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the celeftial Gods, but by the obedience, fervice, I miniftry of the demons. Of these demons there accounted two kinds. One kind of demons the fouls of men deified or canonized after death. efiod, one of the most ancient heathen writers, t the most ancient, defcribing that happy race of who lived in the firft and golden age of the world, aith that, after this generation were dead, they e by the will of great Jupiter promoted to be dens, keepers of mortal men, obfervers of their good 1 evil works, givers of riches, &c. ; and this, faith is the royal honor that they enjoy.' Plato concurs Hefiod, and (9) afferts that he and many other ets fpeak excellently, who affirm that when good -n die, they attain great honor and dignity, and bene demons.' The fame Plato in another place (1)

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(8) Αυταρ επει μεν τετο γενος κατα γαια καλυψε,
Το μεν δαίμονες εισι, Διος μεγαλε δια βέλας,

Εσθλοι, επιχθονίοι, [αλεξικακοι] φυλακες θνητων ανθρωπων,
Οι ρα φυλάσσεσι τε δίκας και σχετλια εργα,
Ηερα εσσαμενοι, παντη φοιτώντες επ' αιαν,
Πλετοδοται και τ8το γέρας βασιληίον εσχον.
Verum poftquam hoc genus terra abfcondit,
Ii quidem divi facti funt, Jovis magni confilio,
Boni, in terris verfantes, cuftodes mortalium hominum:
Qui quidem obfervant judicia et prava opera,
Caligine amicti, paffim euntes per terram,
Opum datores: atque hoc munus regale confecuti funt.

λέγει εν καλως και ὗτος και αλλοι και πολλοί, όσοι λεγεσιν, ὡς επειις αγαθος ων τελευτηση, μεγάλην ν και τιμην έχει, και γινεται δαι. Præclare igitur et hic et alii , quicunque affirmant eum qui s fit, ubi mortuus fuerit, magnæ dam fortis confequi dignitatem, αιμονα effe. Platonis Cratylus, 8. Tom. 1. Edit. Serrani.

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Heliod. Op. et Dier. Lib. I. 120. ταυτη νομιεμεν όταν τις γερᾳ η τιν αλλῷ τρόπῳ τελευτηση των ὁ σου απ διαφεροντως εν τῷ βίῳ αγαθοι κριθώσι Eumn vero qui re præclare gefta in bello occubuerit, nonne dicemus ad genus aureum pertinere? Maxime omnium. Nonne Hefiodi fententiam fequemur? quod videlicet illi homines, qui ex aureo illo fuerint genere, ubi primùm fato concefferint,

) Τών δε δη αποθανοντων επι σρα
, ός αν ευδοκίμησας τελευτηση, ας'
Στον μεν φήσομεν τε χρυσε γενες
; Πάντων
Αλλ' ε
με μαλιςα
μεθα Ησιόδω, επειδαν τινες τα
-8 γενὸς τελευτεσωσιν, ὡς ἄρα.
Οι μεν δαίμονες.

A

Dæmones exiftunt,Reliquum autem tempus eorum fe pulcra veluti dæmonum colemus, et divinis honoribus profequemur. Eadem quoque fanciemus atque exhibe bimus iis, qui quum fingularis cujusdam probitatis dignitate excelluerint,

vel fenio vel alio quoniam modo e vita

' maintains, that all those who die valiantly in war are of • Hefiod's golden generation, and are made demons; and

we ought for ever afterwards to ferve and adore their 'fepulchres, as the fepulchres of demons. The fame 'alfo we decree, whenever any of thofe, who were judged excellently good in life, die either of old age, ' or in any other manner." other manner." The other kind of demons were fuch as had never been the fouls of men, nor ever dwelt in mortal bodies. Thus Apuleius (2) informs us, There is another and higher kind of demons, who ⚫ were always free from the incumbrances of the body; and out of this higher order Plato fuppofeth that guardians were appointed unto them. Ammonius likewife in Plutarch (3) reckons two kinds of demons, ' fouls feparated from bodies, or such as had never in'habited bodies at all.' Thefe latter demonst may be paralleled with angels, as the former may with canonized faints and as we Chriftians believe that there are good and evil angels, fo did the Gentiles that there were good and evil demons. According to Plutarch (4) it was a very ancient opinion, that there are certain wicked and malignant demons who envy good men, and en'devor to hinder them in the purfuit of virtue, left they 'fhould be partakers at laft of greater happiness than

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they enjoy. This was the opinion of all the later philofophers, and Plutarch undeniably affirms it of the very

ancient ones.

But here it is objected, that though this might be the notion of the Gentiles concerning demons, yet the fcrip

(2) Superius aliud auguftiufque dæmonum genus, qui femper a corporis compedibus et nexibus liberiEx hac fublimiori dæmonum copia autumat Plato fingulis hominibus in vira agenda teftes et cuftodes fingulos additos. Apuleius de Deo Socratis. p. 690.

(3) αἱ διακριθείσαι σώματος, η μη μετασχεσαι το waparar Luxas. animi fecreti a corporibus, aut omnino quibus nullum eft cum corporibus commercium. Plut. de Defect. Orac. P. 431. Tom. 2. Edit. Paris. 1624.

(4) rwr wavy waħas-λoyor, we ra Çavra daspona xas Baoxara,

προσφθονόντα τοις αγαθοις ανδρασιν, και ταις πράξεσιν ενιςάμενα, ταραχας και φόβος επαγει, σείοντα και σφαλλοντά την αρετην, ὡς με διαμείναντες απλωτές εν τῷ καλῷ και ακεραιούς βελτίονος εκείνων μοίρας μετα την τε λευτην τυχωσιν. ex veteribus opinionibus-mala dæmonia et invida effe bonis viris æmulantia, quæ, quo obftrepant illorum a&tionibus, commotiones iis et pavores invehant, hifque concutiant et impellant virtutem, ne erecti et integri in virtute permanentes, potiorem quam ipfi confequantur a fatis fortem. Plut. Dion. in initio. p. 958. Tom. 1. Edit. Paris. 1624.

ture

ture-account of them is very different: for in the fcriptures, as St. Austin (5) obferves, we never read of good demons; but wherefoever in those writings the name of demon occurs, none but evil spirits are meant: and it must be confeffed and allowed, that this is the moft ufual fignification of the word; but fome inftances may be alleged to the contrary. When St. Paul was at Athens, and preached the gofpel in that city, .certain philofophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountred him (Acts XVII. 18.) and charged him with being a fetter forth of ftrange gods Eevwv da povwr of ftrange demons, because he preached unto them Jefus and the refurrection. Here demons cannot poffibly fignify devils, but must neceffarily refer to Jefus, who according to Paul's preaching (ver. 31.) was raifed from the dead, and appointed to be the lord and judge of the world. At the fame time the apostle retorts the charge upon the Athenians (ver. 22.) Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too fuperftitious, devida vespes, too much addicted to the worship of demons; and they worshipped demons or dead men deified in abundance: but he declared unto them (ver. 24.) God who made the world, and all things therein. St. Paul in his firft Epiftle thus exhorts the Corinthians (1 Cor. X. 14, 20, 21.) Flee from idolatry. The things which the Gentiles facrifice, they facrifice to devils, dapovos, to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye fhould have fellowship with devils, Saponions, demons. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils, damoviwy, of demons; ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils, Sapionov, of demons. The apoftle is here fhowing the great inconfiftency of the Chriftian worship with the idolatrous worthip performed by the Heathens. The Heathens worshipped Jupiter, Apollo, Venus, and numberless other beings, who were reputed demons, but who were properly deceased men and women deified. Corinth in particular (6) was much devoted to the worship of

Lib. 6. Cap. 19. Col. 178. Tom. 7.
Edit. Benedi&t. Antwerp.

(5) nunquam vero bonos demones legimus: fed ubicunque illarum literarum hoc nomen pofitum reperitur, five dæmones, five dæmonia dicantur, non nifi maligni fignificantur fpiritus, Auguftin, de Civitat. Dei. fter. 1707,

(6) Strabo. Lib. 8. et Euripides apud Strabonem. p. 378, 379. Edit. Paris. 1620. p. 581, 582. Edit. AmK 2

Venus

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Venus; there he had a moft magnificent temple and fervice; and the city was called the city of Venus. The apoftle therefore declares that all fuch worship is utterly inconfiftent with the true worship of Chrift. For that would be acknowledging him for their only lord, and at the fame time acknowledging other lords. And (ver. 22.) do we provoke the Lord to jealoufy; are we ftronger than he? Thefe paffages, together with the text that we are confidering, are, I think, all the places in St. Paul's difcourfes or epiftles, where the word demon occurs; and as he was of all the apoftles the most learned in the philofophy and theology of the Gentiles, and as he was fpeaking and writing to Gentiles, that might be the reafon of his adopting the fame notion of demons. He had plainly alluded to this notion a little before in the fame Epiftle to the Corinthians, (1 Cor. VIII. 4, 5, 6.) and the paffage cannot be fo well understood without it. There is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth; whether Dei cæleftes, celeftial Gods, as they are ufually denominated, or damovES ETIXOVIO, earthly demons, as they are named by Hefiod, mediators and agents between heaven and earth: as there be Gods many and lords many; as the Gentiles acknowlege a plurality of fuch fuperior and inferior deities; But to us Chriftians there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, siç AUTOV, we to him are to direct all our fervices; and one Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom are all things, and we by him, di auta we by or through him alone have accefs unto the Father. They have a multitude of gods and lords, but we have only one of each fort. It is the fame doctrin that he inculcates likewife in his firft Epiftle to Timothy, (II. 5.) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Chrift Jefus. As St. Paul here foretels that Chriftians in the latter times thould attend to doctrins concerning demons, fo St. John alfo foretels (Rev. IX. 20.) that notwithstanding the plagues of the Arabian locufts and of the Euphratéan horfemen, yet · they fhould not repent of the works of their hands, that they Should not worship devils, Sauna, demons, where the word is plainly ufed in the fame fenfe as by St. Paul: for Chriftians

Chriftians never actually worshipped devils, but they worshipped demons, deceased men and women and angels," and idols of gold and filver, and brass, and flone, and of wood, which neither can fee, nor hear, nor walk; and they ftill continue to worship them, notwithstanding the grievous calamities inflicted on the Chriftian church by the Saracens firft, and by the Turks afterwards, as we shall fee in the proper place.

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There is a paffage in Epiphanius, which will very much illuftrate and confirm our explanation of St. Paul, That father, who was very zealous against the worship of faints and images, which was then fpringing up in the church, loudly complains of fome Arabian Chriftians, who made a goddess of the bleffed virgin, and offered a cake to her as to the queen of heaven. He condemns their herefy as impious and abominable, and (7) declares that upon these alfo is fulfilled that of the apostle, Some "Shall apoftatize from the found doctrin, giving heed to fables and doctrins of demons; for they shall be, faith the apostle, worshippers of the dead, as in Ifrael alfo they' were worshipped,' meaning the Baalim and Afhtaroth who were worthipped by the children of Ifrael. It is) obfervable that he explains, as well as recites the words of the apostle. He expounds the faith by the found doctrin, erroneous spirits by fables, and doctrins of demons by worshipping of the dead; and to fhow more particularly what he meant, he fubjoins two examples more of fuch. worship; one of the Sichemites, who had a goddess under the title of Jephthah's daughter; and the other of the Egyptians; who worshipped Thermutis, that daughter of Pharaoh, who was at the charge of educating Mofes. Now whether this latter claufe, For they fhall be worshippers of the dead, as in Ifrael alfo they were worshipped, be genuin or not, it may ferve our purpofe in fome measure

(7) winstar yag na ETT TYTHS TO, αποςήσονται τινες της ύγιες διδασκαλιας, προσέχοντες μυθοις και δίδασκαλιαις δαιμονίων. ἔσονται γαρ, φησι νεκροις λατρεύοντες, ὡς και εν τῷ Ισραηλ σbaobnoa. Hoc enim in ipfis impletur; Deficient quidamn a fana dọc

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trina, intendentes fabulis, et doctrinis dæmoniorum : erunt enim inquit, mortuos colentes, quemadmodum apud Ifraclitas honore funt affe&ti. Epiphan. adverf. Hær. 78. p. 1055. Tom. 1. Edit. Petav.

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