Rom. i. 22, 25. that "one Providence which governs the universe, and "which has feveral fubaltern minifters under it; "men give to this deity, which is the fame, diffe"rent names; and pay it different honours, accord"to the laws and cuftoms of every country." BUT were these reflections which offer the most rational vindication that can be made, of idolatrous worship, fufficient to cover the ridicule of it? Could it be call'd a raifing of the divine attributes in a fuitable manner, to direct the worshipper to admire and feek for the image of them, in beafts of the most vile and contemptible kinds, as crocodiles, ferpents, and cats? Was not this rather degrading and debafing the Deity, of whom, even the moft ftupid, usually entertain a much greater and more august idea? HOWEVER, these philofophers were not always fo juft, as to ascend from fenfible beings to their invifible author. The fcriptures tell us, that these pretended Sages deferv'd, on account of their pride and ingratitude, to be given over to a reprobate mind; and whilst they profess'd themselves wife, to become fools, for having changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. To fhew what man is when left to himself, God permitted that very nation, which had carried human wisdom to its greateft, height, to be the theatre on which the most ridiculous and abfurd idolatry was acted. And, on the other fide, to difplay the Almighty power of his grace, he converted the frightful defarts of Egypt into a terreftrial paradife; by peopling them, in the time appointed by his providence, with numberlefs multitudes of illuftrious hermits, whose fervent piety, and rigorous penance, have done fo much honour to the chriftian religion. I cannot forbear giving here a famous inftance of it; and I hope the reader will excuse this kind of digreffion. THE THE great wonder of Lower Egypt, fays Abbé Tom. 5. Fleury in his Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, was the city of P. 25, 26. Oxyrinchus, peopled with monks, both within and without, so that they were more numerous than its other inhabitants. The publick edifices, and idol temples had been converted into monasteries, and thefe likewife were more in number than the private houses. The monks lodg'd even over the gates, and in the towers. The people had twelve churches to affemble in, exclufive of the oratories belonging to the monafteries. There were twenty thousand virgins and ten thousand monks in this city, every part of which ecchoed night and day with the praises of God. By order of the magiftrates, centinels were pofted at the gates, to take notice of all ftrangers and poor who came into the city; and those who firft received them, were obliged to provide them with all hofpital accommodations. I SECT. II. The ceremonies of the Egyptian SHALL now give a concise account of the fu- THE honours which have been paid in all ages and nations to dead bodies; and the religious care taken to provide fepulchres for them, seem to infinuate an univerfal perfuafion, that bodies were lodg'd in fepulchres merely as a depofit or trust. We have already obferv'd, in our mention of the pyramids, with what magnificence fepulchres were built in Egypt; for befides, that they were erected -as fo many facred monuments, deftin'd to tranfmit to future times the memory of great princes; they were likewife confider'd as the manfions where the body was to remain during a long fucceffion of ages: whereas common houfes were called inns, in which Diod. I. 1. men were to abide only as travellers, and that during p. 47. Herod. &c. the course of a life which was too fhort to engage their affections. WHEN any perfon in a family died, all the kindred and friends quitted their ufual habits, and put on mourning; and abstain'd from baths, wine, and dainties of every kind. This mourning held forty or feventy days; probably according to the quality of the perfon. BODIES were embalmed three ways. The moft 1. 2. c 85, magnificent was bestowed on perfons of distinguish'd rank, and the expence amounted to a talent of filver, or three thousand French livres. Diod. 1.1. P. 81. MANY hands were employed in this ceremony. Some drew the brain through the noftrils, by an inftrument made for that purpofe. Others emptied the bowels and inteftines, by cutting a hole in the fide, with an Ethiopian stone that was as fharp as a razor after which the cavities were fill'd with perfumes and various odoriferous drugs. As this evacuation (which was neceffarily attended with fome diffections) feem'd in fome meafure cruel and inhuman; the perfons employed fled as foon as the operation was over, and were purfued with ftones by the ftanders-by. But those who embalmed the body were honourably treated. They filled it with myrrh, cinnamon, and all forts of fpices. After a certain time, the body was fwathed in lawn fillets, which were glued together with a kind of very thin gum, and then crufted them over with the moft exquifite perfumes. By this means, 'tis faid that the entire figure of the body, the very lineaments of the face, and the hairs on the lids and eye-brows were preferv'd in their natural perfection. The body thus embalm'd, was delivered to the relations, who fhut it up in a kind of open cheft, fitted exactly to the fize of the corps; then they plac'd it upright against the wall, either in fepulchres, (if they had any) or in their houses. Thefe embalm'd bodies are now what we call Mummies, which are ftill brought from Egypt, |
