1 28 A Difcotirfc
book, and firft Chaprer of Evangelical Preparations ; neither do I accounc the Hebrews ( who glory in being the off-fpring of their father Abraham ) to have been better then the for- mer, whenalfo by theinfiinift of the devil,after their coming up out of Egypt,wkh cruel hands they violently aflaulted the Prophets and holy men of God , whom at length they alfo flew : that I may hold my peace, how diligently they have brought into their Religion the Gods,or rather Devils of the (jemiles.
Caftor. 1 perceive by thefe thy afTertions, that one Devil, and another Devil, hath been adored for Gods j for thou haft now faid , That the Creeks-, by the madnefs wherewith the Devil poflefled them, have made untothemfelves,S/*/«r», Jupiter y Bacchus ^ Venn* and Florafov Gods ; which Laftantiui in his fourth book De vera Sapient/a, alfo accounteth for Devils.
Pollux. Declare,! pray, thee the words of Lanttantim. Castor. Mark them ; they are thus : The fame Devils are the gods of the Gent ties ; but tfany one will not believe thefe things of we \ then let htm credit Homer, whojoyneth the great Jupiter to the great Devils; and the other Poets and Philofophers do call them fometimes Gods^ and fometimes Devils whereof there is one true^ and another falfe : for the moj} wicked Spirits when they are carp juredf do confejft hem fe Ives to be Devils ; but where they are wor- fhipped , they declare themfelves to be Gods , that they may thruft men into errors , and draw them from the worfhip of the true God', through whom alone eternal death can be efcaped.
Pollux. It is' expedient forme now to be more inquifitive in this difcourfe ; whether there be power given to the De- vils co foretell things to come ? concerning which thing hitherto I have not been able to dart at the right mark j for this queftion feemeth fufliciently doubtful unto me.
Cafcor. St . <tAug uiline in h is book De "Hatura Dtmonum, diflolveth this Cordoned knor, and faith, That the damned Spi- rits , being filled full of all manner of impiety and wic^ednefy do The devils f omet i mcs challenge to themselves power of forefeeing things to thinps to comt ' becaufe in thefenfe of their Aiery bodies , they ha ve afar come. wore
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