ence of many gods, they may confine their
worship to one. A man knows that there are many gods, but says that
he has only to do with one of them. This is a religious position very
frequently met with in antiquity. A circle of gods is believed in,
but one of them comes into prominence at a time and is worshipped as
supreme. This is called Kathenotheism: the worship of one god at a
time. The title was invented by Mr. Max Mueller, who also gives the
title of Henotheism to that position in which many gods are believed
in as existing, but worship is given to only one. The following are
examples of the various positions:--

The language of Polytheism is--"Father Zeus that rulest from Ida,
most glorious, most great, and thou sun that seest all things, and
ye rivers and thou earth, and ye that in the underworld punish
whosoever sweareth falsely--be ye witnesses."--_Iliad_, iii. 280.

The Jews at the time of Josiah were accomplished polytheists, as we
may see from the catalogue of the worships suppressed at Jerusalem by
that monarch, 2 Kings xxiii. The gods of each of the surrounding
tribes appear to have been worshipped there, and the old gods of the
separate tribes and families of Israel appear to have been kept up.

Kathenotheism.--The Vedic poets, as we shall see, speak of the god
they are immediately addressing as supreme, and heap upon him all the
highest attributes, while not thinking of denying the divinity of
other gods.

The language of Henotheism is--"Thou, O Jehovah, art far above all
the earth; thou art exalted far above all gods" (Ps. xcvii. 9).
"There is none like unto Thee among the gods, O Lord!... Thou art
great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone" (Ps. lxxxvi.
8, 10). Here the other gods are recognised as existing, but only
one is worshipped. Compare also St Paul: "There are gods many, and
lords many, but to us there is one God" (1 Cor. viii. 5, 6).

The language of Monotheism is--"All the gods of the peoples are
idols: but Jehovah made the heavens" (Ps. xcvi. 5), and "Thou shalt
have no other god before Me."

A further religious position to be noticed here is that of Dualism.
Not all dualism comes from nature-worship, but in a land where a
beneficent and a harmful natural force are in striking antagonism to
each other, this may take place. Man, when he interprets the kindly
influences of nature as the blessings of the good god, naturally
interprets the agencies wh