were skilful in civil Matters. And if at any Time, God made Use of any of those Works, done by the Diviners among the Heathens, to foretel such Things as could have no other real Foundation but the Will of God; it did not tend to confirm the Heathen Religion, but rather to overthrow it; such as those Things we find (a) in Virgil's Fourth Eclogue, taken out of the Sibylline Verses; (b) in which, though unknown to himself, he

describes

"rations in the Republic, that there is nothing which is not "laid open; so that one would easily be led to think Prudence "to be a Kind of Divination. For Cicero did not only foretel "future Things, that would happen in his own Life time, but "like a Diviner, declared those also that came to pass lately." Cicero affirms truly of himself, in his Sixth Epistle of his Sixteenth Book: "In that War, nothing happened ill, which I did "not foretel. Wherefore, since I who am a public Augur, "like other Augurs and Astrologers, by my former Predictions, "have confirmed you in the Authority of Augury and Divination, you ought to believe what I foretel. I do not make my Conjecture from the flying of Birds, nor from the "Manner of their chirping, as our Art teaches us, nor from "the rebounding of the Corn that falls from the Chickens' "Mouths, nor from Dreams; but I have other Signs, which "I observe." Thus Solon foretold that great Calamities would come upon Athens, from Munichia. And Thales, that the Forum of the Milesi would one Time be in a Place then despised. Plutarch in Solon.

(a) In Virgil's fourth Eclogue, &c.] See Augustine's City of God, Book X. Chap. 27.

(b) In which, though unknown, &c.] It is now sufficiently evident, that all the Prophecies of the Sibyls are either doubtful or forged; wherefore I would not have Virgil, an Interpreter of the Sibyl, be thought to have declared a Kind of Prophecy, without any Design; like Caiphas, who was ignorant of what he prophesied: I know not what Sibyl, or rather Person, under the Disguise of such a one, predicted, that the Golden Age was a coming; from the Opinion of those who thought that there would be a Renovation of all Things, and that the same Things would come to pass again. See what Grotius has said of this Matter, Book II. Sect. 10. and the Notes upon that Place. Wherefore in this, the Sibyl was not a Prophetess, nor did Virgil write thence any Prophecies

describes the Coming of Christ, and the Benefits we should receive from him: Thus in the same Sibyls, that (a) he was to be acknowledged as King, who was to be truly our King; (b) who was to rise out of the East, and be Lord of all Things. (c) The Oracle of Apollo is to be seen (a) in Porphyry; in which he

4

says,

of Christ See Servius upon the Place, and Isaac Vossius's Interpretation of that Eclogue. Le Clerc.

(a) He was to be acknowledged as King, &c.] Cicero mentions him in his Second Book of Divination.

(b) Who was to rise out of the East, &c.] Suetonius of Ves pasian, Chap. 4. Tacitus, Hist. 4.

(c) The Oracle of Apollo, &c.] See Augustine of the City of God, Book XX. Chap. 23. and Eusebius's Preparat. Book IV. Chap. 4. And the same Porphyry, in his Book of the Oracles, says, "The God (Apollo) testifies that the Egyptians, Chal"deans, Phoenicians, Lydians, and Hebrews, are they who "have found out the Truth." He that wrote the Exhortation to the Greeks, amongst the Works of Justin, quotes this Oracle :

The Hebrews only and Chaldees are wise,
Who truly worship God the eternal King.

And this,

Who the first Mortal form'd, and call'd him Adam.

There are two Oracles of Cato's concerning Jesus, which Eusebius, in his Gospel Demonstration transcribed out of Porphyry:

Souls of their Bodies stript, immortal are,
This wise Men know; and that which is endued
With greatest Piety, excels the rest :

The Souls of pious Men to Heaven ascend,
Though various Torments do their Bodies vcr.

The same are mentioned by Augustine, Book XXIX. Chap. 23. of his City of God, out of the same Porphyry; where he brings another Oracle, in which Apollo said, that the Father whom the pious Hebrews worshipped, was a Law to all the Gods.

(d) In Porphyry, &c.] This is justly enough said upon Porphyry, and those who are of the same Opinion with him,

concerning

says, the other Gods were aërial Spirits, and that the one God of the Hebrews was to be worshipped: Which Words, if the Worshippers of Apollo obeyed, they ceased to be his Worshippers; if they did not obey him, they accused their God of a Lye. To which may be added, that if these Spirits would, in their Oracles, have consulted the Good of Mankind; they would, above all Things, have proposed to them a general Rule of Life, and assured them of a Reward, which they who so lived might expect; but they did neither of them. On the contrary, (a) they many Times in their Verses applauded Kings, though never so wicked; (b) decreed Divine Honours to Champions, (c) enticed Men to unlawful Embraces, (d) to pursue unjust Gain, (e) and to commit Murder; which may be evidenced by many Instances.

concerning those Oracles, and may be brought as an Argument ad Hominem, as Logicians call it; but since it does appear, that these Oracles were feigned; nay, there are very good Reasons to think they were fictitious, they ought to be of no Weight amongst Christians. Le Cierc.

(a) They many Times in their Verses, &c.] See those alledged by Oenomaus in Eusebius's Gospel Preparat. Book V. Chap. 23, and 35.

(b) Decreed Divine Honours to Champions, &c.] See the same Author, Chap. 32. of Cleomedes; which we find also in Origen's Third Book against Celsus.

(c) Enticed Men to unlawful Embraces, &c.] This was shewn before.

(d) To pursue unjust Gain, &c.] See Eusebius's Gospel Preparat. Book V. Chap. 22.

(e) And to commit Murder, &c.] Oenomaus recites Oracles of this Kind, which you may find in the forementioned Book of Eusebius, Chap. 19, and 27.

SECT.

SECT. X.

The Heathen Religion rejected, because it failed of its own Accord, as soon as human Assistance was wanting.

BESIDES those Things already alledged, the Heathen Religion affords us a very strong Argument against itself, in that wheresoever human Force was wanting, it immediately fell, as if its only Support were then taken away. For, if you turn your Eyes towards all the Christian or Mahometan Empires, you will find Heathenism no where mentioned but in Books: Nay, History informs us, that in those Times; when the Emperors made use of Force and Punishment, as the first Emperors did; or of Learning and Cunning, as Julian did, to support the Heathen Religion; even then, it continually decreased; no Force being made use of against it, no Greatness of Family (for it was commonly believed that Jesus was the Son of a Carpenter;) no Flourish of Words, no Bribes (for they were poor;) no Flattery, for they on the contrary despised all Advantages, and said there was no Adversity but they ought to undergo, upon Account of their Law. And now, how weak must the Heathen Religion be, to be overthrown by such weak Helps? Nor did the vain Credulity of the Heathens only vanish at this Doctrine, (a) but Spirits themselves came out of Men, at the Name of Christ; were silenced; and being asked the Reason of their Silence, (b) were forced to own, that they could do nothing when Christ was invoked.

(a) But Spirits themselves came out of Men, &c.] Acts v. 16. viii. 7. xvi. 18.

(b) Were forced to own, &c.] Tertullian in his Apology. See also Lucan against false Diviners, Apollo in Daphe: This

66

Place, Daphne, is filled with dead Bodies, which hinder the "Oracles." Babylas and other Christian Martyrs died there. See Chrysostom against the Gentiles.

SECT,

SECT. XI.

An Answer to this, that the Rise and Decay of Re ligion is owing to the Stars.

THERE were some Philosophers, who ascribed the Rise and Decay of all Religion to the Stars, But this starry Science, which they profess to know and understand, is delivered in such different Rules, (a) that there is nothing certain to be found in it, but this one Thing, that there is no Certainty in it. I do not speak of those Effects, which naturally follow from necessary Causes; (b) but of such as proceed from the Will of Man, which is in its own Nature so far free, as that no external Necessity can be laid upon it: For if the Act of Willing flowed from such a necessary Impression, (c) that Power, which we experience in the Soul, of deliberating and choosing, would be given us to no Purpose; (d) and the Justice of all Laws, and of Rewards and Punishments, would be entirely taken away; because their is neither Blame nor Desert due to

(a) That there is nothing certain to be found in it, &c.] See the excellent Dissertation of Bardefanes, the Syrian, concerning this Matter; which you may find in the Philocalia collected from Origen, and in Eusebius's Preparat. Book VI. Chap. 10.

(b) But of such as proceed from the Will of Man, &c.] See Alexander Aphrodisaus's Book concerning this Matter.

(c) That Power which we experience, &c.] See Eusebius's Gospel Preparat, Book VI. Chap. 6.

(d) And the Justice of all Laws, &c.] See Justin's Apology II. "If Mankind be not endued with a Power of choosing freely; to avoid that which is bad, and to comply with that "which is good; the Cause of either of them cannot be said "to be from himself." See also what follows. And thus Tatian: "The Freedom of the Will consists in this; that a "wicked Man is justly punished, because his Wickedness is " from himself; and a good Man is rewarded, because he has not "voluntarily transgressed the Will of God." To this may be added Chalcidius's Disputation concerning this Matter in Timeus.

that