I fay, that the Ægyptians were, of all Mankind, the most addicted to Enchantments, Sorceries, Predictions, and all that strange and idle Trade of dealing with the world of Spirits and Powers invisible: I pretend not to know how it came to pass, that they were bufied more about these things than other People; but fo we find in all our Hiftories, that it was in Fact; and all the World, especially the East, endeavour'd to learn these Matters of them. And Mofes being learn'd in all the Learning of the Egyptians, was, I believe, accounted a Magician alfo, among them : as Daniel afterwards, and the

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three Children, by being brought up in the Palace of the King of Babylon, and taught the Learning of the Chaldeans, (Dan. i. 4.) came in time to be reckon'd up with, and accounted amongst, the rest of the Magicians, Sorcerers, and Aftrologers of the Realm, and were accordingly confulted upon great Occafions, Ch. i. 20. ii. 18. iv. 9. V. II. Mofes, I fay, being brought up in Pharaoh's Court, and, (as St. Stephen fays) learned in all the Wifdom of the Egyptians, which ran exceedingly to Mathematicks, Hieroglyphicks, and Sublime Sciences, was very probably accounted a Magician,

gician, even before he made thefe great Experiments.

A. This I never confidered before; but when I find that he was forty Years old, before it came into his Heart to vifit his People, and that he was all that while bred up at Court, and in the Egyptian Manners and Learning, I am inclin'd enough to think, he differed very little from other Ægyptian Students. It is not at all plain what Notions he had of God himself, till God appeared to him or at least, till he fled from Egypt, when being come to Years, (which were forty, by comparing Exod. ii. 11. with Acts vii. 23.) he through Faith,

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refus'd to be call'd the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter. Confidering all these things, I think it not improbable, that the Magicians who knew Mofes, his Education, Masters, Studies, and Learning in all the Egyptian Wisdom, fhould think him like one of themfelves: But I know not what Ufe you will make of this, fuppofing it all to be true.

B. No other Ufe than this, that Pharaoh fhould think the Magicians of his Court equal to Mofes, and should therefore fend for them, to fee what they could do; and that the Magicians fhould believe fo too, and thereupon attempt to do as he did: They had

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probably heard, that Mofes's Rod was turn'd into a Serpent, to convince the Children of Ifrael of his Miffion, before he practifed in the Sight of Pharaoh; and therefore when call'd by him to do the like, they came prepar'd with Rods, and with their muttering Incantations, threw them on the Ground, in the fame manner that Mofes did: And in their other Performances exactly imitated him, as appears from their ftretching out their Rods, and Smiting the Duft of the Land, to bring forth Lice, just as Mofes did before them. So that I do not fee there is any neceffity, that their anteceE dent