SECT. II. And, first, of Paganism. That there is but one God. That created beings are either good or bad. That the good are not to be worshipped without the command of the supreme God.

AND, first, against the heathens we say,—If they suppose many gods, eternal and equal, this is sufficiently confuted in the first book; where we have shewn that there is but one God, the cause of all things. If by gods they mean created beings superior to man, these are either good or bad; if they say they are good, they ought, in the first place to be very well assured of this, lest they fall into great danger, by entertaining enemies instead of friends; deserters instead of ambassadors.⁴⁷⁰⁴⁷⁰   2 Cor. xi. 14. Porphyry, in his second book about abstaining from eating animals, says, that “by those who are opposite (to the gods) all witchcraft is performed; for both these and their chief are worshipped by all such as work evil upon men’s fancies, by enchantments; for they have a power to deceive, by working strange things: by them evil spirits prepare philtres and love-potions, all incontinence, and love of riches and honour, and especially deceit, proceed from them; for it is natural for them to lie: they are willing to be thought gods, and the highest of them in power to be esteemed God.” And afterwards concerning the Egyptian priests: “These put it past all dispute, that there are a kind of beings who give themselves up to deceive, of various shapes and sorts; dissemblers, sometimes assuming the form of gods or daemons, or of souls of dead men; and by this means they can effect any seeming good or evil: but as to things really good in themselves, such as those belonging to the soul; of producing these they have no power, neither have they any knowledge of them; but they abuse their leisure, mock others, and hinder those who walk in the way of virtue; they are filled with pride, and delight in perfumes and sacrifice.” And Arnobius, book iv. against the Gentiles; “Thus the magicians, brethren to the soothsayers is their actions, mention certain beings, opposite to God, who often impose upon men for true gods. And these are certain spirits of grosser matter, who feign themselves to be gods.” Not to transcribe too much, we find something to the same purpose in Jamblichus, concerning the Egyptian mysteries, book iii. ch. 31. and book iv. chap. 7, 13. And reason also requires that there should be some manifest difference in the worship betwixt the Supreme God and these beings: and further, we ought to know of what rank these beings are, what 158benefit we may expect from any of them, and what honour the Supreme King would have us pay to them. All which things being wanting in their religion, it sufficiently appears from thence, that there is nothing of certainty in it; and it would be much safer for them to betake themselves to the worship of the one Supreme God: which even Plato⁴⁷¹⁴⁷¹   “Jupiter is worshipped by us, and other gods by others.” The words are quoted by Origen, in his eighth book against Celsus. owned to be the duty of a wise man; because as good beings are the ministers of the Supreme God, they cannot but be assisting to such as are in favour with him.⁴⁷²⁴⁷²   This is very well prosecuted by Arnobius, book iii.