came Fools; And then as an Inftance of this it is added, They changed the Glory of the Incorruptible God, into the Image of Corruptible Man, and to Birds, and four-footed Beafts, and creeping Things: From which it appears that their bringing in of Idolatry, altho' it was the Proof of their Folly, yet it was the Project of their Wisdom.

It was the Wife amongst them that form'd the Design, and addreft to the Multitude with a grave appearance, and prevail'd (as we may conceive) by fome fuch Form of Arguing as this. "We દર are all aware, ye Sons of Noah, that "Religion is our Chief Concern, and "therefore it well becomes us to improve " and advance That as much as poffi"ble: And altho' we have receiv'd Appointments from God for the Wor"Thip that he requires, yet if these ap

pointments may be alter'd for his grea "ter Glory, who doubts but it will be " a commendable Piety so to alter them?

"Now

"Now our Father Noah has inftituted r us in a Religion, which in truth is too Simple, and too Unaffecting ; It "directs us to worship God abstracted"ly from all Sense, and under a con"fus'd Notion; under the formality of Attributes, as Power, Goodness, Ju"ftice, VVisdom, Eternity, and the "like; an Idea which we neither fufficiently reach, nor does that fufficiently reach our Affections: whereas "in all Reason we ought to worship "God more pompously, and more ex"tenfively too, than in his own Effence. "We ought not only to adore his Per"fonal Attributes, but likewife all the "Emanations of them, and all those "Creatures, by whom they are eminently represented; this will stir quicken and direct our Devotion. "Nor let any say that this Method will derogate from the Honour of the Crea"tor; certainly it is most expreffive of "his Honour, when we acknowledge, "that not only Himself but even his

up

and

Creatures

"Creatures are Adorable. We ought "therefore (if we will be Wife) to wor "fhip the Hoft of Heaven ; or rather "to worship God through them, because "they are eminent Representations of "his Glory and Eternity: We ought to "worship the Elements because they "represent his Benign, and Suftaining " and Ubiquitary Prefence: We ought "to worship the Ox and the Sheep, and "whatever Creatures are moft beneficial, "because they are the Symbols of his "Love and Goodness: And with no "less Reason, the Serpent, the Croco"dile and other noxious Animals, be"cause they are the Symbols of his aw"ful Anger. Thus it is that we shall worship him more intenfly, and feel " and be affected with our Worship.

Now to Men difpos'd with a Defire to be wife in Religion above what was prescrib'd, there is no doubt but fuch Arguments as thefe would foon seem wife and weighty enough, to enforce

their Defign. But there was another part of Idolatry which obtain'd first, and spread fartheft, that Wisdom had yet more moving Pretences to eftablish it upon. The firft Fruits of Idolatry was offered up to Men; as we learn in this Chap. from the Verse following, and more at large from Wifd. 14. where we are told that Princes were worfhipp'd; whether Prefent, in their Perfons; or Distant, by their Statues and Pictures And then that Men Inferiour to Princes, but eminent in their Generation for any beneficent or obliging Qualities, were worshipped after their Death. As for the worship of Princes we have no reafon to doubt but it was as high and as early as Nimrod himfelf: Belus and Jupiter, Names by which he was known in other Regions, import no less than his Deification: So that tho' he fail'd in building his Tower to Heaven; which was a haughty attempt, that God thought fit to check and reprefs; yet he fail'd

not

not to build up himself to Heaven in the Eftimation of his Admirers; which was a Judgment that God thought fit to permit upon those that so boldly sought it.

As for the Deifying of Princes, Wif dom fuggefted that They were the Representatives of God's Power upon Earth; to which Character worship was reasonably due: And not only fo, but becaufe fuch an Adoration would beft conduce to the good Government of the World, forafmuch as it added a new Obligation to Peace and Submiffion; and made it of Religious, as well as Civil Importance.

As for the Worshiping of those among the Dead, who had been famous in their Generation (fuch as former Ages vulgar. ly ftiled Heroes, and Modern the Beatify'd, or the Saints) Wisdom had abundance to alledge for this establishcent. As,

(1.) That fuch an Honour bestow'd upon the Vertuous was but a proper