wherein all the reason and philosophy of atheism is confuted, and

Chap. I. CONTENTS. 189vnthout fame corporeal image or phantafm, thus much twjji be indidged to theinfirmity of human nature {at leaft in the vulgar) to the "xcrflnp of God,eorporeaVy in images, to prevent their running to atheifn. 57. That thoughitjhould appear by this apology of the Pagans, that their cafe ti-ere not altogetherfo lad as is commonly fuppofed, yet they cannot be jufiified thereby inthe three particulars above mentioned, hut the fcripture-condemnation of themis irrefragable, that kno\ving God, they did not glorify him as God, orfanSIifyhis name ; that is, ivorjhip hint according to his uncommon and incommunicable,his peerlefs and infociable, tranfcendent and ftngidar, incomparable andtinrefemblable nature ; but mingled, fame ivay or other, creature-worfhip withthe ijuorflnp of the creator. Firjl, that the iijorfhipping of one God in his variousgifts and effe^s, under feveral perfonal names, a thing in it felf abfurd,may alfa prove a great occaficn of ntheifm, tihen the things themfelvescome to be called by thofe names, as -ii-ine Bacchus, corn Ceres. The conclufioneafily following from thence,that the good things of nature are the onlydeities. But to worfljip the corporeal -joorld it felf animated, as the fupremeGod, and the parts of it as the members of God, plainly to confound God v:iththe creature, and not to glorify him as creator, nor according to his feparateand fpiritual nature. 58. To give religious zvorfloip to d.emo!ts or angels,heroes or faints, or any other intelleSlual creatwes, though not honouringthem eq^ually ivith the fupreme God, is to deny God the honour of his holinefs^hisfingular, infociable, and incommunicable nature, as he is the only felforiginatedbeing, and the creator of all of, whom, through zvhotn, and to whomare all things. As God is fuch a being, that there is nothing like him, foought the worfhip which is given him, to be fuch as hath nothing like to it, aftngular, feparate and incommunicate worflolp. They not to be religioujlyworfhipped, that worfinp. 59. That the religious worfhip of created Jpiritsproceeded chiefly from a fear, that if they were not worfhipped, they wouldbe provoked and do hurt, which is both highly injurious to good fpirits, and adijlrufl of the fufficiency of God^s power to protect his worfhippers. That allgood fpirits uninvok^d are of themfelves officioufly ready to qffift thofe, whoJincerely worfhip and propitiate the fupreme Deity, and therefore no need ofthe religious worfjjip of them, which would be alfo offenftve to them. 60. Thatmens praying to images and flatucs is much more ridiculous than children''talking to babies made of clouts, but not fo innocent ; they thereby debafing boththemfelves and God, not glorifying him according to his fpiritual and unrefemblablenature, but changing the glory of the incorruptible God into thelikenefs of corruptible manor beaji. 61. The mifiake of thofe, who think, nonecan be guilty of idolatry, that believe one God the maker of the world.62. That from the fame ground of reafon, that nothing ought to be religiouflyworfhipped hefid.es the fupreme God. or whom he appoints to reprefent himfelf(becaufe he ought to be fa;i£iified, and dealt withal, according to his ftngularnature, as unLke to everything) it follows, contrary to the opinion offameeppofers of idolatry, that thaeow^ht alfo to be a difriw.ination made betweenthings facred and prophane, and reverence ufed in divine worfhip. Idolatryand facrilege allied. 63. Another fcripture- charge upon the Pagans, thatthey were devil-worfiippers ; not as though thsy intended all their worfhipto