[Sidenote: Superstition possessing foreign nations, God instituted the true religion by the means of Abraham.] 1. Mankind, from conscience of its own weakness and admiration of natural events, hath this; that most men believe God to be the invisible maker of all invisible things; whom they also fear, conceiving that they have not a sufficient protection in themselves. But the imperfect use they had of their reason, the violence of their passions did so cloud them, that they could not rightly worship him. Now the fear of invisible things, when it is severed from right reason, is superstition. It was therefore almost impossible for men, without the special assistance of God, to avoid both rocks of _atheism_ and _superstition_. For this proceeds from fear without right reason; that, from an opinion of right reason without fear. _Idolatry_ therefore did easily fasten upon the greatest part of men; and almost all nations did worship God in images and resemblances of finite things; and they worshipped spirits or vain visions, perhaps out of fear calling them devils. But it pleased the Divine Majesty, as we read it written in the sacred history, out of all mankind to call forth Abraham, by whose means he might bring men to the true worship of him; and to reveal himself supernaturally to him, and to make that most famous covenant with him and his seed, which is called the _old covenant_ or _testament_. He therefore is the head of true religion; he was the first that _after the deluge taught, that there was one God, the Creator of the universe_. And from him the _kingdom of God by way of covenants_, takes its beginning. _Joseph. Antiq. Jews_, lib. I.. cap. 7. [Sidenote: By the covenant between God and Adam, all dispute is forbidden concerning the commands of superiors.] 2. In the beginning of the world God reigned indeed, not only naturally, but also _by way of covenant_, over Adam and Eve; so as it seems he would have no obedience yielded to him, beside that which natural reason should dictate, but _by the way of covenant_, that is to say, by the consent of men themselves. Now because this _covenant_ was presently made void, nor ever after renewed, the original of God’s _kingdom_ (which we treat of in this place) is not to be taken thence. Yet this is to be noted by the way; that by that precept of not eating of the tree of _the knowledge of good and evil_, (whether the judicature of good and evil, or the eating of the fruit of some tree were forbidden), God did require a most simple obedience to his commands, without dispute whether that were _good_ or _evil_ which was commanded. For the fruit of the tree, if the command be wanting, hath nothing in its own nature, whereby the eating of it could be morally _evil_, that is to say, _a sin_. [Sidenote: The manner of the covenant between God and Abraham.]