Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

13

xxi

THE

Prooemium

Before the

ORACLES;

Containing the true Notion of GOD, who made and governs the World, and will reward thofe that ferve him, and punish Idolaters.

[ocr errors]

Mortal, carnal, and vile Men! why are you so proud, not confidering that you muft die? Neither do you tremble, and fear the fupream GOD, who governs you; He This is quoted knows, fees, and obferves all things; He is the by Laftan. ¡i. Creator, and preferves all things; He fent his cap.6. pleasant Spirit into all things, and by that governs

all Mankind.

the Gentiles.

4

There is one God, who alone reigns; he is Justin cites thi very great, unbegotten, omnipotent, invifible: He in his Oration to alone fees all things, but cannot be seen by any Mortal; for, what mortal Flesh can behold the Cœleftial, True, and Immortal GOD with his Eyes, who lives in Heaven, fince Men, who are born Mortals, of Bones, Flesh, and Veins, cannot ftedfaftly behold the shining Beams of the Sun.

Worship Him, who is the only Governour of the World, who alone hath continu'd from Age

to

cites this.

to Age; He exifts from Himself, is unbegotten; he governs all things, at all Times, and He has ordain'd a Judgment for all Men, in one common Day; but punishes juftly all evil Counfels, when we leave the true GOD, and do not honour Him as eternal, by offering holy Hecatombs to him, but make Sacrifices to the Infernal Manes.

Thefe Men are proud, and mad, leaving the ftrait way, they err through rocky and thorny Paths.

O vain Men! cease to wander in Darkness and a black obfcure Night, but leave this Darkness, clem. Alexandi. and enter into Light: He is manifeft to all, and no Deceiver, therefore do not pursue this dark and tempestuous way any longer, but behold the pleasant Light of the Sun, which shines glorioully.

Know, and wifely confider it, there is one GOD, who gives Rain and Winds; He causes Earthquakes, Thunders, Famines, Plagues, Snow, Ice, and all other grievous Calamities, all which I can exprefs thus: He commands in Heaven, and governs in the Earth, and in Hades.

He exifts of himself, for that which is born will be corrupted; GOD cannot be generated of the parts of Men and Women, but there is one only fupream GOD, who hath created Heaven, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and the fruitful Earth, and the fwelling Waves of the Sea, the Mountains full of Woods, and the eternal Streams of the Fountains; He produces an innumerable quantity of Fish in the Waters, and He nourisheth the creeping Creatures with a cool Diet (or in a cool place) and he gives to the Birds of various kinds Thrill Voices, harsh or pleasant Notes, and to cut the Air with their noify Wings; and he hath put the wild Beafts in the Hills, cover'd with Wood, and hath fubjected all Beafts to Mankind, bur

bath

[ocr errors]

hath made his Son, who is begotten of GOD, Governour of all things; and He hath subjected to Man many various things, which he cannot comprehend; for, what mortal Man can know all things? but He only knows thofe that made 'em in the beginning: He is the incorruptible and eternal Creator, living in Heaven, who gives to all good Men a very great Reward, but is angry with the Unjuft and Wicked, and punishes them by Wars, Plagues, and extraordinary Calamities.

O Men! why do you vainly rebel against GOD, and are therefore utterly destroy'd? Are not you aiham'd to efteem as Gods, Cats and Brutes? Is it not Madness, Fury, or Stupidity in your Minds to think Gods fteal Cattle, and make a Prey of Cups, who ought to inhabit the rich and glorious Heavens; they appear to be eaten with Worms, and cover'd with Spiders Webs.

O you Fools! you worship Serpents, Dogs, and Cats, and you adore Birds, and the creeping Creatures in the Earth, and Images of polish'd Stone, and Statues made with Hands and adorned; and alfo heaps of Earth or Sepulchres, which are made in the ways; and you worship, befides these, many other vain things, of which it is a fhame to make any mention.

These are the falfe Gods of foolish Men, from whofe Mouth this deadly Poifon diftils; but to Him we ought to fubmit our felves, and follow the way of eternal Righteousness, who has the Power of giving Life, and incorruptible and eternal Light, and can give to Men Joys exceeding all pleasant things of this Life.

But you have forfaken all these, you have drank a Cup full of the unmixt Wine of GOD's Vengeance, which is very ftrong and thick, you being mad and foolish in your Minds; neither would you become fober and found in your

22

Mind, to know the true God and King, whofe Providence is over all things; there the burning of a fervent Fire fhall feize on you, and you fhall burn in Flames continually, for ever, being afham'd of your unprofitable falfe Idols: Bur they who worship the true GOD fhall inherit Eternal Life for ever; they shall poffefs the fruitful Gardens of Paradife, and there feaft on the fweet Bread which comes from the Starry Skies.

Note, This Promium is to be found in Theophilus's fecond Oration to Autolicus; he was Bishop of Antioch in 171; and Clemens Alexandrinus quotes fome Verfes of it, An. Dom. 198. Lactantius quotes them, An. Dom. 320; and Eufebius repeats them. Justin Martyr cites fome of thefe Verfes. Some impute them to the Chaldean Sibyl Sambethe, but Lantantius lays they must belong to the Arythraan Sibyl; and 'tis probable the two Sibyls Names belong to one of the Sibyls. Thefe Quotati ons are fufficient to prove the Antiquity of this Proœmium, and its original from the Sibyls, which Lactantiu fays were collected by the Romans.

THE

[1]

THE

FIRST BOOK

OF THE

Sibylline Oracles.

The CONTENTS.

In this Book the Creation is defcrib'd, and Adam and Eve in Paradife: Their Temptation by the Serpent, and Ejectment out of Paradile. Five Generations of Men before the Flood, and their Destruction by the Flood. The Golden Age fucceeds the Flood, which is call'd the Sixth Generation: The Titans are in the Seventh Generation. The Computation of the Numeral Letters in God's Name is 1711, by which Noah knew the duration of the Antediluvian World, but none of the Greek Names of God will make this number: The Name must contain four Syllables. Jehovah is call'd the Tetragrammaton, but the Letters must be nine, and five of them Confonants. This must be fome Chaldee Name, in which the Oracles were penn'd.

his

The next thing declar'd is the Coming of Christ Numeral Letters will make 888. St. John's beheading. Chrift's Miracles are defcrib'd, and his

B

Cruci

« AnteriorContinuar »