Anf. The Antichrift is call'd Nero for his Cruelty: This is only a feign'd Allegory, or fymbolical Fable, and that this was well known in Nero's time we know, by the vul gar Opinion that Nero fled over Euphrates; and this could proceed from no other cause than the finding it in the Sibylline Oracles. Suetonius mentions this popular Rumour: All Prophets ufe fuch fymbolical Fables to conceal their Prophefies till the Events hap pen. Mahomet fled from Mecca, and Ottoman's Family out of Perfia, therefore the Oracles fay of Antichrift, fugiens veniet.

Obj. 7. The Sibyls Books are obfcure, defective, and without Order.

Anf. Till the History of Events is obferv'd, the Prophefies were obfcure, efpecially to the Chriftians in the first Ages; but I must affirm, that the Prophefies keep the true chronological order from the Creation to the Flood, in the four fucceeding Monarchies, and in the Roman Empire, 15 Cafars; then the Conftantinopolitan Emperor, the Northern Invafion, the Saracens, Turks, the Reformation, the Return of the Jews, the Destruction of the Papal and Mahometan Empires, the coming of Chrift in the Millennium, and the burning of the World after the Refurrection and laft Judgment...

Obj. 8. The Name of Adam is observ'd to comprehend Eaft and Weft, North and South, in Greek; and this is ridiculous..

Anf.The numeral Letters in Names were formerly much obferv'd, as appears by the

Apo

Apoftolic Conftitutions: I fignifies ten, and ten is the Tithe,and there are ten Commandments. The number of Mahomet's Name is 666; and the fame way of computation is us'd by the Sibyls. In Genefis we find Names were given for a Monument of fome paft History.

Obj. 9. These Verfes are exceeded in majefty and expreffion by the Greek Poets.

Anf. The defign of these Verfes is not to pleafe, but inftru&t Men in their Duty and future Events: Hence Orpheus, Homer, Hefiod, Virgil, and all the Grecian Philofophers borrow'd their Notions of the Creation, Flood, the Rewards of the Juft, and Punishment of the Wicked, the Golden Age, their Sacrifices and Libations, and the Conflagra tion of the World. Homer, as Diodorus testifies, took many Verfes from these Oracles.

Obj. 10. The Sibylline Verses contain rather Hiftories than Prophefies.

Anf. Nero, the Woman, and Widow, are fymbolical Characters of the Turk and Pope. All cruel Men are call'd Matrum Cafores; Inundations are put for Invasions; and these Phrases are ufual in Prophefies.

I wholly reject the Acrofticks, and the Hiftory following, where the Virgin Mary is nam'd, as fpurious Additions.

Obj. 11. The Agone's Ifelaftici were inftituted in Trajan's time.

Anf. Tis plain, that the Sibyls call the Christians Martyrdoms by that Name, as

ap

1

appears by the word up; and fince there were many Martyrdoms in Trajan's time, they may be call'd by the new-instituted Games.

Obj. 12. Some things are cited by Authors for Sibylline Verfes, which are not in our Copies, for which Reason fome believe these Oracles are not the Ancient Sibyls.

Anf. Many Sibylline Verfes are wanting, as appears in the defective Places; and Authors might have had a different Translation from the prefent. Lactantius attributes to all the ten Sibyls a feveral Book; we have but eight. All the Sibyls agree in the true notions of Religion, and the Changes in the Roman Empire: The Turks Conqueft of Greece is plainly recorded in the third Book; and the fifth has the Turks coming over Euphrates, and the eighth his Destruction of Rome. If all the other were loft, these three, the third, fifth, and eighth, are fufficient to difcover the most confiderable future Events in the Roman Empire.

Voffius's Objections collected.

Obj. 1. A thousand Verfes were brought to Rome by those who were fent to collect them, after the Capitol was burnt, but now there are more.

Anf. The Cumaan Sibyls Verfes were burnt, for they only were kept as Secrets, all the rest were commonly known; therefore

fore the Cumaans Verfes needed a new Collection, and not the reft.

Obj. 2. 'Tis obferv'd that Adam's Name has the first Letters of the four parts of the World.

Anf. Names were impos'd for fome parttcular Reason; God call'd Adam and Eve by their Names, and he blefs'd them, that they might fill the Earth.

Obj.3. The Millennium is a Jewish Opinion, and that the World muft laft 6000 Years.

Anf. Most of the Fathers were of this Opinion,and fome in the Apostles times, as appears by Barnabas's Epiftles; and this has come from Daniel's Kingdom of the Saints.

Obj. 4. In these Oracles the Greek Fables of their Gods are mention'd.

Anf. Saturn reprefents Noah; or the Sons of Noah may be Saturn, Titan, Fapetus.

Obj, 5. The Flood is defcrib'd of forty Days continuance.

Anf. This was the Gentiles Tradition, and it rain'd forty Days.

Obj. 6. Ararat is a Mountain in Armenia, and not Phrygia.

Anf. The Armenians were deriv'd from the Phrygians, and spoke the fame Language; and Armenia was formerly comprehended in great old Phrygia.

Obj.7. The River Eurotas is in Laconia,and not near Dodona.

Anf. There is another Eurotas in Theffaly, near Dodona, and it runs into Peneus.

Obj.

Obj. 8. The Names of God are Jewish, and the worship by Sacrifices.

Anf. All thefe Names were known at Babylon, from whence the Sibyl came; and the Jewish Sacrifices were Types of the Christian Worship.

Some of thefe Objections were answer'd by Voffius, who thought them trivial.

Obj.9. Voffius mentions a Prophecy before our Saviour's Birth, that a King fhould be born, who should govern all Nations; and, that this must come from the Jews, and therefore they impos'd on the Romans this, when they collected thefe Oracles.

Anf The Sibylline Verses say, this fhall happen when Rome fhall conquer Ægypt; none of the Jewish Prophets did foretell that Circumftance, and this is a fufficient proof that the Sibyls had not this from the Jews, as Voffius fufpects.

The Magi had no notice of Christ's Birth from the Jews, but from Baalam, a Gentile, who was infpir'd. The Sibyls have many Prophefies concerning thofe Kingdoms, which are not mention'd by the Jewish Prophets, as Sicily, Italy, Conftantinople.

Obj. 10. Ifaac Voffius farther fays, that the greatest part of the Oracles were made by Chriftians, anno 120. If this had been true, this Forgery must have been difcover'd in the firft 400 Years, but no Writer ever mention'd any fuch thing. Celfus only accufes the Oracles as interpolated, but Origen denies it.

Anf.