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[250]
Wherefore it deserves our inquiry what should be the occasion of
this unjust management, and of these scandals about the Deity. And truly
I suppose it to be derived from the imperfect knowledge the heathen legislators
had at first of the true nature of God; nor did they explain to the people
even so far as they did comprehend of it: nor did they compose the other
parts of their political settlements according to it, but omitted it as
a thing of very little consequence, and gave leave both to the poets to
introduce what gods they pleased, and those subject to all sorts of passions,
and to the orators to procure political decrees from the people for the
admission of such foreign gods as they thought proper. The painters also,
and statuaries of Greece, had herein great power, as each of them could
contrive a shape [proper for a god]; the one to be formed out of clay,
and the other by making a bare picture of such a one. But those workmen
that were principally admired, had the use of ivory and of gold as the
constant materials for their new statues [whereby it comes to pass that
some temples are quite deserted, while others are in great esteem, and
adorned with all the rites of all kinds of purification]. Besides this,
the first gods, who have long flourished in the honors done them, are now
grown old [while those that flourished after them are come in their room
as a second rank, that I may speak the most honorably of them I can]: nay,
certain other gods there are who are newly introduced, and newly worshipped
[as we, by way of digression, have said already, and yet have left their
places of worship desolate]; and for their temples, some of them are already
left desolate, and others are built anew, according to the pleasure of
men; whereas they ought to have their opinion about God, and that worship
which is due to him, always and immutably the same.
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