An abridgement of Sir Walter Raleigh's History of the world in five books ... : wherein the particular chapters and paragraphs are succinctly abrig'd according to his own method in the larger volume : to which is added his Premonition to princes.

CHAP. VI. The Original of Idolatry, and Reliques of Anti∣quity in Fables.

§.1 THE Greeks and others, corrupting the Story of the Creation, and mingling their Fables with them, suppos'd that After-Ages would take those Dis∣courses of God and Nature for Inventions of Philo∣sophers and Poets. But as skilful Chymists can ex∣tract healthful Medicines out of Poison, and Poison out of wholsome Herbs, &c. so may much Truth be found out of those Fables.

§.2. The Antiquity of Corruption was even from Noah's Family. For the liberal Grace of God being withdrawn after Man's Fall, such a perpetual E∣clipse of spiritual things follow'd, and produc'd such effects as the general Deluge could not cleanse them, even in the selected Family of Noah, wherein were found those that renewed the Defection from God, for which they had seen the Worlds destruction. Hence the Caldeans, Egyptians, and Phaenicians soon after be∣came Idolaters, and the Greeks received their 12 Gods from Egypt, and erected to them Altars, Images and Temples, saith Herodotus.

§.3. As Men, departed out of the way of Truth, stray on in unknown Vices to Eternal Perdition; so these blind Idolaters being fallen from the God of Heaven, to seek God's on Earth to Worship, beginning with Men, they proceed to Beasts, Fouls, Fishes, Trees, Herbs, the Four Elements, Winds, Morning, Even∣ing Stars; Yea, Affections, Passions, Sorrow, Sick∣ness, besides Spirits infernal; and among Terrestrials even the basest wanted not divine Honour, as Dogs, Cats, Swine, Leeks, Onions, &c. which barbarous Blasphemy, Iuvenal thus derided,

O happy Nations, which of their own sowing, Have store of Gods in every Garden growing:

§. 4. Of Iupiter and other Gods▪ That Egypt had knowledge of the First Age, by Misraim the Son of Cham, who had lived 100 Years in it, we doubt not. Having therefore learned that Cain did first build Cities, they made him ancient Iupiter, whom the Athe∣nians also called Pollyeus and Herceios, Founder and Fortifier of Cities. This Iupiter married his Sister, as did Cain: His Father Adam they made Saturn, and his Sons Iubal. Tubal, and Tubal-Cain were made Mercury, Vulcan and Apollo, Inventers of Pastorage, Smiths-craft and Musick. Naome, Augustine expounds Venusta, which was Venus Vulcan's Wife, and Eva was Rhea; the Dragon which kept the Golden Apple, was the Serpent that beguiled Eva. Paradise was the Garden of Hesperides: So Saturn's dividing the World between Three Sons, came of Noah and his Sons; and Nimrod's Tower was the attempt of Gi∣ants against Heaven. The Egyptians also Worshipped Seth as their most Ancient Parent, from whom they called their chief Province Setheitica; and in Bithinia we ••ind the City Cethia * 1.1.

§. 5. Of the Three Chief Iupiters; the First was Son of Aether & Dies; the Second of Coelum an Arca∣dian, and King of Athens; the Third Famous in the Greek Fables, was of Creet or Candia, as some say; but there is no certainty, &c.

§. 6. Iupiter Chammon, more Ancient than all the Grecian Iupiters, was Cham, Father of Misraim in Egypt; and before Iupiter Belus, Son of Saturnus Ba∣bilonious or Nimrod: As for the latter Grecian Iupiter, he was a little before the Wars of Troy.

§. 7. The Philosophers opinion of God, Pythago∣ras, Plato, Orpheus, &c. believed not the Fooleries of their Times, though they mingled their Inventions

with Scripture: Pythagoras hung Homer and Hesiod in Hell, forever to be stung with Serpents, for their Fictions; yet Homer had seen Moses, as Iustine Mar∣tyr ••heweth in a Treatise converted by Mirandula. Plato dissembled his Knowledge for fear of the Areo∣pagits Inquisition; yet Augustin excused him. He delighted much in the Doctrine of one God, though he durst not be known of it, or of Moses the Author of it, as may be gathered out of Iustin Martyr, Ori∣gen, Eusebius, and Cyril, though he had from Moses what he writ of God, and of Divinity; as Ambrose also judged of Pythagoras. Iustine Martyr observed, that Moses described God to be, I am he who is. It is as hard to find out this Creator of the World, as it is impossible, if he were found, to speak of him worthily, said Plato; who also said, God is absolutely good, and so the Cause of all that is Good; but no Cause at all of a∣ny thing that is Evil. The Love of God is the cause of the Worlds Creation, and Original of all things. Apulei∣us saith, The most high God is also Infinite, not only by exclusion of Place, but also by dignity of Nature; nei∣ther is any thing more like or more acceptable to God, than a Man of a perfect Heart. Thales said, God com∣prehended all things, because he never had a Beginning: And he beholdeth all the thoughts of Men, said Zeno; therefore said Athenodorus, All men ought to be care∣ful of their Actions, because God was every where present, and beholding all things.

Orpheus calling Men to behold the King of the World, describes him to be one begotten of himself, from whom all things spring, who is in all, beholds all, but is beheld of none, &c. Who is the First and Last; Head and Middle; from whom all things be: Foundation of Earth and Skye, Male and Female, which never dyeth: He is the Spirit of all, of Sun, Moon, &c. The Original and End of all; in whom all things were hidden 'till he pro∣duced them to Light. Cleanthes calls God Good, Iust, Holy, possessing himself, alway doing good, and Charity

it self. Pindarus saith, he is one God and Father, most high Creator and best Artificer, who giveth to all things divers proceedings, &c. Antistbenes saith, God cannot be likened to anything, and therefore not elsewhere to be known, but only in the everlasting Country, of whom thou hast no Image. God, said Xenophon, shaketh and setteth all things at rest: Is great and mighty, as is manifest to all; but of what Form he is, none knoweth but himself, who illuminateth all things with his Light. God, saith Plato, is the Cause, Ground, and Original of the whole nature of things, the most high Father of the Soul, the eternal pre∣server of living Creatures, and continual framer of the World; a Begetter without propagation, comprehended neither in place nor time; whom few conceive, none can express him. Thus, as Ierom said, We find among the Heathen, part of the Vessels of God: But of them all, none have with more Reverence acknowledged, or more learn∣edly expressed One True God, and everlasting Being, all ever-causing and sustaining, than Hermes the Egyp∣tian. But of all these, see Iustin Martyr, Clemens A∣lexandrinus, Lactantius, Eusebius, Du Pless. Da∣naeus.

§. 8. Hethanism and Iudaism, when confounded. Touching the Religions of the Heathen, they being the Inventions of Mortal Men, they are no less Mor∣tal than themselves. The Caldean Fire is quenched; and as the Bodies of Iupiter and the rest, were by Death devoured, so were their Images and lasting Marble Temples by Time. The Trade of Riddles for Oracles, and Predictions by Apollo's Priests, is now taken up by Counterfeit Egyptians and Cozen∣ing Astrologers; yet was it long before the Devil gave way. For after Six several spoilings and sack∣ings of his Temple at Delphos, and as many repair∣ings thereof, at last when Iulian sought unto it, God from Heaven, consum'd all with Fire. So when the same Apostate incourag'd the Iews to re-build a Temple, God, by Earth-quake over-threw all, and slew many Thousands.

§. 9. Satan's last Refuge to uphold his Kingdom; who being driven off the open Stage of the World, crept into the Minds of Men, and there set up the high and shining Idol of Glory, and all commanding Image of Gold. He tells men, that Truth is the God∣dess of Danger and Oppression: Chastity is an Enemy to Nature, and all Virtue is without Taste; but Plea∣sure delighteth every Sense, and true Wisdom gets Power and Riches to fulfil all our Desires. And if this Arch-politician find Remorse in any of his People, or any fear of future Judgment, he persuadeth them that God hath such need of Souls to re-plenish Hea∣ven, that he will accept them at any time, and upon any Condition: And to interrupt their return to God, he layeth those great Blocks of rugged Poverty and Contempt in the narrow way which leadeth to his Divine Presence: Neither was he ever more indu∣strious and diligent than now, when the long Day of Man-kind draweth fast to the Evening, and the World's Tragedy and Time near to an end.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Stralo lib. 17.