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ORA

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ORA

OPTIMATES, in Antiquity. One of the Divifions of the Roman People, was into Optimates and Populates.

According to Tully's Defcnption, the Ojstimates were the bell Citizens ; or thofe who defir'd their Actions might be approved by the better Sort ; and the Fapulares thofe, who, out of a Thirft of Vain-glory, did notfo much confiderwhat was right, as what would pleafe the Populace, and get an Intcreft in them. But others rather make the Optimates to be the vigorous Affertors of the Dignity of the Chief Ma- giftrate, and the Sticklers for the Grandeur of the State ; who cared not if the inferior Members fuffer'd, if it were for the Advancement of the Commanding Powers : And the Populates thofe who courted the Favour of the Popu- lace, and encouraged them to demand larger Privileges, to bring Matters nearer to a Level.

OPTION, the Power, or Faculty of Wifhing, or Chu- fing ; or the Choice a Perfon makes of any thing.

When a new Suffragan Bilhop is confecrated, the Arch- billiop of the Province, by a cuflomary Prerogative, claims the Collation of the fitft vacant Benefice, or Dig- nity, in that See, according as he /hall chufe ; which Choice is call'd the Archbifhop's Option.

OR, in Heraldry, Tellow, or the Colour of Gold. See Colour and Metal.

Without this, or Argent, there can be no good Armory.

In the Coats of Nobles, it is call'd To- paz; and in thofe of Sovereign Princes, Sol. It is reprefented in Engraving by fmall Points, or Dots, all over the Field, or Bear- ing ; as in the Figure. It is accounted the Symbol of Wifdom, Temperance, Faith, Force, Conftancy, ££c.

ORACLE, an Anfwcr, ufually couch 'd in very dark and ambiguous Terms, fuppos'd to be given by Daemons of old ; either by the Mouth of their Idols, or by thofe of their Priefls, to the People who confulted them on Things to come.

In this fenfe we fay, the Prieftefs was ever in a Rage when me gave Oracles. Ablancourt obferves, that the Stu- dy or Refearch of the Meaning of Oracle:, was but a heart - lefs Thing; and that they were never underltood till after the Accomplifhment. Hiftorians relate, that Crafus was trick'd by the Ambiguity and Equivocation of the Oracle:

ibn redibis nanquam in hello peribis.

Oracle is particularly ufed for the Datmon who gave the Anfwer, and the Place where it was given. See Djemon.

The principal Oracle! of Antiquity are, that of ^t<i, men- tion' d by Herodotus ; that of Ampbiaraus ; that of the hran- chydes at Didymus ; that of the Camps at Lacedemon ; that oiDodana; that of Jvf iter Amman; that of Nabarea, in the City Anarlaca, near the Cafpia7i Sea; that of Tropbomus, mention'd by Herodotus ; that of Cbyfopolis ; that of Claras in Ionia; that of Miletus 5 that of Mallos; that of Patarea 5 that of Telia in Macedonia ; that of Phafelides mCilicia ; that of Sinope in Fapblagonia; that of Crfheus's Head, mention'd by Pbilofiratus in his Life of Apollonius.

But of all others, the Oracle of Apollo TythiussA Delphos, was the moft celebrated ; this was confulted, en dernier rejfort, by moft of the Princes of thofe Ages, See Pv-

TH1US.

M. Bayle obferves, that at firft it gave its Anfwers in Verfe ; and that it fell at length to Profe, upon the Peo- ple's beginning to laugh at the Poornefs of its Verfifica- tion.

'Tis a ptetty general Opinion among the more Learned, that Oracles wete all- meer Cheats and Impoftures; either calculated to ferve the avaritious Ends of the Heathen Priefls, or the political Views of the Princes.

M.Bay/e fays pofitively, they were meer human Artifices, in which the Devil had no hand. He is ftrongly back'd by Van Dale, and M. Fontenelle, who have wrote expreily on the Subject.

There are two Points in difpute on the Subject of Ora- cles, tos-. whether they were human, or diabolical Ma- chines' and whether or no they ceafed upon the Publica- tion or Preaching of the Gofpel.

Plutarch has a Treatife on the ceafing of fome Ora- cles ■ and Van Dale, a Dutch Phyfician, has a Volume to prove they did not ceafe at the Coming of Chrift ; but that many of them ceafed long before ; and that others held till the fall of Paganifm, under the Empire of The- tdcfius the Great ; when Paganifm being diffipated, thefe In- ilitutions could no longer fublift.

Van Dale was anfwer'd by a German, one Mtsbius, Profef- for of Theology at Leipfic, in 1(585. M. Fontenelle efpoufed Van Da/e'sSyftem, and improved upon it in his Hijtory of Oracle: ; and mew'd the Weaknefs of the Argument ufed:

by many Writers in hehalf of Chriftianitv, drawn from th. ceafing of Oracles. Ine

F.Mahbu!, a learned Jefuir, has anfwer'd both Van Dal' and Fontenelle. He labours to ptove that there were real Ora" clei, and fuch as can never be attributed to any Artifices of the Priefls or Priefteffes ; and that feveral of thefe became filent in the firft Ages of the Chutch, either by the Comirm ofjefus Chrift, or by the Prayers of the Saints.

This Doflrine is confirm'd by a Letter from Father Bok. chet, Miffionary, to Father Malthu:; wherein 'tis declared that what Father M.-./tbui fays of the antient Oracles, is ex- perimented every day in the Indies.

It feems, according to the Mifliooary, that the Devil ftin gives Oracles in the Indies 3 and that, not by Idols, which would be liable to lmpofiure; but by the Mouths of the Priefts, and fometimes of the By-ftanders : 'tis added, that thefe Oracles, too, ceafe, and the Devil becomes mu'te in proportion as the Gofpel is preach'd among them.

'Twas Euftbiits who firft endeavour'd to perfuade the Chtiftians, that the Coming of Jefus Chrift had flruck the Oracles dumb; tho' it appears from the Laws of Tbeodofim Gratian, and Valentinian, that the Oracle! were ttill con- fulted as low as the' Year 38 j. Cicero fays, the Oaclei be- came dumb, in proportion as People, growing lefs credu- lous, began to fufpecl them for Frauds. .

Plutarch alledges two Reafons for the ceafing of Oracles : The one was Apollo's Chagrin ; who, it feems',' took it in dudgeon to be interrogated about fo many Trifles. The other was, that in proportion as the Genii, or Demons, who had the Management of the Oracle!, died, and became ex- tinct, the Oracles mull neceffarily ceafe. He adds a third, and more natural Caufe of the ceafing of Oracle; viz. the forlirn State of Greece, ruin'd and defolated by Wars. For hence, the Smallnefs of the Gains, let the Priefts (ink into' a Poverty and Contempt, too bare to cover the Fraud.

Moft of the Fathers of the Church took it to be the Devil that gave Oracle! ; and look'd on it as a pleafure he took to give dubious and equivocal Anfwers; to have a handle to laugh at them. Voffr.s allows, that 'twas the De- vil who fpoke in Oracles; but thinks that the Obfcurity of his Anfwets, was owing to his Ignorance as to the precife Circumftances of Events. That artful and ftudied Obfcu- rity, wherein the Anfwers were couch'd, fhew'd the Em- barrafs the Devil was under; as thofe double Meanings they ufually bore, provided for their Accomplilliment. Where the Thing foretold, did not happen accordingly, the Oracle, forfooth, was mifunderftood.

Eujebms has preferv'd fome Fragments of a Philofopher, call'd Oenemaas ; who, out of Relentment for his having been fo often fool'd by them, wrote an ample Confutation of all their Impertinences : " When we come to confult " thee, fays he to Afallo, if thou feeft what is in Futurity, " why doeif thou ufe Expreflions that won't be undetftood ? " Doeft thou not know that they won't be underfiood ? " If thou doeft, thou taker! pleafure in abufmg us; if thou " doeft not, be inform'd of us, and learn to fpeak more clear- " ly. I tell thee, that if thou intendedft an Equivoque, the " Greek Word whereby rhou affirm'd that Cmfus fhouhl " overthrow a great Empire, was ill chefen ; and that it " could fignify nothing but Cmfus't conquering Cyrus. If " Things mutt neceffarily come to pafs, why doeft thou " amufe us with thy Ambiguities ; what doeft thou, Wretch " as thou art, at Delpbas ; employ'd in muttering idle Pro- " phecies ] "

But Oenemaus is flill more out of humour with the Ora- cle, for the Anfwer which Apollo gave the Athenians, when Xerxei was about to attack Greece with all the Strength of Afia. The. Pythian declared, that Minerva, the Proteclrefs of Athens, had endeavour'd in vain to appeafe the Wrath of Jupiter ; yet that Jupiter, in complaifance to his Daughter, was willing the Athenians lhou\A fave themfelves in wooden Walls; and that Salamine mould behold the Lofs of a great many Children, dear to their Mothers, either when Cerei was fpread abroad, or gather'd together.

Here Oenemaus lofes all patience with the God of Del. fhos: " This Cnnteff, fays he, between Father and Daugh- " ter, is very becoming the Gods. 'Tis excellent, that " there fhould be contrary Inclinations and Interefts in Hea-

" ven. Pure Wizzard, thou art ignorant whofe the Chil-

" dren are, that Salamine (hall fee 'peri fli ; whether Greek " or Perfiam. 'Tis certain, they muft be either one or the " other; but thou necdedft not have told fo openly, that " thou knewefl not which. Thou concealeft the Time " of the Battle under thofe fine poetical Expreflions, " Either when Ceres is fpread abroad, or gather'd together : " Andwouldft thou bambouzle us with fuch pompous Lan- " guage ? Who knows not that if there be a Sea-fight, it " muft either be in Seed-time or Harveft? 'tis certain it cannot be in Winter. Let Things go how they will,

thou wilt fecure thyfelf by this Jupiter, whom Umer-ja is

endeavouring to appeafe. If the Greeks lofe the Battle,

" Jupiter