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

infomuchC H A p. I V. of the Pagan Theology.Pagans, that God was difFufed tiiroiighout the whole world, and was himfelfin a manner all things, and therefore ought to be worfliipped in all t lingsbut the poets were principally the men, who carried it on thus far, by perfonatingthe fevcral inanimate parts of the world and things of nature, to makefuch a multitude of diftind gods and goddefles of them. Vv'hich humour,though it were chiefly indulged by then:, ^Jx.a.y^yUc £'v£x.£y, only for the de'.^ht3^7andpleafure of the reader, befides gratifying their own poetick fanciet, ; 3-ctwas it a matter of dangerous confequence, as the fame P/«/«rf/) gravjy andfoberly advifes, in his book i^ ^if, it begetting in feme grofs and nrationalfuperfiition (that is, in our Chriftian language, idolatry) and carrying otherson to downright impiety and atheifm. But this will be afterwards alio ag,uninfifled on.Wherefore, in the next place, we fliallobferve, that the poets did alfo otherwifedeprave the theology of the Pagans, foas to make it lookfomewha moreAriftocratically, and this principally two manner of ways ; firft, by their fp^akinglb much of the gods in general and without diftinftion, and attributingthe government of the whole world to them in common, fo as if it were managedand carried on, communi confilio dccrimi, by a common-cotatcil and rcpiiblickofgods, wherein all things were determined by a majority of votes, and as iftheir Jupiter, or fupreme god, were no more amongfl: them, than a fpeaker ofa houfe of lords or commons, or the chairman of a committee. In which theydid indeed attribute more to their inferior deities, than, according to their ownprinciples, they ought.And fecondly,(which is the laft depravation of the Pagan theology by thefepoets) by their making thofc, that were really nothing elfe but feveral names -and notions of one and the fame fupreme Deity, according to its feveral powersmanifefted in the world, or the different effects produced by it, to be fomany really diftindl perfons and gods •, as fometimcs to be at oddsand variance with one another, and even with Jupiter himfelf This St. Bcftlfeems to take notice of, in his oration, how young n.en may he profited bythe writings of the Greeks '; n-avrwv Si wire, zripl ®im tj (TtaAfJ/o^t'i/oif (^rranTxlg)TrpotrE^OjixEv, Kj f/.xXi^ OTxv, u>; zrepi tto'aXu'j te xhruv Jie^iua-i, }^ tvt'm iScoiJ.ovo^]irui\>'But leafl of all will we give credit to the poets, where they difcourfe concernmgthe gods, and fpeak of them as rtany (dijlir.ul and independent) perfons, and thatnot agreeing ar,io?!gfi themfelvcs 7ieither, but Jiding feveral ways, and perpetuallyqiiarrelliiig with one another.Notwithftanding all which extravagancies and mifcarriages of the poets,we Ihall now make it plainly to appear, that they really afferted, not a multitudeof felf-exiftent and independent deities, but one only unmade Deity, andall the other, generated or created gods. This hath been already provedconcerning Orpheus, from fuch fragments of the Orphick poems, as have beenowned and attefted by Pagan writers : but it would be further evident, mightwe give credit to any of thofe other Orphick verfes, that are found cued- by« P. 16. Edit. Oxon. Joh. Porten.