Mr. Blount's oracles of reason examined and answered in nine sections in which his many heterodox opinions are refuted, the Holy Scriptures and revealed religion are asserted against deism & atheism / by Josiah King ...

Pag. 7.

I know that Manna is now plentifully gathered in Calabria; and Josephus tells me in his Days it was as plentiful in Arabia; the Devil therefore made me quere, where was then the Mira∣cle in the Days of Moses, since the Israelites saw but that in his time, which the Natives of those Countries behold in ours?

ANSWER.

The Authority of Josephus is of little Mo∣ment in this case. Mr. Gregory of Christ Church in his Discourse of the seventy Interpreters, p. 33. hath these Words, When Josephus com∣eth to the Miraculous Passages of holy Writ, he useth a fair way of Dissimulation, still moderating the wonder of a Work, that he bring it down to the Heathens Faith, and make it for ordinary Be∣lief. And of this the said Gregory giveth some Instances; as in the Israelites passing through the Red Sea, of the Sun's standing still in Gi∣beon, of Nebuchadnezzar's change into a Beast, &c. So that the Devil and our Author have appealed to an incompetent Judge: Yet it must be confest, that there seems some Foun∣dation for this Doubt; for very great Natura∣lists have given some Countenance to this Ob∣jection. As Valesius in his Sacra Philosophia, c. 57. and Picus Mirandula, and Salmush in his Commentaries on Pancirallus's Res Memorabile s, lib. 2. tit. 6. But he that considers what the Author of Pseudodoxia Epidemica, lib. 7. c. 7. truly says, will be satisfied of the Invalidity of this Quere.

No one part thereof, saith he, will answer the Qualities of the Israelites Manna, as to fall upon the Ground to breed Worms to melt with the Sun, to tast like fresh Oil to be ground in Mills, to be like Coriander-seed,

and of the Colour of Bdellium. And to this pur∣pose in the Margint he cites the learned Chrysost. Magnenus de Manna. Nor will all kinds of Manna have the Properties of the Israelites Manna, mentioned in the sixteenth Chapter of Exodus; he that gathered much had nothing over, nor he that gathered little had any lack; that which was gathered on the sixth Day did not stink as at other times, on the Sabbath Day it was not to be found on the Fields: nor could any other Manna be kept as this was for all Generations. Now if any Person can prove these Properties in the present Manna of Cala∣bria or Arabia, the Quere cannot be Answer∣ed.