Veluia in their Songs, and ufed Circumcifion; and he fhews, that in their feveral Languages they have many words from the Phoenician or Hebrew Tongue. The People of Bengala retained the Name of Adam; and in Madagafcar they (x) had the Names of Adam, Eve, (x) Voyage and Noah. So that there is no Nation but has de Jean Struys, ftill had fome Memorials of Revealed Religion. Tom. 1, d And it has been fhewn by Clem. Alexandrinus, es by Eufebius and Theodoret, and by Modern Authors, that the Philofophers had generally fome knowledge of the Religion of the Hebrews, (as it was particularly affirmed by Numenius the Pythagorean,) that the Brachmans alfo of India were not unacquainted with it, and that the Laws of the wifeft Heathen Nations were taken from the Laws of Moses.

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III. The Oracles afcribed to the Sibyls are fo plain and fo particular, that if they should be admitted for genuine, not only the Revelations made to the Jews, but all the Myfteries of the Christian Religion must be fully discovered to the Heathen: but their Plainnefs has been the caufe why their Authority has been much question'd; which yet ought not wholly to be rejected, fince the Sibylline Oracles were preferved in the Capitol, till the Reign of Honorius, when they were burnt by Stilico and it is not to be imagined, that Justin Martyr, and other Chriftians, would cite Oracles which were in the poffeffion of

thofe

Salluft.Bel.

thofe against whom they cited them, unless they had been able to make good their Authority. This is a Subject which has exercifed the Pens of many learned Men. I fhall here fet down what appears to me moft probable upon the Queftion, as briefly as I can.

I. It is evident from Virgil, that in the Verfes of the Sibyl of Cuma, the Birth of fome Great Perfon was foretold; and from Tully, that this Perfon was to be a King: though both in Tully and Virgil the Prophecy be mifapplied to a wrong Perfon. The Fourth Eclogue of Virgil contains the fence of the Sibyl; and however it were defign'd by him, is in moft things much more applicable to our Saviour, than to the Perfon whom he describes.

In Catiline's Confpiracy, Lentulus flatter'd himself with the hopes of being a King, (3) Tull. in Catilin. from (y) the Sibylline Oracles. And from the Orat. 3, fame Oracles, as well as from the ScripCatilin tures, it is probable the expectation of a (2) Tacit. King, who fhould arife out of Judea, which Hift. 1.5. both Suetonius and Tacitus mention, (2) was Sueton. in fpread throughout the East.

Velpas. c.4.

What Tully fays, [lib. 2. de Divin.] in. difparagement of this Oracle, is not much confiderable in the cafe; because that whole Book is written with a defign to difparage all Divination in general: For being an Academic, as he profeffes throughout his

Books

Books of Philofophy, he acknowledged no. more of any part of their Religion, than was juft neceffary to comply with the Laws, as he owns himself in divers places. However, from him it appears that a Sibylline Oracie was alledged to the purpose there mentioned; and that being in favour of Cæfar, and of Monarchy, if there had been no other, was cause enough for Tully to reject it, and turn it to ridicule.

2. Though the Verfes of the Sibyl of Cuma were burnt with the Capitol, A. U. C. DCLXXI. yet Virgil exprefsly naming Cuma, this Sibyl's Verfes must be ftill remaining, or fuppofed to be fo; unless, what he writes, became fome way or other known before the burning of the Capitol, and was delivered afterwards down by Tradition. Tully quotes Sibylla Erythræa, [lib. 1. de Divin.] and if he mean the fame Sibyl in the 2d. Book, Martianus Capella fays, (a) that Sibylla Ery-(a) Marthraa and Cumana were the fame. And in tian. Capel Nupt. Phi the fearch which was made for the Sibyl-lolog. 1. 2. line Oracles in Italy, and in all other places where there was any probability of finding any remains of them, after the burning of the Capitol, it is likely her Verfes might be recovered. For (b) Valerius Maximus fays, (b) Valer. that M. Tullius (as he calls him, not Attilius) 1. 1. c. I. was put to death by Tarquinius, for fuffering Petronius Sabinus to tranfcribe the Sibyl's Verses; and whether they were difperfed

in

Maximus,

in divers Copies before it was discovered, fo as not to be fupprefs'd, it is not known: But if they were the Verfes of fome other Sibyl, which went under the Name of the Sibyl of Cuma, after her's were burnt with the Capitol, it is not much material; however, the Romans certainly thought they had the Oracles of the Cuman Sibyl: for, as Laan. Lactantius fays, (c) they allowed the Verfes Relig. c.6. Of all the other Sibyls to be copied out and published, though they would not fuffer thofe of Cuma to be read, but by Order of the Senate.

Halicar.

14.

Notwithstanding all this care, they could not keep them concealed; for we meet them often quoted. Indeed, the Oracles in Dionyf. the Capitol (d) were only Copies taken from Originals which were left in those places, from whence the Romans had their own Copies tranfcribed; and the Originals might be read, and other Copies taken, how carefully foever the Romans kept their

own.

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3. It being known that the Sibylline Oracles contained things which concerned the Kingdom of the Meffias, and the Verfes themselves being in divers hands, this gave occafion to fome to make many more Verses, under the name of the Sibyls, relating the whole Hiftory of our Saviour, &c. But if the Sibyls Verses had been all burnt or loft, or if they had been kept fo clofe, that

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1.7.

no body could poffibly come to the knowledge of them, without leave from the Senate, there could have been no pretence for any Imposture, nor would the Christians ever have alledged them as genuine. Celfus objects only, (e) That many things were (e) Origen added to the Verfes of the Sibyls: Not contra Cell that they were all Counterfeit, or that the Christians had no means of coming by the True which was an Advantage that an Adverfary much lefs fubtile than Celfus would not have omitted, if there had been any ground for it. Origen replies, That it was a malicious Accufation, and that he was able to bring no Proof of it, by producing ancient Copies more genuine than those which the Christians made ufe of.

And if the Sibyls had delivered nothing relating to thefe Matters, why fhould any one counterfeit Verfes in their Name, rather than under the Title of any other Oracle? There must be fome ground and foundation of Truth, to give any opportu nity or pretence to the Counterfeiting of it: And the Prophecies of the Sibyls concerning Chrift, muft be the occafion of all the additional ones which were falfly afcribed to them.

4. Ifaac Voffius thought that great part of thefe Oracles were compofed by the Jews. And indeed, Paufanias fays (f) one (f) Paw of the Sibyls was by the Jews called Sabba ; cic. p.328.

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