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

468 T.'hz Pagans many Gods' Book f.Xd *ini< xbi 5S13 ^^ "^j^J N':'i 1N'??3 N*? D'N-nDn "^^a^ in.s} 113;'^DK'nB' yiv n^iyniy 's*:';^ ski fnQ O'Nt^jn '^:3D "inx x-^i nniD'nmn 'iJ'JNi ^iJ>* "'^i''^ I"]"* "^V •"^^''^ N*"'3jn t:2i;> Nim O'H'PNn Nirrrmi mi3y 'l^i' nr nn iT^nn The foundation of that commandment aga'mjlfirange worfkip Cnow commonly called idolatry) is this, that no man jhculdworpip ant of the creatures ivhatfosver, neither angel, nor fphere, nor flar,nor any of the four elements, nor any thing made cut of them. For though he,that worfhips thefe things, knows, that the Lord is God, and fuperior to themtill and worfhips thofe creatures no otherwife than Enofh and the refi of thatFol. 147.3. f. liage did, yet is he neverihelefs guilty of firange worflnp or idolatry. And thar,after the times of Enofh alfo, in llicceeding ages, the polythcifm of the Pagannations was no other than this, the worfhipping (bcfides one fupremeGodJ of other created beings, as the minifters of his providence, and as middlesor mediators betwixt him and men, is declared likewife by Maimonides(\nhis More Nevochim)\.oh^^\•e.httn the univerfli! beliefofall the Hebrews or Jews;F X c;6 r)n;r"7a ni'^x pxr mi ma;;' n"? mr oid;; nai;?"^' 'o "pa o v'^y> nnNinrx mii'ni:' CD'^an p hot ^"^i onaijrn p'?'?3 d'?i;>o hqin':'! n*nK"i3 nrN r^'r^ ii.'r^r^ n^^'Hr^^' •I'^'m D'^^nh fa \\ nonon p r^vy^Nirr^ 131'? |VDi K'H'.J' i:i "^j^ nn3;'i cd:^^ ':'3x psni c^'oti'nijnnn •?y3D inx la pi'^n' n*?!^ .ido nn nr^Nn |oi ajo ';'j:dmTea know, that whofoever committeih idolatry, he doth it not as fuppofingythat there is no other God beftdes that which he worfhippeth, for itnever came into the minds of any idolaters, nor never will, that that flatuc.,which is made by them of metal, or fione, or wood, is that very God,who created heaven and earth ; but they worjhip thofe fiatues and imagesonly as the reprefentaticn of fomething, which is a mediator between God andthem. A/ijy^Jy^/i'fW^, the author of the book entitled, l^sri n*51y GnolathTamid, refolves all the Pagan polytheifm and idolatry into thefe two principles,one of which refpefted God, and the other men themfeh'es :11 13 p3i.i^ NN1 ni3j Vj^D m3j am 'd dudwi n* 11:^0 mb 'j;n^ xnan :ni' "?:; 'rhan ys^n imnb' n^ ayn nmK D'jjt fs^^i 'y^Dn ^yDN ^n)iyD inann'? '^'D' ij\s ^D'^i dinh nrrt o nn doi^;; Dfo pjjna13 pain:?' na '^Tiy fan*? iiii;;n inn;;' 'C'D^d no lai njj tD^Z"' n"?"jlan* mnjrn The idolaters firft argued thus in refpe£l of God ; thatfmce hewas of fuch tranfcendent perfefiicn above men, it was not pofftble for men to beunited to, or have communion with him, otherwife than by means of certain middlebeings or mediators ; as it is the manner of earthly kings, to have petitions conveyedto them by the hands of mediators and intercefjors, Secondly, they thus argued alfoin refpe£l of themfelves ; that being corporeal, fo that they could not apprehendGod ahflra^ly, they mufl needs have fomething fenfiblc to excite and fiir up theirdevotion and fix their imagination upon. Jofeph Aibo, in the book called Ik'karim, concludes that Jhab, and the other idolatrous kings of Ifrael and Judahworfliipped other gods upon thofe two accounts mentioned by Maimonidesand no otherwife, namely that the fupreme God ivas honoured by worfjippitigof his niiniflers, and that tlicre ought to be certain middles and mediatorsbetwixt him and men, in^S} f';?1£3"in nimi 'TNIU'I o5"23 mm axn^cnvn d;' nra n;;o no'?^' oji uidxi?' f-h^' 'n;:'o m "^jbjn nmmairoND