mony o^ Philo, in his Embaffy, on the vaft Extent of the Jenv- y'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, who- e\'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 re- markable 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 re- lation 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 Argu- ment, 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 Profef- fors nvere Hebrews, &c.] Or next to Hebreivs, as Jufiin, v.'ho was a Samarita?i.
[b) ]\1any hadjiudied theHe- brew Learning, &c.] As Ori- gen, Epipha7nus, and efpecially Jerom.
{c) Becaufe they ufed to tran- fcribe, &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, in- fcribed 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 Com- mentaries of learned Men upon the Old Teftament, and like- wife from GrotJus''s own Anno- tations. And we alfo have ftev. n it to be fo on the hif- torical Books of the Old TeiU- meju. 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 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 Chri- ftian 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 va- rious 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 fore- going Books, becaufe the Demonftration of the Truth, contains in it the Confutation of Error. But however, fince the particular forts of Reli- gion, which are oppofed to Chriflianity; as Pa- ganifm, 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 Pre- judice, which clog the Underftanding •, that they may the more impartially determine concerning what is to be faid.
i8o 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 Be- ings 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 ing {a) Lejl they fall into great Danger, &c ] z Cor. XII. 14. Porphyry in his fecond Book a- bout abftaining from eating A- nimals, 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 ex- pe6t 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 no- thing of Certainty in it; and it would be much fafer for them to betake themfelves to the Wor- ship 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 Mif- chiefs 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 cele- brate 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 ad- mitted it into their Society, as the Egyptian^ Phry- gian^ 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 more- over the mod cruel Punifliments inflifSed upon them: for which there can be no other Reafon af- figned, but becaufe thefe two Se6ts worfliipped one God, whofe Honour the Gods they eftabliihed, op- pofed, being more jealous of him than of one ano- ther. 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 Ethi- opians and Indians now have others; than which, nothing can be imagined more im- pious. 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 Re- bellion ', becaufe the Honour due to the King, is not only taken from him, but transferred to a De- ferter and his Enemy. And it is a foolifh Opi- nion, to imagine that a good God will not re- venge this, becaufe that is not agreeable to his Goodnefs; (/) for Clemency, if it be reafon- able, hath its proper Bounds j and where the Crimes 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 Pu- nif^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 otherBe- ings 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 no- thing 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 mani- felf Tokens, from the Worfhip of the Supreme God. Befides, our Prayers to them are to no Pur- pofe^ 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 determi- nate. 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 him- felf 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 abomina- ble 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 {a) Man by hii Cunning and Subtilty, Sec] EkripUts i#l Man has but little Strength, Tet cattt by ^various Arts^ ^atne the nviUeJ} Cfeaiures In Sea, or Earth, or Mr.
And Antiphon: They us in Strength, *we them in Art, exceed.
Which affords us no bad Ex- plication of G<f«<?/?j I. 26. and P/almYlll. 8 ^ He that de- fires a larger Difcourfe of this Matter, may look into Oppia- nus, in the Beginning of his "Vth Book of Fiftiing, and Ba- JiN Xth Homily, on the Six Days Creation. Origen in his IVth Book againft Celfus^ has thefe Words. •* And hence ** yoa may learn, for how ** great a Help our Undcr- ** Handing was given us, and " how far it exceeds all the '* Weapons of wild Beads; for " our Bodies are much weaker ** than thofepf other Creatures, *• and vaftly lefs than fome of ** them; yet by our Under- ** ftanding, we bring wild " Beads under our Power, *' and hunt huge Elephants: ** and thofe whofe Nature is " fuch, that they may be ta- " med, we make fubjeft to us j *' and thofe thatare of a diffe- " rent Nature, or the Taming ** of which, feems to be of no " Ufe to us, we manage thefe '* wild Beads with fuch Safety, *• that as we will, we keep *' them (hut up, or, if we want " their Fledi for Meat, we kill *' them, as we do other Crea- " tures that are not wild. *' Whence it appeafs, that the ** Creator made all livingCrea- " tures fubjea to Him, who is " endued with Reafon, and a ** Nature capable of under- " danding him." Claudius Neapolitanus, in Porphyry's Id Book, againd eating living Creatures, fpeaksthusconcerno ing Man. '* He is Lord over *• all Creatures void of Reafon, *' as God is over Man/* 1 88 Of the Truth of Book IV, Ule may be made of them all, which themfelves are ignorant of, that by viewing the Strudture and Situation of the Parts of their Bodies, and comr paring together their feveral Species and Kinds, he learns his own Excellency, and how much morq perfed and noble the frame of human Body is, than others; which, if rightly confidered, is fo far from inclining him to worlliip other Creatures, that he (hould rather think himfelf appointed their God in a manner, under the Supreme God.
Sect. VIL Againft the Worjhip given to thofe „;. ^ _Things which have no real Exijience.
We' read, that the Greeks and Latins^ and others likewife, worfhipped Things, which had no real Exiftence, but were only the Accidents of other Things. For, not to mention thofe outragious Things, {a) Fever, Impudence, and fuch like \ Health is nothing elfe, but a juft Temperature of the Parts of the Body -, and good Fortune, a Cor- refpondence of Events with the Wilhes of Men; And the AfFe6tions, fuch as Love, Fear, Anger, Hope, and the like, arifing from the Confideration of the Goodnefs or Badnefs, the Eafinefs or Diffi- culty of a Thing; are certain Motions, in that Part of the Mind, which is mod clofely connefted with the Body, by Means of the Blood •, and they have no Power of their own, but are fubjedl to the Command of the Will, which is Miftrefs of them, at leaft as far as refpeds their Continuance and Direction. So likewife the Virtues, which have diifercnt Names. Prudence, which confifts in the Choice of what is advantageous j Fortitude, in un- dergoing; [a) Fever, hnpudmce, ^ijuch like, &c ] See f«//j''s I1I4 Book of the La-AS.
Se(St.-7^^ the Chrifiian Religion. 1*89 dergoing Dangers -, Juftice, in abftaining from what is not our own; Temperance, in moderating Plea- fure, and the like: There is alfo a certain Difpofi' tion or Inclination towards that which is right, which grows upon the Mind by long Exerciie; which, as it may be increafed, fo it may be diminifhed by Negled, nay, it may entirely be deftroyed in a Man. {a) And Honour, to which we read of Temples be- ing dedicated, is only the Judgment of one concern- ing another, as endued with Virtue; which ofttn happens to the Bad, and not to the Good, thro' the natural Aptnefs of Mankind to miftake. {b) Since therefore thefe Things have no real Exiftence, and cannot be compared in Excellence, with thofe that have [a) And Honour^ to ivhich <ive read, &c ] Tully in the forertientioned Place; andZ/T/y, Book XXVII.
(Jf) Since there/ore thefeThings have no real Exifience^ &c.] Perhaps fome may explain this Worfhip of the Heathens in this Manner; as to lay, that it was not fo much the Things, which were commonly fignified by thofe Words, that they worfhipped; as acertainDivIne Power, from which they flow- ed, or certain Ideas in the Divine Undetllanding. Thus they might be faid to worfliip a Fever y not the Difeafe itfelf, which is feated in the Human Body; but that Pow er, which is in God, of fending or abat- ing a Fever; to worfhip Im- pudence, not that Vice which is feated in the Minds of Men; but the Will of God, which fometimes allows Men's Impu- dence to go on, which he can retrain and punifh: And the fame may be faid of the reft, as Love, Fear, Anger, Hope, which are PaJJions, which God can either excite or reftrain: or oi Virtues^ which are perfeCi in the Divine Nature, and of which we fee only fome faint Reiemblances in Men, arifmg from the Ideas of thofe Virtues which are molt compleat in God. And of Honour^ which does not confift fo much in the Efteem of Men, as in the Will of God, who would have V'ir« tue honourable amongil Men. But the Heathens thenilclves never interpreted this Matter thus, and it is abfurd to wor- fliip the Attributes and Ideas of God, as realPerfons, uttder ob- fcure Names, fuch as may de- ceive the common People. It is much more fjncere and ho- neit, to vvorlhip the Deity him- felf without any Perplexities. Le Chic, ipo Of the Truth of Book IV.
have a real Exiftence; nor have any Knowledge of our Prayers or Veneration of them, it is moft dis- agreeable to right Reafon, to worihip thenn as God 5 and He is rather to be worihipped upon their Ac- count, who can give us them, and preferve them for us.
Sect, VIII. An Anfwer i^ the OhjeEiion of the Heathen^ taken from the Miracles done antongfi them.
The Heathens ufed to recommend their Reli- gion by Miracles; but they were fuch as were liable to many Exceptions. For the wifefl Men amongft the Heathens themfelves, rejedled many of them, {a) as not Supported by the Teftimony of fufficient WitneiTes, (b) but plainly counterfeit: And thofe that feem to have been done, came to pafs in fome fecret Place, in the Night, before one or two Perfons, whofe Eyes might eafily be de- ceived with a falfe Appearance of Things, by the Cunning of the Priefts. There were fome, which only caufed the People, who did not underftand the Nature of Things, efpecially their occult Quali- ties [a) As not fupported by the &c.] It were much better to Tejiirnony, &€.] to Linjy, in acquiefce in this Anfwer, than the Beginning. " I do not to allow of their Miracles, or •' defign either to affirm or de- that fuch Things were done, •* ny thofe Things related be- as Men could not commonly •* fore, or upon the Building diftinguifh from Miracles; fuch " of the City; as fitter for as Oracles, Wonders, curing ** Poetick Fables, than the fm- of Difeafe?, which if they were ** cere Memorials of Affairs done, could fcarce be diftin- " that were tranfadled; Thus guiflied from true Miracles, at ** much muft be allowed An- ieall by the Comnon People.
*' tiquity, that by mixing Hu- See what i have faid upon this ** man Things with Divine, Matter in the Prolegoynena to •* the Original of Cities was my Ecclefiajiical HiJJory. Se£t.
•* rendred the more venerable.'" II. c. i. Le Clcrc, ^b) But plainly counterfeity Sedl. 8. the Chrijlian Religion. 'I91 ties to wonder at them; much in the fame Manner, as if any one lliould draw Iron with a Loadftone, before People, who knew nothing of it-, and it is related by many, (a) that thefe were the Arts in which Simon and Jpollonius Tyan^us were fo dvilfu}. I do not deny, but that fome greater than thefe were feen, which could not be the Effedl of natural Caufes, by human Power alone; but they were fuch as did not require a Power truly Divine, that is. Omnipotent; for thefe Spirits, who were inferior to God, and fuperior to Man, were fujEcient for thefe Things; becaufe by their Swiftnefs, Strength and Cunning, they could eafily remove diftant Things, and fo. to compound different Sorts of Things, as to produce Effe61:s, which lliould be very furprizing to Men. But the Spirits by whom this was effeded, were not good, and confequently neither was their Religion good; as is evident from what was faid before, and from this Confideration alfo, becaufe they faid that they were compelled {h) by certain Inchant- Inchant- [a) That thefe ivere the Arts, ** afcribe the Caufes of them ti.z.'\ Tatian. *' There are '* to themfelves."
* ' certain Difeafes and Contra- {b) By certain Inchantments, '• rietiesof the Matter of v/hich &c.] Thus the Oracle oiHe- •* we are compounded; when cate in Porphyry, '" tjiefc^i^^ppen, the Damons '' T come^ Innjoked by ivell confulted Prayers, " ,, $uf^ as the Gods have to Mankind reveal' d.
lAnd' again, Why have you calVd the Goddefs Hecate Prom Heaven; and fore" d her by a Charm Divine; And ihsit df Jpo/lo in the fame Writer, Hear me, for I am forced to fpeak againfi my Will.
Thefe are the Rites of their not what Powers, as Arnohiue fecret Arts, by which they expreffes it, as if they compel- addrefs. themfelves to I know led them by Charms to be their Servants; ig2 Of the Truth of Book IV.