with the former, though not in every thing. He blames the latter for using figures of rhetoric instead of reasons, treating Van Dale and Fontenelle as Socinians, setting the mob at them, and such sort of pauvretez. But as great guns are the Ratio ultima Regum, so these are the Ratio ultima Disputatorum, and sup ply the want of ammunition: and yet it is not altogether fair and honourable war; it is shooting chewed bullets and glass bottles. Cæterum, says Le Clerc, notatu dignissimum est hoc Oraculum, quod neque a Judreo, neque a Christiano, neque etiam ab Ethnico e vulgo fingi potuit. Oper. Phil. tom. ii. in Indice, HEBRAI. Yet it might be made by some fantastical Pagan, who entertained a favourable opinion of the Chaldæans and of the Jews; or rather by some Jew, who was not very scrupulous, and who might join the Chaldæans to the Jews, thinking it would remove the suspicion that the oracle was framed by a Jew: he might also give this honour to the Chaldæans for the sake of his father Abraham, who was a Chaldæan. Or it might be the work of some old heretic, or of some foolish Christian. It seems to have been forged in the same shop where the orphic verses before-mentioned were fabricated: No one knew God, says this Orpheus, Εἰ μὴ μονογενές τις ἀποῤῥως φύλα ἄνωθεν Χαλδαίων. Ast aliquis tantum Chaldæo a sanguine cretus. By whom, says Clemens, he means Abraham, or his son, Strom. v. p. 723. Clemens observes that Orpheus borrowed his thoughts and expressions from the Scriptures, and so far he is certainly in the right. An An oracle of Apollo in Lactantius de Fals. Rel. i. 7. says, Οὔνομα μηδὲ λόγῳ χωρέμενον, ἐν πυρὶ ναίων, Τετὶ Θεός· μικρὰ δὲ Θεό μερὶς ἄγγελοι ἡμεῖς. Nomen ne verbo quidem capiendum, in igne habitans, Hoc Deus est: modica autem Dei portio Angeli nos. Made by a Jew, or a Christian. There are more of the same stamp in Lactantius, and also Sibylline oracles bearing the most manifest marks of imposture. Justin Cohort. § 16. and others after him, give us these Sibylline verses, which teach the unity of God, and condemn idolatry, and sacrifices, and exhort to the love of God, and are altogether in the language of the Scriptures, and carry their own confutation along with them: Εἷς Θεὸς ὃς μόνος ἐσὶν ὑπερμεγέθης, ἀγένητος, Παντοκράτωρ, αόρατος, ὁρώμενος αὐτὸς ἅπαντα Ipse autem a nulla videtur carne mortali. * Rather defunctorum. But I leave the Latin versions usually as I find them, though sometimes they want emendation. Καὶ βωμὸς, εἰκαῖα λίθων ἀφιδρύματα κωφῶν, In the fourth line, instead of ribs, one might read αθανάτοιο τρίβω, with ἀπὸ understood ; which may be translated, We have erred from the everlasting path; but I rather think that alavárono Teis means the path of God; ἀπὸ τῆς τρίβε το ̓Αθανάτω. Εγνώρισας με ὁδὸς ζωῆς. Psal. xv. 11. Τί ἐπλάνησας ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδᾶ ( ; Isa. Ixiii. 17. Στῆτε ἐπὶ ταῖς ὁδοῖς, καὶ ἔδελε, καὶ ἐρωτήσατε τρίβος Κυρία αἰωνίας· καὶ ἴδελε ποία ἐςὶν ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀγαθή. Jerem. vi. 16. And the Prophetess says in another place, Εύθειαν προλιπόντες. Στρίβον ὀρθὴν Justin in his Dialogue takes no notice of the Sibyl; in his Apology he mentions her as foretelling the conflagration at the last day, and saying many good things; and complains that it was forbidden to read her. The Cohortatio is thought to surpass his other works in elegance of diction; but that alone will hardly be a sufficient reason to pronounce it spurious, though it may justify a suspicion and an hesitation about it. The Benedictin Editor, p. 604. says, scriberet Cohortationem ad Græcos Justinus, credebat Septuaginta illos Viros, dum pro se quisque separatim Cum inclusi inclusi laborabant, magno miraculo in omnibus verbis et sententiis inter se consensisse. Sed hanc fabulam, nec in prima Apologia, ubi agit de Septuaginta Interpretibus, commemorat, nec in Dialogo illius credende onus imponit Judais: in quo quidem non levis conjectura est eam Justinum aut missam fecisse, aut saltem suspectum habere capisse. Some will rather conjecture from this, that Justin was not the author of the Cohortatio; and I could name a friend, well known to the learned world, and a very good judge, who thinks that nothing of Justin is certainly genuine, besides the Dialogue, and the Apologies. The Benedictin endeavours to prove that the Cohortatio is to be ascribed to him, and contends with Casimire Oudin, who held the contrary opinion. Pref. p. Ixviii. The Sibyl in the Procem says, Τίς γδ (αξ δύναται τὸν ἐπουράνιον καὶ ἀληθῆ Οφθαλμοῖσιν ἰδεῖν Θεὸν ἄμβροτον, ὃς πόλον οἰκεῖ; 80 *Ανθρωποι εἶναι δυνατοὶ, θνητοὶ γεγαῶτες. Corporeis oculis etenim quis cernere verum Eternumque Deum possit, cælumque colentem ? Cum neque splendentis radiantia lumina solis Sustineant homines mortales cernere contra. Socrates in Xenophon has the same sentiment, and says that the Deity is inconspicuous, and that a man cannot look upon the sun without being dazzled. Memor. iv. 3. Theophilus, Minucius Felix, Theodoret, and others have said the same thing. Clemens Alexandrinus fancied that Xenophon borrowed it from the Sibyl, Cohort. p. 61. and Strom. v. 714. But even admitting the antiquity of these verses, and supposing that they were written in Noah's ark, it will not follow from the parity of thought, that So crates or Xenophon had seen them, since all men, ex: cept those who are blind, know, without an instructor, that it is impossible to look upon the sun when he shines out in full strength. One thing is very plain, that the two first verses, and the word as for mortal man, are taken from the Scriptures. Justin Cohort. 18. has cited a very singular passage from Sophocles; Or, Εἷς ταῖς ἀληθείαισιν, εἷς ἐσιν Θεὸς, Ὃς ἐρανὸν τέτευχε, και γαῖαν μακρὰν ; Unus profecto est, unus est tantum Deus, Ἢ χρυσοτεύκλους ἢ ἐλεφαντίνους τύπους. These verses are to be found in Clemens Alexandrinus and in other fathers, and with some variety of readings. See Eusebius P. Ev. xiii. 13. p. 680. and the notes of Vigerus. Though this be such, worth, as might well become a Christian, says Cud and be no where |