NExt after these are the mortall Gods, whom in like manner also we call Heroes, and Terrestrial gods, or Companions of the superiour Gods: viz. Kings, Princes, and Priests, by whom this world is governed, and disposed by their Laws, whom therefore as Gods we receive, worship and reverence, because God himself hath suffered his name to be communicated to them, and by a proper denomination hath confirmed it to them, calling them gods, even as he spake to Moses, saying, I have made thee a God to Pharoah; and elsewhere he hath commanded concerning them saying, Thou shalt not detract from the gods; and again, if Theft shall lie hid, the Master of the House shall apply himself to the Gods; and the Psalmist saith, The princes of the people were gathered together with the God •• Abraham: because that the mighty gods of the Earth are vehemently lifted up; and elsewhere God stood in the counsels of the gods, but in the midst he Judgeth the gods; and a little after, I have said ye are all gods, and sons of the most high; moreover he hath commanded concerning the worshipping and reverencing of them, decreeing tithes and first fruits for them, and giving them the power of the sword, and forbidding any to curse them, and commanding obedience to be yielded to them, though wicked. Hence all Antiquity called their princes gods, and worshipped them as divine powers, as Janus testifieth in Ovid, in his first book of Fasti saying.,
When th' earth of th' Gods was potent, I did raign
And dieties mix'd were with seats humane.
And Divine Plato in his third book de Republica appointed that princes both alive and dead should be celebrated with divine honors, which Institution hath ben received amongst all Nations, even from the first age, viz. to deify their princes with divine honours, and to consecrate them with eternall memory; Hence they did impose their never dying names on Cities, Provinces, Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Ilands and Seas; And dedicated to them with great pomp, Piramides, Colosses, triumphal Arches, Trophies, Statues, Temples, Plays, Feasts; and also called the Heavens, Stars, Dyaes and Months by their names. Hence January from Janus, July from Julius, August from Augustus; so dies Mercurii from Mercury Trismegist Dies Jovis from Jupiter, which custome we read was observed not only by the Aegyptians Greeks and Romans, but also by the extream barbarous people, as Gothes, Danes and Teutones. Hence Saxo Grammaticus being witness, what day the former call Dies Mercurii, these do call Othines day: what day the former name from Jupiter, these call Thors day, from Othin and Thor in times past Kings of Gotland and Denmark; neither are they for any other reason called Gothes, then that they callin their language their cheifest god Got. Hence also the Dutch are thus called, because they named the god Mars, whom they worshipped, Teutan; by which name the Gaules also called Mercury. Therefore are Kings and Priests (if they be Just) companions of the gods, and endowed with the like power. Hence they cure diseases by their touch and word and sometimes command the times and the Heavens, as Virgil, sang of Augustus,
It rains all night, i'th' morn the raies return;
Caesar with Jove divided hath the throne.
And the Scripture testifieth of Joshuah, who fighting in Gibeon, commanded the Sun and Moon, saying, Sun stand still in Gibeon, and thou Moon in the Valley of Ajalon; and the Sun and the Moon stood still at his command, neither did the Sun set in the space of one day, untill he had revenged himself of his Enemies, and the Lord obeyed the voyce of man; Also Moses divided the red Sea, and Joshua Jordan, and led the people over dry shod; The like did Alexander the Macedonian, leading forth his Army; Sometimes also they are endowed with a prophetick spirit, as we read of Chaiaphas in the holy Scripture, that he prophesied, for that he was High Priest that year: Seeing therefore it is so that the Lord of the Earth would that Kings and Priests be called gods by communication of name and power, surely we ought also to deserve well of them, and to prefer their Judgments before ours, and simply to obey, supplicate and adore, and worship with all kinde of worship and reverence the most high God in them.