Upon which I observe, that unquestionably here was a sort of oracle, for such things were common in heathen countries, not only carried on by their priests in the temples of their deities, but also by others in other places. But, as I think, there is good reason to believe, that all those oracles in general were cheats and impostures, the effects of human skill and contrivance only; so I think, there was a like cheat and imposture in this case. But it may not be easy to say exactly wherein the imposture consisted.

It has been supposed, that the woman was a slave, and the joint property of several; which might be. But none of those oracles could be carried on with credit, without a combination, for getting intelligence, and for the sake of other transactions at the office. And whether she was a slave, or a hired servant, does not clearly appear.

I make no question, that the masters were artful and deceitful: but, possibly, the woman was honest. If she had once been otherwise, she was seized with compunction, when she declared Paul and his companions to be "servants of the most high God." But that would not cure her distemper: for some distemper she had, which Paul removed.

It seems to me not improbable, that this woman laboured under some indisposition; possibly, some kind of melan choly, which was imputed to the influence of a dæmon, and particularly to Apollo, as was common among heathen people. The masters, pretending that hereby she was qualified to resolve all manner of questions, set up an oracle at Philippi, and delivered out answers, as if received from the spirit of Python. And their project was carried on very artfully, insomuch, that they had a good deal of employment, and many inquirers, and made great gain.

For no

But the maid being honest, or at least well disposed, and hearing of Paul, what doctrine he taught, and what works he performed; or perhaps out of curiosity attending at a distance, and making inquiries after him, she was convinced, and then openly declared, that he and his companions were "servants of the most high. God." Or, she might have received information of Paul from her masters. people were so inquisitive, and so careful to get early intelligence, as the conductors of those oracles. But the information given her (if she received it from them) had a different effect from what was intended. However, her high character of Paul did not throw her masters into despair, that we can perceive. But she having often followed Paul, and he not valuing such a testimony, and being touched

• Vid. Luciani Alexander, seu Pseudomantis.

with compassion for the maid, under her melancholic affection, adapting his expressions to the common opinion about her," said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour." And thereupon the woman immediately became composed and cheerful. This happy alteration being evident, and public, her masters' hope of farther gain by her was ruined. This appears to me to have been the case: nor can it be thought, that a spirit of Python should publicly say what tended to diminish a regard for himself, and all heathen deities in general.

But I may not stay to allege at large the proofs which might be offered, that the heathen oracles, and such as were said to speak by the spirit of Python, were the impostures of artful men, unsupported by invisible beings of vast knowledge and power, as some have supposed.

I only observe, that what is here advanced is agreeable to the sentiments of the ancient prophets, who continually represent heathen idols as altogether insignificant and vain; and did not imagine, that they were inhabited by invisible beings, who could astonish their worshippers with real wonders, and almost rival the true Deity. Isa. xli. 21–24, "Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them show the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them." Let them show the accomplishment of any events, conformably to their predictions in time past. Or declare us, now, things to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know ye are gods. Yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. Behold ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he, that chooseth you." Compare Isa. xl. 18-20.

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Jer. x. 3-5, " For the customs of the people are vain; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest (the work of the hands of the workman) with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold, they fasten it with nails and hammers, that it move not. They are upright, as the palm-tree, but speak not they must needs be borne, because they cannot go : be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good."

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Isa. xliv. 9, They that make a graven image, are all of them vanity. 10, Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image, that is profitable for nothing? 12, The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers," and what follows to the end of ver.

17, "He burneth part thereof in the fire: with part thereof he eateth flesh: he roasteth roast, and is satisfied. And the residue thereof be maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down to it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Ďeliver me, for thou art my god."

Psal. cxv. 3-8, "But our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever he pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not. They have hands, but they handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither speak they through their throat." They have not the faculty of speech. They that make them, are like unto them. So is every one, that trusteth in them." Compare Ps.

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CXXXV. 15-18.

Psal. xcvii. 7, " Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols."

Dan. v. 4, "They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. Ver. 23, And thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know and the God, in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified."

Habakkuk ii. 18, 19, "What profiteth the graven image, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make him dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake: to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach. It is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it."

Justly therefore does the prophet say, "the stock is a doctrine of vanities," Jer. x. 8. Compare Jer. ii. 27, and Isa. xliv. 19. And I refer to the sixth chapter of the apocryphal book of Baruch.

Acts xvii. 29, "We ought not to think, that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone graven by art, and man's device." So says St. Paul, preaching at Athens. He does not flatter them: he plainly intimates, that their consecrated images consisted only of earthly materials, polished by the hand of the artificer.

1 Cor. viii. 4, "We know, that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.' Ch. x. 19," What say I then? that the idol is any thing?" Ch. xii. 2, "Ye know, that ye were gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, as ye were led."

1 Thess. i. 9, " And how ye turned to God from idols,” meaning lifeless idols, " to serve the living and true God."

After all this, can any christian believe, that heathen idols had either power or knowledge?

Can we think, that by invocation, and consecration, aërial, invisible beings were brought to reside in images of hollow brass, or solid marble? And that they thence delivered auswers to such as sought to them? Such was, indeed, the persuasion of heathen people: but it was a mere delusion appertaining to their superstition; for which they were derided by the primitive christians, and the ancient apologists; who are justified by the scriptures, as we have lately seen.

Can we imagine, that heathen deities were able to do great things for those who sought to them, and recompense them for all their costly oblations and sacrifices? I say, can any christians admit such an imagination, when the prophets represent them as things of nought, senseless idols, who could not see, hear, speak, or walk, as graven or molten images, as mere stocks, that could do neither good nor evil? Do we not all know, how the prophet Elijah exposed the inability of Baal, in the presence of his numerous priests and worshippers? And shall any christians still suppose, that Baal was a being of mighty power? No, no, Saturn, or Baal, or Belus, or by whatever other name he was invoked, to whom so many fine children were offered in sacrifice, by that warlike people the Carthaginians, and their ancestors k the Phoenicians, was so far from holding the balance of

Sed erras, inquitis, et laberis. Nam neque nos æra neque auri argentique materias neque alias quibus signa confiunt, eas esse per se deos, et religiosa decernimus numina: sed eos in his colimus, eosque veneramur, quos dedicatio infert sacra, et fabrilibus efficit inhabitare simulacris. Arnob. 1. vi. p. 203. in. Vid. ib. p. 207. in. Επειτα δε και Ολύμπιος τις εν φιλοσοφε σχηματι συνων αυτοις, και πειθων χρηναι μη αμελειν των πατριων-καθαιρεμε νων δε των ξοάνων, αθυμεντας όρων, συνεβάλευε, μη εξιτασθαι της θρησκείας, ύλην φθαρτην και ινδαλματα λεγων ειναι τα αγαλματα, και δια τετο αφανισμόν ὑπομενειν· δυναμεις δε τινας ενοικήσαι αυτοίς, και εις έρανόν αποπτηναι. zom. H. E. 1. vii. p. 724. C. Vid. et Clementin. Hom. X. sect. xxi.

So

Simulacra ista, quæ vos terrent, quæque in templis omnibus prostrati, atque humiles adoratis, ossa, lapides, æra sunt, argentum, aurum, lignum sumptum ex arbore, aut commixtum glutinum gypso, &c. O utinam liceret in simulacri alicujus medias introire pendigines! Immo utinam liceret Olympiacos illos et Capitolinos Joves in membra resolutos, omnesque illas partes, quibus summa concluditur corporum, discretas et singulas intueri, &c. Arnob. 1. vi. p. 200, 201. et seqq.

Quisquamne igitur tam ineptus est, ut putet aliquid esse in simulacro Dei, in quo ne hominis quidem quicquam est præter umbram ?—Adorant ergo insensibilia, qui sentiunt: irrationabilia, qui sapiunt: exanima, qui vivunt: terrena, qui oriuntur e cœlo. Lact. 1. ii. cap. 2. p. 147.

k Κρονῳ μεν γαρ φοινικες καθ' έκασον ετος έθυον τα αγαπητα και μονογενη των τεκνων. Euseb. de Laudib. Constant. p. 646. A. Vid. Hieron. Columna ad Fragmenta Ennii. p. 74–76.

power in that, or any other part of the world, or being able to give victory to what people he pleased, that he was not able to raise or lay a storm, could not form or blast one spire of grass, or flower of the field, but was a dead man, and, as to power or influence, mere nothing.

m

When we speak of heathen deities as dead men, we are countenanced by many wise men among the ancients, and by the scriptures, as was shown" before.

And do we think, that their fond and sorrowful survivors could by any methods and solemnities of deification, performed on this earth, seat them in heaven, and advance them to extensive power and empire?

Some learned men among christians have supposed, that the young woman at Philippi, whose case we have had under our consideration, who is said to have had a "spirit of divination," had extraordinary knowledge. They say, that she prophesied, that she could discover lost goods, and ⚫ reveal what happened in distant places, and do many other things of a like nature.' But their opinion is confuted by the text in Isa. viii. 19, before quoted. For she was one of those who are particularly mentioned by the prophet, as having a familiar spirit, or spirit of Python, and muttering, that is, speaking as out of the belly or breast. And so the place was understood of old by P Jerom.

3. Obj. The third objection to be considered by us is, that the evangelists seem to have believed real possessions,

1 Saturnum enim principem hujus generis et examinis omnes scriptores vetustatis, Græci Romanique, hominem prodiderunt. Minuc. Fel. cap. 22. m Quibus ex rebus cum constet illos homines fuisse, non est obscurum, quâ ratione dii cœperint nominari. Hac scilicet ratione Romani Cæsares suos consecraverunt, et Mauri reges suos. Lactant. l. i. cap. 15.

et ideo simulacra constituunt. Quæ quia mortuorum sunt imagines, similia mortuis sunt. Omni enim sensu carent. Id. l. ii. cap. 2. p. 146. Si vero scrutari vetera, et ex his ea, quae scriptores Græciæ prodiderunt, eruere coner; ipsi illi majorum gentium dii qui habentur, hinc a nobis profecti in cœlum reperientur. Cic. Tuscul. Disp. i. c. 13. Et Conf. Lact. 1. i. c. 15. p. 85.

Vid. Euseb. de Vitâ Constant. 1. ii. cap. 16. 1. iii. cap. 26. et 54. et passim. Vid. Dem. Evang. 1. viii. p. 364. Clementin. Hom. 6. n. xxi. xxii. p. 669, 670. " See here, p. 472.

Ignosci morentibus potest, credentibus non potest. Quis enim tam demens, qui, consensu, et placito innumerabilium stultorum, aperiri cœlum mortuis arbitretur; aut aliquem, quod ipse non habeat, dare alteri posse? Lact. 1. i. cap. 15. p. 86.

P Si dixerint, inquit, patres vestri, quos reliquistis: Quærite ventriloquos, quos Pythonas intelligimus. Qualem et in Actibus Apostolorum ancillam legimus, quæ quæstui erat dominis suis. Hieron. Comm. in Is. cap. viii Tom. 3. p. 81.