in the Pan-Hellenic Zeus."[155] “There is, in truth, but one,” says Sophocles, “one only God, who made both heaven and long-extended earth and bright-faced swell of seas and force of winds.”  Xenophanes says:  “’Mongst gods and men there is one mightiest God not mortal or in form or thought.  Entire he sees and understands, and without labor governs all by mind.”  Aratus, whom Paul quotes,[156] says:  “With Zeus began we; let no mortal voice of men leave Zeus unpraised.  Zeus fills the heavens, the streets, the marts.  Everywhere we live in Zeus.  Zeus fills the sea, the shores, the harbors. We are his offspring, too.” The reference made by Paul evidently implies that this Zeus was a dim conception of the one true God.

That all branches of the Semitic race were monotheistic we may call not only Ebrard and Mueller, but Renan, to witness.  According to Renan, evidences that the monotheism of the Semitic races was of a very early origin, appears in the fact that all their names for deity—­El, Elohim, Ilu, Baal, Bel, Adonai, Shaddai, and Allah—­denote one being and that supreme.  These names have resisted all changes, and doubtless extend as far back as the Semitic language or the Semitic race.  Max Mueller, in speaking of the early faith of the Arabs, says:  “Long before Mohammed the primitive intuition of God made itself felt in Arabia;” and he quotes this ancient Arabian prayer:  “I dedicate myself to thy service, O Allah.  Thou hast no companion, except the companion of whom thou art master absolute, and of whatever is his.”  The book of Job and the story of Balaam indicate the prevalence of an early monotheism beyond the pale of the Abrahamic church.  In the records of the kings of Assyria and Babylonia there is a conspicuous polytheism, yet it is significant that each king worshipped one God only.  And this fact suggests, as a wide generalization, that political and dynastic jealousies had their influence in multiplying the names and differentiating the attributes of ancient deities.  This was notably the case in ancient Egypt, where each invasion and each change of dynasty led to a new adjustment of the Egyptian Pantheon.

Rome had many gods, but Jupiter was supreme.  Herodotus says of the Scythians, that they had eight gods, but one was supreme, like Zeus.  The Northmen, according to Dr. Dascent, had one supreme god known as the “All-fader.”  The Druids, though worshipping various subordinate deities, believed in One who was supreme—­the creator of all things and the soul of all things.  Though conceived of in a Pantheistic sense, He was personal and exerted a moral control, as is shown by the famous triad:  “Fear God; be just to all men; die for your country.”  In the highest and purest period of the old Mexican faith we read of the Tezcucan monarch Nezahualcoyotl, who said:  “These idols of wood and stone can neither hear nor feel; much less could they make the heavens and the earth, and man who is the lord