Nothing more monstrous than the _Divinity_ of the _Pagans_; their Gods were innumerable. Every thing on _Earth_, in the _Sea_, in the _Heavens_, yea, and in _Hell_, had their _peculiar Gods_. If _Egyptians_, who past for the wisest of Mortals, paid religious Adoration to _meer Animals_, not only to Serpents, but Apes, Wolves, yea, Dogs, Cats, ... and to Vegetables, as Onions, Garlick ... what shall we think of stupid Nations, who had no Claim to Wisdom? Even in _Athens_ (that celebrated Fountain of Light) were more Idols than in all _Greece_; yea, so numerous were their Idols, that they had almost as many Gods as Men[432]. Footnote 432: Facilius possis Deum, quam hominem invenire. _STRABO_, _Procopius_, and _Ben Jonas_ say, the antient _Persians_ kept and worshipped their _perpetual Fire_ on Mount _Albors_, a Branch of _Caucasus_. The _Japonese_ worship the Devil, and the Head of their Religion is called _Dair_, whom they worship as a God. _Atlas._ I Should rather think the _Persians_ ador’d the supreme God, under the Image of _Fire_, by reason ’tis Fire gives Motion to every thing in Nature, and therefore they made it an Emblem of Divinity. The _Hebrews_ kept up the _holy Fire_ in the _Temple_, and the _Vestals_ were appointed to keep the sacred Fire of the _Romans_. _VULCAN_ was worshipped among the Antients, and particularly the _Egyptians_, as the _Inventor of Fire_. The People of _Egypt_ exceeded most Nations in depreciating Divinity by gross Superstitions and Idolatry; they did not err in worshipping Mortals only, but they gave Reverence to Beasts, Birds, Insects, Winds, Earth, Water, Air, Fire, Plants, _&c._ whom _Rhodius Anaxandrides_, one of themselves, derides in this manner: _I sacrifice to God the Beef, which you adore; I broil th’_ Egyptian _Eels, which you as God implore_. _You fear to eat the Flesh of Swine, I find it sweet: You worship Dogs, to beat them I think meet, When they my Store devour.[433]_—— Footnote 433: Bovem colis, ego Deis macto Bovem; Tu maximum anguillam, Deum putas: ego, Obsoniorum credidi, suavissimum, Carnes suillas, tu caves, at gaudeo His maximè. Canem colis, quem verbero. Edentem, ubi deprehendo, forte obsonium. Thus _Juvenal_, another Heathen Poet, ridicules their religious Fooleries: _Oh happy Nations! which, of their own sowing, Have store of Gods, in ev’ry Garden growing.[434]_ Footnote 434: Porrum & cæpe nefas violare & frangere morsu, Oh sanctas gentes quibus hæc nascuntur in hortis Numina!—— _Sat._ xv. _l._ 8, 9, 10.