f Numenius the Pythagorean wrote that Jannes (whom g Pliny calls Jamnes) and Jambres, the chief of the Magicians of Egypt, by their Sorceries with ftood Mofes, the Leader of the Jews, a Man moft powerful in his Prayers to God. * A Tradition, of the manner of the Paffage of the Ifraelites through the Red Sea, was retained among the People of Heliopolis, related by "Artapanus. Miracles were fometimes wrought among the Heathen, by the Invocation of the God of Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob; and these and other Hebrew Names, as Zebaoth, and Adonai, were commonly used by the Gentiles, in their Incantations and Exorcifms, which they retained by Tradition, though they knew not the meaning nor original of them. The Names of Seraphim and Cherubin, of Michael and Gabriel, were alfo ufed to the like Purposes, as Pfellus fays in his Expofitions of Zoroafter's Oracles. On the Gold Coast of Guinea there is a kind of Tryal by a bitter Water, like the Tryal of Jealousie enjoined by the Law of Mofes, Num. v. 17. and feems to be a remainder of it. And in the adjacent Countries, they circumcife their Children, and reft one day in feven; tho' without any fenfe of God, or his Worship. In the Kingdom of "Kachemire are feveral Marks of Judaifm. One who relating that Circumcifion, the Water of Jealoufie, and other Rites, are in ufe with the Inhabitants of the Gold Coast of Guinea, fays that feveral Europeans affert, that the Negroes ftill retain many Laws and Customs which favour of Judaifm, о m f Apud Eufeb. Præp. Evang. 1. 9. c. 8. h Apud Eufeb. Prapar. 1. 9. C. 27. k s Plin. Hift. 1. 30. c. I. iOrig. contra Celf. 1. 1. & 4. Vid. Grot. ad Matth. xii. 27. Ονόμαζα Βάρβαρα μήποτ' αλλάξης, Εισὶ γὰ ὀνόματα παρ' ἑκάσοις θεόσδοα, Διίαμιν ἐν τζελοῖς ἄῤῥιλα ἔχοντα. Fr. Patric. Zoroaftr. Oraç. Damp. Voyage, Vol. 2. m Varen, de Diverf. Gent. Relig. " Bern. Memoir. Tom. 4. • Bofman Lett. 10, 12, 18. and १ and acknowledges that there are divers other Ufages among them, which feem the fame in effect, as well as in Name, with fuch as occur in the Old Teftament; declares himself notwithstanding to be rather perfuaded, that they had all thefe from the Mahometans: when at the fame time he takes notice, among the rest, of their marrying the deceas'd Brother's Wife: but where is this enjoin'd by the Law of Mahomet ? Those who first travell'd into China, P found Hebrews there, who call'd themselves Ifraelites, but knew not the Name of Jews; they were difpers'd in divers Provinces, and read the Pentateuch in the Hebrew Tongue, in their Synagogues, without Points. The Obfervation of New Moons, Years of Jubilee, and Circumcifion, was found among the Americans, and an infinite number of Ceremonies and Customs (fays Acofta) which refembled the ancient Law of Mofes, They had likewife a Tradition of Noah's Flood. Hornius acknowledgeth that the Name of Jofeph was in ufe among the Americans, and that they frequently mention'd the word Alleluia 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 retain'd the Name of Adam; and in Madagafcar they had the Names of Adam, Eve, and Noah. So that there is no Nation but has ftill had fome Memorials of Reveal'd Religion. And it has been fhewn by Clem. Alexandrinus, by Eufebius and Theodoret, and by Modern Authors, that the Philofophers, had generally fome Knowledge of the Religion of the Hebrems, (as it was particularly affirm'd by Numenius the Pythagorean,) that the Brachmans alfo of India were not unacquain r P Trigaut. de Chrift. Exped. apud Sinas, 1. 1. c. II. Jof. Acofta Hift. 1. 5. c. 27. & 1. 6. c. 2. t Ler. Hift. Navig. in Braf. c. 16. Pet. Mart. Dec. 6. c. 4. H 3 ted ted with it, and that the Laws of the wisest Heathen Nations were taken from the Laws of Mofes. All which would have appear'd in many more and plainer Instances, if the Greeks had been more ingenuous and fincere; if it had not been their Custom to " derive the Names of Places from fome Hero of their own Invention; if they had not fet up falfe Inscriptions; * if Plagiarism had not been a common thing among them; and if in their Histories they had not chang'd the Names of Perfons and Places to conceal their Thefts. III. The Oracles afcrib'd to the Sibyls are fo plain and fo particular, that if they fhould be admitted for genuine, not only the Revelations made to the Jews, but all the Mysteries of the Chriftian Religion, must be fully difcover'd 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 preferv'd 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 cité Oracles which were in the poffeffion of those against whom they cited them, unless they had been able to make good their Authority. This is a Subject which has exercised the Pens of many learned Men. I fhall here fet down what appears to me most probable upon the Question, as briefly as I can. 1. It is evident from Virgil, that in the Verses of the Sibyl of Cuma, the Birth of fome Great Perfon was foretold; and from Tully, that this Person was to be a King: though both in Tully and Virgil the Pro Οἱ μ' Μυελογεῖν τὰ πάντα ἐθέλοντες, &c. Paufan. Phocic. p. 322. E dined to mileguua, ib. p. 355. + Tois μ' ν πράγμασι κέχρη) (Θεόπομπο) τοῖς αὐτοῖς, ἕτερον δ ̓ μαμα μετενήνοχε * μόνον ἢ τέτῳ τῷ ὀνόματι Σποκρύπης KATW, Aya N TOT μeladio. Porphyrius apud Eufeb. Præpar. Evang. 1. 10. c. 3. phecy phecy be mifapply'd to a wrong Perfon. The Fourth. Eclogue of Virgil contains the Senfe 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 defcribes. X In Catiline's Confpiracy, Lentulus flatter'd himfelf with the hopes of being a King, from the Sibylline Oracles. And from the fame Oracles, as well as from the Scriptures, it is probable the Expectation of a King, who should arife out of Judea, which both Suetonius and Tacitus mention, was fpread throughout the Eaft. 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 de; fign to difparage all Divination in general: For being an Academic, as he profeffes throughout his Books of Philofophy, he acknowledg'd 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 Oracle was alledg'd to the purpose there mention'd; and that being in favour of Cafar, and of Monarchy, if there had been no other, was caufe enough for Tully to reject it, and turn it to ridicule; who, when this Oracle was apply'd to Ptolemy King of Egypt, had another Opinion of it. 2. Though the Verfes of the Sibyl of Cuma were burnt with the Capitol, A. V. C. DCLXXI. yet Virgil exprefly 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 deliver'd afterwards down by Tradition. Tully quotes Sibylla Erythraa, * Tull. in Catilin. Orat. 3. Salluft. Bell. Catilin. Tacit. Hift. I. 5. Sueton. in Vefpaf. c. 4. Quemadmodum homines Religiofi Sibyllæ placere dixerunt. Cic. Epift ad Famil. 1. 1. Ep.7. H 4 [16. b [lib. 1. de Divin.] and if he mean the fame Sibyl in the 2d. Book, Martianus Capella fays, that Sibylla Erythraa and Cumana were the fame. And in the fearch which was made for the Sibylline 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 Verses might be recover'd. For Valerius Maximus fays, that M. Tullius (as he calls him, not Attilius) was put to Death by Tarquinius, for fuffering Petronius Sabinus to tranfcribe the Sibyl's Verfes; and whether they were difpers'd in d vers Copies before it was discover'd, so 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 Lactantius fays, they allow'd the Verfes of all the other Sibyls to be copy'd out and publifh'd, though they would not fuffer thofe of Cuma to be read, but by Order of the Senate. C Notwithstanding all this care, they could not keep them conceal'd; for we meet them often quoted by Heathen Authors. Indeed, the Oracles in the Capitol were only Copies taken from Originals which were left in thofe 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. 3. It being known that the Sibylline Oracles contain'd things which concern'd the Kingdom of the Meffias, and the Verfes themfelves being in divers hands, this gave occafion to fome to make many more Verfes, under the Name of the Sibyls, relating the Martian, Capel. Nurt. Philolog. 1. 2. d b Val. Max. I. I. c. I. Dionyf. Halicarn. 1.4. whole |