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[223]
Now the Egyptians were the first that cast reproaches upon us; in
order to please which nation, some others undertook to pervert the truth,
while they would neither own that our forefathers came into Egypt from
another country, as the fact was, nor give a true account of our departure
thence. And indeed the Egyptians took many occasions to hate us and envy
us: in the first place, because our ancestors had had the dominion over
their country? and when they were delivered from them, and gone to their
own country again, they lived there in prosperity. In the next place, the
difference of our religion from theirs hath occasioned great enmity between
us, while our way of Divine worship did as much exceed that which their
laws appointed, as does the nature of God exceed that of brute beasts;
for so far they all agree through the whole country, to esteem such animals
as gods, although they differ one from another in the peculiar worship
they severally pay to them. And certainly men they are entirely of vain
and foolish minds, who have thus accustomed themselves from the beginning
to have such bad notions concerning their gods, and could not think of
imitating that decent form of Divine worship which we made use of, though,
when they saw our institutions approved of by many others, they could not
but envy us on that account; for some of them have proceeded to that degree
of folly and meanness in their conduct, as not to scruple to contradict
their own ancient records, nay, to contradict themselves also in their
writings, and yet were so blinded by their passions as not to discern it.
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