First, we may hence note, how hard a thing it is to recover men from a false religion, though their religion be grossly absurd. In this place, whither the Gospel came, we see multitudes of men remained Gentiles still, and would not receive the Christian faith. And this is the more to be noted, if we either consider the reasons the Gentiles had to remain in their religion, or the manifest causes they had to move them to embrace the Christian Religion: for, for their own religion, they might easily observe these things amongst many other: First, their palpable and sottish idolatry, in worshipping so many gods, and those so accounted to be gods, being many of them apparently but senseless creatures; as, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, others of them but dead men; and others of them such, as of whom there was not the least colour or appearance of Divinity. Secondly, the most notorious wickedness of life, which did every where abound in all the nations that were Pagans, Rom. 1. Thirdly, that they followed a religion that gave them no hope of a better life after death, nor could describe any estate worth the desiring. Fourthly, there was no agreement among them, what should be the chief Good, while they lived: but men were carried according to the sensual desires of their own hearts.
First, we may hence note, how hard a thing it is to recouer men from a false religion, though their religion bee grossely absurd. In this place, whither the Gospell came, we see multitudes of men remained Gentiles still, and would not receiue the Christian faith. And this is the more to be noted, if we either consider the reasons the Gentiles had to remain in their religion, or the manifest causes they had to mooue them to imbrace the Christian Religion: for, for their owne religion, they might easily obserue these things amongst many other: First, their palpable and sottish idolatry, in worshipping so many gods, and those so accounted to bee gods, being many of them apparantly but senselesse creatures; as, the Sunne, Moon, and Starres, others of them but dead men; and others of them such, as of whom there was not the least colour or appearance of Diuinity. Secondly, the most notorious wickednes of life, which did euery where abound in all the nations that were Pagans, Rom. 1. Thirdly, that they followed a religion that gaue them no hope of a better life after death, nor could describe any estate worth the desiring. Fourthly, there was no agreement among them, what should be the chief Good, while they liued: but men were carried according to the sensuall desires of their owne hearts.
