Gleanings of antiquities / By John Beaumont, Gent.

  • Beaumont, John, -1731.
Date:
1724
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Gleanings of antiquities / By John Beaumont, Gent. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    165/226 (page 151)
    King of Bafan; and that whatever was moll cele¬ brated among the Delphians^ whether it regarded the Paanick Games, or the Temple itfelf, the Oracle, the Tripod, or the other things* were formerly taken from the Hebrews. Now, as I have before allowed, that there is a good Agreement betwixt the Tripod and the Ark of Teftimony, and betwixt the Holmus and the Mercy- Seat, which this Author contends for; and unlefs I had feen the Cut of the large Cortina, covering the Tripod in the form of a Tent, in Belief or efi, as men¬ tioned before, I might have been inclined to think the Edifice he mentioned railed over the Tripod, might have ferved for the Cortina: yet, as to what he fays, that what is related of Apollo and Pytho, was originally meant of eJofhua and Og, I cannot a- gree with him. To give my own Senfe of thefe Matters, when 1 confider, that the Priefts attending the Oracles were acquainted in the whole Myltery of Gentilifm re¬ lating to religious Pra&ices, and perfe&ly knowing in their Initiations and the Methods ufed in them; I mull conclude, that the Affair of the Oracle related to thofe Initiations, for bringing Men to. a regenerate State, which is the highell Perfection the Mind of Man can be brought to in this Life : and that by Apollo, they meant the holy Spirit attending that State, by whom all things are revealed to us; and tho* the Gentiles had not a rightFoundation of Faith to proceed upon, yet, according to the Knowledge they had of God, in which they came little fhort of Chrillians, they had ways of bringing the Mind to a Purity and Conformity with him, and fo difpofing it for a revealed State, in which Oracles are gi¬ ven : And as Divines tell us, that Prophecy is a Gilt grafts datum, non gratum faciens, it does not feem Itrange if God fometimes let the Gentiles partake of it, cho* they often abufed it, either voluntarily, or for 1 s want