An essay towards a natural history of serpents. In two parts. I. The first exhibits a general view of serpents, in their various aspects...The second gives a view of most serpents known in the several parts of the world... III. To which is added a third part; containing six dissertations upon the following articles. 1. Upon the primeval serpent in paradise. 2. The fiery serpents that infested the camp of Israel. 3. The brazen serpent erected by Moses. 4. The divine worship given to serpents by the nations. 5. The origin and reason of that monstrous worship. 6. Upon the adoration of different kinds of beasts by the Egyptians ... The whole intermix'd with variety of entertaining digressions, philosophical and historical / By Charles Owen, D. D.

  • Charles Owen
Date:
1742
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay towards a natural history of serpents. In two parts. I. The first exhibits a general view of serpents, in their various aspects...The second gives a view of most serpents known in the several parts of the world... III. To which is added a third part; containing six dissertations upon the following articles. 1. Upon the primeval serpent in paradise. 2. The fiery serpents that infested the camp of Israel. 3. The brazen serpent erected by Moses. 4. The divine worship given to serpents by the nations. 5. The origin and reason of that monstrous worship. 6. Upon the adoration of different kinds of beasts by the Egyptians ... The whole intermix'd with variety of entertaining digressions, philosophical and historical / By Charles Owen, D. D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Tnbal-cain of Mojes, {Gen. iv. 22.) the firft Artificer in Brafs and Iron : Plato's Atlanticus is a Fable founded upon the Hiftory of Noah's Flood: The Fable of the Giants ftorming Heaven, is ta¬ ken from the Builders of the Tower of Babel, as before: Yea, fays a Learned Father (after Numenius, the celebrated Pythagorean and Platonifl) what is Plato but Mojes in an Athenian Drejs*? But to be more particular, 1. SATAN, who conducted the War in Eden, dilplay’d his Art under the Form of a Serpent, which Mojes reprefents as a Creature of fuperior Wifdom, and Illuminator of Mankind. Now the Tradition, that the firjl Serpent had not only the Gift of fpeaking, but of communicating Science, and had held a Conference with the firft Woman, to the vaft Increafe of her Knowledge, might at laft fwell to fuch a degree, that ignorant People might attri¬ bute to that Serpent, and her Race, a kind of Divinity ; and for this Reafon alfo, becaufe in the Perfections of the Mind the ex¬ ceeded our firft Parents, who being conftituted Governors of the Earth, muft be fuppofed to be furnifh’d with extraordinary Ac¬ complishments : But, fays Tradition, here is one who infufed greater Knowledge into them, and made them more wifej and they, for contefting with the Wifdom of the Serpent, were turned out of Paradife, and ordain’d their Dwelling to be among the Beafts of the Field. Surely, might the People fay, fo great a Being as this Ser¬ pent merits our awful Regards. Now, how far fuch Thoughts might operate in thofe early days of Ignorance and Superftition, I determine not: The Serpent indeed, is faid to be more fubtle than the Beafts of the Field, but not more wife than Adam and Eve. It is more ftrange, to think that in the primitive Church there were certain Hereticks call’d Ophites, took their Name from Ophis •f-, who worfhipped the Serpent that betray’d Eve, and af- cribed all forts of Knowledge to that Animal, maintain’d ’twas a good Creature, and that our firft Parents were inftruCted by it to know Good and Evil. Yea, they believed, “ the Serpent that “ tempted * T1 yup tqi riAaTtov % Msirt]; arrQuid enim eji Plato, nip Mojes qui loquitur Attu'e < Ur, Quid enim ahud ejt Plato, quam Alofet Atticijfans l Clemcntis Aiexandrini Opera, Strom, lib 1. Colonize p.342. f A Greek word that ligmfies a Serpent.