I 58 ] RODIGAST was a German -Idol of great Antiquity, which bore à Man's, an Ox's, and an Eagle's Head : And this Symbol might, perhaps, intend Wifdom by the Man, Light by the Ox (fo Moloch with an Ox's Head denoted the Illumination of the Sun), and Omnifcience or Per- fpicacity by the Eagle. °` TRlurt DEAT, or Lord in Trinity, was .worthipped in a molt magnificent Tem- ple at Upfal in Sweden with human Sacrifices (only in- deed on extraordinary Occafions); and was, in general, acknowledged by all the Northern Heathen, from whom we [Englifhmen] ourfelves are defcended." Together with thefeOpinions about a Trinity, theNor- thern Nations had. a Belief of other Gods: And Dr. Hyde (in his Rel. Vet. Perf.) gives force folid Reafons to con- clude, that even the Teutones, Germans, Swedes, Goths, Danes, &c. derived the greater Part of their Idolatry from the Egyptians. Some of them might poffibly receive it from the Thracian, and thefe from Sefoftris or Sefoöfas, the moft pòwerful of all the Egyptian Kings, when he extended his Conquefts into Europe, and particularly erected the Trophies of his Victories in Thrace.-f- How- ever, from the common Refemblances which thefe ima- ginary Deities bore to each other, there is Reafon to be- lieve, that all thefe corrupt Figments of a triune GOD (for it fhould be obferved, that all the three Heads of the feveral Idols were placed upon one Trunk or Statue) were deduced from one common Source ; nor can we find a more probable one than that of Egypt. Indeed, the whole World, for manyAges before CHRIST, feemed to have the ftrongeft Perfuafion, that there was a Plu- rality in the divine Effence, which they grofsly abufed to Idolatry : And, fince the Advent of the Redeemer, it Teems as prevalent a Perfuafion with many, that GOD cannot exift but in an undiftinguifhable Unity. This Taft Perfuáfion is the firft4xiomof theMabometanCreed, which * Ibid. p. 44. MORTKAYE's Travels. Vol. ii, p. 357= f Dion. Sic. I. i. has
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=