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reproach　us　as　the　vilest　of　all　mankind。　Now　I　　　have　no　mind　to　make　an　inquiry　into　the　laws　of　other　　　nations；　for　the　custom　of　our　country　is　to　keep　our　own　　　laws；　but　not　to　bring　accusations　against　the　laws　of　others。　　　And　indeed　our　legislator　hath　expressly　forbidden　us　to　　　laugh　at　and　revile　those　that　are　esteemed　gods　by　other　　　people？　on　account　of　the　very　name　of　God　ascribed　to　　　them。　But　since　our　antagonists　think　to　run　us　down　upon　　　the　comparison　of　their　religion　and　ours；　it　is　not　possible　to　　　keep　silence　here；　especially　while　what　I　shall　say　to　confute　　　these　men　will　not　be　now　first　said；　but　hath　been　already　　　said　by　many；　and　these　of　the　highest　reputation　also；　for　　　who　is　there　among　those　that　have　been　admired　among　the　　　Greeks　for　wisdom；　who　hath　not　greatly　blamed　both　the　　　most　famous　poets；　and　most　celebrated　legislators；　for　　　spreading　such　notions　originally　among　the　body　of　the　　　people　concerning　the　gods？　such　as　these；　that　they　may　be　　　allowed　to　be　as　numerous　as　they　have　a　mind　to　have　them；　　　that　they　are　begotten　one　by　another；　and　that　after　all　the　　　kinds　of　generation　you　can　imagine。　They　also　distinguish　　　them　in　their　places　and　ways　of　living　as　they　would　　　distinguish　several　sorts　of　animals；　as　some　to　be　under　the　　　earth；　as　some　to　be　in　the　sea；　and　the　ancientest　of　them　　　all　to　be　bound　in　hell；　and　for　those　to　whom　they　have　　　allotted　heaven；　they　have　set　over　them　one；　who　in　title　is　　　their　father；　but　in　his　actions　a　tyrant　and　a　lord；　whence　it　　　came　to　pass　that　his　wife；　and　brother；　and　daughter　（which　　　daughter　he　brought　forth　from　his　own　head）　made　a　　　conspiracy　against　him　to　seize　upon　him　and　confine　hint；　as　　　he　had　himself　seized　upon　and　confined　his　own　father　　　before。　　　　　　35。　And　justly　have　the　wisest　men　thought　these　notions　　　deserved　severe　rebukes；　they　also　laugh　at　them　for　　　determining　that　we　ought　to　believe　some　of　the　gods　to　be　　　beardless　and　young；　and　others　of　them　to　be　old；　and　to　　　have　beards　accordingly；　that　some　are　set　to　trades；　that　one　　　god　is　a　smith；　and　another　goddess　is　a　weaver；　that　one　god　　　is　a　warrior；　and　fights　with　men；　that　some　of　them　are　　　harpers；　or　delight　in　archery；　and　besides；　that　mutual　　　seditions　arise　among　them；　and　that　they　quarrel　about　men；　　　and　this　so　far；　that　they　not　only　lay　hands　upon　one　　　another；　but　that　they　are　wounded　by　men；　and　lament；　and　　　take　on　for　such　their　afflictions。　But　what　is　the　grossest　of　　　all　in　point　of　lasciviousness；　are　those　unbounded　lusts　　　ascribed　to　almost　all　of　them；　and　their　amours；　which　how　　　can　it　be　other　than　a　most　absurd　supposal；　especially　when　　　it　reaches　to　the　male　gods；　and　to　the　female　goddesses　　　also？　Moreover；　the　chief　of　all　their　gods；　and　their　first　　　father　himself；　overlooks　those　goddesses　whom　he　hath　　　deluded　and　begotten　with　child；　and　suffers　them　to　be　kept　　　in　prison；　or　drowned　in　the　sea。　He　is　also　so　bound　up　by　　　fate；　that　he　cannot　save　his　own　offspring；　nor　can　he　bear　　　their　deaths　without　shedding　of　tears。　These　are　fine　things　　　indeed！　as　are　the　rest　that　follow。　Adulteries　truly　are　so　　　impudently　looked　on　in　heaven　by　the　gods；　that　some　of　　　them　have　confessed　they　envied　those　that　were　found　in　the　　　very　act。　And　why　should　they　not　do　so；　when　the　eldest　of　　　them；　who　is　their　king　also；　hath　not　been　able　to　restrain　　　himself　in　the　violence　of　his　lust；　from　lying　with　his　wife；　so　　　long　as　they　might　get　into　their　bedchamber？　Now　some　of　　　the　gods　are　servants　to　men；　and　will　sometimes　be　builders　　　for　a　reward；　and　sometimes　will　be　shepherds；　while　others　　　of　them；　like　malefactors；　are　bound　in　a　prison　of　brass。　And　　　what　sober　person　is　there　who　would　not　be　provoked　at　　　such　stories；　and　rebuke　those　that　forged　them；　and　　　condemn　the　great　silliness　of　those　that　admit　them　for　　　true？　Nay；　others　there　are　that　have　advanced　a　certain　　　timorousness　and　fear；　as　also　madness　and　fraud；　and　any　　　other　of　the　vilest　passions；　into　the　nature　and　form　of　gods；　　　and　have　persuaded　whole　cities　to　offer　sacrifices　to　the　　　better　sort　of　them；　on　which　account　they　have　been　　　absolutely　forced　to　esteem　some　gods　as　the　givers　of　good　　　things；　and　to　call　others　of　them　averters　of　evil。　They　also　　　endeavor　to　move　them；　as　they　would　the　vilest　of　men；　by　　　gifts　and　presents；　as　looking　for　nothing　else　than　to　receive　　　some　great　mischief　from　them；　unless　they　pay　them　such　　　wages。　　　　　　36。　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。　　　　　　37。　But　now；　this　Apollonius　Molo　was　one　of　these　foolish　　　and　proud　men。　However；　nothing　that　I　have　said　was　　　unknown　to　those　that　were　real　philosophers　among　the　　　Greeks；　nor　were　they　unacquainted　with　those　frigid　　　pretensions　of　allegories　＇which　had　been　alleged　for　such　　　things＇；　on　which　account　they　justly　despised　them；　but　have　　　still　agreed　with　us　as　to　the　true　and　becoming　notions　of　　　God；　whence　it　was　that　Plato　would　not　have　political　　　settlements　admit　to　of　any　one　of　the　other　poets；　and　　　dismisses　even　Homer　himself；　with　a　garland　on　his　head；　　　and　with　ointment　poured　upon　him；　and　this　because　he　　　should　not　destroy　the　right　notions　of　God　with　his　fables。　　　Nay；　Plato　principally　imitated　our　legislator　in　this　point；　　　that　he　enjoined　his　citizens　to　have　he　main　regard　to　this　　　precept；　〃That　every　one　of　them　should　learn　their　laws　　　accurately。〃　He　also　ordained；　that　they　should　not　admit　of　　　foreigners　intermixing　with　their　own　people　at　random；　and　　　provided　that　the　commonwealth　should　keep　itself　pure；　and　　　consist　of　such　only　as　persevered　in　their　own　laws。　　　Apollonius　Molo　did　no　way　consider　this；　when　he　made　it　　　one　branch　of　his　accusation　against　us；　that　we　do　not　admit　　　of　such　as　have　different　notions　about　God；　nor　will　we　have　　　fellowship　with　those　that　choose　to　observe　a　way　of　living　　　different　from　ourselves；　yet　is　not　this　method　peculiar　to　us；　　　but　common　to　all　other　men；　not　among　the　ordinary　　　Grecians　only；　but　among　such　of　those　Grecians　as　are　of　　　the　greatest　reputation　among　them。　Moreover；　the　　　Lacedemonians　continued　in　their　way　of　expelling　foreigners；　　　and　would　not　indeed　give　leave　to　their　own　people　to　travel　　　abroad；　as　suspecting　that　those　two　things　would　introduce　a　　　dissolution　of　their　own　laws：　and　perhaps　there　may　be　some　　　reason　to　blame　the　rigid　severity　of　the　Lacedemonians；　for　　　they　bestowed　the　privilege　of　their　city　on　no　foreigners；　nor　　　indeed　would　give　leave　to　them　to　stay　among　them；　　　whereas　we；　though　we　do　not　think　fit　to　imitate　other　　　institutions；　yet　do　we　willingly　admit　of　those　that　desire　to　　　partake　of　ours；　which；　I　think；　I　may　reckon　to　be　a　plain　　　indication　of　our　humanity；　and　at　the　same　time　of　our　　　magnanimity　also。　　　　　　38。　But　I　shall　say　no　more　of　the　Lacedemonians。　As　for　the　　　Athenians；　who　glory　in　having　made　their　city　to　be　common　　　to　all　men；　what　their　behavior　was　Apollonius　did　not　know；　　　while　they　punished　those　that　did　but　speak　one　word　　　contrary　to　the　laws　about　the　gods；　without　any　mercy；　for　　　on　what　other　account　was　it　that　Socrates　was　put　to　death　　　by　them？　For　certainly　he　neither　betrayed　their　city　to　its　　　enem