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Show 140 LIB. IV. MJjjJJt~!!~A,tt~$J!t~JA$~ THE F -o U R T H B 0 0 K · OF THEIR I D 0 LA T R Y. C H A P. I. The beginnings of IdolatrJ. THe Infinitenefs of Gods Majefiy far tranfcend .. eth the capacity of created Natures; and if we confult not with GodJ ?Wn Oraele!, thou h the fenfe of a DeitJ may be ~mpnnted eve? Itt an .Agth etif t s heart ' yet fo far .i lia \I. . he be fromh all r1ght nnderfianding _of God, that he wtll adore t e cr~at~re infiea~ of the Creator: and wh~n he hath multlphed h ber of his gods according to the number of tt hee nSutamrs in heaveo1 an, d creepi· ng h' arth · t tngs on e ' et Gill his heart will be doubtful, whether he bath ~or!hi ed the true God, nay w?ether the true Go~ be not ~iterly unknown. For thts reafon t~e Marrt . J h fhip cried every man unto h1s God, Jo· neths In on a 1 d d lefi they 1 Every man to his own 6o ; an :gh~ 'a·ll mifbike the true God, they ~waken Jodn_ah •.Str~.in Gtor· to call upon hu · Go d• This (a) uncertainty atItdeonla trm'}g :rc.ltb~. 1. ' 'l'he IYeginningt of Idolatry~ 1-' t Idolatry, caufed the HeathtfJJ to clofe their Petition.s with that general, Dii detetj1Je om11es. (b) The .Arabi- b Gyrald. s,,.. ttns perceiving the infufficiency of their k_nown God~, 111gm. ' 7• dedicated their AltarJ,Ignoto Deo,To the 11nl{_nown God., At Athens, Saint Paul found an Altar with the fame infcription, AfJs 1 7· 2 3· Hence other Neighbour- Countries were wont to fwear (c) by him that wm c ~~,f.~ · Ull/t:stown at Athens. From this doubt and diftruft a- 'A:Jnvtr.Jf mong the Athenians, what cod was, and who he «:>'~~s-~r. • -was, rt.p rang anot he r uncertai.n ty arnongl t t he m, as lLoupcattar"i d'"~ fbJ. dangerous as the other~· ~ividing and !baring that . undividable Unity of the odhead, between I know. - not what Compeers an quais, fo that they had o-ther Altars mentioning a plurality of gods: (d) the d P_a~fanias in infcription being .3-e~v d'i'v~rG>v, the Altar of the unk.,nown AttrcrJ, Gods, yea, the compleat and entire infcription of that Altar which Sajnt PaNlfaw, is thought to have been thus, (e) To thegodr of Afia, Europe, and Africa; to tha ,.. , . unk_n()Wn andflrange, God. Which obfervation irnpli ... e,e£a~~E Aeth their practice to have fymbolizfd . with other fJt,r:.r,'fJ, v· Heathens-in that forementioned clofure ; J?~i v_e~que !;,;j~~ :;~;; omne1, 0 aU ye Godr and G()dd.effes, help. 1 hls d1nruft a."))~d~(J) ~ · I think to be the chief reafon why they wor(hipped ~~H:.J • the 11nk_nown God; though I deny not but the Altars Theoph1l ;n might bear this Title ~ to conceal the name of their ~:·:.P;f;;;;;~ Tutelar ·God) unto whofe protection they bad com.' T;t,,,J 2. mitted themfelv:s •· (f) ~caufe the Heathen people ir~~;~- ~h' a~: generally conceited, that 1f theg.odJ name, to. whom. ~· 7Jr,u1Jt~l. ia they dedicated a City, were kno'vvn, then the Ene- l//,.m looun. mies might by fome·. magical incantation o.r charm., call him forth, and caufe him to forefake the City .~ Fo~ the better preventing of which manner of evo:: cat1ons~ the T;ritJns, the Lacedemonians, ·and others g M~crah 5.t( g;Nations fetterred and chained theirgodJ~that they turn 1.3. c.5., · might |