emed that everything moved by mere chance, and taught that
there was no Providence, since there was no master to govern. Others
brought in fate, and committed everything to the stars at birth.
Others worshipped many evil deities subject to many passions, to the
end that they might have them to advocate their own passions and
shameful deeds, whose forms they moulded, and whose dumb figures and
senseless idols they set up, and enclosed them in temples, and did
homage to them, 'serving the creature more than the Creator.' Some
worshipped the sun, moon and stars which God fixed, for to give light
to our earthly sphere; things without soul or sense, enlightened and
sustained by the providence of God, but unable to accomplish anything
of themselves. Others again worshipped fire and water, and the other
elements, things without soul or sense; and men, possest of soul and
reason, were not ashamed to worship the like of these. Others assigned
worship to beasts, creeping and four-footed things, proving themselves
more beastly than the things that they worshipped. Others made them
images of vile and worthless men, and named them gods, some of whom
they called males, and some females, and they themselves set them forth
as adulterers, murderers, victims of anger, jealousy, wrath, slayers of
fathers, slayers of brothers, thieves and robbers, lame and maim,
sorcerers and madmen. Others they showed dead, struck by thunderbolts,
or beating their breasts, or being mourned over, or in enslavement to
mankind, or exiled, or, for foul and shameful unions, taking the forms
of animals. Whence men, taking occasion by the gods themselves, took
heart to pollute themselves in all manner of uncleanness. So an
horrible darkness overspread our race in those times, and 'there was
none that did understand and seek after God.'

"Now in that generation one Abraham alone was found strong in his
spiritual senses; and by contemplation of Creation he recognized the
Creator. When he considered heaven, earth and sea, the sun, moon and
the like, he marvelled at their harmonious ordering. Seeing the world,
and all that therein is, he could not believe that it had been created,
and was upheld, by its own power, nor did he ascribe such a fair
ordering to earthly elements or lifeless idols. But therein he
recognized the true God, and understood him to be the maker and
sustainer of the whole. And God, approving his fair wisdom and right
judgement, manifest