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

Chap. IV. God^ teflified in Scripture. ^pofed, that the Pagans did worlliip the true God, the Creator of the wholeworld ; though they worfhipped the creature alfo, befides him, or (perhapsin fome fcnfc) above him, and more than him alio. But as for thatother interpretation of wap tod aria-xvlx, which Beza chole rather to tollow,that ihey worfhipped the creature, the Creator being wholly pqfed by, thisis no true literal verfion, but only a glofs or commentary upon the words,made according to a certain preconceived and extravagant opinion, thitthe Pagans did not at all worfhip the fupreme God or Creator, but univerfallytransfer all their worfhip upon the creature only. Bjt in what fenlethe Pagans might be faid to worfhip the creatures, above or beyond, ormore than the Creator, (becaufe it is not pofTible, that the creature, as acreature, (liould be worfhipped with more internal and mental honour thanthe Creator thereof, look'd upon as fuch) we leave others to enquire.Whether or no, becaufe when religious wordiip, which properly and onlybelongeth to the Creator, and not at all to the creature, is transferredfrom the Creator upon the creature, according to a Scripture interpretationand account, fuch may be faid to worfhip the creature more than the Creator? Or whether becaufe fome of thefe Pagans might more frequently addrefstheir devotions to their inferior gods (as ftars, ds-mons and heroes)as thinking the fupreme God, either above their worfhip, or incomprchenfible,or inaccelTible by them ? Or laftly, whether becaufe the imageand ftatue-worfhippers among the Pagans (whom theApoftle there principallyregards) did direift all their external devotion to fenfible objedis, andcreaturely forms ? However, it cannot be thought, that theApoftle here taxesthe Pagans meerly for worfhipping creatures above the Creator, as if theyhad not at all offended, had they worfhipped them only in an equality withhim j but doubtlefs their fin was, that they gave any religious worfliip at allto the creature, though in way of aggravation of their crime it be laid,that they alfo worfhipped the creature more than the Creator. Thus we feeplainly, that the Pagan fuperftition and idolatry (according to the trueScripture notion of it) confifled not in worfliipping of many creators, butin worfhipping the creatures together with the Creator.473'Befides this we have in the A6ls of the Apoftles an oration, which St.Paul midc at Athens in the Areopagitick court, beginning after this manner ;i? men of Athens, I perceive^ that ye are every way more than ordinarily religious; for the word ^na-t^^iy.mH^^ig feems to be taken there in a good fenfe,it being not only more likel\% that St. Paul would in the beginning of hisoration thus captare benevolentiam, conciliate their benevolence, with fomecommendation of them, but alfo very unlike'ys that he would call theirworfhipping of the true God by the name of fuperllition, for fo it followeth ;for as I pajfed by and beheld your facred things (or monuments) / found analtarwiththis infcription,^ AyrJ>^T^ 0£w, TO THE U NKNOfV N GOD.It is true, that both Philojiratus ' and Paufanias " write, that there were atAthens, 'AymTTuv Qixv j3u,uoi, altars of unknown gods : but their meanino^ inthis might well be, not that there were altars dedicated to unknown godsP p p 2pkirally,> De Vita Apollonii, Lib. VI. Cap. III. p. 232. ! Lib. V. p'. T99.