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'dom, and ascent to heaven.' But who can believe that, when Porphyry had written a large work, the great design of which, in his remarks upon the book of Daniel, and elsewhere, was to prove Jesus an impostor? And is Porphyry now become an apostle, preaching to the world Christ's resurrection and ascension?

Eunapius indeed, in his Life of Porphyry, says, that' he lived to a great age. Whence it came to pass, that he has left many sentiments different from those which he had delivered in works formerly written.' But that may relate to some lesser matters only. We still have his Life of Plotinus, written when he was seventy years old, or thereabout; where he appears a true heathen philosopher.

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To me it seems very strange, that any christian, especially a learned christian, should call upon heathen people, as Eusebius here does, to hearken to their demons and 'gods speaking in their oracles: who might know, from the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as well as from reason, that heathen deities were nothing, and had neither power nor wisdom; if they were any thing they were evil spirits, and their testimonies were of no value. Our Lord never received the testimony of men who were supposed to be acted by demons. St. Paul did not value the testimony of the young woman at Philippi, who was said to have a spirit of Python, Acts xvi. 16. And I am persuaded, that our Saviour will never thank any of his followers for bringing in demons, or heathen deities in their oracles, speaking in his favour. May I not here adopt the language of St. Paul upon another occasion, and say: "What communion has light with darkness? And what concord has Christ with Belial? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols ?" 2 Cor. vi. 14–16.

6. Once more; this work, of the Philosophy of Oracles, is rarely mentioned by christian writers of the fourth and fifth centuries: therefore it was little known, or not known

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πολλας γεν τοις ηδη προπεπραγματευμενοις βιβλίοις θεωριας εναντιας KATEλITE. Eunap. Vit. Porph. ad fin.

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w Christians sometimes speak very justly, agreeable to the doctrine of the ancient prophets, that all the gods of the heathens were vanity, or senseless idols. It is a pity, that they are not always consistent with themselves. Et idola quidem omni sensu carere, quis dubitet? Verum tamen cum his locantur sedibus, honorabili sublimitate, ut a precantibus atque immolantibus adtendantur, ipsâ similitudine animatorum membrorum atque sensuum, quamvis insensata et exanima, afficiunt infirmos animos, ut vivere et spirare videantur; accedente præsertim veneratione multitudinis, quâ tantus eis cultus impenditur. August. ep. 102. [al. 49.] n. 18. An excellent observation of that great and eminent ancient.

to be written by so considerable a man as Porphyry, who had written against the christians.

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It is often quoted by Eusebius, as we have seen; it was also known, as it seems, to Julius Firmicus Maternus, about the middle of the fourth century; it is also quoted by Theodoret, about 420, as we have seen; but not very often; it is likewise quoted by Augustine in the fifth century; I shall transcribe him presently with remarks; but these are very few only. I forbear to enumerate bere the names of the many writers of the fourth and fifth centuries who have taken no notice of this work; but it appears to me a great objection against its genuineness, that it is never mentioned in any of the numerous works of Jerom, or Cyril of Alexandria. Jerom wrote in the fourth and fifth centuries, and has often taken notice of Porphyry, but says nothing of this work; Cyril lived in the fifth century, and published a work against the emperor Julian in ten books; in that work he has quoted divers of Porphyry's writings, and made good use of them; his Philosophic History, Of Abstinence from Animals, and some others. These Cyril quotes often, and largely; but has not once quoted or named this work, Of the Philosophy taught by Oracles.

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He has, it is true, the verses before quoted from Eusebius, which are likewise partly in Augustine; but not as taken from any writing of Porphyry, nor as a certain thing, but in this manner. When,' says Cyril, somebody 'came to the Pythoness at the temple of Apollo, and inquired which nations were wisest; it is said, the demon there gave this answer; The Chaldeans only have ob'tained wisdom; but the Hebrews worship the self-ex'istent King, God himself. And Porphyry makes mention ' of the Essenes of Judea in these words.' Where Cyril proceeds to quote a passage of the fourth book of his Abstinence from Animals, cap. 13, though without saying from what work of Porphyry he takes it. It is plain, that Cyril does not quote that oracle from any work of Porphyry.

It is likely, that in Cyril's time it was a common story, that the Pythian oracle had some time delivered such an answer as this: but he would not vouch for the truth of the

* J. F. M. de Errore Prof. Rel. p. 432, 433. ed. Gronov. 1709.

* Αφικομενο γαρ τινος Πυθοι προς τον Απολλωνος νεων, ερομένω τε και αναμαθειν εθελοντος, τινες αν ησαν ότι μαλιτα σοφοι των εθνων ; χρησαι φασι τον αυτοθι δαιμονα.

Μενοι Χαλδαιοι σοφίην λαχον, οἱ δ' αρ' Εβραιοι,

Αυτογενητον ανακτα σεβαζομενοι Θεον αυτόν.

Διαμεμνηται δε και Πορφύριος των κατά Ιεδαίαν Εσσαίων, και φησιν ώδε περι avrov. Contr. Jul. I. v. p. 180.

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relation. The same is in Justin Martyr's Cobortatio ad Græcos, if it be his; and it is brought in much after the same manner as in Cyril. • When one, as you say, asked your oracle who had been religious men, the oracle, as you say, gave this answer:

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The Chaldæans only have obtained wisdom, and the Hebrews worship the self-existent King, God himself.” 7. We will now see what Augustine says of this work. He is showing, that the God whom the christians worship is the true God. Lastly,' says he, He is God, whom Porphyry, the most learned of the philosophers, though a bitter enemy of the christians, and also the oracles whom 'he thinks to be gods, acknowledge to be the great God.' For in his books, which he calls the Philosophy of

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2 Ερομενε γαρ τινος, ὡς αυτοι φατε, τε παρ' ὑμιν χρηςηριε, τινας συνεβη Θεοσεβείς ανδρας γεγενησθαι ποτε, 8τω το χρηςηριον ειρηκεναι φατε.

Μενοι Χαλδαιοι σοφίην λαχον, ηδ' αρ' 'Εβραιοι,
Αυτογενητον ανακτα σεβαζομενοι Θεον αυτον.

Just. M. ad Gr. Coh. p. 15. Ben. 12. Par.

a Postremo ipse est Deus, quem doctissimus philosophorum, quamvis christianorum acerrimus inimicus, etiam per eorum oracula, quos Deos putat, Deum magnum Porphyrius confitetur. De Civ. Dei, l. xix. cap. 22.

Nam in libris, quos ek λoyiwv piλocopias appellat, in quibus exsequitur, atque conscribit rerum ad philosophiam pertinentium velut divina responsa, ut ipsa verba ejus, quemadmodum ex linguâ Græcâ in Latinam interpretata sunt, ponam. Interroganti, inquit, quem Deum placando revocare possit uxorem suam a christianismo, hæc ait versibus Apollo. Deinde verba velut Apollinis ista sunt: Forte magis poteris in aquâ impressis literis scribere, aut ad instans pennas leves, per aëra ut avis volare, quam semel pollutæ revoces impiæ uxoris sensum. Pergat quomodo vult inanibus fallaciis perseverans, et lamentationibus fallacissimis mortuum Deum cantans, quem judicibus recta sentientibus perditum, pessima in speciosis ferro juncta mors interfecit. Deinde post hos versus Apollinis, qui non stante metro Latine interpretati sunt, subjunxit, atque ait: În his quidem tergiversationem irremediabilis sententiæ eorum manifestavit, dicens, Quoniam Judæi suscipiunt Deum magis quam isti. Ecce ubi decolorans Christum, Judæos præposuit christianis, confitens, quod Judæi suscipiunt Deum. Sic enim exposuit versus Apollinis, ubi a judicibus recta sentientibus Christum dicit occisum, tanquam illis juste judicantibus, merito sit ille punitus. Viderit quid de Christo vates mendax Apollinis dixerit, atque iste crediderit: aut fortasse vatem, quod non dixerit, dixisse iste ipse confixerit. Quam vero sibi constet, vel ipsa oracula inter se faciat convenire, postea videbimus. Hic tamen Judæos, tanquam Dei susceptores, recte dicit judicâsse de Christo, quod eum morte pessimâ excruciandum esse censuerint. Deus itaque Judæorum, cui perhibet testimonium, audiendus fuit, dicens: "Sacrificans Diis eradicabitur, nisi Domino tantum," Ex. xxii. 20. Sed ad manifestiora veniamus, et audiamus quam magnum Deum dicat esse Judæorum. Item ad ea quæ interrogavit Apollinem, quid melius, sive verbum, sive ratio, an lex. Respondit, inquit, versibus hæc dicens. Ac deinde subjicit versibus, et in quibus et ista sunt, ut quantum satis est, inde decerpam: In Deum, inquit, generatorem, et regem ante omnia, quem tremit cœlum et terra, atque mare, et infernorum abdita, et ipsa numina perhorrescunt; quorum lex est Pater, quem valde sancti honorant Hebræi. Tali oraculo

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Oracles, and writes of things pertaining to Philosophy, as • delivered in answers from the gods, he speaks to this purpose. And I shall put down his very words, as they have "been translated out of the Greek tongue into Latin. He says, when he inquired what god he should appease in order to reduce his wife from christianity, Apollo an'swered in verse: 66 Possibly you may more easily write in water, or fly in the air like a bird, than convert your wife once polluted with impiety." Let him go on as he will, singing with his fallacious lamentations the dead god, whom the judges rightly condemned, and the worst death 'destroyed. Then, after these verses of Apollo, which are 'not translated into good Latin metre, he subjoins, and says; Hereby he [the god] "expressed their incurable obstinacy. For the Jews may sooner acknowledge God than they." Observe, how to disparage Christ he prefers the Jews before christians, confessing that the Jews ac'knowledge God; for so he explained the verses of Apollo, where he says, that Christ was put to death by judges thinking right things, as if they had passed a just judgDei sui Apollinis Porphyrius tam magnum Deum dixit Hebræorum, ut eum et ipsa numina perhorrescunt; quorum lex est Pater, quem valde sancti honorant Hebræi. Tali oraculo dei sui Apollinis, Porphyrius tam magnum Deum dixit Hebræorum, ut eum et ipsa numina perhorrescant. Cum ergo Deus iste dixerit, "Sacrificans diis eradicabitur," miror, quod ipse Porphyrius non perhorruerit, et sacrificans diis non formidaverit. Cap. 23. n. 1.

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Chris

2. Dicit etiam bona philosophus iste de Christo, quasi oblitus illius, de quâ paullo ante locuti sumus, contumeliæ suæ ; aut quasi in somnis dii ejus maledixerint Christo, et vigilantes bonum esse cognoverint, digneque laudaverint. Denique, tanquam mirabile aliquid atque incredibile prolaturus, præter opinionem, inquit, profecto quibusdam videatur esse, quod dicturi sumus. tum enim dii piissimum pronuntiaverunt, et immortalem factum, et cum bonâ prædicatione ejus meminerunt. Christianos vero pollutos, inquit, et contaminatos, et errore implicatos dicunt; et multis talibus adversus eos blasphemiis utuntur. Deinde subjicit velut deorum oracula blasphemantium christianos. Et post hæc. De Christo autem, inquit, interrogantibus, si est Deus, ait Hecate : Quoniam quidem immortalis anima post corpus ut incedit, tu nôsti: a sapientiâ autem abscissa semper errat: viri pietate præstantissimi est illa anima. Hanc colunt alienâ a se veritate: Deinde post verba hujus quasi oraculi sua ipse contexens, piissimum igitur virum, inquit, eum dixit, et ejus animam, sicut et aliorum piorum, post obitum immortalitate donatam, et hanc colere christiani errantes. Interrogantibus autem, inquit, Cur ergo damnatus est? Oraculo respondit Dea: Corpus quidem debilitantibus tormentis semper oppositum est: anima autem piorum cœlesti sede insidet. Illa vero anima aliis animabus fataliter dedit, quibus fata non annuerunt deorum obtinere dona, neque habere Jovis immortalis agnitionem, errore implicari. Propterea ergo diis exosi quia quibus fato fuit nou nôsse Deum, nec dona a diis accipere, his fataliter dedit iste errore implicari. Ipse vero pius, et in cœlum, sicut pii, concessit. Itaque hunc quidem non blasphemabis; misereberis autem hominum dementiam, ex eo in eis facile præcepsque periculum. Ib. n. 2.

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ment, and he had been deservedly punished. Let him see 'to it, what the lying priest of Apollo said of Christ, and he believed; or, perhaps, he himself pretended, the priest 'had said what he did not say. But how he is consistent ' with himself, or how he makes the oracles to agree, we 'shall see hereafter. However, here he says, the Jews as worshippers of God, judged rightly concerning Christ, when they condemned him to suffer the worst death; 'therefore the God of the Jews, to whom he bears this testimony, ought to be heard, who says: "He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only, shall be destroyed," Ex. xxii. 20. But let us proceed to plainer things, and let us hear how great a God, he says, the God of the Jews is; and therefore let us observe the question he put to Apollo, Which is the best instructor, reason or law? He says, he made the answer in verse, saying these things. Then he puts down Apollo's verses, in which are these, that I may take what is sufficient; " You must worship 'the God creator, king, before all things, before whom the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and things hidden in 'the deep tremble, and whom the gods themselves dread 'whose law is the Father, whom the pious Hebrews adore." In that oracle of his god Apollo, Porphyry declares the 'God of the Hebrews to be so great, that the gods them'selves dread him. When therefore that God has said, “he that sacrificeth to other gods shall be destroyed," I 'wonder that Porphyry himself did not dread him, and did 'not fear to be destroyed when he sacrificed to other gods.'

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This philosopher also says good things of Christ, as if ' he had forgot the reproach before mentioned; or, as if his gods blasphemed Christ in their sleep, and when they awoke acknowledged his merit, and gave him due praises. Finally, then as if he was about to say something wonderful and incredible, he says: "It may indeed appear 'strange which we are going to say. For the gods declared 'Christ to be most pious, and made immortal, and spoke 'honourably of him:" but, as he says, they said, "the christians were polluted and corrupted, and involved in 'error." And many such reproaches they cast upon them. Then he subjoins oracles of the gods reproaching the chris'tians; afterwards he says, " when we inquired concerning Christ, whether he be a god, Hecate answered; That the 'soul after separation from the body becometh immortal 'thou knowest. A soul void of wisdom always wanders; but that is the soul of a man most eminent for piety. This they worship not rightly." Then, after the words of the

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