It has been asserted by some theologians, that these imputations of deceit and imposture, do not primarily respect the priests, prophets, diviners, dreamers of dreams, &c. but those invisible agents or dæmons who were worshipped, through the medium of images, incantations, &c. and who inspired the diviners, soothsayers, &c. with a spirit of falsehood and lies; so that being deceived themselves, they might not always be conscious of deceiving others. We shall not in this place oppose the supposition, by deducing arguments from reason, but by the explicit, unequivocal assertions of those whom all Christians acknowledge to have been divinely inspired. The declarations of Moses, and of all the true prophets, against the very existence of these beings, are numerous, pointed, and decisive. Every argument employed to dissuade the Israelites from imitating the idolatry of the Gentiles, is founded upon the NONENTITY of these sup posed agents. It is natural to conclude that when superstitious people formed an idol, they expected some dæmon would make it his abode, or at least the seat of his operations; and that he would become their patron on account of the honour conferred upon him; in the same manner as our Christian churches were formerly dedicated to some Saint, in order to procure his peculiar

patronage. But it was the express object of inspiration to guard the people of Israel against so gross a delusion; and to assure them that these images continued merely images; retaining all the imbecility of the materials of which they were made, Priests, magicians, diviners, soothsayers, alone, are accused of the imposition.

The passages quoted above are taken from the prophets of the Lord, commissioned to reproach, and severely to censure the numerous Israelites, who had learned all the arts of divination from the Pagans, at the periods when the Jewish religion was exceedingly corrupted; and who impiously attempted to worship Jehovah, by adopting the rites of the heathens. It was also become a familiar practice among them, to act the part of sorcerers for a maintenance; for handfuls of barley, and pieces of bread, like the wandering fortune-tellers of the present day. These vagabonds were frequently accused of deceiving the people, embarrassing their minds, and destroying their confidence in the true prophets of the Lord. But they alone were accused. Not the most distant reference is made to any dæmon, as sharing in the imposture. Hence we may safely conclude, that no dæmon existed to become a participant. The inspired prophets of God could not have concealed so im

portant a fact, through ignorance, neglect, or misrepresentation.

Again,-The destruction of images, altars, and groves, was always considered, by legislator and prophet, as the abolition of the false religion of the pagan nations; which could not have been the case, had invisible agents actually existed, whose supernatural powers would still continue, although the ostensible means should be destroyed; and who, according to the opinion always entertained of them, must have been strongly disposed to avenge the affront, instead of being thus debilitated in their operations. The whole force of the argument consisted, not in acknowledging them to possess a power inferior to that of Jehovah; not in their being the tutelar deities of other nations, and not of the Israelites, but that they were no gods; they were nonentities; that idols, so far from being able to protect their votaries, could not protect themselves from the attacks of a destroyer.

The conception entertained of a God, among the ancient nations, was uniformly that of a superior being, who had a power to influence human affairs, direct the fate of mortals, foresee future events, and communicate their knowledge to others. These are also the characteristics of

a God, given in the sacred scriptures themselves. "Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil." "I will make thee a God unto Pharaoh." The prophet Isaiah maintains this to be the definition of a God, while he demonstrates that it does not belong to the gods of the heathens. "Let them shew the former things what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them, or declare us the things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are Gods."*

In the challenge given by Elijah to the numerous priests of Baal, his satire would have been irrelevant, and the irony have lost its point, had he not considered them as serving a Nonentity. These priests were, in the present instance, much in earnest; for their lives depended upon success. "They called on the name of Baal, from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal hear us; but there was no voice, nor any that answered. And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, cry aloud, for he is a god, either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey; peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their

* Isa. ch. xli. v. 22, 23.

manner with knives, until the blood gushed out upon them."* This passage not only corresponds with the above definition of a God, but

it proves that Elijah smiled at the absurd notion of his existence. When to avoid a suspicion of his practising any of the deceits which these impostors used, Elijah had ordered trenches to be made round his altar, and water to be plentifully poured into them, to evince that the consuming fire must descend from above; and when the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, the people witnessing the truth of his miracle, and the failure of his antago.nists, "fell on their faces, and they said, the Lord he is God; the Lord he is God." At that moment they also denied the existence of Baal.

"Babylon is fallen, is fallen," exclaims the prophet Isaiah,t "and all the graven images of her gods he has broken to the ground!" In the following animated and sarcastic passage, the prophet fully declares his opinion of these gods. Bell, boweth down; Nebo stoopeth; their idols were upon the beasts, and upon the cattle. Your carriages were heavy laden; they are a burden to the weary beast. They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but

* 1 Kings ch. xviii.

† 1 Kings ch. xxi. 9.