Hugo Grotius · 67 of 132

SECT. II. And, first, of Paganism. That there is but one God. That created beings are either good or bad. That the good are not to be worshipped without the command of the supreme God.

AND, first, against the heathens we say,—If they suppose many gods, eternal and equal, this is sufficiently confuted in the first book; where we have shewn that there is but one God, the cause of all things. If by gods they mean created beings superior to man, these are either good or bad; if they say they are good, they ought, in the first place to be very well assured of this, lest they fall into great danger, by entertaining enemies instead of friends; deserters instead of ambassadors. And reason also requires that there should be some manifest difference in the worship betwixt the Supreme God and these beings: and further, we ought to know of what rank these beings are, what benefit we may expect from any of them, and what honour the Supreme King would have us pay to them. All which things being wanting in their religion, it sufficiently appears from thence, that there is nothing of certainty in it; and it would be much safer for them to betake themselves to the worship of the one Supreme God: which even Plato owned to be the duty of a wise man; because as good beings are the ministers of the Supreme God, they cannot but be assisting to such as are in favour with him.