Chap. I. from Aleppo 
plain Obfervation arifes from contemplating ^ the paft 
and prefent State of this famous Country, and it is this; 
that the unanimous Inclination of Chrifiians, and 
Mahometans, upon very different Principles, to pay it an 
high Veneration, and to efteem many Places therein 
peculiarly facred, is 2 } Kind of perpetual Teftimony in 
Favour of Revealed Religion. It is impoffible that Na- 
tions, differing fo widely in their Manners and Cuftoms, 
as well as in their Religious Notions, fhould for fo 
many Ages agree in obtruding Cheats upon each other. 
We may add to this, that the Samaritan Scripture is 
another ftrong Proof of the Sincerity and Authenti- 
city of the MofaickYhnnngs, ; for nothing but Truth 
could have united the Samaritans and whofe Ha- 
tred to each other has now fubfifted for many Centuries, 
in concurring to vouch any Fadt. To this, indeed, it 
may be objedfed, that they differ about the Mountains 
Gerizim and Ebal, in which they diredfly contradidt 
each other : But when this Objedtion is maturely weigh’d, 
it will be found to fortify extremely the Credit of this 
Teftimony, becaufe it is the cleareft and moft unex- 
ceptionable Proof, that there is no Kind of Collufion 
between the two Nations, but that the refpedlive Per- 
fuafions of each, with regard to the Copies of the Scrip- 
tures they have amongft them, is founded upon Mo- 
tives in which they cannot be deceived. It is very 
true, that there is a prodigious Mixture of fabulous Su- 
perftition in the Traditions of all thefe Nations ; but 
as this is natural, and indeed unavoidable in Things of 
this Kind, it is fo far from derogating from the ma- 
terial and fubftantial Proofs, which are, if I may be 
allow’d the Expreffion, over-grown and cover’d with 
this Bark of Folly, that it rather fortifies the Evidence, 
in the Sentiments of a fober and ingenuous Mind. For 
what Kind of Hiftory is there, which has come down 
to us pure and unmixed with Fable ? The Eaftern Na- 
tions were always famous for it, the Egyptians had it 
/o Jerusalem. 86r 
in a high Degree, it paffed frorri theiil to the Greeks \ 
and as to the Fliftory of the elder Ages of Rome, it was 
fo intermixed therewith, that in the Times oi Cicero 
they were fcarce able to diftinguifh any beyond the 
capital Fa(5ts that were to be relied on^ But does 
it follow, that becaufe Men have always loved to 
amplify and extend the Truth, therefore there was 
no fuch Thing ? Shall we, becaufe It is very diffi- 
cult to fettle the precife Situation of ancient Cities 
that make fo great a Figure in the beft Authors, 
doubt whether thofe Cities ever were in the World ? 
Or, becaufe the Oriental Chronicles of all the ancient 
Empires differ widely from ours, fhall we peremptorily 
decide, that there never were any fuch, notwithftanding 
that manifefl Monuments of the flourifhing State of 
thofe ancient Empires remain even to our Times ? Are 
the Antiquities at Tchelminar in Perjia, of ‘Tadmor or 
Palmira in the Wildernefs, of Balbeck, or Heliopolis 
feen by our Author, to be rejedted as Fancies or Fables ? 
And, if thefe are all Matters of Faff, do they not more 
clearly prove the Hiftories of paft Times, than all the 
Chronicles in the World ? Men may write fabulous 
Hiftories, or may forge Records, but fuch Monuments 
of ancient Times are beyond the Reach of Fiffion or 
Forgery, fo that Incredulity, with refpeff to them, is 
not only irrational and abfurd, but downright Madnefs. 
We may upon the v/hole reft fatisfied, that what our 
Author has delivered to us in his Travels, and in his Re- 
marks, deferve both Credit and Refpeff, and are capable 
of furniftiing us with Materials for very folid and ufeful 
Meditations. But it is now Time to proceed and quitting 
the Limits of the Ikurkijh Empire, to purfue our Jour- 
ney with frefli Guides, and frefti Views, into other Re- 
gions, which will afford us new Pleafures and additio- 
nal Helps, to the Increafe of our Knowledge, and the 
Improvement of our Underftandings, 
/ 
VoL.II. N» 128. 
10 K 
P. Ib 
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