with five loaves and two fishes, five thousand in a desert place; and the fragments taken up will fill twelve baskets, for the hope of the people. And he will, pronounce the souls blessed, that, when derided, return good for evil, who are beaten, whipped, and endure poverty. Knowing all things, seeing and hearing all things, he will lay open the breasts of men. -He who raised the dead, and healed all manner of diseases, will at last come into the hands of wicked and infidel men: and with impure hands they will strike God, and give him gall for his meat, and vinegar to drink. The vail of the temple will be rent, and at mid-day be the horrid darkness of the night for three hours.' He then says, he will be three days in the grave, and return to the light and will be the first who shall show to the called the beginning of the resurrection. Then the Lord will first of all appear to his own in the body, as he was before, and show the four marks imprinted in his hands and his feet.'

10.) These things must be reckoned a confirmation of our gospels, and satisfy us that they were books used by christian people, as containing our authentic history of Jesus Christ, his birth, preaching, miracles, and sufferings, and resurrection.

The author has borrowed very little from the epistles; but he may be supposed indebted to the book of the Revclation for several things. However I shall not transcribe any thing of that kind: I content myself with having shown a constant respect to our gospels, in these pretended predictions concerning Christ.

11.) But many of these things being so plainly taken from the books of the New Testament, perhaps some may suspect our present collection of Sibylline Oracles not to be genuine; that is, the same which was used by the ancient fathers; for how could any men take these for ancient predictions of the Sibyl, written before our Saviour's coming?

To which I answer, that the general character of the Sibylline Oracles, before taken from the fathers, gave us ground to expect as much. And a good part of these oracles, some of the plainest and most particular, those taken above from the eighth book of our collection, are still extant in Lactantius, who flourished at the end of the third, and the beginning of the fourth century, quoted by him from the Sibyl in the original Greek. As it may be a satisfaction to some, I shall place in the margin a valuable Vid. in primis, 1. iv. c. 15. p. 397-399. et c. 18. p. 417, 419.

W

passage of St. Augustine, in which he gives at once a summary account (though it is not complete) of the testimonies alleged by Lactantius from the Sibyl. And that the Sibylline books, quoted by the ancient christian writers, contained plain and full testimonies to the christian sentiments, may be concluded from the exceptions made to them all along by the heathen, as not being a genuine production of the ancient Sibyl. We have already taken notice of the passages of Celsus preserved in Origen. We have likewise observed in another place, from St. Clement of Alexandria, that these oracles were not then received by the heathen people.

Lactantius also, Constantine, St. Augustine, and others, are witnesses of this exception being made by the heathens of their times. I shall translate only a short passage of Lactantius. Having quoted the same oracles, before translated by me from the eighth book of our collection, representing Christ doing all things by his word, healing diseases, calming the winds, and the seas, feeding five thousand in the desert, and other miracles, he presently adds

* Inserit etiam Lactantius operi suo quædam de Christo vaticinia Sibyllæ, quamvis non exprimat cujus. Sed quæ singillatim ipse posuit, ego arbitratus sum conjunctim esse ponenda, tanquam unum sit prolixum, [carmen,] quæ ille plura commemoravit et brevia.

In manus iniquas,' inquit, infidelium postea veniet, et dabunt Deo alapas 'manibus incestis, et impurato ore exspuent venenatos sputus. Dabit vero ⚫ ad verbera simpliciter sanctum dorsum.'

Et colaphos accipiens tacebit, ne quis agnoscat quod verbum, vel unde ⚫ venit ut inferis loquatur; et coronâ spineâ coronabitur.'

• Ad cibum autem fel, et ad sitim acetum dederunt; inhospitalitatis hanc 'monstrabunt mensam.'

Ipsa enim insipiens gens tuum Deum non intellexisti ludentem mortalium mentibus, sed et spinis coronâsti, et horridum fel miscuisti.'

Templi vero velum scindetur, et medio die nox erit tenebrosa nimis in tribus horis.

Et morte morietur tribus diebus somno suscepto, et tunc ab inferis regressus ⚫ ad lucem lætam veniet primus, resurrectionis principio vocatis ostenso.'Ita Lactantius carptim per intervalla disputationis suæ, sicut ea poscere videbantur quæ probare intenderat, adhibuit testimonia Sibyllina; quæ nos, nihil interponentes, sed in unam seriem connexa ponentes, solis capitibus distinguenda curavimus. Aug. de Civ. Dei, 1. xviii. c. 23. Vid. Fabricius, ubi supra, p. 227.

y P. 259.

z Ad Sanctorum Cœtum, cap. 19.

a Nisi forte quis dixerit illas prophetias christianos finxisse de Christo, quæ Sibyllæ nomine, vel aliorum, proferuntur. Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. xviii. c. 46. Sed quæcumque aliorum prophetiæ de Dei per Christum Jesum gratiâ proferuntur, possunt putari a christianis esse confictæ. Ideo nihil est firmius ad convincendos quoslibet alienos, si de hac re contenderint, nostrosque fulciendos, si recte sapuerint, quam ut divina prædicta ea proferantur, quæ in Judæorum scripta sunt codicibus. Ibid. c. 47.

6

b

Confuted by these testimonies, some are wont to take refuge by saying, that those are not Sibylline Oracles, but forged and composed by our people.' He expected that this objection would be made to his quotations; and he knew it to have been before. They are wont,' he says, 'to 'betake themselves to this refuge.'

6

These things are well known to the learned: I mention them only for the sake of those of my readers who need information, and may be glad of it.

Mr. Whiston, who asserts that the present copy of the Sibylline Oracles, as they are now extant, in eight entire books, is not, in general, the same with that which was 'extant before, and at the first times of christianity, but very different from it,' says likewise: The present spu'rious additions to the genuine Sibylline Oracles may be in some measure traced up to the middle of the second century itself. This is granting all we want at present. We have then probable evidence that the whole, or a large part, of our present collection was in being in the second century and certain evidence from Lactantius of its being composed before the end of the third century.

12.) Whatever was the particular view of the author in composing this work, and however improperly some ancient writers have produced testimonies from it in their defences of the christian religion, it is now of use to us, as it affords an argument that our gospels were extant, aud in much repute, in the author's time. He is to be blamed for assuming the character of a Sibyl. However, intending to compose a work in a prophetical style, and therein to represent, among other things, many particulars relating to our Saviour and his doctrine; he takes for his guides the historical books of the New Testament, and follows them throughout, with very little variation; excepting only what was needful, or agreeable, when they were to be turned into verse. And if he had been pleased to write a pretended prophecy, describing enigmatically the several books of the New Testament received in his time, as he has described the Roman emperors from Julius Cæsar to Adrian, it might be very acceptable.

6

III. There is also a book called, The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, the sons of Jacob, delivered to their 'sons;' in which those patriarchs are introduced speaking

b His testimoniis quidam revicti, solent eo confugere, ut aiant, non esse illa carmina Sibyllina, sed a nostris conficta atque composita. Lact. 1. iv. cap. 15. A Vindication of the Sibylline Oracles, p. 36.

a Ibid. p. 49.

their last dying words, containing predictions of things future, and rules of virtue and piety; which they deliver to their sons as a choice treasure, to be carefully preserved, and to be delivered by them to their children.

e

There have been long since several editions of these Testaments in Latin: but Grabe first published them in Greek from some manuscripts in our Universities; and from his edition they have been re-published by Fabricius. Since which Mr. Whiston has given the public an English translation of them.

6

k

6

Cave, in the first part of his Historia Literaria, places the anonymous author of this book at the year 192; but in the second part of that work he appears inclined to think, he wrote nearer the beginning of the second century. It is generally concluded, that these Testaments were composed before the time of Origen; because he quotes a book with that title in one of his Homilies upon the book of Joshua, which we now have only in a Latin version. Wem find also,' says he, the like sentiment in a little book called, the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, though it is not in the canon.' It has been thought that this book was cited by Origen more than once: but Grabe" has shown this to be the only quotation of it in that father. And there are scarce two or three other quotations of this work, in all the christian writers, for the space of seven or eight hundred years. Jerom seems to intend it among others, when he says, there had been forged revelations of all the patriarchs and prophets.'

Cave thinks it not unlikely that the author was a judaizing christian. Dodwell was of the same opinion, as

e

Spicil. Patr. T. i. p. 129.

Cod. Pseudepigr. V. T. 1713. p. 496.

h Authentic Records, P. i. p. 294, &c.

f Vid. ibid. p. 144, 336.

I have made considerable use of that translation in my extracts, though I do not always follow it exactly.

k P. 52.

I P. 29. m Sed et in alio quodam libello, qui appellatur Testamentum Duodecim Patriarcharum, quamvis non habeatur in canone, talem tamen quendam sensum invenimus, quod per singulos peccantes singuli Satanæ intelligi debeant. Homil. xv. in Josuam, sub fin. Confer Testamentum Ruben. sect. 3. Spicil. ibid. P. 131, 132.

n

• Vid. Grabe, ibid. p. 134, &c. 335, 336. Mr. Whiston's Authentic Records, vol. i. p. 439-441. P Et si tibi placuerit, legito

4 Judæus an christianus

fictas revelationes omnium patriarcharum et prophetarum. Adv. Vigilantium, Hieron. Op. T. iv. P. 2. p. 284. fuerit auctor, haud liquido constat; judaïzans forte christianus, quales isto ævo non pauci extiterunt. Hist. Lit. P. 1. p. 52. Quin opus sit cujusdam judaizantis christiani dubitari nequit, cum omni fere paginâ inepte satis aliquid de Christo ingerit. Hist. Lit. P. 2. p. 29.

r

we are assured by Grabe; but he supposed them composed before the end of the first century. Grabe thinks rather, that they were written by some Jew before our Saviour's coming, and were afterwards interpolated in some places by a christian. But Mr. Whiston asserts, that the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs are really genuine, and one of the sacred apocryphal or concealed books of the Old Testament.'

u

6

Grabe supposes that this book was written in Hebrew. But of this there is no credible testimony: for that learned man does not rely upon the story, that it was translated into Greek by St. Chrysostom. I think it might be written in Greek, though the author was a Jew.

I do not very well know what Cave means, when he says this book was written by a judaizing christian. If thereby he means only a Jew converted to christianity, am not unwilling to assent to him, though I do not look upon that as a clear point. But if he means an imperfect christian, or one who joins the law with the gospel, as necessary to man's acceptance with God, I see no signs of it in this work. For here is very frequent mention of the share which the Gentiles should have in the salvation by the Messiah, without any hints of their complying with the law of Moses. The dispersion and captivity of the Jews, as punishments of their unrighteous treatment of Christ, are much insisted upon. And St. Paul's is a favourite character in this book, who is supposed to have been quite rejected by those christians that judaized. I shall have occasion to take passages enough to set this matter in a full light.

V

Henry Wharton, who thought this work an imposture, and that the author was a christian, is not positive that he was a Jew.

Beausobre, in his late learned work, The Critical History of Mani and Manichæism,' delivers his judgment on this book, and the author, after this manner: That it was forged at the end of the first, or the beginning of the second century, by some christian converted from judaism: and he suspects that the author of the Twelve Testaments Spicileg. ibid. p. 132, 133. Atque hæc fere sunt, quæ cuipiam persuadere possent, Testamenta XII. Patriarcharum a Judæo ante Christum natum literis consignata, posthæc autem a christiano hinc inde interpolata esse. Ibid. p. 140. Authentic Records, p. 410. ▾ Christianum fuisse compertum

"Vid. Spicileg. p. 143. est.- -Sectam quidem judaïcam præ se fert impostor, ut exinde Judæis fucum pià fraude faciat.- -Auctarium Usseri de Scripturis et Sacris Verna

culis, cap. ii. p. 321, 322.

w

L. ii. c. 2. sect. 5. T. i. p. 354, 355.