Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	true_a	worship_n	worship_v	7,455	5	9.1341	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61291	The history of the Chaldaick philosophy by Thomas Stanley.	Stanley, Thomas, 1625-1678.; Stanley, Thomas, 1625-1678. Chaldaick oracles of Zoroaster.	1662 (1662)	Wing S5240; ESTC R12160	140,604	202

THE FOURTH SECTION Of the Gods and Religious worship of the Chaldaeans IN the last place as to the Explication of the Chaldaick Doctrine especially of that part which concerned their Ashaphim it is necessary we give accompt of the Gods of the Chaldaeans and of their Religious worship And though Mr. Selden hath reduced all the Asiatick Gods under the common name of Syrian in his Excellent Treatise upon that Subject yet we shall take notice of such onely as were proper to Assyria whether as being worshipt no where else or from thence brought into Syria and other Countries conceiving the rest nothing pertinent to the Chaldaeans or Babylonians The Religious Worship of the Chaldaeans may be reduced to three kinds The first a worship of the true God but after an Idolatrous manner The second of Daemons or Spirits The third of the Celestial Bodies and Elements CHAP. I. Of their Idolatrous Worship of the True God THe first kind of the Chaldaick Worship was of the True God though after an Idolatrous manner The Author of the Chaldaick Summary affirms that they held one principle of all things and declare that it is one and good That by this one and good they meant the true God to whom alone those attributes belong may be gathered from Eusebius who saith speaking doubtless of the Followers of Zoroaster that in the first place they conceive God the Father and King ought to be ranked for this reason the Delphian Oracle attested by Porphyrius joyns them with the Hebrews Chaldees and Iews wise onely worshipping Purely a self-begotten God and King but notwithstanding the Oracle that this Worship though of the True God was Idolatrous is beyond doubt so as to them might be applied what St. Paul saith of the Romans when they knew God they glorified him not as God but changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible man The Name and Image whereby they represented the Supreme God was that of Bel as appears by the prohibition given by God himself not to call him so any more Thou shalt call me no longer Baali Bel with the Chaldaeans is the same as Baal with the Phoenicians both derived from the Hebrew Baal Lord this Bel of the Babylonians is mention'd by the Prophets Esay and Ieremy They who first translated the Eastern Learning into Greek for the most part interpret this Bel by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter So Herodotus Diodorus Hesychius and others Berosus saith Eusebius was Priest of Belus whom they interpret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter the reason of which seems to be for that Bel was the chief God with the Chaldaeans as Iupiter with the Graecians who by that name meant the true God as the Chaldaeans by the other for to him St. Paul applies that hemistick of Aratus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we are also his off-spring which hath reference to the first Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And upon these words of St. Peter worship ye God but not as the Graecians Clemens Alexandrinus observes that he saith not worship not the God whom the Graecians but as the Graecians he changed the manner of the worship but preached not another God The Temple of this Iupiter Belus at Babylon is exactly described by Herodotus an eye-witness in whose time it was yet extant thus The gates were of Brass the Temple it self square every side two furlongs broad In the midst of the Temple there was a solid Tower not hollow of the thickness and height of a Stadium upon which there was set another and another upon that and so on to eight on the outside of these were st●●rs by which to go up to every one of them in the midst of the stairs were seats for such as went up to rest themselves in the highest Tower there was another Temple or Chapel and in it a Bed sumptuously furnisht and a Table of Gold but neither in this was there any Statue nor doth any personly here a-nights except one wo●an a foreiner of whom the God makes choice above all other as the Chaldaeans who are Priests of this God averr for they say though I hardly credit it that the God hi●self comes into this Temple and rests in this Bed There is moreover in this Temple another lower Chapel in which there is a great Statue of Jupiter all of Gold sitting and beside it a Table and Bench all of Gold also in so much that the Chaldaeans value it at 800 Talents Likewise without the Chapel there is an Altar of Gold and another Altar very great upon which are sacrifized Sheep of full growth for upon that of Gold it is not lawful to sacrifize any but Sucklings On this greater Altar the Chaldaeans burn yearly Frankinsence to the value of a hundred thousand talents in sacrifice to their Gods There was also at the same time in this Temple a Statue 12 Cubits high of massy Gold which I saw not but take upon the report of the Chaldaeans this Statue Darius son of Hystaspes had a great mind to take but durst not but his son Xerxes afterwards took it and slew the Priest who forbad him to stir it Thus was this Temple built and beautified besides infinite gifts and presents Hitherto Herodotus he terms the Priests of Belus Chaldaeans and R. Maimonides ass●rts the Chaldaean Idolaters to be the same with the Prophets of Baal The Festival of Bel is mention'd 2 Kings 10. 20. his Oracle by Arrian the same which Step●anus means saying The Chaldaeans had an Oracle which was no less in esteem with them than that at Delphi was with the Graecians CHAP. II. Worship of other Gods Angels and Daemons THe second kind of their Religious Worship was that of other Gods Angels and Daemons Next the Supreme God saith Eusebius delivering their opinion there followeth a multitude of other Gods Angels and Daemons These Gods they distinguish'd into several Orders Intelligibles Intelligibles and Intellectuals Intellectuals Fountains Principles Unzoned Gods Zoned Gods Angels and Daemons To the Worship of these belongs what we have already delivered concerning their Theurgy CHAP. III. The Chaldaean Worship of the Caelestial Bodies THe third kind of Idolatrous Worship used by the Chaldaeans and Babylonians was of the Celestial Bodies into which Maimonides saith they fell soon after the Floud perhaps occasion'd by their continual addiction to Contemplation of them and grounded upon Observation of the great Benefits communicated to Man-kind by their Influence The Levitical Law in prohibiting this Idolatry sets down the particulars of of it Lest thou lift up thine eyes unto Heaven and when thou seest the Sun and the Moon and the Stars even all the Host of Heaven shouldst be driven to Worship them and serve them And of the Jewish Idolaters put down by Iosiah besides those that burnt Incense to Baal of whom already are reckon'd those that burnt Incense to the Sun and to the