Anti-Haman, or, An answer to Mr. G. Burnet's Mistery of iniquity unvailed wherein is shewed the conformity of the doctrine, worship, & practice of the Roman Catholick Church with those of the purest times : the idolatry of the pagans is truly stated ... / by W.E. ...

A Conclusion of this treatise.

To conclude this whole treatise, we will use

two, or three passages of Tertullian, to con∣firme, what he have hitherto sayd. Imprimis c. 11. p. 40. Sicut Deos vestros homines fuisse nonaudetis negare, ita post mortem Deos factos, in∣stituistis asseverare. Seing you dare not deny you Gods, to have beene men, you resolue to stand to their having beene made Gods after their death. And to iupiter n particular he applyes that generall assertion pag. 41. Vani erunt homines, nisi certi sint ipsum Iovem quae in manu ejus imponitis fulmina timuisse. Men are very foolish, if they doubt of Iu∣piter's having feared the thunderbolts, which you put into his hands. What thinks E.S. was not Iu∣piter aman, in Tertullian's opinion?

Againe Tertul. l. de Idololatria c. 21. Scia quendam, cui Dominus ignoscat, cùm illi im publico per litem dictum esset, Iupiter tibi sit iratus; respon∣disse, imò tibi. Quid aliter fecisset Ethnicus, qui Iovem Decum credidit? Confirmavit Iovem Deum per quem se maledictum indignè tulisse demonstra∣vit remaledicens. At quidenim indigneris, per eum, quem scis NIHIL esse? I know one, (whome God for give) who when one wrangling with him had sayd: the wrath, or curse, of Iupiter fall uppon thee: answered uppon thee rather. Would a Pagan have answered otherwise, who beleived Iupiter to be God? He seemed to acknowledge his Divinity, when he shewed himselfe so concerned for the impre∣cation of his wrath. For why should he trouble him∣selfe, for his Anger; whome he knows to be NOTHING? Moreover l. de Resur. carnis

cap. 6. pag. 568. Phidiae manus Iovem Olympiun•• ex ebore molitur, & adoratur: nec jam bestiae, & quidem insulsissimae dens est; sed summum soeculi numen: non quia elephas, sed quia Phidias tantus. Vt honestius homo Deum, quàm Deus hominem fin∣xerit. Phidias the Sculptor out of Pieces of Ivory makes a Statue of Iupiter Olympius; and it is pre∣sently adored: & it is no more regarded, as the tooth of a most silly Beast; but as THE SVPRE∣AME GOD. As if MAN produced a more Noble worke, then God: for God only made a miserable Creature, & MAN makes a GOD.

In his Apolog. ch. 12 p. 42. Quantùm igi∣tur de Di is vestris, nominasolummodò video quorun∣dam veterum mortuorum, & fabulas audio, & sa∣cra defabulis recognosco. Quantùm autem de simu∣lachris ipsis, nihil aliud deprehendo, quàm materias forores esse vasculorum communium, vel ex iisdem vasculis: Quasifatum consecratione mutantes, licen∣tiâ art is transfigurante, in ipso opere sacrilegè, ut revera nobis maximè, qui propter Deos ipsos plecti∣mur, solatium poenarum esse possit, quod eadem & ipsi patiantnr, ut fiant. Crucibus & stipitibus impo∣nitis Christianos: quod simulacrum non prius argilla deformat cruci & stipiti superstructa? In patibulo primum corpus Dei vestri dedicatur. Vngulis dera∣ditis latera Christianorum: at in Deos vestros per omnia membra validius incumbūt asciae, & runcinae, & scobinae. Cervices ponimus ante plumbum & glu∣tinum, & gomphos: sine capite sunt Diivestri. Ad bestias impellimur, certè quas Libero, & Cybele,

& Cereri applicatis. Ignibus urimur: hoc & illi à primâ quidem massâ. In metalla damnamur: inde censentur Dii vestri. In insulis relegamur: solet & in insulis aliquis Deus vester aut nasci, aut mori. Si per haec constet Divinitas aliqua, ergò qui puniun∣tur, consecrantur, & numina erunt dicenda suppli∣cia. Sed planè non sentiunt has injurias, & contu∣melias suae fabricationis Dii vestri, sicut nec obse∣quia, &c. As for your Gods, I see nothing, but the names of some men dead long since: I heare many fa∣bles; & can discerne them in your sacred rites. As for your Idols, they are composed of the same matter, of which are our most ordinary vessells, nay sometimes our vessells are turned into them being changed, by the sacrilegious working of a statuary. And it myght be a comfort in our tourments to us, that we undergo only the same operations, which they are subjected to, to become Gods. Are we raysed on a crosse? your Gods are set on them, to be shaped. Doe you rake our sides with Iron hookes? your Gods are more roughtly carved by an axe, a chizil, a plainer, Doe you cast us into the fire? In that your Gods are melted to be cast into their moulde. Are we sentenced to the mines? Thence your Gods are drawne. Are we banisht to the Islands? In those many of your Gods are borne, or dead. They are as insensible of the rough workman, as of your ceremonious rites. Doe we not therefore rather deserve Commendation, then punishment, for discovering, & rejecting soe grosse an errour, as it is, to take for God, what is nothing but a livelesse crea∣ture, as every spider, & other insect doth perceive?

When E.S. hath considered this, I shall de∣sire of him to know whither it be not evident hence 1.^ò that the Idols of the Pagans were by them held to be Gods? 2.^ò whithet those Gods had not beene men?

I must beg thy pardon, courteous Reader, for abusing thy patience with this long digres∣sion: I will, God willing, make amends, by being short in my following Reflections, on my good freind, Mr. Burnet. So I take my leave of E.S. till our next meeting.