Conjectura cabbalistica

likelihood a part of the Philosophick Cabbala of Moses. Which you will more fully understand in my Defence thereof.

In brief, all those conclusions that are comprised in the Philosophick Cabbala, they being such as may best become that sublime and comprehensive understanding of Moses, and being also so plainly answerable to the Phænomena observable appearances of Nature and Attributes of God, as well as continuedly agreeable without any force or distortion to the Historical Text; this I conceive is no small probability that this Cabbala is true: For what can be the properties of the true Philosophick Cabbala of Moses, if these be not which I have named?

Now for the Moral Cabbala it bears its own evidence with it all the way, representing Moses as well experienced in all Godliness and Honesty, as he was skillful in Politics and Philosophy.

And the edifying usefulness of this Mystical or Moral Cabbala, to answer to your last demand, was no small invitation amongst the rest to publish this present Exposition. For Moral and Spiritual Truth that so nearly concerns us being so strangely and unexpectedly, and yet so fitly and appositely represented in this History of Moses, it will in all likelihood make the more forcible impression upon the mind, and more powerfully carry away our affections toward what is good and warrantable, pre-instructing us with delight concern-

ing the true way to Virtue and Godliness.

Nor are the Philosophick nor Literal Cabbala's destitute of their honest uses. For in the former to the amazement of the mere Naturalist In this context, someone who studies nature but lacks religious insight. (who commonly conceits that pious men and Patrons of Religion have no ornaments of mind but scrupulosities about virtue, and melancholy fancies concerning a Deity) Moses is found to have been Master of the most sublime and generous speculations that are in all Natural Philosophy: besides that he places the soul of man many degrees out of the reach of fate and mortality. And by the latter there is a very charitable provision made for them that are so prone to expect rigid precepts of Philosophy in Moses his outward Text. For this Literal Cabbala will steer them off from that toil of endeavouring to make the bare letter speak consonantly to the true frame of nature: Which while they attempt with more zeal than knowledge, they both disgrace themselves and wrong Moses. For there are unalterable and indelible Idea's and Notions in the mind of man, into which when we are awakened and apply to the known course and order of nature, we can no more forsake the use of them than we can the use of our own eyes, nor misbelieve their dictates no more, nor so much, as we may those of our outward senses. Wherefore to men recovered into a due command of their reason, and well-skill'd in the contemplation and experience of the nature of things, to propound to them such kind of Mo-