians as well as other Nations much 
honoured it. The Vtrfians fuppofed this Fire to have fallen from Heaven ; 
and the Stoicks cali'd it Jupiter, into which all things refolved. Thus their 
Theology was Phyfeology, and all their other Rites may be in the fame man- 
ner refolved 5 of which Herodotus has given a plain Account : In which he 
particularly takes notice, that in their Sacrificing they fung their Theogonia, 
which our Author conceives to be of the Origination of things. Of Zoro- 
asler, Pliny relates that he left Two Millions of Verfes, expounded by Her- 
mippus. The Arabians mention Twelve Volumes, each filling a whole Bui's 
Hide of the Writings of Zorotfter to be left to the fcagl Suidas men- 
tions divers Books of the fame, concerning Dreams and Agronomical Pro- 
ductions, and Four Books of Natural Philofophy j but all areiofi; and tvhac 
goes under his Name are all Fictitious, except one Fragment preferved by 
iHutarcb out of Theopdmpws j another by Porphyrins in Antra Nympharum, 
out of EubUlus 5 and a third by Eufebius, out of a Perfian Book, which he 
will have Zoroafler's. As the beginning of thefe Magi was unknown, fo was 
their end j yet fome remained to' the time of Alexander; and 'tis believed 
they fell with the Perfian Empire ; and ail that had been written concerning 
them Jsalfo periftfd. Such were Hermippus Smymteus, Pallas, 0{lhanes, Eu- 
bulus, Theodoras Mopfiteftenus, Hermedorus Pla'oniciis-, Antefibenes or Rbo~ 
dwis, Zanthm [ydm, Sotioms, Dinon, Tbeopompus, Eudemus Rhodius, and 
Clear cbsts Saltnfis* 
L I 2 
la 
