fo obfcure, and rose to be a Prince fo unexpectedly, that he wanted Majefty, and fome. thing to give him Authority with Mankind,and that thisAccident did very luckily do it: It looks fufpiciously, that he fhould be importun'd by his Followers to do what he was afham'd himself to attempt; it looks as if the matter had been laid by his Friends, and that they would warrant the Succefs. But thirdly, believing the whole Relation upon the Credit of fo good Authors, I fay it affects not the Cause in hand; Vefpafian according to the Forms prefcribed, was inftrumental in reftoring a Blind and Lame R 3

Man;

Man; He was fo far from knowing himself endued with any fuch Power, that he did not believe it, when told him from Serapis ; he durft not so much as try to follow the Forms prefcrib'd him to perform thefe Works; he pretended to establish no Truth, or way of Divine Worship, when he had actually performed them ; in a word, he made no Confequences, nor defired any to be made, but that which would naturally follow, that the People should hold the Man in great honour, who was fo favoured of the Supream Power, or (in their Language) of the Gods. Do you not plainly perceive that

this was a Providential Miracle, that God was pleafed to work by Vefpafian, without any knowledge of, or pretences to fuch Power, beforehand, and without any Inferences drawn from the exercife of it, afterwards?

A. I acknowledge what you intimate, that the truth of Christianity is not prejudiced, ñor the Miracles of Chrift difgraced, by any fuch Providential Miracles wrought by and among the Gentiles. But, fure, the Worship of Serapis, would by fuch an accidental Advantage be ftrangely encouraged, and how will that confift with the Wisdom and Goodness of God, who has R 4 the

the Abominations of the Gentiles in fuch abhorrence?

B. I did not undertake to account for all the Permiffions of Providence: You may lay this difficulty down, if you pleafe, for one Reason why you should not believe this Relation; but my Business is to fhew, that fuppofing it to be true, it makes nothing against Chrift's Miracles. However, I say, that no Miracle could well be wrought in a Coun try given up to Idolatry, but it might ferve to confirm them in their Mistakes, fome way or other, by a false Ap plication; and it is not an un common thing, to find the Gentiles attributing these fort

of

1

of Visions, and falutary Admonitions, to Serapis, Ifis, and others, (according to the Country, and the Deities they worshipped) which yet might well proceed from the true God, the Father of Spirits. But this is not much to our prefent purpose.

A. But pray, what shall we do with Apollonius Tyaneus? the accounts of that Man's wonderful Works, they fay, are ftrange and furprizing; and he is, you know, often compar'd with Christ Jesus. B. You fay true : things are faid of that Man and Hierocles, who was himfelf a confiderable Man, com. par'd him to Chrift, and wrote

Great

a