of the early defenders of Christianity seemed to act on the principle that whatever is written is true; and hence there is found in the same connection a strange blending of the words of holy writ with the pithy sayings of the ancient poets, and the raving denunciations of the Sibyl. While their intention is worthy of all admiration, their reasoning seems to be of the generic cast, like that of many modern philosophers, who, in the plenitude of their wisdom, are ready, with the poet, to fall down and worship ‘Jehovah, Jove, or Lord.' Clement of Alexandria says, in his Stromat., "But just as God wished the salvation of the Jews, by giving them prophets, so also he raised up prophets among the Grecians who were very well skilled in their native language, and were thus enabled to understand that beneficence of God which was hidden from the multitude. Thus testifies the gospel by Peter." Paul the apostle says, "Take the Grecian books, read the Sibyl, how she declares that there is one God, and also reveals the future." This sentiment of Clement: "God raised up prophets among the Grecians,' " has found an earnest advocate in Bishop Horsely, in "A Dissertation on the Prophecies of the Messiah dispersed among the Heathen." The outline of his argument is as follows: 1. "The Gentile world, in the darkest ages, was in possession not of vague and traditional, but of explicit written prophecies of Christ." This position is based on the existence of the Roman Sibylline books, and these prophecies are the basis of Virgil's fourth Eclogue, ad Pollionem. Ultima Cumæi venit jam Carminis ætas, Jam redit et Virgo, redeunt Saturnia regna, et sq.' 2. He maintains, "that the Roman Sibylline books were fragments of the most ancient prophecies of the patriarchal ages. For the early degeneracy of men was, by the divine interposition, slower than is generally believed. For ages the world enjoyed the light of revelation to a considerable degree. While the corruption was rising to its height, Providence was taking measures for the restoration of man. The gift of prophecy was vouchsafed long before the institution of the Mosaic church. Letters being in use long before that time, the ancient prophecies were committed to writing, and by the mysterious operation of Providence the blind superstition of idolaters was itself made the means of preserving these writings, though in an impure state, and of preparing the Gentiles for the advent of Christ." Tertullian ad Nationes, Lib. 11, § 12. "Now will I pass by abler testimonies to the divine word, to which greater credit is due on account of their antiquity. For Sibylla existed before any literature. This Sibylla is doubtless a true prophetess of the truth; but you have invested her words with a demoniacal dress." Again, Tert. Apol. "And we also have a Sibyl, inasmuch as this appellation of a true prophet of the true God is usually given to those who seem more than others to possess the gift of prophecy. But the name of your Sibyl is that of a lying Sibyl, just as is the name of your god." Tertullian here seems to charge the heathen with borrowing the idea of a Sibyl prophetess; or, does he use the word rhetorically, as significant of the true spirit of prophecy? Grigen ad Celsum, Lib. 7. "Celsus would prefer that we should call Sibylla, rathe rthan Jesus, the child (Tada) of God. He also affirms that we have interpolated the Sibyl by many and blasphemous oracles. But Celsus does not indicate in what particulars we have interpolated these writings. He ought to have pointed out purer copies, but the fact that he has not done it, shows that purer ones were not in existence; and, further, he has not shown in what respect these which he calls interpolations are blasphemous." Orig. ad Cels. 5. Orig. ad Cels. 5. "Celsus calls us Sibyllists, perhaps because he has heard the same from some, who, when they deride those that regard Sibylla as a prophetess, stigmatize them as Sibyllists." In these passages Origen seems very careful to avoid giving his personal opinion respecting the Sibyl. He evidently admits the existence of Christian Sibylline books, as does Celsus the existence of both heathen and Christian Sibylline books. With Lactantius the Sibyl is in high esteem, and a constant witness to the truth of his positions. He says, "But let us return from human to divine testimonies, thus saith the Sibyl, etc. Sibyl has predicted-All these Sibyls proclaim one God, especially the Erythræan, VOL. XIII.NO. XLIX. 9 which is esteemed the most noble and celebrated of all. "But I do not doubt that in ancient times these songs were received as ravings, since no one understood them. For they set forth certain wonderful prodigies, of which neither the time, nor the manner, nor the author, is designated. Furthermore, the Erythræan Sibyl declares that the time will come when she herself will be called insane and deceitful." The following are a few quotations by Lactantius, which will indicate the usual themes of the Sibyl in his times. They are of the same character as the quotations made by the writers who preceded him. "One God, who only rules, exceedingly great, unoriginated. There is one God alone-exceedingly lofty-the Creator; For heaven, the sun, the stars, the moon he made, The fruitful earth, the foaming waves of the sea. Immortal Creator, dwelling in ether, upon the good conferring greater good. Reverence him alone, the ruler of the world, Who exists from age to age; For I am God alone and there is no other God. God cannot be made of man, nor of the mother of heroes; He alone is God, the incomparable architect. O Greece, why dost thou trust in human governors? Why dost thou present to the dead thy senseless gifts, To perform these rites and to forsake the mighty God?" "For then in multitudes shall assemble the dead of the whole earth, when the Almighty himself shall come to his judgment-seat to judge the souls of the living and the dead and the universal world. The prophetic and raging Sibyl proclaims, Hear me, ye mortals, the King Eternal reigns. And the city which God has made, he has made it more brilliant than the stars and the sun and the moon. "The wolves shall not contend with the lambs on the mountains ; For the lynces and the kids shall feed together; Bears, calves, and men shall walk together; The carnivorous lion shall eat husks at the manger; And dragons shall lie down to sleep with the motherless infant. For then both trees and the countless flocks of earth shall yield to men their true and undeceptive fruit. Their stores of wine, and sweetest honey, and dainty white milk, and bread most beautiful to mortals. "But the holy ground of the just alone shall yield all these delights. There running streams of honey from the rock, and milk ambrosial from the gushing fountain, shall flow to all the saints." Lactantius quotes 150 verses, and among these the hymn which describes so minutely the sufferings of Christ. In Lactantius the verses of this hymn are scattered; but in Augustine they are brought together and subjoined to the acrostical hymn to the Son of God. Cicero speaks of acrostical hymns found in the Roman Sibylline collection; but the principle of structure appears to have been different from that adopted in the present case. In this acrostical hymn which is contained in the eighth book of the present collection, the only bond of connection in the thought appears to be the leading letters of the poem which are made up of these words, 'Inoos Χριστὸς Θεοῦ Υἱος Σωτής. The connection of thought is very various, though the sentiment is nuobjectionable. The subject is the last judgment. For the hymn, in Latin, see Augustine De Civitat. Dei, Lib. 18, c. 23. The subjoined translation will illustrate the nature of the acrostical hymn and particularly the train of thought which it contains. Judgment impends. Lo! the earth reeks with sweat; H. He, the destined King of future ages, comes; . Soon he descends-the Judge in human form. o. On speeds the God-his friends and foes behold him. Vengeance he wears, enthroned with his holy ones. Υ. 2. See how the dead assume their ancient forms. P. X. C hoked with thorny hedges lies the waste, dreary world: E. I. 2. Shining in light behold the saints immortal. T. Turn to the guilty, burning in endless flames. O. O 'er hidden deeds of darkness no veil shall be spread. Σ. e. There will be a bitter wailing; there they gnash with their teeth. E. E bon clouds vail the sun; the stars their chorus cease; O. O'er our heads the heavens roll not, the lunar splendors fade. Underneath the mountains lie; the vallies touch the sky. T. T. Unknown the heights or depths of man,-since all shall prostrate lie. I. In the ocean's dark gulf sink the mountains and the plains. O. O rder casts away her empire; creation ends in chaos. Σ. Ω. . S wollen rivers and leaping fountains are consumed in the flames. Shrill sounds the trumpet; its blast rends the sky. O fearful are the groanings, the sorrows of the doomed. 2760 T. Tartarean chaotic depths the gaping earth reveals. H. E arth's vaunted monarchs shall stand before their Lord. P. We add the verses so descriptive of the sufferings of Christ. "But into hands of unjust infidels shall he afterward come; with vile hands they will smite their God with blows upon the cheek, and from their filthy mouths shall spew their poison. But he will give his sacred back to blows, and receiving buffetings he will be silent lest any one should discern the Word and whence he comes. He will speak to those in Hades. He will wear the crown of thorns. But they will give him gall for food and vinegar for drink; such a table of inhospitality do they spread for him. For thou, thyself insipid, hast not known thy God. Thou didst sport with thoughts of insolence; thou didst weave the crown of thorns and mix the fearful gall. The vail of the temple is sundered, and at mid-day it is night. Three lonely hours a dreary darkness palls the earth. On the third day he shall complete the destiny of death, and the sleeper ransomed from the dead shall then come forth to the light. He will show himself to the elect, as the first fruits of the resurrection." Augustine devotes this whole chapter to the Christian Sibyl; but you cannot discover his position respecting the genuineness of her oracles. He speaks of a conversation which he had with the proconsul Flaccianus respecting Christ, during which Flaccianus showed him a Grecian manuscript of the Erythræan Sibyl, containing the acrostic. In Chap. 46, he refers to a charge which some had made that the Sibylline Oracles respecting Christ were fictitious, and in Chap. 47, he seems to give some credit to the charge, and at any rate is ready to rely on the Old Testament prophecies alone. ANALYSIS OF THE SIBYLLINE BOOKS. Book I. History of Creation. The Fall of Adam. The Flood. The name of God given in an enigma. The dogma is maintained that the souls of the pious dead do not immediately enter paradise. The first book closes with prophecies respecting Christ, his life, death, resurrection, cessation of prophecy, preaching of the apostles, destruction of Jerusalem. |