and highways were filled with altars for invoking them. As early as in the time of Conftantine, the first chriftian emperor, we find Eufebius, one of the best and most learned of the fathers, quoting and approving Hefiod's and Plato's notions before-mentioned concerning demons, and then (3) adding These things are befitting upon the decease of the favorites of God, whom you may properly call the champions of the true religion: Whence it is our custom to affemble at their fepulchres, and to make our prayers at them, and to honor their blessed fouls.' Here Eufebius compares the faints and martyrs with the demons of the Gentiles, and' efteems them worthy of the fame honor. The famous επι (3) Και ταύτα δε αρμόζει τη των θεοφιλών τελευτη, &ς τρατιωτας της αληθές ευσέβειας εκ αν αμαρτοις ειπων, παραλαμβάνεσθαι, όθεν και επι τας θηκας αυτων εθος ἡμῖν παριέναι, και τας ευχας παρα ταυταις ποιεισθαι, τιμαντε τας μακαρίας αυτών ψυχας. Quæ quidem in hominum Deo cariffimorum obitus egregie conveniunt, quos veræ pietatis milites jure appellaris. Nam et eorum fepulcra celebrare, et preces ibi votaque nuncupare,. et beatas illorum animas venerari confuevimus. Eufeb. Præp. Evang. Lib. 13. Cap. 11.p.663. Edit. Vigeri. αυτός. (4) σπεδάσατε δε μαλλον και ὑμεις αει συναπλειν ἑαυτες, προη γεμένως μεν τῷ κυρίῳ, επειτα δε τοις αγίοις iva μετα θανατον ύμας εις τας αιωνίας σκηνας, ὡς φίλες και γνωριμες, δεξωνται και Id curate ut in primis vos Domino, dehinc San&tis adjungatis: ut poft mortem vos in æterna tabernacula, quafi amicos notofque fibi recipiant. Vita Antonii. Cap. 91. p. 863. Athanafii Oper. Tom. I. Par. 2. Edit. Benedict. (5) πολλές επεισάγοντες τω παλαι νεκρῳ της πρόσφατος νεκρές additis ad prifcum illum mortuum novis mortuis-Ju famous Antony, who was one of the great founders of monkery, gave it in charge (4) to the monks with his dying breath, To take 6 care and adhere to Chrift in the first place, and then to the faints, that after death they may receive you as friends and acquaintance ⚫ into the everlafting tabernacles.' His advice was but too well followed; and the emperor Julian (5) reproacheth the Christians for adding many new dead men to that ancient dead man, Jefus. All the fathers almost of the fourth and fifth centuries contributed too much to the fupport and propagation of this fuperftition: and Theodoret in particular, having cited the fame paffages of Hefiod and Plato, (6) reasons thus, If then the poet hath called good men, after (6) Ει τοίνυν και ὁ ποιητης και εσθλος και αλεξικακες και φυλα και • their lian. apud Cyril. Lib. 10. p. depulfores, et cuftodes mortali335. Edit. Spanhemii. um vocavit eos, qui optime vixerunt, deinde mortui funt; ejufque fententiam philofophorum præftantiffimus confirmavit, atque horum fepulcra colenda et adoranda cenfuit; quæ a nobis fiunt, optimi viri, cur damnatis Nos enim pari modo, eos qui pictate claruerunt, proque ea cæfi funt, malorum depulfores, et medicos nominamus, dæmonas non appellamus, (abfit a nobis hic furor) fed Dei amicos fervofque benevolos. Theod. Serm. 8. De Martyribus. p. 6oz. Tom. 4. Edit. Paris. 1642. θνητων ανθρωπων, της αρίσα βεβιωκότας, ειτα τελευτήσαντας, προσηγορευσεν εκράτυνε δε τονδε τον λόγον των φιλοσοφων ο αρισος, και χρηναι έφη και θεραπεύειν τα των και προσκυνείν τας θηκας τι δητα μεμφεσθε τοις παρ' ἡμων γιγνομένοις, ω βελτισοι; τως γαρ εν ευσέβεια λαμψαντας, και ύπες ταυτης την σφαγην δεξαμενες, αλεξίκακες ήμεις και ιατρες ονομαζομεν ου δαίμονας καλόντες" μη έτω λυτλησαιμεν. αλλα θες φιλος nas suves degaπortas. Quod fi poeta, et bonos, et malorum • do their decease, the deliverers and guardians of ⚫ mortal men; and the best of philofophers hath • confirmed the poet's saying, and afferted that we ought to ferve and adore their fepulchres; why I beseech you Sirs (fpeaking to the Greeks) you blame the things which are done by us? for fuch as were illuftrious for piety, and for the fake thereof received martyrdom, we ⚫ alfo name deliverers and phyficians, not calling them demons, (let us not be fo defperately mad) but the friends and fincere fervants of God.' Here Theodoret plainly allows the thing, and only disapproves the name. Again he (7) faith in the fame exalted strain concerning the martyrs, They who are well pray for the 'continuance of health, and they who have been long fick pray for recovery; the barren alfo pray for children; and they who are to • make Petunt et liberos qui his carent -Qui peregrinationem aliquam aufpicantur, ab his petunt, ut viæ fibi comites fint, ducefque itineris-non illos adeuntes ut deos, fed tanquam divinos homines eos orantes, intercefforefque fibi ut effe velint poftulantes. Ibid. p. 605, 606. (8) και γαρ αυτων των καλύ μενων θεων την μνήμην εκ της των ανθρωπων εξήλειψαν διάνοιας. τες γαρ οικείας νεκρὸς ὁ δεσποτης αντεισηξε τοις έμετεξοις θεοις. και make a long journey defire them to be their companions and guides in the way; not going to them as Gods, but applying to them as to 'divine men, and befeeching them to become in terceffors for them with God.' Nay he faith (8) • that the martyrs have blotted out of the minds • of men the memory of those who were called Gods. For our Lord hath brought his dead into the place of your Gods, whom he hath utterly abolished, and hath given their honor to the martyrs: for inftead of the feafts of Jupiter and of Bacchus are now celebrated the feftivals of Peter, and Paul, and Thomas, and the other martyrs. Wherefore seeing the advantage of honoring the martyrs, fly, O friends, • from the error of the demons; and ufing the martyrs as lights and guides, pursue the way which leadeth directly to God.' Here are the τως μεν φρωδες απεφηνε, τέτοις δε doctrins deus nofter in templa pro diis veftris induxit: ac illos quidem caffos vanofque reddidit, his autem honorem illorum attribuit. Pro Pandiis enim ac Dionyfiis-Petri, et Pauli, et Thoma aliorumque martyrum folemnitates peraguntur.-Cum igitur ex honore martyribus delatoquid utilitatis proveniat cernatis, fugite, amici, dæmonum errorem, præviaque illorum face atque ductu, viam capeffite, quæ ad deum perducit. Ibid. p. 606, 607. Gg.3 (9) The e doctrins of demons evidently revived, only the name. is altered, and the faints are fubftituted for the demons, the Divi or deified men of the Chriftians for the Divi or deified men of the Heathens. The promoters of this worship were fenfible that it was the fame, and that the one fucceeded to the other; and as the worship is the fame, fo likewife is it performed with the fame cere monies, whether thefe ceremonies were derived from the fame fource of fuperftition common tó the whole race of mankind, or were the direct copies of one another. The (9) burning of incenfe or perfumes on feveral altars at one and the fame time; the fprinkling of holy water, or a mixture of falt and common water, at going into and coming out of places of public worship; the lighting up of a a great number of lamps and wax candles, in broad day-light, before the altars and ftatues of their deities; the hanging up of votive offerings and rich prefents as attestations of fo many miraculous cures and deliverances from difeafes and dangers; the canonization or deification of deceafed worthies; the affigning of diftinct provinces or prefectures to departed heroes and faints; the worshipping and adoring of the dead in their fepulchres, fhrines, and relics; (9) The reader may fee this conformity between Popery and Paganism proved at large by Dr. Henry More in his Second ton |