I JO IXth of his Praparat, tells us, that Nabuchadonofor is mentioned alfo in Abydenus, who wrote of the Ajjyriam: The Words are thefc " Meghafthe-'* nes fays, that Nabuchodrofo-*• rus was ftronger than Hercu-«' les, and waged War againft •* Lybia and Iberza^ and having •* overcome them, he planted •* them in feveral Colonies on •* the right Shore of the Sea. *• And the Chaldaans relate •• moreover concerning him, •' that as he was going into *• his Palace on a certain time, •* he was infpired by a God, •• and fpake the following •' Words. I Nahuchodroforus •* foretel a fad Calamity that «* will befal you, O Babylo- '* niam; which neither Belus^ ** our Forefather, nor Queen *' Be/fis could perfuade the •* Fates to avert: There (hall «* come a Berfian Mule, who •* affifted by your Gods, fhall ** biring Slavery upon you; *» Medus, the Glory of the ** Jjfyriansy will alfo help to *• do this. I wiili that before •* he betrays his Countrymen, «' fome Charybdis, or Sea, •* would fvvallow him up and «' dellroy him; or that he <' were directed another way, «* through the Wildernefs, •* where there are no Cities, " or Footfteps of Men, where •• the wild Beafts feed, and •* the Birds fly about: That «* he might wander folitary *' amongrt the Rocks and «* Dens, and that a happy End *• had overtaken me, before *• thefe things were put into •• my Mind. Having prophe- •• fied this, he fuddenly dif- Of the Truth of Book IIL ** appeared." Compare this laft with that which is faid of ihisNabuchadonofory intheBook of Daniel; the fir ft out of Megafihenes^ we have alfo in Jo^ fephusy Book X. Chap. II. of his Ancient Hiftory; and he fays it is in the IVth of his Indian Hiftory. Eufebius likewife has this concerning Nabuchadonofofy out of Abydenus, ** It is reported (of the Place ** w^^;v Babylon y?««^^,^ that ** at firft, it was all Water, ** called Sea, buti?<?/«j drained '* it, and allotted to every one *' his Portion of Land, and in-*' com pa (Ted Babylon with a *' Wall, which Time has worn *' out. But 'Nabuchadonofor '* walled it again, which re- *' mained till the Macedonian ** Empire; and it had brazen ** Gates." And a little after: *• When Nabuchadonofor came ** to the Government, in fif- ** teen Days time, he walled •* Babylon with a triple Wall, *' and he turned out of their " Courfe, the Rivers Armacale *' and Acracanusy which is *' an Arm oi Euphrates And ** for the City of the Sippare^ *' nicnsy he digged a Pool " forty Furlongs round, and •' twenty Fathom deep; and " made Sluices to open, and *' water the Fields: They call ** them Guides to the Aqu^- " duS}j He alfo built up a '* Wall to exclude the Red "Sea; and he rebuilt 'T^z-^^o;?, '* to hinder the Incurfions of ** thQ Arabians; and he plant- '* ed his Palace with Trees, '* called the Penfile Gardens." Compare this with Dan. IV. 27. And Siraboy Book XV. quotes Sefl:. i6. the Chrijlian ReUgioju 171 huchadonofor^ (a) and other Chaldeans. Vaphres^ quotes thcfc Words alfo out of the fame Magajlhencs. ♦* Na- •' buchadotiofor, whofe Fame " amongft the Cbaldaam is •• greater than Hercules, went •' as far as the Pillars.''' There were others, who touched upon the Hiitory of this King, but we have only the Names of them remaining. Diodes in the lid of his ferjian Hiftory, and Pblloilratus, in that of the Indians and Phcenicians^ who fays that Tyre was befieged by him XII f Years, as Jofephuy tells us, in the forecited Place of his Ancient Hillory, and in his Ift Book againft Appion, where he quotes the following Words out of the publick A<5ts of the Phcenicians. '* When •* Ithobalus was King, t^abu- " chadonofar befieged Tyre *' thirteen Years. After him, *• Baal xt\^\\tdi ten Years; af- *' rer him. Judges were ap- *' pointed to govern Tyre; *' Eccibalust the Son of Baf- -' /Vzi'i^^, two Months; Chelbes *• the Son of Abdaius^ ten •* Months; Abbarusl\i&\\\<^- •* Prieft, three Months; Mut- *' gonus, and Gerajlratus, the *' Sons of AbdelinuSf were •* Judges fix Years; betwixt " whom, Belatorus reigned •* one. After his Death, they •' fent and fetched Cerbalus •* from Babylon; he reigned •* four Years. After his Death *' they fent for his Brother " Hirom^ who reigned twenty *' Years. In his time, Cyrus •' the P^r/za-wflourifhed.'* For the exad Agreement of this Computation with the Sacred Books, fee Jojephus in the forecited Book againft Appion: Where follows in Jofephus, thefe Words concerning Hecataus. ♦' The Perftansy fays •* he, drew many Millions of *• us to Babylon''' And concerning theWar oiSennacherib, and Nabucbadono for'' iCaptivity^ fee the Place of Demetrius in Clemens, Strom I. He cat anus's authority is very little to the Purpofe, becaufe he isafpurious Writer. ^tzGer.J.VoJfiusMpon the Greek Hiftorians. Le Clerc. (<?) yind other Chaldeans, &c.] After the forecited Words of Berofusy follow thefe, according to Jofephus, in both the Places now mentioned. •' His Son E'vilmaradoch was ** made Head of the King- ** dom; he managed Affairs •* unjuftly and wantonly; af- •' ter he had reigned two *' Years, he was treacheroufly ** flain by Nerigliforoorus, who ** married his Sifter; after his ** Death, NerigUforoorus, who " thus killed him, poffeiTed " the Government, and reign- ** ed four Years. His Son La- '* borofoarcheduSya.YoMihjQign" ** ed nine Months; but be- ** caufe there appeared in him •* many evil Difpofitions, he •• was flain by the Treachery ** of his Friends. After his ** Death, they who killed him, *' agreed to devolve the Go- ** vernment Of the Triah of Book III.
** vernment upon Nabonn£<ius, •* a certain Babylonian, who •* was alfo one of the Con- ** fpirators. In this Reign. *« the Walls of the City Ba- ** by Ion, along the River, were •' beautified with burnt Brick ** and Pitch. In the feven- •* teenth Year of his Reign, ** Cyrus came out of Perjta, •* with a great Army, and «« having fubdued all the reft ** of Jj'ia, he came as far as •* Babylon; Nabonnidus, hear- •« ing of his coming, met him "with a great Army alfo, but ** he was overcome in the *• Battle, and fled away with *' a few, and fhut up himfelf •'• in the City of the Borftppeni. •* Then Cyrus having taken **. Babylon, ordered the out- •* ward Walls of the City to •* be razed, becaufe the Peo- '* pie appeared to be very " much given to change, and ** the Town hard to be taken; •• and went from thence to " Borjippus, to befiege Nabon- •* nitlus; but he rot enduring '^ the Siege, yielded himfelf *» immediately; whereupon *« Cyrus treated him kindly, ** and giving him Carmania to «' dwell in, he fent him out •* of Babylonia', and Nabonni- ** dm paffed the Remainder of *' his Days in thai Country, «« and died there." Eufeblus, m the forementioned Place, has preferved the following Words Q^AbydenuSi immediately after thofe now quoted concerning Nakuchadonofor. " Af-«' ter him reigned his Son "'Erjilmarururhus: His Wife'^ ♦' Brother Nerigla/arusy who " flew him, left a Son, whofe ** Name was Lahojfcarafciis, " He dying by aviolerrrDeath, " they made Nabannidachus " King, who was not related * to him. Cyrusy when he " took BabyloffyTrnde this Man " Governor of Carmania.** This E'vilmerodach is mentioned by Name in 2 Kings XXV. 27. Concerning the XQ^^iteScaliger That ofCyr«/'8 taking 5rt^7o;?,agrees with this of Herodot s. " So Cyrus ** made an Irruption as far as ** Babylon j and the Babylo^ " nians having provided an " Army, expected him: As '* foon as he approached the ** City, the Babylonians fo^-'ght *' with him; bat to fave ** themfelves from being bea- " ten, they (hut them<elves '* up in the City." Comp this with the Lift q^ Jeremiah, 20, 30,31. ConcerningtheFiightat Borfippe, fee Jeremiah LI. 39. Concerning the drying up the Riveras Channel, Herodoti$s agrees with Jeremiah^ LL 39. The Words of Herodotus are. He divided the Rivera bringing it to a ft an ding Lake, fo that he made the ancient Current pajfable, having diiJerted the Ri^ver. It is worth confider- ^ ing. whether what Diodorus relates in his fecond Book concerning Belefts the Chaldean, mav not have refpe«f^ to Daniel, v/hofe Name in Chaldee was Beltafm%'zar^, Dan. I. 7. The Triuh of what we read in Scripture, concerning fhe''7;'/:v/.7<^/7;jKing?, is ftrongly confirmed by the Chronology of the Ailronomical Canon of Nabonajfar. as you may iee in Sir John MayJl.^ain\Q\\voi\{y\Q' gical Canon. Le Clerc.
Seft. 1 6. the Chrijlian Religion, 173 Vaphres (^), the King of Egypt in Jeremiah^ {h) is the fame with Apries in Heroiotus, And the Greek Boolcs {c) are filled with Cyrus and his Succefibrs (d) down to Darius \ and Jofephus in his Book againft Appion^ quotes many other things relating to the Jewijlo Nation: To which may be added, that that we above took {e) out of Straho and Trogus, But there is no Reafon for us Chriftians to doubt of the Credibility of thefe Books, becaufe there are Tefti monies in our Books, out of almoft every one of them, the fame as they are found in the Hebrew. Nor did Chrift, when he blamed [a] Vaphres, the King ofEgypt, &c.] So the Seventy and Eufebius tranflate the He' breuj Word yiDn Chephre. He was Contemporary with Nabuchadonofor, [b) Is the fame avtth Apries ifj Herodotus, &c.] Book II.
(cj Are filled n.mth Cyrus, &c.} See the Places a[ready quoted, and Diodorus Siculus^ Booii n. and Cteftas in \i\iPerfuks i and Jujiin, Book IV. Chap. 5. and the toUo'.ving. The Foundation of the Temple of 'Jerufalem was laid in Cyrus'^s tirrc, and was finifhed in Darius' s^ according to BerofuSy as Theophilus Atitiochenus proves.
[d) Don.vn to Darius, &c.] Cadomanmis. See the forementioned Perfons, and ^^fchylus's Account of Per/ia, and rhe Writers of the Affairs of Alexander. Tn the time of this Darius. Jaddus was the High-Priert of tJie Ihhrenvs, Nehem. Xn. 22. the fame that went out to meet Alexander the Great, according to the Relation of Jofephus, in his Ancient Hiftory, Book XL 8. At this time lived Hecato'us Ahderita, fo famous in Plutarch, in his Book concerning 7/?;, and La'ertius in Pyrrho; he wrote a fingle Book concerning the fe-wsyV/henceJofephus in Book II. againft Appion, took a famous Defcription of the Citjr and Temple of "Jerufalem; which Place we find in Uufehiusy Book IX. Chap. 9, of hisGofpel Preparation; and io each of chem, there is a Place of Clearchust who commends the Jeijuijh Wifdom, in the Words of Ariflotle. And Jo-. fephus, in the fame Book,naraes Theophilus, Theodoret, Mnafeas^ AriJiophaneSy Hermogenes,Ene- 7nerus^ Canoron, Xopyrion and others, as Per Ions who commended the Jei.vs, and gav© Tellimony concerning the Jenxijh Affairs.
{e) Out of Strabo and Tro-s gu5,&c ] Book I.
174 Of the 'Truth of Book III.
blamed many things in the Teachers of the Law, and in the Pharifees of his time, ever accufe them of falfifying the Books of Mo[es and the Prophets, or of ufing fuppofititious or altered Books, And it can never be proved or made credible, that after Chrift's time, the Scripture fhould be corrupted in any thing of Moment; if we do but confider how far and wide the Jewijh Nation, who every where kept thole Books, was dlfperfed over the whole World. For firft, the ten Tribes were carried into Media by the AJfyria^ts^ and afterwards the other two. And many of thefe, fixed themfelves in foreign Countries, after they had a PermilTion from Cyrus to return; {a) the Macedonians invited them inlo Alexandria with great Advantages; the Cruelty of Antiochus^ the Civil War of the Afmonai^ and the foreign Wars of Pompey and Soffius^ fcattered a great many; {b) the Country of Cyrene was filled with Jews y (c) the Cities of AJia (d) Macedoniay (e) Lycaonia, (/) and the Ides oi Cyprus, and {a) The Macedonians invited follovvingBookXlII. Cb. 4, 5, cribed hy Jofephus in his III J e%vs w^xc (rtQoi Alexandria, Book againll Jppion, fpeaking Jofephus XIV. i.
thousands, as appears from the ivas fi7ed<ri-:th jewSyScc] See foregoing Words) after the Jojephus, Book XV J. 10. of Death 0/ Alexander, ijcent into his Ancient Hillory. Jcls VI..
Egypt and Phoenicia, by reafon 9. XI. 20.
of the Commotions in Syx\2i. To [c] The Cities of Mz, &.'C.]
which we may add that of Jofephus XII. 3 XIV. 17*.
Philo againfl Fiaccus. There XVI. 4 Jas XIX are no lefs than ten hundred {d) Macedonia y &c.] J^- thoufand Jews Inhabitants of XVII.
Alexandria, and the Country a- (e) Lycaonia, &c.] J<^i hout it, from the loiver Parts of XIV. 18.
Ly bia, to the Borders of JExWi- (f) And the Jfes 9f Cyprus, opia. See moreover Jf?/^/"^z/.r, &c.] ASisXlll. 5.
Seft. 1 6. the Chrijiiaji Religion. ly^ {a) and CretCy and others, were full of them; and that there was a vaft Number of them [b) in Rome^ we learn from(f) Horace^ (d) Juvenal^ and {e) A^artiaL It is impoflible that fuch diftant Bodies of Men, f<r) A'^ Crete, &c.] Aas Aas XVIII. z. XXVIII.
XVII. 5.ofhisAntientHiftory. Sat. IV.
For ive are many.
And like the Jews, imill force you to our Sideo And Sat. V.
Let circumcifed Je=ws Believe it^ .And Sat. IX.
'•'-^This is the thirtieth Sabbath, &c.
[d) Juvenal, &c ] Sat. IX.
Some are of Parents born, ivho Sabbaths keep. And what follows. Sat. XIV.
(e) Martial, &c.] III. 4. The Sabbath-keepers Fajls.
And in other Places; as VII. Rutilius, Book I. of his Itine^ 29, and 34. XI. 97. XII. 57. rary. To which we may add that of / ii:ijh Judasa ne^er had been fuhdu" d By Pompey'j IVar^ or Titus'j Command, The mare fupprefs'd, the dire Contagion fpreads, The conquered Nation crujh the Conqueror, Which is taken out of Seneca, his City of God: He calls who laid of the fame Jetvs; them the mod wicked Nation, The Cujloms of the moft ^vicked only for this Reafon, becaufe Nation, have prevailed fo far, their Laws condemned the that they are embraced all the Negleil of the Worfhip of one World over; fo that the con- God, as we obferved before; quered give Lavjs to the Con. upon which Account, Cato querors. The Place is in Au- Major blamed Socrates. To gujlin, Book IV. Chap, II, of which may be added, theTeftimon/ 376 Of the "truth bf Book III.
Men, fhould be impofed upon by any Art wJiatfoever, or that they fhould agree in a Falfity. We may add further, (a) that almoft three hundred Years before Chrift, by the Care of the Egyptian Kings, the Hebrew Books were tranflated into Greeks by thofe who are called the Seventy ^ that the Greeks might have them in another Language, but the Senfe the fame in the main \ upon which Account they were the lefs liable to be altered. And the fame Books, were tranflated into Chaldee^ and into the Jerufalem Language •, that is, half Syriac -, {b) partly a little before, {c) and partly a little after Chrift's time. After which, followed other Greek Verfions, that of Aqidla^ Symmachusy and Theodotion \ which Or/g-^/z, and others after him, compared with the feventy Interpreters, and found no Difference in the Hiftory, or in any weiglity Matters. Philo fiourifhed in Caligula* s> time, and Jofephus lived till Vefpajian^s. Each of them quote out of the Hebrew Books, the fame things that we find at this Day. By this time the Chriflian Religion mony o^ Philo, in his Embaffy, on the vaft Extent of the Jenvy'h Nation. " That Nation *' confifts of fo great a Num-*' ber of Men, that it does *' not, likeother Nations, take ** up one Country only, and •• confine itfelf to that; but " polfefles almoll the whole ** World; for it ovcrfpreads e- ** very Continent and Ifland, •• that they feem not to be '• much fewer than the Inhabi- •* tants themfelves." Dion Caf. Jius, Book XXXVI. concerning the y^iu//^ Nation, fays, •' that •* though it has been ofte» ** fupprefTed, it has increafed * ' fo much the more, fo as to *• procure the Liberty of eila- *' blifhing its Laws.'* [a)'That almoft three hundred Tears, &c.] See Ariji/eus and Jofephus, Book XIL 2.
[b) Partly a little before, kc.'\ By OnkeloSy and perhaps by Jonathan.
(f) And partly a little after^ &c.] By the Writer of the Jerufalem Tar gum, and by Jo' ftphus Ctccus, or by him, whoe\'er he was, one Man or many.
Seft. 1 6. the Chrijiiaji Religion. 177 ligion began to be more and more fpread, {a) and many of its ProfefTors were Hebrews: {h) Many had lludied the Hebrew Learning, who could very eafily have perceived and difcovered it, if the Jews had received any thing that was falfe, in any remarkable Subjed, I mean, by comparing it with more ancient Books. But they not only do this, but they bring very many Teftimonies out of the Old Teftament, plainly in that Senfe in which they are received amongft the Hebrews \ which Hebrews may be convidted of any Crime, fooner than (I will not fay of Falfity, but) of Negligence, in relation to thefe Books -, (r) becaufe they ufed to tranfcribe and compare them fo very fcrupuloufly, t,hat they could tell how often every Letter came over. We may add, in the firfl Place, an Argument, and that no mean one, why the Jews did not alter the Scripture defignedly *, becaufe the Chriftians prove^ and as they think very ftrongly, that many, who tranllated Job, PJalms, Pro'verbs, and what ihey call the Hagiography.
[a] And 7nany of its Profeffors nvere Hebrews, &c.] Or next to Hebreivs, as Jufiin, v.'ho was a Samarita?i.
[b) ]\1any hadjiudied theHebrew Learning, &c.] As Origen, Epipha7nus, and efpecially Jerom.
{c) Becaufe they ufed to tranfcribe, &c.] Jofephus in his I ft Book againil Appion. *' It is ** very inanifeft, by car Deeds, <* how much Credit we give «* to our own Writings; for 4' after fo many Ages paft, no <* one has prefumed to add, * take away, or change any ** thing.'* See the Law, Deut» IV. I. and the 'Talmud, infcribed Shebtioth (We are to underftand this of the time after the Mafora; for it was otherwife before, in the time of their Commonwealth; and after it was overturned by the ChaldaanSf they were not fo accurate as is commonly thought. This is evident from Lud Capellus's Cri ticks upon the Bible, and from the Commentaries of learned Men upon the Old Teftament, and likewife from GrotJus''s own Annotations. And we alfo have ftev. n it to be fo on the hiftorical Books of the Old TeiUmeju. Le Clerc ) N 178 Of the iLriahof, Sec. Book III.
that their Mafter Jefus was that very MefTiah who was of old promifed to the Forefathers of the Jews •, and this from thofe very Books, which were read by the Je^s. Which the Jews would have taken the greatefl Care lliould never have been, after there arofe a Controverfy between them and the Chriftians; if it had ever been in their Power to have akered what they would.
BOOK IV Sect. I. A particular Confutation of the Rcligiom that differ from Chrijiianity.
THE fourth Book (beginning with that Pleafure Men for the moft Part take, at the Sight of other Mens Danger, when they themfelves are placed out of the Reach of it; ) fhews, that the principal Aim of a Chriftian ought to be, not only a Satisfadlion upon his having found out the Truth himfelf, but alfo an Endeavour to affift others, who wander in various crooked Paths of Error, and to make them Partakers of the fame Happinefs. And this we have in fome meafure attempted to do in the foregoing Books, becaufe the Demonftration of the Truth, contains in it the Confutation of Error. But however, fince the particular forts of Religion, which are oppofed to Chriflianity; as Paganifm, Judaifm, or Mahometanifm, for inftance; befidcs that which is common to all, have fome particular Errors, and fome fpecial Arguments, which they ufe to oppofe us with; I think it may not be foreign to our prefent Purpofe, to attempt a particular Examination of every one of them; in the mean time, befeeching our Readers to free their Judgment from ail Paffion and Prejudice, which clog the Underftanding •, that they may the more impartially determine concerning what is to be faid.
i8o Of the "Truth of Book IV.
S E c T. II. And firft of Paganifm. I'hat there is but one God. That created Beings are either good or had. 'That the Good are not to he worjhipped without the Command of the Supreme God.
And firft againft the Heathens, we fay, if they fuppofe many Gods, eternal and equal, this is fufficiently confuted in the firft Book -, where we have ihewn that there is but one God, the Caufe of all things. If by Gods they mean, created Beings fupenor to Man, thefe are either good or bad ', if they fay they are good, they ought in the firft Place to be very well afTured of this, {a) left they fall into great Danger, by entertaining {a) Lejl they fall into great Danger, &c ] z Cor. XII. 14. Porphyry in his fecond Book about abftaining from eating Animals, fays, that '^ By thofe ** who are oppofite (to the *' Gods,)<i\\ VVitchcraft is per-*• formed; for both thefe and " their Chief, are vvorfliipped ** by all fuch as work Evil upon •' Mens Fancies, by Inchant-** ments j for they have a ** Power to deceive, by work- *' ing ftrange things: By them *' evil Spirits prepare Philtres, •* and Love- Potions; all In- *' continence, and Love of *' Riches and Honour, and ?v efpecially Deceit, proceed '**f from them; for it is natural *' to them to lye j they are •• willing to be thought Gods; ** and the higheft of them in *' power, to beefteemed God."" And afterwards concerning the Egyptian Priells i ** Thefe put ** it paft all DifpuJe, that there *' are a Kind of Beings, who ** give themfelves up to de- " ceive; of various Shapes •* and Sorts j Diffemblers, ** fometimesafTuming the Form *' of Gods or Daemons, or of *♦ Souls of dead Mtn; and by *' this Means, they can efFedt *' any feeming Good or Evil: *' but as to things really good ** in themfelves, fjch as thofe '* belonging to the Soul; of " producing thefe, they have '* no Power, neither have they *' any Knowledge of them j ** but they abufe their Leifure, •' mock others, and hinder '* thofe who walk in the way *' of Virtue; they are filled ** with Pride, and delight in " Perfumes andSacrifice." And Arnobiusy Book IV. againft the Gentiles. *' Thus the Magi- ** cians. Brethren to the Sooth- " fayero in their Actions, men- *' tion Seft. 2, 3. the Chrijlian Religion. 181 kg Enemies inftead of Friends •, Defer ters inftead of Ambafladors. And Reafon alfo requires, that there fhould be feme manifeft Difference in the Worfliip, betwixt the Supreme God and thefe Beings: And further, we ought to know, of what Rank thefe Beings are, what Benefit we may expe6t from any of them, and what Honour the Supreme King would have us pay to them. All which things being wanting in their Religion, it fufiiciently appears from thence, that there is nothing of Certainty in it; and it would be much fafer for them to betake themfelves to the Worship of the one Supreme God; (a) which even Plato owned to be the Duty of a wife Man; becaufe as good Beings are the Minifters of the Supreme God, {b) they cannot but be afTifting to fuch as are in favour with him.
Sect. III. A Proof that evil Spirits were wor- Jhipped by the Heathen^ and the Ufifitnefs of it But that the Spirits, to which the Heathe)i paid their Worfhip, were evil, and not good, appears from many fubftantial Arguments. Firll, (f) becaufe they did notdired their Worfliippers to ^lij oi the ** tion certain Beings, oppofite us, and other Gods hy others.
" to God, who often impofe The Words are quoted by *• upon Men for true Gods. Origen, in his Vlllth Book a- '* And thefe are certain Spi- gainlt Celfus. *' rits of groifer Matter, who [h] They canfiot hut he ajjl- •' feign themfelves to beGods." fiin^-, &c.] This is very well Not to tranfcribe too much, profecuted by Artiobius^ Book we find fomething to the fame III.
Purpofe in Jamblichus, con- {c) Becaufe they did not direBt cerning the Egyptian Myfte- &c ] This "is very well treated ries. Book III. Chap. 33. and of hy Juguftiny Book X. Chap.
Book IV. Chap. 17. 14, 16, 19. of his City of [a] Which even Plato o^vned, God. kc] Jupiter is njcorjhipped by N 3 1 82 Of the T'ruth of Book IV.
the Worfbip of the Supreme God •, but did as much as they could, to fupprefs fuch Worfhip, or at leaft, were willing in every thing to be equalled with the Supreme God in Worfhip. Secondly^ becaufe they were the Caufe of the greateft Mifchiefs coming upon the Worfhippers of the one Supreme God, provoking the Magillrates and the People, to infiid Punifhments upon them: For, though they allowed their Poets theLiberty, to celebrate the Murders and Adulteries of their Gods; zxx^tht Epicureans y to banifh theDivine Providence out of the World; nor was there any other Re* ligion fo difagreeable in its Rites, but they admitted it into their Society, as the Egyptian^ Phrygian^ Greek-i and Thufcan Rites at Rome •, {a) yet thtjews were every v/here ridiculed, as appears from their Satires and Epigrams, (I?) and were fometimesbaniflied; (f)and the Chriftians had moreover the mod cruel Punifliments inflifSed upon them: for which there can be no other Reafon affigned, but becaufe thefe two Se6ts worfliipped one God, whofe Honour the Gods they eftabliihed, oppofed, being more jealous of him than of one another. Thirdly, from the manner of their Worfhip, fuch as is unworthy of a good and virtuous Mind: by by {a) Tet the jews ^ivere t'vtry <;. Tacitvs, Annal. II. Seneca, ni-here ridiculed, &€.] "As be- Epift. CIX. AHs XVIIL I.
* ing cropt, circumcifed. Sab- Suetonius in Tiberius; Chap, ** bath-keepers, Worihippers of XXVI.
** the Clouds and Heavens, {e) And the Chriftians had ** iperciful to Svvjne/' moreover, &r.] 7<zaV;/i, Annal.
{b) And "were Jome times ha- XV. to which that of J-:injewjhsd. Sec J jfojep/jus XVIII. m/ relates.
7'on like a Torch Jhall hurn^ As ^hey moho flaming ftand^ ftijled nxith Smoke, ^fid ivith their Bcdy'^s Vrint, ha've marked the Qround* Sed:. 3. the Chrijlian Religion, 183 {a) by human Blood, {h) by Mens running naked about their Temples, (r) by Games and Dancings, filled with Uncleannefs; fuch are now to be feen amongft the People of America and Africa^ who are overwhelmed in the Darknefs of Heathenifm. Nay, more than this; there were of old, and ftill arc. People, who worfhip evil Spirits, which they know and own to be fuch; {d) as the Arimanes of the Perfians^ the Cacod^mons of the Greeks^ (e) and the Vejoves of the Latins •, and fome of the Ethiopians and Indians now have others; than which, nothing can be imagined more impious. For what elfe is religious Worfhip, but a Teflimony of the exceeding Goodnefs, which you acknowledge to b,e in him whom you worfhip; which, if it be paid to an evil Spirit, is falfe and counterfeit, and comprehends in it the Sin of Rebellion ', becaufe the Honour due to the King, is not only taken from him, but transferred to a Deferter and his Enemy. And it is a foolifh Opinion, to imagine that a good God will not revenge this, becaufe that is not agreeable to his Goodnefs; (/) for Clemency, if it be reafonable, hath its proper Bounds j and where the Crimes (a) By human Blood, &:c.] Ifis and OfiriSj and Diogenes See what was faid of this La'ertius, in his Preface (See Book II. alio Thomas Stanley^ of the {b) By Mens running naked Philofophy of the Perjtans; aboutyScc^ As in their Rites and our Obfervatioris upon the dedicated to P^w. See Z,;'z;>', Word Arimanes \niht Index.
Book I. F hit-arch in Antoninus ^ Le Clerc.) and others. (<?} And the Yc]o\eh cf the (c) By Games and Dancings^ Latins, &:c.] Cicero^ Y.oovi Ilf. &c.] As in the Rites ol Flora, of the Nature gf the Gods. See O'vid'sTafii, Book IV. and (/) Tor Clev:?ncy, if It be Tatian, and Origen, in his reafonahle, &C.3 Hoiv can you Vlllth againft G-^^j. lonje^unlefs ycu he afraid not [d] As the Arimanes of the to lave? TertuUian III againft Perfians, &c.] See Plutarch'' s Marcion.
N4 184 Of the truth of Book IV.
Cntfei§ 'are very great, Jdftice itfelf forces Punif^ment, '^'it were, neceflarily. Nor are they lefs blameable, who fay, that they are driven by Fear to pay Obedience to evil Spirits; for he whp is infinitely good, is alfo in the higheft Degree^^ ready to communicate •, and therefore all otherBeings were produced by him. And if it be fo, it will follow that he hath an abfolute Right over all Creatures, as his own Workmanfhip; fo that nothing can be done by any of them, if he defires to hinder it: Which being granted, we may eafily colledl^ that evil Spirits cannot hurt him who is in Favour with the moll High God, who is infinitely Good; any further, than That God fuffers it to be done for the lake of fome Good. Nor can any thing be obtained of evil Spirits, but what ought to be refufcd -, {a) becaufe a bad Being, when he counterfeits one that is good, is then worfl ^ and (b) the Gifts of Enemies are only Snares.
Sect. IV< Jgaitifl the Heathen Worjhip^ 'paid tOc departed Men, m^z' There have been, and now are. Heathens, who fay that they pay Worfliip to the Souls of Men departed this Life. But here in the firil Place, this Worfhip is alfo to be diftinguifhed, by manifelf Tokens, from the Worfhip of the Supreme God. Befides, our Prayers to them are to no Purpofe^ if thofe Souls cannot afTift us in any thing; and their Worlhippers are not affured of this, nor IS there any more Reafon to affirm that they can, rhai> that they cannot: And what is worft of all, is.
{if)JjecaufgahaJBei»giSiC.'] [l) The Gifts of Enemie\ Set; the \erres of Spus the are onl^ Snares, ^c] Sophot Enemies Gift: are no Gifts y no Advantage, Seft, 4, 5. the Chmjlian Religion. 185 is, that thofe Men who are thus had in Honour,-^ are found to have been Men remarkable for very great. Vices. A drunken Bacchus^ an effeminate Hercules^ a Romulus^ unnatural to his Brother, andr a Jupiter^ as unnatural to his Father. So that their Honour is a Reproach to the true God, and that Goodnefs, which is well-pleafing to him; {a) becaufe it adds a Commendation from Rehgion, to thofe Vices, which are fufRciently flattering of thcmfelves.
S E c T' V. j^gainft the Worfhip given to the Stars and Elements, {h) More antient than this, was the Worfhip of the Stars, and what we call the Elements, Fire, Water, Air, andparth; which was indeed a very great Error. For Prayers, are a principal Part of Rehgious Worlhip, which to put up to any but Beings that have Underftanding, is very foolifh j and that what we call the Elements are not fuch, is evident in a good Meafure from Experience. If any one affirms otherwife of the Stars, he has no Proof of it, becaufe no fuch Thing can be gathered iaH, ' from {a) Becaufe it adds a Com- ** in ^imaus; So it comes to fnendatioTiy &c.] See an Ex- *' pafs, that inftead of that ample hereof in Terence^% Eu- ** Gratitude that is due to Dinuch, Adl III. Scene V. Cy " vine Providence from Men, ^rian, Epift. II- " They imi- *' for their Original and Birth; *• tate thofe Gods they wor- ** they return Sacrilege." See ** ihip; the Religion of thofe the whole Place. ** wretched Creatures is made [b] More antient than this, "up of Sin. Jugujiine Epiji, &c.] There are Reafons to ^' CLII. Nothing renders Men perfuade us, that Idolatry began ** fo unfociable, by Perverfe- with the Woriliip of Angels ** nefs of Life, as the Imita- and the Souls of Men, as you •* tion of thofe whom they may fee, in the Index to the •* commend and defcribe in Oriental Philofophy, at the ** their Writings. CJjalcidius Word Idololatria. Le Chrc, x8& Of the Truth of Book IV.
from their Operations, which are the only Signs to judge of Beings by. But the contrary may be fufficiently colleded, from the Motion of them, which is not various, like that of Creatures endued with Freedom of Will, {a) but certain and determinate. We have elfewhere Ihown, that the Courfe of the Stars is adapted to the Ufe of Man; whence Man ought to acknowledge, that he in his better Part, bears a nearer Refemblance to God, and is dearer to him; and therefore ought not to derogate fo much from his own high Birth, as to place himfelf below thofe Things which God has given him; and he ought to give God Thanks for them, which is more than they can do for therrirelves, or at leaft more than we are afTured of.
Sect. VI. Jgainft the Worjhip give?} to Bruto Cretztures.
But that which is of all Things mofl abominable is, that fome Men, particularly the Egyptians^, {h) fell into the Worfhip even of Beads. For, though in fome of them, there do appear as it were, fome Shadow of Underftanding, yet it is nothing compared with Man •, for they cannot exprefs their inward Conceptions, either by diftind Words or Writings \ nor do they perform Adions of different Kinds, nor thofe of the fame Kind, in a different Manner J and much lefs can they attain to the {a) But certain anddeiermi- fay?. They (fieemDogs^ Wolvei:, nat^y &c ] By which Argu- Lions, Crocodiles^ and many xnent, a certain King of Peru, other nxiild Creatures in the was perfwaded to deny that Water and on the Land, and the Sun could be a God. See Birds, as Gods, 7"q which ihe Hiftory of the ///<rA'<?'j. may be added, a long Dif- [h] Fell into the IVorpipe'v en courfe of this Matter, in the tf Beafis, &c.] Concerning l\k ^OQ\i. oi Diodorus Siculus. whom, Pbilo m his E.^nbalTy Sed. 6. the Chriftian Religion. itj ^Knowledge of Number, Magnitude, ' and of the Coeleftial Motions. But on the other Hand, {a) Man by his Cunning and Subtilty, can catch the ftrongeft Creatures, wild Beafe, Birds, orFifhes; and can in fome meafurc bring them under Rules, as Elephants, Lions, Horfes, and Oxen *, he can draw Advantage to himfelf, out of thofe that are poft hurtful, as Phyfick from Vipers; and this Ufe