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

Chap. IV. worjhipped as Mediators* 469Ahab, and other kings of Ifrael ^«^ Judah, and even Solomon bimfelf, erredin worjhipping the ftars^ upon thofe two accounts already mentioned out of Maimonides,notivithflanding that they believed the exifience of God and his unity\ they partly conceiving that they fhould honour God in worfhipping of hisminiflers, and partly worfhipping them as mediators betwixt God and themfelves.And the lame writer determines the meaning of that firft commandment,(which is to him the lecondj Thou fhalt have no other gods beforemy face, to be this,CSail'? ^Iiynniy IN "li^^l '^3 D"j;y)OK OniN DOH^CDri"113y3 'mx Thou flmlt not fet up other inferior gods as mediators betwixtme and thyfelf, or worfhip them fo, as thinking to honour me thereby. R. DavidKimchi (upon 2 Kings 17.) writcth thus concerning that Ifraelitifliprieft, who, by the king of Jffyria's command, was fent to Samariah to teachthe new inhabitants thereof to worfliip the God of that land (of whom it isafterwards faid, that they both feared the Lord, and ferved their idols ;)&j'Dxa vn nS S'^D mir miay czinaiy rn* xb^ cun*? -ion' cztnt'ti'N-i "jDiyiJo laD czi'?yN > N71 lyri N*? a-n'^NH n'^n o £zi3'?3 "jsn djvd Nnnu?j^nijn J'3i OjO D"yi:DN onvnS nniN anaiyiy n'jn 'rsn px"i3y/" /^^ f}:ould have altogether prohibited them their idolatry, they wouldnot have hearkned to him, that being a thing, which all thofe eaflernpeople were educated in from their very infancy, infomuch that it was akind of firft principle to them. Wherefore he permitted them to worfjjip alltheir feveral gods, as before they had done ; only he required them to dire£lthe intention of their minds to the God of Ifrael, {as the fupreme) forthofe gods could do them neither good nor hurt, ctherwife than according to hiswill and pleafure : but they worfhipped them to this purpofe, that they might beMEDIATORS betwixt them and the creator. In the book Nitzachon, allthe polytheifm and idolatry of the Pagans is reduced to thefe three heads ;firft 1"i"133"7 Diyp Tlltt'O "nay fFhen they worfApped the minifters ofGod, as thinking to honour him thereby; and fecondly, vri'ty tDfTlN "n^i^CDiyD QiX'Sd f^ben they zvcrfjipped them as orators and interceffcrs for themwith God ; and laftly, 'nDT'? pNl ^V^ "^"^2^ When they worflnppedfiatues ofwood and ftone for memorials of him. And though it be true, i^xt IfaakAhrabanei (upon 2 Kings 17.) does enumerate more fpecies of Pagan idolatry,even to ihe number of ten, yet are they alt of them but fo many feveralmodes of creature-worfhip ; and there is no fuch thing amongft themf to be found, as the worfhipping of many unmade independent deities, aspartial creators of the world.Moreover, thofe Rabbinick writers commonly interpret certain places of thefcripture to this fcnfe, that the Pagan idolaters did notwithftanding acknowledgeone fupreme Deity, as that Jeremy 10. 7. Who is there, that will not fearthee, thou king of nations ? For amongft all their wife men, and in all their kingdoms,there is none like u.Uo tbee ; though they are become all together brutifh, andtheir worfhiping of flocks is a ccftrine of vanity: iot Maimonides thus glolTethupon thofe words, r.n'y£3 '73K -\"ID'? KM ririNir DiyiV ^DH "!01'?DNin "\J1S1 73nn niw'C:^a-13'^ DmrDDI As if he ftouldfay^ all the Gen.tiles