t 45 1 « Learning and Politenefs of the Pagans only increafed their' idolatrous Superftitions, which were more fim- ple in ignorant Times.", So far is it from the men- tal Capacity of Man by fearching to find out the true GOD, or by his own Powers to Jtudy the Almighty to Perfetlion ! 'The Sphere or Circle, for Inftance, ofHer- mes, which appears to have limply related to the Unity of the divine Effence, was made tofignify thefolar Orb; which, therefore, received the Name of Ahgol-Baal, 4gal-Baal, Agalibalus, and then Heliogabalus, that is, the round or rolling God. Even the Earthwas fo called, for the fame Reafons. * Thus alto, in Phyfics, they called the limit Perfon Ofiris, by whom they meant the Stint ; the fecond, //is or the Moon ; and the third, Horus, or the World. Again ; in Ethics, the firft Member in their Trinity was the Intellect of Man ; the fecond, his Will ; and the third, which was the joint Efflux of thefe, was Concord or Harmony. They even abufed the Devil himfelf, and robbed him of his Exift- ence, by fuppoing, that Typhon was but a mere Name for Ignorance and Difcord. So that, when a Man was given up to Senfuality and Vice ; they would fay, Ofaris was killed by Typhon; that is, Ignorance andWickednefs had overcome his Underianding : And when the Ma- giftrate was at Variance with his People ; this Difcord in the civil Polity was imputed to Typhon's Murder of Ofiris. Upon this Account, the common People at length deprecated Typhon, as the Source and Occafion of all Evil; even as fome poor Indians are faid to wor- fhip the Devil, or the malefic Being, that he might not húrt them -I. Thus a kind of hieroglyphical Lan- guage * etc. de Cat. deer. 1. II. SELD. de Drs gyris. Synt. ii. e. i. HYDE Rel. Yet. Pers. C. iv. j' ,DIOD. SIC. 1. I. Mr. Ives, in his Travels through Perfza, gives an Account of Devil-Worfhip fo curious, that the Reader will pardon its Infertion. The Sanjacks, a Nation inhabiting the Country about Moful, [the ancient Nineveh] pay Adoration to the Devil. " Thefe People Es once profeffed Chrftianity, then Mahometanifm, and laft of all " Devil-
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