for the sake of their purse or belly went forth to preach, naming indeed the name of Christ, but not according to the perfect lines of tradition to remedy which mischief, the apostles appointed this sign or token, by which he might be known, who should truly preach Christ according to the apostolic rules, as the custom is reported to be in civil wars, where their arms, language, methods, and manner of fighting being the same, to prevent any deceit every general gives the word to his soldiers, which is called symbolum, that if one should meet another concerning whom he doubts, by declaring the word, or the symbol, he might shew whether he was a friend or a foe." So that the creed in this respect was called symbolum, in allusion to a military custom; that as soldiers were known by signs, tokens, words, and the like, so true and real Christians were evidenced and distinguished from all others by this mark or symbol of the creed.

Now, though this may be in part the sense of the word, yet I do not apprehend, that it comes up to the full intent thereof; neither do I think, that it is to be derived from a military custom, but rather from some thing, which in its own nature is more corespondent and agreeable to the worship and service of God, wherein the creed is used: wherefore,

in my opinion, the signification of the word is more naturally to be fetched from the sacra, or religious services of the heathens, (if idolatry, impurity, and inhumanity may be permit ted to pass under that name) where those, who were initiated in their mysteries, and admitted to the knowledge of their peculiar services, which were hidden and concealed from the greatest part of the idolatrous multitude, had certain signs or marks, called symbola, delivered unto them, by which they mutually knew each other, and upon the declaring of then, were without scruple admitted in any temple to the secret worship and rites of that God, whose symbols they had received.

These symbols were of two sorts; either mute or vocal: of the mute there are the names of several in Clemens Alexandrinus, as an "Origanum, (a musical instrument so called) a candle, a sword," and something else, not fit to be translated, were the symbols of Themis; and the said father mentions in the same place," an handful of salt, ivy, poppy, &c "to have been the symbols of Bacchus, and of others of their brutish deities.

These symbols were carefully preserved, and kept from all public view by the receivers of them, who, upon the producing of them to

the priests of those Gods, whose signs they were, had free admission to their most hide den and abominable rites.

Apuleius, the famous Platonick philosopher of Madaura, made use of these mute symbols to defend himself from the imputation of magic; for being "suspected of that infernal practice, because he kept some unknown things wrapt up in a napkin, or fine linen cloth," he replies thereunto, "That he had been initiated in most of the Grecian myste ries, that he diligently preserved those signs, and monuments, which were delivered him by the priests, that this was no unusual or unknown thing that some who were present, and had been initiated with him in the rites of Bacchus, did well know what they kept hidden at home, and did in secret, without the company of the profane, particularly revere :"

That it could not seem strange to any who had the least sense of religion, that a man who had been privy to so many mysteries of the Gods should keep some tokens thereof at home, and wrap them up in linen, which is the purest covering for divine things: That yet he did profess with a loud voice, that if by chance any one was present, who had been partaker with him in the same soleminities; if he would give the sign, he should hear

what those things were, which he so carefully preserved, but that otherwise he would not be compelled by any danger whatsoever, to divulge those things to the profane, which he received to keep secret and conceal."

But, besides these mute symbols, there were others also which were vocal, that is, a certain form of obscure and mysterious words, for the most part, if not always, agreeable to the worship, actions, or nature of that God, whose signs they were; delivered by the priests to those who were initiated in their mysteries, by which those who were thus consecrated, mutually knew each other, and were freely admitted to the most reserved and secret parts of their sacred rites and ceremonies: Such a vocal symbol, Apuleius seems to hint at in the precedent quotation, where he requires, that if any were present, who had participated with him in the same solemnities, they should give the sign;" that is, they should pronounce and express those words; which were the mark and token of their initiation and consecration. But,there is no need to look any farther into the writings of the heathens for the proof of this point, seeing there is a full and large evidence thereof in Arnobius, Clemens Alexandrinus, and Julius Firmicus Maternus, who have recorded several of their

filthy, senseless, and inhumane symbols; as for example, Aruobius relates this to be the symbol of Ceres," and to have been repeated at the initiation in her rites, I have fasted and I have drunk a caudle, (as I chuse to translate the word cyceon, which signifies a mixed and confused portion of liquors) I have taken out of the chest, and put into the basket, I have taken it out again, and put it into the little chest," which is thus mentioned by Clemens Alexandrinus, with some small variation,

I have fasted, I have drunk a caudle; haying done that, I put it into the basket, and from the basket into the chest." To explain -which symbol at large, would perhaps be too tedious; I am almost cónfident that it would be too obscene and filthy, and that the cleanest words by which it can be expressed in our English dialect, will sound too harsh in chaste and modest cars: wherefore I shall refer those who would exactly know the mystery thereof, to the fifth book of Arnobius, from page 170 to page 176, and to the tenth page of Clemens Alexandrinus's Protrepticon ad Gentes. I shall only say this in general, as being pertinent to my present undertaking, that these symbolical words had a dark and enigmatical reference to the secret and hidden rites of Ceres, and did in obscure expressions,