OF Serpen t^. 199 



Paganifm from that remarkable Perfon ? 'Tis the Conjedure of 

 ibme, that Nimrbd was the firft Man that was deify'tl, and pro- 

 bably for the important Service he did to his Country, as a mighty 

 Hunter, in deftroying wild Beafts that dtherwife would foon have 

 devour'd the Inhabitants, which were not vei-y numerous in thofe 

 days. 'Tis certain, that fuch Benefacftors to Mankind were rank'd 

 among the Gods. If fo, who will pretend to fay, our modern 

 Fox-Hunters dtn't carry one CharaSieriJiick of Divinity about 

 them ? 



Some think that the true Religion was t:niverfal for about 

 four hundred Years after the Deluge, becaufe it does not appear 

 from ylbram^ Traverfe thro' Mefopotamia, Cannan, Phili/liai 

 Egypt, &c. that thofe Countries were Idolaters. Others appre- 

 hend Abram himfelf was originally an Idolater, at leaft that Ido- 

 latry had overfpread the Nations in his time, for which they quote 

 'Jopma xxiv. 2. Tour Fathers . . . even Terah the Father of Abra- 

 bat?i .... ferved other Gods. It's evident fl'om hence, that Terah 

 had falleti into Idolatry, and fome are of Opinion, that Abratn 

 himfelf was an Idolater, till God made him fenfible of the Vanity 

 of Idol-worfliip, and that it was thro' him that his Father 'terah 

 was brought under the fame Convitftion, by this Device, viz. 



The feivs fay that T^erah was not only an Idolater, but alfo a 

 Carver, and Dealer in Images and Idols; that one day when he 

 went a Journey, he left Abram to take care of the Shop ; but 

 Abram being already convinced of the Sinfulnefs of Idols, afk'd, 

 all that came to buy Idol-Gods of him, Hoia old are you ? They 

 told him their Age ; and he replied to them, This God that you 

 would buy and avorfiip, is younger thati you are ; it tvas made but 

 the other day, and of contemptible Matter, therefore believe what 1 

 fiy, and renounce this vain Worfiip. The Buyers ftruck with 

 Confulion at thefe Reproaches, went away without buying, a- 

 lliam'd of their SuipidJty *. 



<X^iVhat might move Men to the frjl Idolatry"^ 



PERHAPS it might be ^frong Attachment to the Senfcs, which 

 they made their fovereign Judges in Spirituals: It was hard for 

 vulgar Heads in thofe Days of Darknefs to elevate their Thoughts 

 above fenfible Objefts. 



Another 



* Fa Calmet under Terah, vo!.. xiii. 



