236 ^ A NATURAL HISTORY 



gan to worfliip them. This points out the Impiety of admittrng- 

 any fymbolical Reprefentations of Divinity into Places of publick 

 Worfliip. 



Nothing more monftrous than the Divinity o£ the Pagans ; 

 their Gods were innumerable. Every thing on Earth,, in the 

 Sea, in the Heavens, yea, and in Hell, had their peculiar Gods, 

 If Egyptians, w^ho paft for the vvifefh of Mortals, paid religious 

 Adoration to meer Animals, not only to Serpents, but Apes, 

 Wolves, yea, Dogs, Cats, ..... and to Vegetables, as Onions, 

 Garlick .... what fhall we think of ftupid Nations^ who had na 

 Claim to Wifdom ? 



Even in Athens (that celebrated Fountain of Light) were 

 more Idols than in all Greece ; yea, fo numerous were their Idol^ 

 that they had almoft as many Gods as Men *. 



STRABO^ Procopius, and Ben Jonas fay, the antient Per- 



fians kept and worfhipped their perpetual Fire on Mount Albors, 



a Branch of Caucafus. The Japonefe worfhip the Devil, and the 



Head of their Religion is called Dair, whom they worfliip as a 



God. Atlas. 



I Should rather think the Perjians ador'd the fupreme Godj 

 under the Image of Fire, by reafon 'tis Fire gives Motion to every 

 thing in Nature, and therefore they made it an Emblem of Di- 

 vinity. 



The Hebrews kept up the holy Fire in the Tetnple, and the 

 Vejials were appointed to keep the facred Fire of the Ro??ia?is, 



VULCAN viSiS worfliipped among the Antients, and parti- 

 cularly the Egyptians, as the Inventor of Fire. 



The People of Eg)pt exceeded moft Nations in depreciating 

 Divinity by grofs SuperlHtions and Idolatry ; they did not err in 

 worfhipping Mortals only, but they gave Reverence to Beafls, 

 Birds, Infect, Winds, Earth, Water, Air, Fire, Plants, &c^ 

 whom Rkodius Anaxandrides, one of themfelves, derides in this 

 manner ; 



1 facrifice to God the Beef, which you adore ; 



J broil th' Egyptian Eels, which you as God implore. 



Tou 

 f Faeilius poffis Deum, quam hominera invenire. 



