OF SE R PEN TS. 2^-] 



Tou fear to eat the Fief: of Swine, I find it fwtet : 

 Ton ivorfjip Dogs, to beat them I think meet. 

 When they my Store devour^. 



Thus fwuenal, another Heathen Poet, ridicules their reH- 

 gious Fooleries : 



OB happy Nations ! which, of their ownfowing. 

 Have Jiore of Gods, in evry Garden growing -f . 



The Images of the Gods, fays Seneca, are worfliipped; thefe 

 they pray unto and adore, and while they greatly admire them^ 

 at the fame time defpife the Workmen that made them J. Which 

 alfo Sedulius their Poet feoffs at, faying,' Who worfhip Vani- 

 ties .... defpife their own Maker .... fear the Works of their 

 own Hands. . .. What Madnefs ! that Man fhould ugly Shapes 

 adore of Bulls, Birds, Dragons, the vile Half-Dog, or Half-Man,, 

 on Knees for Aid implore ||.— 



Yet among the Nations were fome who thought it Impiety 

 to reprefent their Gods by Images, as the Perfians, Indian Brach- 

 mans, Sec**. Yea, ihe Romans, for 170 Years, would not allow 

 Images in their Temples, obferving the Law of Numa. It was 

 Tarquinius Prifcus that followed the Vanity of the Grecians (a 

 Nation of all others, excepting Egypt, moft deluded by the old 

 Serpent) fet up the Images of their Gods, which even the Learned 

 Varro bewailed and condemned. The Mahometans have a per- 

 fed: Averfion to Images. The 'Jews hate all Images, will not al- 

 low any in their Houfes, much lefs in Places of Worfhip. But to 

 proceed : 



The apoflate Indians worfhip both Gods and Devils, over 

 which they acknowledge a Supreme, who fends forth other Dei- 

 ties as his Deputies j which they think to be the Souls of good; 



Men ; 

 * Bovem colis, ego Deis maiSto Bovem ; 

 Tu tnaxitnum anguillam, Dcum putas: ego, 

 Obfoniorum credidi, fuaviflimum, 

 Games fuillas, tu caves, at gaudeo 

 His maxime. Canecn colis, quern verbero- 

 Edentem, ubideprehendo, force obfonium. 

 •}• Porrum & ctepe nefas violare oc frangere morfu, 

 Oh fanctas gentes quibus iixc nafcuntur in hortis 



Numina! 5<a:r. xv. /. 8, 9, lo. 



\ Simulachra Deorum venerantur fabros qui ilia fecere, contetnnunr. 



\ Heu miferi vana colunt ut volucrem, turpemque Bovem, totvumque Drai- 



conem, fem-liominemque canem fupplex homo pionus adoret. 

 f *■ Hofpinian. de Origine Imaginum. 



