by fome of their mouths to predict, &c. and as far as it was in their power to know, I think it may reasonably be fuppofed, while there was an oracle and prophets before Chrift came, the devils might be permitted to do what they could among the apoftates the Heathen, in thofe points. And as when the divine oracle had long ceafed, and prophecy alfo ceafed with the apoftles, &c. there was no further pretence to oracles, prophets, &c. among the Heathens. It almoft amounts to evidence, that there had been fomething of that nature, and that it was no longer permitted: whether this be not one of the caftings out of Satan defcribed under various names in the Revelations, may be confidered.* Whether our Magogian Scythians received the use of the Jodhan Morain, whilst they remained in the Holy land, or if it defcended to them fince by communication with the Phoenicians, Thracians or Carthaginians, I cannot determine. Certain it is, they imitated the Urim and Thummim in the ornament before us. The Jews borrowed or were permitted to use feveral ornaments in their church, common to the Heathens. They alfo named them in their own language, fo as to correfpond as near as poffible with the Egyptian or Phoenician language in found. † Such may have been the words Urim and Thummim, which are fuppofed by fome, to fignify light

Hutchinfon Data in Chrift. See alfo, Princerus de divi

natióne.

+ The learned Millius is of a contrary opinion: unde colligo facra gentilibus cum Ifraelitis communia, non a gentilibus ad Ifraelitas, fed ab Ifraelitis potius ad alias gentes manaffe.

and

and perfection; but why then are the Hebrew words in the plural number. The 70tranflate them by A7 Ana, i. e. manifestation and truth, because the anfwers given by this oracle were alays clear and manifeft.

In Irish, uram and urm is to refolve, and tumam to enquire into diligently, and fo to distinguish: In the preamble of the Seanacafmor, or great code of Irish laws, (the oldest the Irish have) are these words, ag tumas olc on maith agus maith on olc. i. e. enquiring into and diftinguishing good from evil and evil from good, that is, the oracle.-Thefe word is ftrong in the compound Brei-thumnas, an oracle. Dr. Hyde, derives the word from thamur, facrificium juge. Such fays he, was the Urim & Thummim, which the Arabs call temima. In Buxtorf's Chaldee Lex. we find on thamam, abfolvere, perfeci, compleri. Halloway under the Hebrew Hhartum, a magician, fays, it partakes of taman to hide and conceal. I believe it rather means to disclose a thing hidden. Ireland, till lately, abounded with Tamans. I know a farmer's wife in the Co. of Waterford, that loft a parcel of linen: fhe travelled three days journey to a Taman, in the Co. of Tipperary,--he confulted his Black-book, and affured her fhe would recover the goods ;-the robbery was proclaimed at the chapel, offering a reward, and the linen was recovered ;—it was not the money, but the Taman that recovered it.

The learned Dr. Spencer, thinks the Phefal and Mafach of Micah made of the two hundred fhekels of filver, to have been the fame as the Urim and

Thum

Thummim. * Urim, autem inftrumentum concavum decore fabricatum Theraphim antiquitus appellatum fuiffe videtur, - Urim & Thummim per apertum duplicati Pectoralis latus immiffa concavum illius medium occupaffe-& quia nonulli Urim & Thummim voces tantum inertes lamina quadam aurea exaratas, & in pectoralis arcano reconditas: alii ea duas tantum virtutes.

Christ. a Caftor tells us, they were two images, which being shut up in the doubling of the Breastplate, did from thence give the oracular anfwer by a voice and Dr. Spencer is alfo of this opinion. Dr. Pocock treats this as a conceit both abfurd and impious, as favouring more of heathenifm and idolatry, than of the pure inftitution of a Divine Law.

Dr. Prideaux, thinks the words Urim and Thummim, only meant the Divine virtue and power, given to the Breast-plate in its confecration, of obtaining an oraculous answer from God.

In Levit. viii. and 8. we find the Urim and Thummim, mentioned without the twelve ftones, viz. he put the breast-plate upon him; alfo he put in the breast-plate the Urim ou Thummim. And, Deut. xxxiii. and 8. Let thy Urim ou thy Thummim be with thy holy one: Here is no mention made of Breaft-plate or Stones.

The Hebrew copulative particle ou, fignifies or, as well as and. So that Urim & Thummim,

* Judges, chap. xvii. 4. and 5.

confufion,

may be fynonimous words, correfponding to the Irish Uraim or (vel) Tammam.

The High Prieft was not to confult the Urim for any private perfon, but only for the king, for the prefident of the Sanhedrim, for the general of an army, or for for fome other great prince or public governor in lfrael; and not for any private affairs, but for fuch only as related to the public intereft of the nation, either in Churcit or State.

Cur Hibernian Druids never confulted the lodhan Morain, but in the courts of juftice, or on affairs of ftate; to all their decrees Urraim, i. e. implicit obedience was paid.

In dubious cafes, or where the intereft of the Church was concerned, or the election of a king, they confulted the LIATH MEISICITH, or Liath Fail.

* To avoid this confufion, the Irish language either prefixes ce, ke, i. e. feeing that, or affixes gus, i. e. fact, deed, truly; ex. gr. ceo, keo, and: from whence the Greek xai: ougus, contracted to agus: or, oundea, i. e. and in truth, contracted to andea: it is remarkable that agus is only to be found in the Egyptian, Bafc, or Cantabrian; and in the Irish, Eife and Manx :from oundea, is formed the German unde, the Teutonik ende, and the English and,

THE