Barbarous ADORATION is a term used, in the laws of king Canute, for that performed after the manner of the heathens who adored idols. The Romish church is charged with the adoration of saints, martyrs, images, crucifixes, relics, the virgin, and the host; all which by Protestants are generally aggravated into idolatry, on a supposition, that the honour thus paid to them is absolute and supreme, called by way of distinction Latria, which is due only to God. Roman-catholics, on the contrary, explain them, as only a relative or subordinate worship, called Dulia and Hyperdulia, which terminates ultimately in God alone. But may not the same
same be said of the idol-worship of the heathens? The Phœnicians adored the winds, on account of the terrible effects produced by them; the same was adopted by most of the other nations, Persians, Greeks, Romans, &c. The Persians chiefly paid their adorations to the sun and fire; some say also to rivers, the wind, &c. The motive of adoring the sun was the benefits they received from that glorious luminary, which of all creatures has doubtless the best pretensions to such homage.