Gods arrow against atheists. By Henry SmithGods arrovve against atheists. By Henrie Smith

That the Gentiles worshipped Devils (not God) may appear, first by this reason, for that those their Gods allowed (yea required) not beasts but men to to be sacrificed unto them, delighting themselves in such infinite murders and manslaughters, as were most cruel and unnatural, signifying themselves to be thereby appeased, wherein God is most displeased.¹ For (as Polydore Virgil hath collected) the people of Rhodes sacrificed a man to Saturn: In the Island Salamis, a man was acci••ced to Agravala: To Diomedes in the Temple of Pallas, a man was offered, who being thrice led about the Altar by young men, was at last by the Priest run through with a spear and put into the fire and burnt: Among the people of Cyprus, Teucrus sacrificed humane sacrifice unto Jupiter, and left the same to posterity to follow: To Diana likewise humane sacrifices were offered: The like was done to Hesus and Teutate•t Amongst the Egyptians three men a day which were sought out (if they were clean) were sacrificed to Juno:: Amongst the Lacedaemonians they were wont to sacrifice a man to Mars: The Phoenicians in the calamitous times of war and pestilence, were wont to sacrifice unto Saturn their deerest friends: The people called Curetae sacrificed children unto Saturn: At Laodicea a virgin was sacrificed to Pallas: And amongst the Arabians, every year a child was sacrificed and buried under the Altar▪ Also the Thracians, Scythians, the Carthaginian, and almost all the Grecians (especially when they were to go to war) sacrificed a man: All barbarous Nations have done the like: yea, the Frenchmen and Germans: yea, the Romans themselves did the like sacrifice, as namely to Saturn in Italy a ⟨image 20⟩man was Sacrifice• at the Altar: and not only so, but he was also to be cast down from a bridge into the river Tyher:² Dionysius Halicarnesseus writeth, that Jupiter and Apollo were […] angry, for that the tenth part of men were not sacrificed unto them, and therefore sought they revenge upon Italy: Diodorus reporteth, that the Carthaginians when they were overcome of Agathocles king of the Sicilians thought their Gods to be angry with them, and therefore to appease them, sacrificed unto them two hundred of the Noble mens sons at a time. O monstrous cruelty!