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By their rebellion, from the book of life.
Nor had they yet, among the sons of Eve, [earth,
Got them new names: till, wandering o'er the
Through God's high sufferance, for the trial of
By falsities and lies, the greatest part [man,
Of mankind they corrupted, to forsake
God their Creator, and the invisible
Glory of Him that made them; to transform
Oft to the image of a brute, adorn'd
With gay religions, full of pomp and gold,
And devils to adore for Deities:

Then were they known to men, by various names,
And various idols, through the Heathen world.
Say, Muse, their names then known, who first, who
Roused from the slumber, on that fiery couch, [last,
At their great Emperor's call, as next in worth,
Came singly, where he stood on the bare strand,
While the promiscuous crowd stood yet aloof.
The chief were those, who, from the pit of Hell,
Roaming to seek their prey on earth, durst fix
Their seats, long after next the seat of God,
Their altars by his altar; (gods adored
Among the nations round;) and durst abide
Jehovah thundering out of Sion, throned
Between the Cherubim: yea, often placed
Within his sanctuary itself, their shrines,
Abominations; and, with cursed things,
His holy rites and solemn feasts profaned;
And with their darkness durst affront his light.
First Moloch, horrid king, besmear'd with blood
Of human sacrifice, and parents' tears;
Though, for the noise of drums and timbrels loud,
Their children's cries unheard, that pass'd through
To his grim idol. Him the Ammonite [fire
Worshipp'd in Rabba and her watery plain,
In Argob and in Basan, to the stream
Of utmost Arnon. Nor content with such
Audacious neighbourhood, the wisest heart
Of Solomon he led, by fraud, to build
His temple, right against the temple of God
On that opprobrious hill; and made his grove
The pleasant valley of Hinnom; Tophet thence
And black Gehenna call'd, the type of Hell.
Next Chemos, the obscene, dread of Moab's sons,
From Aroer to Nebo, and the wild
Of southmost Abarim; in Hesebon
And Horonaim, Seon's realm, beyond

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