but haue coniectured this, but that himselfe saith in many places that there is much truth, which the people ought not to know: nay and if it were all false∣hood, yet it were fit the people should neuer-the-lesse thinke that it were truth▪ and therefore the Grecians shut vp their (a) Teletae, and their (b) most secret my∣steries in walles. Here hee hath made a discouerie of all the politique gouern∣ment of the world. But the Deuills take great delight in this playing double: making them-selues the maisters both ouer the deceiuers and the deceiued, from whose dominion nothing freeth vs but the grace of God, through Iesus Christ our Lord. This acute and learned man saith further, that hee thinketh onely those to discerne God, who teach that hee is a soule, moouing, and swaying the whole world: and here-by, though hee yet haue no firme holde of the truth (for God is no soule, but the soules maker) yet if the Citties custome had permitted him, assuredly hee would haue taught them the worship of one onely God, and the gouernor of the world: so that wee should but haue this onely controuer∣sie w•…•…th him, whether God were a soule, or the soules maker. He saith also that the old Romaines were a hundred three-score and ten yeares with-out Idols: and had they beene so still (quoth hee) religion had beene kept the purer; to prooue which, hee produceth (amongst others) the Iewes, and concludeth, that who-so-euer they were that first inuented Images, they freed the citty from all awe and added vnto errour: beeing well aduised that the sencelesnesse of the Idols would make the gods them-selues seeme contemptible. But whereas hee •…•…aith they added vnto errour, that prooues, that there was some errour there, before that Images came in. And therefore his saying, that these onely discer∣ned God which called him a soule gouerning the world; and his opinion that the gods honours would haue beene purer with-out Images, these positions declare how neare the truth hee drawes. For could hee haue done any good against such an ouer-growne error, hee would haue shewed them how that one onely God should haue beene adored, euen hee that gouerneth the world, and th•…•… hee is not to bee pictured: and the youth of the Cittie beeing set in so ne•…•…e a path to the truth, might easily haue beene perswaded afterwards, that God was an vnchangeable nature, creating the soule also. These things being thus, what euer fooleries those men haue discouered of their gods in their Bookes, they haue beene laide open by the immediate hand of God, (compelling them to confesse them) rather then by their owne desire to disswade them: Wherefore that wee alledge from them, is to controule those that will not see from what a damned slauery to the Deuill, that same singular sacrifice of so holy bloud, and the voutchsafing of the spirit hath deliuered vs.
L. VIVES.
THE (a) Teletae] A sacrifice most secret and most sumptuous: so called, because it consu∣med so much, of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to end, or to consume, that some thinke they had their name from the•…•… perfection. They belonged to the Sunne and Moone, as Porphyry writeth: and were besides, expiations to Bacchus, recorded in Orpheus and Mus•…•…us (Plat. de Rep. lib. 2.) that t•…•…ght how to purge the sinnes of the Citties, the liuing, the dead, and euery priuate man by sacrifices, playes, and all delights, and the whole forme of it all was called •…•…eletae. Though Pla•…•… saith the Teletae belonged onely to the dead, and freed men from all the euills in hell. (b) S•…•…cret] Of Ceres and others. (c) The old] Numa forbad the Romaines to thinke that God had 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shape of man or woman (Plut. in vit. Num.) Nor had they any picture at all o•…•… any God for the first hundred three score and te•…•…e yeares: they built onely temples and