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preserve the republic, as the most honourable and eminent of the citizens, by governing it well, and as priests, by wisely interpreting the requirements of religion. The dignity of the whole republic, the safety of all the citizens, their lives, their liberties, their altars, their hearths, their household gods, their properties and condition as citizens, and their homes, all appear to be committed and entrusted to your wisdom, integrity, and power." CIC. Orat. pro domo, c. 1.

MALACHI III.

2. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's sope. "Devouring flame is the purifier of all things and melts the dross from out the metals."-Ov. Fast. 1. IV. v. 785.

6. I change not.

Socrates argues with Adimantes

"If God be changed, does he change himself to what is better and fairer, or to the worse and more deformed? To the worse surely, replied Adimantes, if he be changed at all, for we can never say that God is at all deficient in beauty or excellence. You speak most correctly, said I and this being so, think you, Adimantes, that any one, either of gods or men, would willingly make himself any way worse? Impossible, said he. It is impossible, then, said I, for a god to desire to change himself.” PLAT. de rep. 1. 11. c. 20. "The immovable First Mover must of necessity constitute an entity; and so far as it subsists necessarily, so far does it subsist after an excellent manner; and in this way constitutes a first principle."-ARISTOT. Metaph. 1. xI. c. 7.

"Plato thinks that to be nothing which begins and perishes; and that that alone is which is always the same; such as he calls idea, and we species."-CIC. Tusc. l. I. c. 24.

"The Jews maintain that the divine being is eternal and supreme; that he is incapable of all change, incapable of ever ending. In their cities, therefore, no images are seen, much less in their temples."-TAC. Hist. 1. v. c. 5.

8. Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

But ye say, Wherein

"Caphis went to Delphi, but was loath to touch the sacred deposits, and lamented to the Amphictyones the necessity he was under, with many tears."-PLUT. Sull. c. 12. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his

name.

Epictetus speaking of moral and social duties, says :

"Let these things be ready at hand night and day. These things write; these things read; of these things converse, both with yourself and with others." EPICT. 1. III. c. 14.

The poets attribute to Jove, the Parcæ, and other deities, books in which the good and evil deeds of men are recorded: hence the proverb, Ζεὺς κατείδε χρόνιος εἰς τὰς Spoépas. Jupiter, sooner or later, looks into the parchments.

"Beneath the earth

The awful judge of mortals, Pluto, sits,

And with relentless justice marks our deeds."

Escн. Eumen. v. 273.

"So spake the youth, and Nemesis wrote down the wicked speech."

CALLIM. H. in Demet. v. 57.

"The deity now looks down from heaven upon the just and unjust, writes down all that every one does, in books, and will, on a day that he has appointed, reward them according to their deserts."-LUCIAN. Philop. c. 13.

"The gods know what sort of person every one really is; they observe his actions, whether good or bad; they take notice with what feelings, and with what piety he attends to his religious duties, and they are sure to make a difference between the good and wicked."-Cic. de leg. 1. II. c. 7.

17. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

"Far above all other gifts doth Jove,

The almighty father hold true piety.

Whether we live or die, that still survives

Beyond the reach of fate, and is immortal.-SOPH. Philop. v. 1443.

MALACHI IV.

2. But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Apollo's

"Fair tresses drop ambrosial dews,
Distil soft oils, and healing balms diffuse;
And on what favour'd city these shall fall,
Life, health, and safety, guard the sacred wall."

CALLIM. H. in Apoll. v. 39.

MATTHEW-CHAPTER I.

23. Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Quintilian, in his chapter upon presumptive proofs, adduces the following examples. As the generality of his illustrations are derived from history it can scarcely be doubted that he here refers to the facts of our Saviour's birth, his miracles, and his resurrection, which he cites as unworthy of belief, because contrary to all the rules of presumptive evidence.

"Presumption is to be examined through all times, past, present, and to come. An example of the past is, When a woman has borne a child, it is a presumption that she is no virgin. An example of the present is, That the sea must roll when it is ruffled by the wind. An example of the future is, That a man must be dead after his heart is wounded."-QUINTIL. 1. v. c. 9.

MATTHEW II.

1. Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2. Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

The Chaldæans were from the earliest ages observers of the stars.

of them :

Diodorus says

"From a long observation of the stars, and an exact knowledge of the motions and influences of every one of them, wherein they excel all other nations, they foretel many things that are to happen. The appearance of comets, they say, is significative of good or evil not only to nations in general but to kings, and even to private individuals.” DIOD. SIC. 1. II. c. 30.

แ According to the Chaldæans the birth of infants is regulated by the moon, and they observe and take particular notice of the natal stars with which the moon happens to be in conjunction at the moment of a nativity."-Cic. de div. 1. 11. c. 43.

comets.

Lucan, speaking of the prodigies which attended the civil wars at Rome, says :"Then horrid comets shook their fatal hair

And bade proud royalty for change prepare."-Phars. l. 1. v. 528. "Stars are suddenly formed in the heavens themselves. The Greeks name these stars Those that are named acontiæ, vibrate like a dart, with a very quick motion. It was one of this kind that the Emperor Titus described in his very excellent poem as having been seen in his fifth consulship; and this was the last of these bodies which has been observed."-PLIN. Hist. nat. 1. 11. c. 22.

"In the reign of Nero a blazing star, which is vulgarly supposed to portend destruction to kings and princes, appeared above the horizon several nights successively." SUETON. Nero, c. 36.

The ancients were of opinion that their great men and heroes at their death migrated into some star: hence the names of many of the constellations. Perhaps the Magi may have held some such belief, connecting the appearance of a new star with the birth as well as with the departure of a hero.

"Why, Daphnis, dost thou search in old records,

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To know the seasons when the stars arise?

See, Cæsar's lamp is lighted in the skies."-VIRG. Ecl. IX. v. 46.

Marcellus, like a youthful tree, of growth

Insensible, high shoots his spreading fame,

And like the moon, the feebler fires among,

Conspicuous shines the Julian star."-HOR. 1. I. carm. 12.

"Julius Cæsar was ranked among the gods, not only by a formal decree but in the belief of the vulgar. For during the first games which Augustus, his heir, consecrated to his memory, a comet blazed for seven days together, rising always about eleven o'clock; and it was supposed to be the soul of Cæsar now received into heaven; for which reason, likewise, he is represented on his statue with a star on his brow."-SUETON. Cæs. c. 88.

The following lines from Virgil, are supposed to have been taken from the Sibylline verses, and to have reference to the birth of Christ :

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"The last great age, foretold by sacred rhymes,
Renews its finish'd course: Saturnian times
Roll round again; and mighty years begun
From their first orb, in radiant circles run.
The base degen'rate iron offspring ends;
A golden progeny from heav'n descends.

O chaste Lucina! speed the mother's pains

And haste the glorious birth! thy own Apollo reigns.

The lovely boy, with his auspicious face,

Shall Pollio's consulship and triumph grace:

Majestic months set out with him to their appointed race.

The father banish'd virtue shall restore;

And crimes shall threat the guilty world no more.

The son shall lead the life of gods, and be

By gods and heroes seen, and gods and heroes see.
The jarring nations he in peace shall bind,

And with paternal virtues rule mankind.

The Fates, when they this happy web have spun,
Shall bless the sacred clue and bid it smoothly run.
Mature in years to ready honours move,

O, of celestial seed! O foster son of Jove!

See lab'ring Nature calls thee to sustain

The nodding frame of heav'n, and earth, and main !

See to their base restored earth, seas, and air;

And joyful ages, from behind, in crowding ranks appear."
VIR. Ecl. IV. v. 3—17, 46–52.

'Many were under a strong persuasion that in the ancient books, kept by their priests, a prophesy was contained-That at this very time the power of the East should prevail, and out of Judæa should spring such as should rule over all nations: a prophetic riddle by which Vespasian and Titus were prefigured."-TAC. Hist. l. v. c. 13.

"A firm persuasion had long prevailed through all the East that it was fated for the empire of the world at that time to devolve on some one who should go forth from Judæa."-SUET. Vespas. c. 4.

11. They presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

"There is no country in the world that produces frankincense except Arabia. It is the Sabæi alone, and no other people among the Arabians, that behold the incense-tree."

PLIN. Hist. nat. 1. XII. c. 14.

16. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in

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