C 59 3 has now poffeffed a confiderable Part of 4fia; and it is alto the fundamental Pofition of the deicalOpinion, which lurks, like a latent Poifon, in every Region of Europe : If we look to the more Eaflern World, we (hall find, that fome evident Traces of the fame Tradition, refpett- ing a Trinity, did not only long prevail, but are alfo í}i11 prevalent among them. 7ulitis Firmicus, treating of the profane Religions, fays, That all the Perfians, and their Magi, pay a great Refpeét to Fire, thinking it to be the firft of the Elements (or, probably, That by which the Creator produced all other things) ; and that they dif- tinguifhed JoyE [or the Deity) into two diftinft Powers, male and female, fetting up the Image of a Woman (triformi vultu) with a triple Face, and calling this Deity MITIIRA. Selden plainly conceives, that this TRIPLE MITHRA of the Perfians, with its Myfteries, bore a fa- cred Allufion, and had fome more holy Origin, than the commonly received one of an aftrological Diftribu- tion of the Hours.* And what Allufion could it other- wife bear, than to the Doftrine of which we are treat- ing ? -j- Efpecially, when it is çonfidered, that the Chat- dæan * SEED. Prol. Cult. &c. C. 3. " t We may reafonably conclude (lays the learned Cudworth, .1' cited by GATE iri his Court of the Gentiles. Vol. iv. p. 386) that " what Proclus afferts of this Trinity, as it was contained in the Chaldaic Oracles, to be true, that it was at first 9EOaapaóole. S sSe- " yin, a Theology of divine Revelation, or a divine Cabala, viz. " amongst theHebrews first, and FROM THEM AFTERWARDS COM MUNICATED to the Egyptians and other Nations. However, as " this divine Cabala was but little understood by many of thofe who " entertained it among the Pagans, fo was it by divers of them " much depraved and adulterated. For the Pagans univerfally Call- " ed this their Trinity, a Trinity of Gods, TOP orpo,1ov, Toy OEVTEpov, sous Tos TpoTos Sips, the fr,f/i, thesecond, and the third God. Whence the " dire& Defign of the Platonic Trinity was nothing elfe but to lay a " Foundation for infinite Polytheism, Cofmalatry, and Creature- " auorjhip. And the Pagans, who fo much cried up the Platonic " Trinity, were the only public and profeffed Champions against Christianity." To this may be added a just Remark by Dr. Çäve in his Lives of the Fathers. " Although (lays he) the ancient " Dofirine
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