says, the other Gods were aërial Spirits, and that the one God of the Hebrews was to be worshipped: Which Words, if the Worshippers of Apollo obeyed, they ceased to be his Worshippers; if they did not obey him, they accused their God of a Lye. To which may be added, that if these Spirits would, in their Oracles, have consulted the Good of Mankind; they would, above all Things, have proposed to them a general Rule of Life, and assured them of a Reward, which they who so lived might expect; but they did neither of them. On the contrary, (a) they many Times in their Verses applauded Kings, though never so wicked; (b) decreed Divine Honours to Champions, (c) enticed Men to unlawful Embraces, (d) to pursue unjust Gain, (e) and to commit Murder; which may be evidenced by many Instances.

concerning those Oracles, and may be brought as an Argument ad Hominem, as Logicians call it; but since it does appear, that these Oracles were feigned; nay, there are very good Reasons to think they were fictitious, they ought to be of no Weight. amongst Christians. Le Clerc.

(a) They many Times in their Verses, &c.] See those alledged by Oenomaus in Eusebius's Gospel Preparat. Book V. Chap. 23, and 35.

(b) Decreed Divine Honours to Champions, &c.] See the same Author, Chap. 32. of Cleomedes; which we find also in Origen's Third Book against Celsus.

(c) Enticed Men to unlawful Embraces, &c.] This was shewn before,

(d) To pursue unjust Gain, &c.] See Eusebius's Gospel Preparat. Book V. Chap. 22.

(e) And to commit Murder, &c.] Oenomaus recites Oracles of this Kind, which you may find in the forementioned Book of Eusebius, Chap. 19, and 27.

SECT.

SECT. X.

The Heathen Religion rejected, because it failed of its own Accord, as soon as human Assistance was wanting.

BESIDES those Things already alledged, the Heathen Religion affords us a very strong Argument against itself, in that wheresoever human Force was wanting, it immediately fell, as if its only Support were then taken away, For, if you turn your Eyes towards all the Christian or Mahometan Empires, you will find Heathenism no where mentioned but in Books: Nay, History informs us, that in those Times; when the Emperors made use of Force and Punishment, as the first Emperors did; or of Learning and Cunning, as Julian did, to support the Heathen Religion; even then, it continually decreased; no Force being made use of against it, no Greatness of Family (for it was commonly believed that Jesus was the Son of a Carpenter;) no Flourish of Words, no Bribes (for they were poor;) no Flattery, for they on the contrary despised all Advantages, and said there was no Adversity but they ought to undergo, upon Account of their Law. And now, how weak must the Heathen Religion be, to be overthrown by such weak Helps? Nor did the vain Credulity of the Heathens only vanish at this Doctrine, (a) but Spirits themselves came out of Men, at the Name of Christ; were silenced; and being asked the Reason of their Silence, (b) were forced to own, that they could do nothing when Christ was invoked.

(a) But Spirits themselves cume out of Men, &c.] Acts v. 16, viii. 7. xvi. 18.

(b) Were forced to own, &c.] Tertullian in his Apology. See also Lucan against false Diviners. Apollo in Daphe: "This "Place, Daphne, is filled with dead Bodies, which hinder the "Oracles." Babylas and other Christian Martyrs died there. See Chrysostom against the Gentiles.

SECT.

SECT. XI.

An Answer to this, that the Rise and Decay of Religion is owing to the Stars.

THERE were some Philosophers, who ascribed the Rise and Decay of all Religion to the Stars, But this starry Science, which they profess to know and understand, is delivered in such different Rules, (a) that there is nothing certain to be found in it, but this one Thing, that there is no Certainty in it. I do not speak of those Effects, which naturally follow from necessary Causes; (b) but of such as proceed from the Will of Man, which is in its own Nature so far free, as that no external Necessity can be laid upon it: For if the Act of Willing flowed from such a necessary Impression, (c) that Power, which we experience in the Soul, of deliberating and choosing, would be given us to no Purpose; (d) and the Justice of all Laws, and of Rewards and Punishments, would be entirely taken away; because their is neither Blame nor Desert due to

(a) That there is nothing certain to be found in it, &c.] See the excellent Dissertation of Bardefanes, the Syrian, concerning this Matter; which you may find in the Philocalia collected from Origen, and in Eusebius's Preparat. Book VI. Chap. 10.

(b) But of such as proceed from the Will of Man, &c.] See Alexander Aphrodisaus's Book concerning this Matter.

(c) That Power which we experience, &c.] See Eusebius's Gospel Preparat, Book VI. Chap. 6.

(d) And the Justice of all Laws, &c.] See Justin's Apology II. "If Mankind be not endued with a Power of choosing "freely; to avoid that which is bad, and to comply with that "which is good; the Cause of either of them cannot be said "to be from himself." See also what follows. And thus Tatian: "The Freedom of the Will consists in this; that a "wicked Man is justly punished, because his Wickedness is " from himself; and a good Man is rewarded, because he has not "voluntarily transgressed the Will of God." To this may be added Chalcidius's Disputation concerning this Matter in Timeus.

that

that which is plainly unavoidable. Further, since some Actions of the Will are evil: If they are caused by a certain Necessity of the Heavens, and because God has given such a Power to the Heavens and the heavenly Bodies; it will follow, that God, who is perfectly good, (a) is the true Cause of moral Evil; and at the same Time that he professes his utter Abhorrence of Wickedness in his positive Law, he has planted the efficient and inevitable Cause of it, in the Nature of Things; therefore he wills two Things contrary to each other, viz. that the same Thing should be, and not be; and that that should be a Sin, which is done by a Divine Impulse. (b) It is said by others, with a greater Shew of Probability, that first the Air, and afterwards our Bodies, are affected by the Influence of the Stars, and so imbide certain Qualities, which for the most Part excite in the Soul Desires answerable to them; and that by these the Will is enticed, and oftentimes yields to them. But if this be granted, it makes nothing to the Question in Hand. For the Religion of Christ could not possibly have its Rise from the Affections of the Body, nor consequently from the Power of the Stars; which, as was said, act upon the Mind no otherwise than by such Affections; because this Religion, in the highest Degree, draws Men off from those Things that delight the Body. The

(a) Is the true Cause of moral Exil, &c.] Plato speaks against this, in his second Republic. "The Cause is from him that chooses, God is not the Cause." Thus Chalcidius translates it in Timeus, which Justin, in the forementioned Place, says, agrees with Moses.

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(b) It is said by others with a greater Shew of Probability, &c.] But they speak most truly, who deny any such Influence, at all; and acknowledge nothing else in the Stars but Heat and Light; to which we may add, their Weight resulting from their Bigness; but these have, properly speaking, no Relation to the Mind. Le Clerc.

wisest Astrologers do (a) except truly knowing and good Men from the Law of the Stars; and such were they who first proposed the Christian Religion as their Lives plainly shew: And if we allow a Power in Learning and Knowledge, to hinder their Badies from being thus infected; there always were amongst Christians some, who might be commended upon this Account. Further, the Effects of the Stars, as the most learned confess, respect only particular parts of the World, and are temporary: But this Religion has continued already for above sixteen hundred Years, not only in one, but in very distant Parts of the World, and such as are under very different Positions of the Stars.

SECT. XII.

The principal Things of the Christian Religion were approved of by the wisest Heathens: And if there be any Thing in it hard to be believed, the like is to be found amongst the Heathen.

THERE is the less Reason for the Heathens to oppose the Christian Religion; because all the Parts of it are so agreeable to the Rules of Virtue, that by their own Light they do in a Manner convince the Mind; insomuch that there have not been wanting some amongst the Heathen, who have said these Things singly, which, in our Religion, are all put together. For Instance (b) that

aster:

Religion

(a) Except truly knowing and good Men, &c.] Thus Zoro"Do not increase your Fate." And Ptolomæus: "A "wise Man may avoid many Influences of the Stars." (b) That Religion does not consist in Ceremonies,&c.] Menander: With a clean Mind do Sacrifice to God,

Not so much neat in Clothes, as pure in Heart.