VARRO was of Opinion, that all gallant and heroick Men should believe themselves, tho’ falsly, to issue from the Gods ... that upon this Supposition, they might attempt great things with more Courage, and prosecute them with more Ardency; and tho’ the Motive was but imaginary, yet might produce glorious Effects[[428]]. When Varro writ this, ’tis probable he had Alexander the Great in his view.
[428]. Ex Diis genitos—Aug. de Civitate Dei. cap. 4.
Such is their Opinion of their King in China, that they think he is descended from the Race of some Demi-God, and so adore him accordingly. They believe there is some Divinity in his Blood, in so much that he never marries any but his next Relatives, for fear of staining the Royal Blood[[429]].
[429]. Howel’s Londinopolis. p. 384.
Among the Antients, Serpents were Emblems of Power; therefore Epaminondas, the brave Theban General, to encourage his Army against a powerful Enemy, bruised the Head of a Serpent before them as a Prognostick of Victory.
Thus King James I. tho’ the Dupe of all Christendom, says a certain Gentleman, yet was the grand Idol of the Court-Clergy. That Pedantry which would have brought a School-Boy under the just Discipline of the Rod, in him was represented by his parasitical Preferment-hunting Ecclesiasticks, as divine Eloquence, and the Inspiration of the Almighty....
CHAPTER VI.
Reasons for worshipping hurtful as well as useful Creatures, founded on a Notion of two eternal contrary Principles: They believe God was good, and could not be the Author of moral Evil, therefore fram’d the Ditheistical Doctrine; an Error, espoused by some primitive Christians, confuted by the Sentence past upon the Serpent. Reasons for worshipping different Species of Animals by the Egyptians.
Whence arises the Honour given by Heathens to different Species of Beings, to the noxious and hurtful, as well as to the salutary and beneficent Tribe?
Probably, it might be from their observing the Mixtures of Good and Evil in the visible Creation, when as yet in their infantile State of Knowledge: The reason of this they could not otherwise account for, but by giving into the Notion of two distinct independent governing Powers; the one a good, the other an evil Genius: accordingly they worshipped Creatures that were useful, as being the Ministers of the good Genius; and those that were hurtful they paid Homage to, out of servile Fear, and to ingratiate themselves into their Favour. In the Morning they worshipped the celestial Gods; in the Evening, the infernal: On the Plain they worshipped the terrestrial Gods, on Hills the supernatural; in Grotos and Caves, the infernal.