54. But they who handed down the fables which werejmita-
Sodom and Gomorrah.
False imitations of Prophecy.
the Holy Spirit of Prophecy foretold, by the Prophet Ap,.l.
Isaiah, should be saved : but He spoke as in their person :
^'^^Except the Lord had left us a seed, ice should hare been as is. i, 9.
Sodom and Gomorrah.
Now Sodom and Gomorrah are related by Moses to have been certain cities of ungodly men, which God burnt, and destroyed by fire and brimstone; and none of their inhabitants was saved, except a stranger, a Chaldean by birth, whose name was Lot, and with him also his daughters ; and those who wish, may see their whole country lying waste and consumed, and continuing unfruitful.
And that they who are of the Gentiles were foreknown as both to be more true, and more faithful, I will recite what was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet ; it is as follows :
Israel is uncircumcised in heart, hut the Gentiles in Jer. 9, the Jlesh.
So many things then which are seen may with "
' reason cause conviction and belief to those who embrace the truth, and do not seek for vainglory, and are not governed by their passions.
54. But they who handed down the fables which werejmitaframed by the Poets, offer no proof to the youth who learn p°°^ °^ them ; and that they were uttered for the deception and sephecy. duction of the human race, by the agency of evil demons, I will prove : for having heard, through the Prophets, that Christ was proclaimed as about to come, and punish the ungodly among men by fire ; they caused many beforehand to be spoken of, who were called the sons of Ju2)iter, thinking that they were able to cause men to consider the tidings of Christ as a marvellous story, and like those which M^ere told by the Poets.
And these were uttered, both among the 'tjrreeks, and in all nations, where they especially heard the Prophets foretell that men should believe on Christ
: and I will prove, that when they heard what was spoken by the Prophets, they did not understand the same correctly, but imitated what they said of our Christ like men who are in error.
The Prophet Moses, then, was, as I have said, older than all writers, and by him, as I have already related, the following prophecy' was uttered: A primce shall not fail Gen. 49^ from Judah, nor a governor from his thighs, until He comes ' for tuhom it is in store, and He shall he the expectation of the fientiles, hinding His colt to the vine, washing His robe in
Mythological j^ersonages.
The Cross not imitated.
Just, the blood of the grape.
The devils, then, hearing these -^iA^I: prophetical words, said, that Bacchus had been born the son of Jupiter, and declared that he was the discoverer of the vine; and they use wine ^ in his mysteries; and teach that he was torn asunder, and went up into Heaven.
And as it was not signified in terms, by that prophecy of Moses, whether He who was to come, was the Son of God ; and, if riding on the foal. He would remain on earth, or ascend into Heaven ; and the word colt might mean the foal, both of an ass, and of a horse ; they, not knowing whether He who was foretold, would introduce the foal of an ass, or of a horse, to be a token of His coming ; and whether He is the Son of God, as T have already s'aid, or of man; declared, that Bellerophon himself, who was a man and son of man, upon his horse Pegasus, had gone up into Heaven.
And when they heard it said by the other Prophet Isaiah, that He should be born of a Virgin, and should, by Himself, ascend into Heaven ; they put forward the mention of Perseus : and when they knew that it was declared, as has been said before, in the prophecies that were written Ps. 19, previously, He is strong as a giant to run His course, they ^' declared that Hercules was strong, and travelled over the whole world : and when they learnt again that He was foretold as about to heal every disease, and to raise the dead, they brought forward ^sculapius.
The 5^, But in no case, and upon none of those who are called escaped the SOUS of Jupiter, did they imitate the being cruci:Q,£dLi_ imita- -pQj, ^^ ^^^ j^Q|. occur to them : every thing which was spoken in relation to this, having been uttered symbolically, as I have already said.
This, as the Prophet foretold, is the greatest mark of His strength and power ; as is also shewn by the things which fall under our observation: for consider all the things in the world, whether without this form there is any administration, or any community, possible to be maintained.
The sea cannot be ploughed except that Tp6trophy ^ which is called a sail abide safe in the ship.
iraiov 'I Wine, ohov.
Such is the reading receive, and Grabe, Thirlby, Gallandi, of the Mss. but the Paris editions read and Braunius, incline to, the latter. oVoj/, " an ass."
The Benedictine See Benedictine and Otto in loc. and prefers the former ; Morell and Ottu conopare Dialogue with Trypho, §. 69.