number of clans; for nations or states they did not deserve to be called; and in a state of hostility with each other, as mankind in a similar situation are always found to be.

These wandering tribes of Greece, similar to those in North America at present (for they were a long time in no better, but rather in a worse state with respect to civilization,) must no doubt, have had some notions of religion; since no people in the world have been intirely without them; but what they were in that rude state of the country it is impossible to trace. The sacred rites and modes of worship that we find accounts of in their writers were acknowledged to have been borrowed from Egypt, and other countries. And even this was in so early a period, before they had any writers, that the observance of them had been from time immemorial; so that the veneration they had acquired from their antiquity was not to be shaken.

1

Whatever they were, and they were different in every part of the country, and more or less in every different town and hamlet, they were supposed to be connected with the well-being of the place; so that it would have been thought hazardous to make any change in them. Nor do we find that this was A 2.

ever

ever done in any heathen country. They might a dopt new gods, and new modes of worship, but they never abandoned their own antient ones.

This partial civilization of Greece must have been a considerable time after the greatest part of the knowledge derived from revelation had been lost in the East, as will be evident to any person who compares what he finds on this subject in the earliest of the Greek writers with the book of Job, to say nothing of the writings of Moses. Job and his friends, though probably not themselves favoured with any revelation, appear to have had a clear knowledge of the being, and the righteous government of the one true God, the maker of the world, and of all things in it, and also of a future state of righteous retribution. At least so it clearly appears to me, though of late, and only of late, some christian writers have questioned this. But how miserably bewildered were the wisest of the Greeks with respect to these subjects. Of the knowledge of a future state, on the only principle of reason, as well as revelation, viz. that of a proper resurrection, we do not perceive the least trace among them. Instead of this, they had adopted a notion of a separate soul, or a ghost, descending after death into a

region below the surface of the earth, and the most absurd fables relating to their condition there ; though these, do not appear to have had any credit with the writers, nor probably with any persons of much thought and reflection among them.

SECTION I.

Of the Obligation to the Worship of the Gods in general.

The general and established opinion of a superior power, or powers, governing the affairs of the world and of men, and the obligation that men were under to worship them, according to the customary rites of each people, was universal. And this was not only the persuasion of the vulgar, but of all the writers without any exception. In a later period it is probable enough that what several of the writers advance on this subject might arise from a wish not to shock the prejudices of the populace, but with respect to the period of which I am now treating, there seems to be no reason to doubt of their sincerity; the precepts on this subject are so numerous, and urged in so emphatical a manner by them all. The obligation to worship the gods is urged by Solon,

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lon, one of whose sayings was, "honour the gods, rever- ence thy parents."

None of the seven wise men of Greece, can be said to have been writers, and therefore we have not sufficient authority for their real opinions. But Theognis and Phocylides were; and in the poem of the former, we find (v. 170.) “ Pray to the gods "who have great power, for without the gods men "have neither good nor evil." Here we see the belief of this writer in the providence, as well as in the existence, of the gods; but we shall have more abundant evidence of this hereafter. Phocylides says (v. 7.) "In the first place worship the gods, "then honour thy parents, judge no man unjustly, "for afterwards God will judge thee." Indeed, what this poet says of God may with some reason be suspected to have been drawn from the principles of revelation, and therefore to be an interpolation. For he says, v. 48, "There is one God, wise, pow"erful, and self sufficient."

Hesiod, though in his Theogony he retails all the Grecian fables concerning the origin and descent of the gods, all of whom he derives from the earth, which was therefore prior to them all, yet his noem intitled On Works contains excellent senti

ments

ments, and good advice on this subject, as well as on many others. Addressing his brother, he says, (Lib. I. v 334.) " According to thy ability, sacri"fice to the immortal gods morning and evening, "that they may shew thee favour, and that thou may"est purchase the possesions of others, and others "not purchase thine. Pray (Lib. II. v. 84.) to Ju"piter and Ceres, that you may have a good in"crease." According to Hesiod Jupiter destroyed a whole race of men, because they did not give due honour to the gods, (Lib. I. v. 138.)

Many of Hesiod's precepts relating to religion, and the business of husbandry too, savour of a ridiculous superstition; but at this we cannot wonder, considering in how early and ignorant an age he lived. "Do not," says he (Lib. II. v. 343.) "make libation, to Jupiter with unwashen hands,

nor to the other immortal gods; for they will not "hear, but abominate, such prayers." His poem On Days contains hardly any thing besides directions of the most superstitious and absurd kind, but his two books On Works contain many excellent precepts, both of morality, and common prudence