The harmony of the divine attributes in the contrivance and accomplishment of man's redemption…

1. Execrable Idolatry: for as in the night Spectres walk, So in the times of Ignorance, the Prince of darkness made his progress in the Earth. He reigned in the hearts of Men, and in the places of their Devotion. The whole World was filled with Idols of ⟨p. 433⟩several Forms and Mysteries, some amiable, others terrible according to the humour of Superstition. For many Ages Satan had kept peaceable possession of his Empire: For the Ignorant World did not understand its Misery, but willingly paid that honour to the cruel Usurper, that was only due to the Lawful Sovereign. They were confirmed in their Idolatry by several things.

1. Execrable Idolatry: for as in the night Spectres walk, So in the times of Ignorance, the Prince of darkness made his progress in the Earth. He reign'd in the hearts of Men, and in the places of their Devotion. The whole World was fill'd with Idols of ⟨p. 433⟩several Forms and Mysteries, some aimiable, others terrible according to the humour of Superstition. For many Ages Satan had kept peaceable possession of his Empire: For the Ignorant World did not understand its Misery, but willingly paid that honour to the cruel Usurper, that was only due to the Lawful Sovereign. They were confirm'd in their Idolatry by several things.

1. They were trained up in it from their Infant state. Now the first persuasions of the mind though grossly false, and ill habits do strangely captivate, and are with difficulty removed: because the concurrence of those faculties is requisite; which are under the Power of Error and Vice. No Tyrant is so exactly obeyed as custom, especially in things esteemed Sacred: for the conceit that the service is pleasing to the Deity, renders men incapable to believe any thing, that contradicts it. 'Twas as hard to make the Gentiles forsake the Religion they received from their Birth, and to loose the impressions made in their tender Age, as to make the Africans change their Skin, and become fair, and the Furopans to turn black: for the tincture which the Religion practised in each Country conveys to the Souls of Men, is as deep and lasting, as that which the Sun impresses upon their bodies, according to the diversity of its Aspects.