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

298 Orpheus a rank Polytheijl, Book I.were his^ but Onomacritus is /aid to have put theni into verfe. However,there can be no doubt at all made, but that the Orphic verf^s, by whomfjeverwritten, were fame of them of great antiquity (they being much olderthan either Ariftotle, Plato or Herodotus) as they were alfo had in greatefteem amongfb the Pagans ; and therefore we may very well make a judgmentof the theology of the ancient Pagans from th:m.Now that Orpheus,the Orphick doctrine, and poems, were polytheiftical,is a thing acknowledged by all. "Jtijlin Martyr ' affirms, that Orpheus affertedthree hundred and fixty gods -, he alfo beftows upon him this honourabletitle (if it may be fo accounted) of ToXu^ij^Tor >rxTrie -^ tcZto^ ii^x.QxxXc;,the father and jirji teacher of polytheifm amongj} the Greeks ; he fuppofing -,that Homer derived his polytheifm from him ; '0/r=c;-r t^c xi,\:^ti-:-/,T'.; 'o^pix;-TTotr^rr^';- YiomtT emulating Or^h^ws his -polytheifm, did himfelf therefore fabnlouflywrite of many gods, that he might not feem to diffent from his poeais^ivhcm he had fo great a veneration for. With which alfo agreeth the teftimonyoi Aihenagoras ' ; 'O^^ii; ?^ tx o'voualji 3-£i;v r^wroj f^fu^fv, xj ra? yiviTn;^i£^5)X6f, xj o'ax EX«s-oif TTiTrscciilxi EiTTf, u >^ "Outioof TX TToXXy. >c, 7r;ji ^v2'j f/.a,M^xi'-flac Orpheus ^fr/? invented the very names of the gods, declaring their gene^rations, and what was done by each of them ; and Homer for the mojl partfollows him therein. Indeed the whole mythical theology, or flibles of thegods, together with the religious rites amongft the Greeks, are commonlyluppofed to have owed their firll: original to no other but Orpheus. Inwhich Orphick fables, not only the things of nature, and parts of the world,were all theologized, but alfo all manner of human pafTions, imperfedlions,and vices (according to the literal fenfe) attributed to the gods. Infomuchthat divers of the Pagans themfclves took great offence at them -, as for ex-^'' ^'"'^_Hfi''' ample Ifocrates, who concludes that a divine Nemejis or vengeance was in-Lr. 452.Jflitted upon Orpheus for this impiety, 'OsptCg i f*aAir« tuu rciKTav >.oyuj d^x-[xtvoc, iixQ-Tx^ik rov (3iw tTcXfVTno-t, Orpheus, who was tnoji of all guilty in thiskind, died a violent death. Alfo Diog. Laertius for this caufe made a queflion,whether he fliould reckon Orpheus amongft the philofophers or no :and others have concluded, that Plato ought to have banifh'd Oipheus likewifeout of his commonwealth, for the fame reafon that he did Homer *which is thus expreffed, for not lying well concerning the gods. And herewe may take notice of the monflrofity and extravagancy of Orpheus hisflmcy, from what Damafius ' and others tell us, that he made one of hisprinciples to be Spc'y.o{\c, Af'cvTO,-, iv l^iQif S\$ii -TTDoa-uiro'j, >^ ett; «,uwv ttIe^k, n Dragon, having the heads both of a bull anda lion, and in the midfi the face of a god, with golden wings upon his fhoulders; which forfooth muft be an incorporeal deity and Hercules, with whichNature (called Ancuche and Adrajlea) was aflTociated. Neverthilefs the generalitycf the Greekifli Pagans, looking upon this Orpheus, not as a merefanciful poet and fabulator, but as a ferious and profound philofopher, ormyftical theologer, a perfon tranfcendently holy and wife j they fuppoftdaU• Apolog. ir. proChriftianis, p. 104. De Legibus, Lib II. p. 42'".* Cohort, ad Gricor. p. 17. I3 Apolog. pro Chnilian. Cap. XV. p. 64.Jt;'i fiijar en%i>3 a AIS.