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lead. c Julian fays, that the Oracles of Efculapius return'd Anfwers to thofe that confulted them; and he calls Jupiter to witness, that himself had often been cured by Medecines and Remedies which #fculapius directed him to ufe; tho' Porphyry had declar'd, that fince Jefus was worship'd, Efculapius and all the Gods had forfaken them, as to any publick Help or Benefit, and their private Favours were more liable to Impofture. But this, which Julian fays, fuppofing the Truth of the Fact, does not prove that falfe God to have had more Skill than a Physician might have had; but only fhews, that Devils may have fuch Knowedge of the Nature of things, as to be able to give Prescriptions in Phyfick. e And in former times, for one or two that were Cured, thousands that came to Efculapius's Temple, were never the better, but rather grew worfe. Some Oracles might poffibly take their Anfwers from the Scriptures, as that of Jupiter Hammon concerning Alexander's Victories, if it were not merely a piece of Flattery, which prov'd true by chance. Evil Spirits might likewife be able to inform Men, at a great diftance, of Victories, the fame day they were won, as it is related 8 of feveral, and in particular of the Conqueft of Perfeus King of Macedon, by Paulus Æmilius, when P. Vatienus, to whom this was discover'd the fame day, was imprifon'd, till the News of the Victory was confirm'd, and then he was rewarded with an Eftate, fettled upon him by the Senate. But they could not foretel things that depended upon the Choice of free Agents, and which were not to be fulfill'd till many hundred years after the Prediction; this is peculiar to God himself, who

Apud Cyril. 1. 7. p. 235. d Apud Eufeb. Evang. Præp. I. v.c. r e Arnob. lib. i. f Difpofitiones etiam Dei & nunc Prophetis coneionantibus excerpant, & nunc Lectionibus refonantibus carpunt. Ita & hinc fumentes quafdam temporum fortes, amulantur divinitatem, dum furantur Divinationem, Tertull. Apol. c. 22.

g Cic. de Nat. Deor. 1. 2.

would

would never fuffer the World to be impofed upon by Oracles of this nature, if it had been poffible for the Devil to give them out. And though their Predictions of future Events did fometimes prove true, yet they very often fail'd; for which no Reafon can be given, but the want of Knowledge or Power in the evil Spirits, and the over-ruling Providence of God to difappoint and discover the Delufions. He fruftrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; be turneth wife men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish, Ifai. xliv. 25. s Their Gods would fometimes confefs, that they foretold Events by the Stars; that they were unable to refift the Decrees of Fate; that the Temperature of the Air was the Caufe why they could not always make true Predictions; and therefore they would often forewarn, that what they an fwer'd was not to be credited, and that what they declar'd, was by Force and Conftraint. Force me to Speak no more, fays Apollo, for I shall tell you yes. All which is prov'd by Eufebius and Theodoret, from Porphyry, who had made a Collection of all the Oracles, and took great pains to frame a Syftem of Philofophy out of them. Diogenianus appeal'd to daily Experience, and even to thofe, who profess'd Divination, whether the Answers return'd were not commonly false; and from thence argued, that when they prov'd true, it must be by Chance. And their moft famous Oracles were glad to conceal their Meaning in` so ambiguous terms, that they wanted another Oracle to explain them; for by this means they endeavour'd to avoid the being discover'd to be falfe. Yet this Device would not keep up their Reputation, but most of

8 Eufeb. Præp. l. vi. c. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Theodoret. de Provid. Serm. 1o. Tom. 4.

Diogenian. apud Eufeb. Præpa. 1. 4. c. 2. & Theodoret. de Provid. Serm. 1o. Tom. 4.

Eufeb. de Præp. 1. iv. c. 2.

the

i

the Sects of Philofophers had little or no regard for them; and OEromaus a Cynick Philofopher, finding himself deceiv'd by the Oracle of Apollo, wrote a particular Treatife to difcover the Impofture of Oracles. Demofthenes obferv'd, that the Delphian Oracle was bribed by Philip of Macedon; and divers Inftances k of the Corruption and Subornation of Oracles, are to be found in Herodotus, Plutarch, and other Authors. In Tully's time, nothing grew more contemptible than the Oracles; for, as Men became wifer, they were lefs regarded, and began to cease, 'till by the Power of the Gospel they were quite filenc'd; which put the Heathen upon great Enquiries, to find out what reafon could be given why they fhould fail. The Ceffation of Oracles was not all at once, but by degrees, as the Ceflation likewife of true Prophecies and Miracles was, which were to oppose and abolish them. Their falfe and ambiguous Anfwers had brought them into contempt before, as we learn from Tully de Divin. l. ii. in many places; and upon the Revelation of the Gofpel, their Power was ftill lefs, and they m every day became more despicable; and then they were upheld chiefly by human Artifice and Imposture, 'till they were wholly fubdued and decry'd: They were filenc'd in the fame proportion as Christianity prevail'd, and became eftablifh'd in the World.

The Devil could not always foretel what was to come to pass, and therefore his Agents had need of their Vaults and hollow Statues, and other Artifices, to conceal their Ignorance, and help them out, when their Arts of Conjuration fail'd. But we have no rea

i Cited by Eufeb. de Præpar. 1. v. c. 19, 20, &c. k Vid. Van Dale de Oraculis Ethnicorum.

I Cic. de Divin. Plut. de Defect. Oraculorum.

- Τοῖς ἀρχαίοις μᾶλλον ἦν ἐν τιμῇ καὶ ἡ Μαντική καθόλο, καὶ τὰ χρησήρια, νιωὶ ἢ ολιγωρία κατέχε πολλή. Strabo 1. 17.

fon

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fon to think that the Devil, who is fo induftrious to promote his evil Ends, by all poffible means, would omit fuch an opportunity as was given him by the Opinion which the Heathens had of their Oracles. And the Trials which Crafus and Trajan made, are fufficient to prove, that there was fomething Supernatural and Diabolical in them. Crafus fent to have many Oracles confulted at a set time, and the Queftion to be put to them, was, what Crafus himself at that time was doing; and he refolv'd to be employ'd about the most improbable thing that could be imagin'd, for he was boiling a Tortoise and a Lamb together in a Brass Pot: and yet the Oracle of Delphi discover'd to the Meffengers what the King was then about °. Trajan, when he was going into Parthia, fent a blank Paper, feal'd up, to an Oracle of Affyria for an Anfwer; the Oracle return'd him another blank Paper, to fhew that it was not fo to be impofed upon. Plu tarch P gives an Account of a Governor of Cilicia, who, for Experiment, fent a feal'd Note to the Oracle of Mopfus; and had fo direct an Answer to it, as made him ever after reverence that Oracle. And there is no doubt to be made, but that the Emperor and that Governor would contrive theirs Seals as skilfully as Lucian could do, who fays, That he had fometimes feal'd his Notes, which he fent fo carefully, that all the ways and tricks which he mentions in his Pfeudomantis could not open them, without his dif covering it, when they were to be again return'd to him, with the Anfwer to his Queftions., But though things of present Concernment were discover'd, both to Crafus and Trajan, beyond all human Power to know, yet both were impofed upon by ambiguous Anfwers, when they confulted about things future, of which the Devil could not attain the knowledge.

n Herodot. 1. i. c. 47. • Macrob. Saturn. 1. i. c 23.

P De Orac. Defectu.

Many

Many of the Heathen Priests themselves, upon examination, publickly confeffed feveral of their Óracles to be Impoftures, and difcover'd the whole contrivance and management of the Deceit, which was entred upon Record. And in the reft, the Power of the Devil was always fo limited and restrained, as to afford fufficient means to undeceive Men, though many of his Predictions might come to pafs. The whole Mystery of Soothfaying was of no effect to thofe who profefs'd to difregard it; which was declared by an Author never fufpected of Superftition, to be a known and a very great Inftance of the Divine Goodness. ***

I

The prefence of Chriftians at the Heathen Sacrifices, when they figned themselves with the fign of the Cross, in token of their Chriftianity, though this were unknown to the Priests that facrificed, would hinder the Damons from making those Discoveries of the Events, by the Entrails of Beafts, which they were wont to do. Every ordinary Christian could difpoffefs them, by his Prayers, and bare Adjurations. Apollo declared, that the Just upon Earth hindred him from returning true Anfwers. And as the Devil was forced to declare our Saviour to be the Son of God, by the Mouths of thofe whom he had poffefs'd; fo he was confirain'd to confefs and commend him, by his most noted Oracles, as one of the greatest Enemies of the Gospel, Porphyry himself has inform'd

W

9 Eufeb. Præpar. lib. 4. c. 2. Vid. Theodorit. Hift. 1. 5. c. 22. * In Augurum certe difciplina conftat, neque Diras, neque ulla Aufpicia pertinere ad eos, qui quamque rem ingredientes, obfervare fe ea negaverint: quo munere divina indulgentia majus nullum eft. Plin. Hift. 1. 28. c. 2.

s Lactant. 1. 4. c. 27. de mort. Perfecut. c. 10.

τ Όσα ἂν δικαιο προσάγειν απλέτες ο άνθρωπο; ὡς ἐπίπαν Widia) TO TOLSTOY we. Origen. contra Celf. 1. 7.

v Eufeb. Vit. Conftant. 1.2. c. 50, 51.

w Eufeb. Dem. lib. iii. c. 6. Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. 19. 23.`

us.