[376]. Origen. Homil. xv. in Josh. Calmet. ibid.
In Pagan Theology, nothing more common than those good and evil Genii, and the same superstitious Notion got among the Israelites, by Commerce with the Chaldeans; but I don’t apprehend that by Demon, they meant the Devil, or a wicked Spirit, tho’ it be taken under that Idea by the Evangelists, and also some modern Jews[[377]].
[377]. Cyclopædia.
We are not without some Remains of those antient Representations: Among the various Rarities in the Musæum at Leyden in Holland, is the Effigies in Sculpture of Osiris, the Egyptian God; ’tis made of Wood, and now almost consum’d with Age: There are three other Egyptian Idols of Stone; an Image of Isis (who married Osiris, King of the Country) giving suck to her Orr. Another Effigies of Isis, the Egyptian Goddess, upon a little Egyptian Coffer, containing the Heart of an Egyptian Prince embalm’d therein.
The antient Pagans, had almost as many Goddesses as Gods; such were Juno, the Goddess of Air, &c. Queen of Heaven, and of the Gods; was represented sitting on a Throne with a Crown of Gold on her Head: This was the Patroness of the female Sex. Every Woman had her Juno, or Guardian; as every Man had his Genius. She was the Goddess of Marriages, which were not deem’d lawful without the Parties first addrest her. One Branch of her Office was to attend them in Labor, when they pray’d, Help, Juno Lucina[[378]].
[378]. Juno Lucina fer opem.
She was ador’d by all Nations; her Temple was open on the Top and had no Doors, it being impious to think of confining the Gods to a narrow Inclosure. Yea, many of the Antients would erect no devotional Temples, from a Persuasion that the whole World is the Temple of God. The Sicyonians would build no Temple to their Goddess Coronis: Nor would the Athenians erect a Statue to the Goddess Clemency, who they said was to live in the Hearts of Men, not within Stone-Walls. The Goddesses were numerous, but I shall add no more.
They did not only enroll Men and Women among their Gods, but they had also Hermaphrodite-Gods. Thus Minerva, according to several of the Learned, was both Man and Woman, and worshipped as such under the Appellation of Lunus & Luna. Mithras, the Persian Deity, was both God and Goddess; there were Gods of Virtue, Vice, Time, Place, Death ... Infancy. Not Men only, but every thing that relates to Mankind, has also been deified, as Infancy, Age, Death, Labor, Rest, Sleep, Virtues, Vices, Time, Place.... Infancy alone had a numerous Train of Deities. They also ador’d the Gods of Health, Love, Fear, Pain, Indignation, Shame, Renown, Prudence, Art, Science, Fidelity, Liberty, Money, War, Peace, Victory....
Thus we have seen, that nothing more common among Pagans, than to place Men among the Number of Deities; yea, some of them would not wait for their Deification till Death. Thus Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, procured his Image to be worshipped while he was living. Thus Augustus had Altars erected and Sacrifices offered to him while alive. He had Priests called Augustales, and Temples at Lyons, and several other Places. He was the first Roman who carried Idolatry to such a pitch: Having in a most respectful manner view’d the embalm’d Body of Alexander the Great, was ask’d, if he would see Ptolemy’s also? he answer’d, His Curiosity was to see a King, not a Man. His Favourite Poet complements him with the Title of God[[379]]. Yea, the Ethiopians deem’d all their Kings Gods.