34. Col. i. 15.
35. Syr. lit. who have assimilated to themselves the Image of fraudulent rule. [Syriac], which is only a peculiar way of making the comparison: the Person meant is Satan, as opposed to Christ.
36. The Syriac is peculiar here, and stands thus: [Syriac]: a practice common to many of the early heretics.
37. Alluding to Rom. i. 25.
38. Cited from the cxlviiith Psalm, with a few variations from the text of the Peschito.
39. Syr. [Syriac], lit. In the Stadia: i. e. places appointed for racing. The aether has been usually supposed to constitute that portion of the upper regions which approximates to that of the fixed stars: by some it has been thought to consist of fire, by others of a very subtile fluid. Aristotle's opinion may perhaps, be taken here as the most authoritative. He says, then, (Lib. de Mundo, cap. ii.), [Greek] "Coeli porro siderumque substantiam appellamus setherem: non quidem ideo quod ignita flagret ipsa, ut aliqui censuerunt, plurimum utique aberrantes circa potentiam illam maxime ab ignea natura abhorrentem: origine vero hujus vocabuli inde ducta, quod semper aether currat motu circumductili: cum sit illud elementum a quatuor illis diversum: tum divinum, tum interitus expers."
40. Gen. i. 27, 1 Cor. xi. 7. The argument shewing that revealed religion is much more ancient than the vanities of idolatry is admirably prosecuted in the Prep. Evang. Lib. x. cap. iv. Clemens Alexand. Strom. Lib. I. p. 302. A. seq.
41. Syr. [Syriac], lit, in the doctrine of their mind: which, as it is intended to be opposed to image worship, seems to me to imply doctrine mentally received and applied.
42. This expression will be understood, when it is considered that the ancients supposed the heavens to consist of sphere upon sphere, encircling each other, like the coats of an onion.
43. " Shares with his lord the pleasure and the rifle."----POPE. This argument is similarly urged by Plutarch, (De Fortuna,) p. 98. Edit. 1620.) [Greek, Latin]
44. Ps. viii. 5. varying in some respects from the text of the Peschito.
45. Gen. ii. 7.
46. Syr. [Syriac]. Similar, though not identical, sentiments will be found in extracts given by Clemens Alexand. Strom. Lib. v. p. 492. Edit. 1029; by Theodoret, Gr. Affect, curat. Serm, i. p. 477. Edit. 1642. Ib. Edit. Gaisford, p. 193. The nearest is, perhaps, to be found in a Fragment of Menander preserved by Plutarch, (De consolat. ad Apoll. p. 103. Edit. 1620.)
..... " a0sqene/staton ga_r o2n ( zw~|on )
Fu&sei ."
......"cum sit infirmissimum (animal)
Natura."
Another not unlike it is (ib. p. 104) cited from Homer:
" Ou_de\n a0kidno&teron gai~a tre/fei a0nqrwpo&io ."
" Nil homine in terris infirmius aetheris aura vescitur."
47. Matter, in some respects similar to this, will be found in the Orat. de laudd. Constant. Cap. v. p. 509. B. seq. and Prep. Evang. Lib. xi. cap. xxviii. p. 556. seq.
48. There is a passage in Plutarch very nearly allied to this, who probably has in view the same poet (Pindar), it is as follows: [Greek] "Medicinam enim animae, quse Justitia cognominatur, omnium esse artium maximam, praeter sexcentos alios etiam Pindarus testatur, principem et dominum omnium deum appellans Aristotechnam, id est, artificum praestantissimum: quippe justitise administratorem, quae jus habet determinandi quando, quomodo, et quatenus quilibet malorum sit puniendus." It is not improbable, I think, that our author had this place in his eye when he wrote the above paragraph. Clemens Alexand. also cites the place in Pindar, Strom. Lib. v. p. 598. B. but in a different sense. Plutarch, de his qui sero, &c. ib. p. 550. A.
49. That is, considering Christ as appointed the final Judge of all, man here acts like him.
50. i. e. the section of a tree formed into a boat, as was much the case in former times. See the Prep. Evang. Lib. i. cap. x. p. 35. A.
51. Syr. [Syriac]. lit. hours, a literal translation, in all probability, of the Greek w[rai , signifying seasons.