the Devil doth not know by sense, nor by essence; and since 'tis admitted by all, that most of the answers that were pretended to be given by those Oracles, were _de rebus singularibus_, or _individuis_; it is evident that these predictions were not perform'd by Devils. How then? why those predictions which the ignorant Heathen took to come from Heaven, and some Christians (not less ignorant) from the Devil, was nothing but the jugling and impostures of the Priests, who from within the Statua's gave the answers; which Princes connived at, that they might upon occasion serve their turns upon the ignorance of the people; and the learned men, for fear of their Princes, durst not speak against it. _Lucian_ hath noted it, and so a more Authentick Author, _Minut. Felix._, in _Octav. Authoritatem quasi præsentis numinis consequuntur dum inspirantur interim vatibus_. But in process of time, the people grew less credulous of their Priests, and so the Oracles became to be silent: _Cum jam_ (saith he) _Apollo versus facere desisset, cujus tunc cautum illud et ambiguum deficit oraculum: Cum et politiores homines et minus creduli esse cæperunt_. Sir _H. Blount_ in his _Levantine_ voyage, saith he saw the Statua of _Memnon_ so famous of old; he saith it was hollow at top, and that he was told by the _Egyptians_ and Jews there with him, that they had seen some enter there, and come out at the Pyramid, two Bows shoot off; then (saith he) I soon believ'd the Oracle, and believe all the rest to have been such; which indeed, is much easier to imagine than that it was perform'd by any of the three wayes before mentioned. St. _Aug._ hath composed a Book, where he handleth this point at large, and concludeth that the Devils can no more foretel things come, than they are able to discern the thoughts that are within us. _Aug. lib. de Scientia Dæmon._ _Till I laughed my self out of it with a piece of_ Justin, _where he delivers that the Children of_ Israel _for being scabbed were banished out of_ Egypt.] These words of _Justin_ are, _Sed cum scabiem Ægyptii et pruriginem paterentur, responso moniti, eum (se. Moysen) cum ægris, ne pestis ad plures serperet, terminis Ægypti pellunt. l. 36._ But he is not singular in this, for _Tacitus_ tells us, _Hist. lib. 5. Plurimi authores consentiunt orta per Ægyptum tabe quœ corpora fœduret, Regem (Ochirum)_ (he means _Pharaoh_) _adito Hammonis oraculo remedium petentem purgare. Regnum et id genus hominum----alias in terras avertere jussum._ Et paulo inferius, _Quod ipsos scabies quondam turpaverat_. _Sect. 30. Pag. 45._