them, was placed! Soon after this was done, a paper was fixed on the wall with this inscription : De par le roy defenfe à Dieu By command of the king, God is forbidden to work any more miracles bere. The pasquinade was a witty one, but the event turned the point of it against the party by which it was made for if God had really worked any miracles there, could this abfurd prohibition have taken effect? Would he have fuffered his purpose to be defeated by building a wall? When all the Apoftles were shut up in prifon to hinder their working of miracles*, the angel of the Lord opened the prifon doors, and let them out. But the power of Abbé Paris could neither throw down the wall that excluded his votaries, nor operate through that impediment. And yet his miracles are often compared with, and opposed by unbelievers to, those of Christ and his Apoftles, which is the reason of my having Acts v. 16. & fequentes, to the 26th. taken taken this particular notice of them here. But to go back to the times nearer to St. Paul's. There is in Lucian an account of a very extraordinary and fuccefsful imposture carried on in his days, by one Alexander* of Pontus, who introduced a new god into that country, whofe prophet he called himself, and in whose name he pretended to miracles, and delivered oracles, by which he acquired great wealth and power. All the arts by which this cheat was managed are laid open by Lucian, and nothing can better point out the difference between impofture and truth, than to obferve the different conduct of this man and St. Paul. Alexander made no alteration in the religion established in Pontus be-, fore; he only grafted his own upon it; and fpared no pains to intereft in the fuccefs of it the whole heathen priesthood, not only in Pontus, but all over the world+; fending great numbers of those who came to confult him to other oracles, that were at that time in the highest vogue; by which means he engaged them all to fupport the reputation of * Vide the Pfeudomantis of Lucian. + Pfeudom. Lucian. Varior. p. 765, 766. his, and abet his impofture. He spoke with the greateft refpect of all the fects of philofophers, except the Epicureans, who from their principles he was fure would deride and oppose his fraud; for though they prefumed not to innovate, and overturn established religions, yet they very freely attacked and expofed all innovations that were introduced under the name of religion, and had not the authority of a legal establishment. To get the better of their oppofition, as well as that of the Christians †, he called in the aid of perfecution and force, exciting the people against them, and answering objections with ftones. That he might be fure to get money enough, he delivered this oracle in the name of his God §, I command you to grace with gifts my prophet and minifter; for I have no regard for riches myself, but the greatest for my prophet. And he shared the gains that he made, which were immense, among an infinite number of affociates and • Ibid. 763. + Ibid. 762, 763, 773, 777. Ibid. 762, 768, 773, 774. § Muneribus decorate meum vatem atque ministrum præcipio-nec opum mihi cura, at maxima vatis. inftruments, inftruments, whom he employed in carrying on and fupporting his fraud. When any declared themselves to be his enemies, against whom he durft not proceed by open force, he endeavoured to gain them by blandifhments, and having got them into his power, to destroy them by fecret ways*; which arts he practised against Lucian himfelf. Others he kept in awe and dependence upon him, by detaining in his own hands the written questions they had propofed to his God upon ftate affairs; and as these generally came from men of the greatest power and rank, his being poffeffed of them was of infinite fervice to him, and made him master of all their credit, and of no little part of their wealth. He obtained the protection and friendship of Rutilianus, a great Roman general, by flattering him with promises of a very long life, and exaltation to Deity after his death; and at last having quite turned his head, enjoined him by an oracle to marry his daughter, whom he pretended to have had by the * Ibid. 776, 780, 781. + Ibid. 767. moon; moon; which command Rutilianus obeyed*, and by his alliance fecured this impoftor from any danger of punishment; the Roman governor of Bythinia and Pontus excufing himself on that account from doing justice upon him, when Lucian + and feveral others offered themfelves to be his accusers. He never quitted that ignorant and barbarous country, which he had made choice of at first as the fittest to play his tricks in undiscovered; but, refiding himself among thofe fuperftitious and credulous people, extended his fame to a great distance by the emiffaries which he employed all over the world, efpecially at Rome, who did not pretend themselves to work any miracles, but only promulgated his, and gave him intelligence of all that it was useful for him to know. These were the methods by which this remarkable fraud was conducted, every one of which is directly oppofite to all thofe used by St. Paul in preaching the Gofpel; and yet fuch methods alone could give fuccefs to a + Ibid. 753. * Ibid. 781. cheat |