Hugo Grotius · 74 of 132

SECT. IX. And from oracles.

AND almost all the same things may be applied to solve that which they allege concerning oracles; especially what was before said, that such men deserved to be imposed upon, who despised that knowledge which reason and ancient tradition suggested to every man. Moreover the words of the oracles were for the most part ambiguous, and such as might be interpreted of the event, be it what it would. And if any thing was more particularly foretold by them, there is no necessity of its proceeding from an omniscient Being; because either they were such as might be perceived beforehand, from natural causes then appearing, as some physicians foretel future diseases; or they might with probability be conjectured, from what we usually see come to pass; which we read was often done by those who were skilful in civil matters. And if at any time God made use of any of those works, done by the diviners among the heathen, to foretel such things as could have no other real foundation but the will of God, it did not tend to confirm the heathen religion, but rather to overthrow it; such as those things we find in Virgil’s fourth eclogue, taken out of the Sibylline verses; in which, though unknown to himself, he describes the coming of Christ, and the benefits we should receive from him: Thus, in the same Sibyls, that he was to be acknowledged as king, who was to be truly our king; who was to rise out of the east, and be lord of all things. The oracle of Apollo is to beseen in Porphyry; in which be says, the other gods were aërial spirits, and that the one God of the Hebrews was to be worshipped: which words if the worshippers of Apollo obeyed, they ceased to be his worshippers; if they did not obey him, they accused their god of a lie. To which may be added, that if these spirits would in their oracles have consulted the good of mankind, they would, above alt things, have proposed to them a general rule of life, and assured them of a reward, which they who so lived might expect; but they did neither of them. On the contrary, they many times in their Verses applauded kings, though never so wicked: decreed divine honours to champions, enticed men to unlawful embraces, to pursue unjust gain, and to commit murder; which may be evidenced by many instances.