meaning of demon been in itself doubtful, had it been as frequently employed to defcribe the devil as a deified ghost, yet would the subject of the apostle's difcourfe in this place, and the connection of the paffage, clearly determine the word here to the latter meaning. But we have fhewn, that this meaning is the only one in which it was used by the people to whom St. Paul is writing, when it was applied to the heathen gods, and that alone which correfponds to the ufe of it on every other occafion by the facred writers, and particularly by this apostle himfelf.

த

If more evidence still be required in fo plain a cafe, it may be observed farther, that both the fentiment and language of the apostle are borrowed from paffages in the Septuagint, in which demons must be understood of deities of human origin'

mines fuerant, qui jam ólím interieránt. Grot, on I Cor. viii. I.

Deut. xxxii. 17. Pl. cvi. 37. From the former of thefe places especially, St, Paul borrowed

3. When it is faid, an idol (that is, a heathen deity, or demon) is NOTHING

14

the expreffion, The Gentiles facrifice to demons, not to God. It hath indeed been often afferted, that by demons, in both these places of the Septuagint, we are to understand devils. But this is a point that hath never yet been proved. Bare affertions, how frequently foever they may be repeated, and however generally credited, are not proofs. Several reafons, on the other hand, have been affigned to fhew, that the authors of the Septuagint did not, by demons, in these places, mean devils, but deified human fpirits (Differt. on Mir. p. 198201); and that the Hebrew word (fchedim) which they tranflate by demons, bears a correfpondent meaning. (Id. p. 248.)

These reafons, till I fee them

answered, will have more weight with me than mere affertions. There is indeed fufficient evidence from the Septuagint itself, to prove, that the authors of it did not, in thefe places, mean devils, or any powerful and mischievous fpirits, but the ghosts of fuch dead men as the Heathens deified, as appears from an examination of the context in each place. "Eurav daiμονίοις, καὶ ὁ Θεῶ· θεοῖς, οἷς ἐκ ἔδεισαν. καινοὶ καὶ πρόσφατοι ἥκασιν, ὅς ἐκ ἔδεισαν οἱ πατέρες αὐτῶν. Deut. xxxii. 17. Αὐτοὶ παρεζήλωσαν με ἐπ' ἐ Θεῶ, παρώξυναν με ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αυτῶν, ν. 21. In thefe two verses, the very fame perfons are called, first demons, then gods, and laftly idols; which confirms

IN THE WORLD; the meaning is, either that this reputed deity hath no existence

what was observed above, that St. Paul, by these three different names, means one and the fame thing. Now, if the authors of the Septuagint, by demons intended devils, it is natural to afk, When did the Ifraelites facrifice to devils? Why are devils called new gods? And why are they called idols? This is a word that frequently occurs in the Septuagint; but where doth it fignify devils in that tranflation? By this word it renders which fignifies vanity. Understand the Septuagint as fpeaking of new demon-gods, of men newly deified, or newly worshipped by the Ifraelites, of gods that were only idols, mere ghofts and images; and you make them speak confiftently with themfelves, and with the original Hebrew.-1n like manner it may be observed with refpect to Pf. cvi. 37. All the gods of the Heathens are demons, that what are here, by the Septuagint, called demons, are called dead men, v. 28. (Payov Jurías vexpŵv;) and carved or graven images, (ἐδέλευσαν τοῖς γλυπλοῖς αὐτῶν, ν. 36. ἔθυσαν τοῖς γλυπτοῖς Χαναάν, ν. 38.) Now, will you allow, that devils are dead men? or that, like the heathen gods, they are either not diftinct from, or of no more account than, the fenfelefs images that reprefented them? Were the idols of Cahaan devils, by way of diftinction from thofe of other countries? You avoid thefe, and many other

in nature; or that he hath no degree of that power his votaries afcribe to him, and is of no more account, than if he did not exist. The Heathens were perfuaded that their demons had real power over mankind, and that much good or evil might be expected from their interpofition. Now, it was in direct oppofition to thefe fentiments of the Heathens concerning their gods, that this maxim was advanced, an idol is nothing in the world.

difficulties, only by allowing that the Seventy interpreters ufe demons in its most common fignification, for fuch dead men as the Heathens deified, and the Canaanites worshipped with human facrifices. Differt. on Mir. p. 249.

Idolum re ipfà non fubfiftit: quod verum erat de diis illis Corinthiis, Grotius on 1 Cor. viii. I. See Raphelius, Wolfius, Schmidius, and Krebfius on 1 Cor. viii. 4. This paffage may receive some illustration from chap. x. 19. What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in facrifice to idols is any thing? The thing offered in facrifice neither receives fanctity nor pollution from its being offered; nor is this a circumftance in itfelf of the leaft moment. The idol itself is equally infignificant,

It must therefore be defigned to express either their not having any real existence, or their having no more influence on the affairs of mankind than a metaphyfical non-entity. The use which fome of the Chriftians at Corinth made of this maxim, confirms the explication here given of it. For they pleaded it as a reason for feasting in his temple upon what had been offered in facrifice to the idol, or falfe god, tho' he was supposed by his worshippers to mingle with, and to partake of the victim". The Corinthian converts joined their idolatrous acquaintance in these religious banquets, under a full perfuafion that the idol could not pollute them, nor do any thing either to the prejudice or benefit of mankind.

That the Heathens often feafted upon the facrifice in their temples, and that the gods were thought to take their part in the entertainment, is fhewn by Cudworth on the Lord's Supper, (fee Mofheim's edition) Whitby and Wetstein on 1 Cor. x. 20, 21. and Elfner on this place, and on I Cor. viii. 10.

9 Hence it appears, that thofe writers must be miftaken, who fuppofe that this maxim, an idol is