these grofs and abfurd conceptions are examined in the chapter immediately following. The proof of a Deity from the innate fenfe here explained, differs materially from what is contained in effays on morality and natural religion *. The proof there given is founded on a chain of reasoning, altogether independent on the innate fense of Deity. Both equally produce conviction; but as fense operates intuitively without reafoning, the sense of Deity is made a branch of human nature, in order to enlighten those who are incapable of a long chain of reafoning; and to fuch, who make the bulk of mankind, it is more convincing, than the most perfpicuous reafoning to a philofopher. CHAP. II. Progress of Opinions with respect to Deity. HE fenfe of Deity, like many other delicate THE fenfes, is in favages fo faint and obfcure as eafily to be biaffed from truth. Among them, the belief of many fuperior beings, is univerfal. And two caufes join to produce that belief. The first * Part ii. fect. 7. is, is, that being accustomed to a plurality of visible objects, men, mountains, trees, cattle, and fuch like, they are naturally led to imagine a like plurality in things not vifible; and from that flight bias, flight indeed but natural, is partly derived the fyftem of Polytheifm, univerfal among favages. The other is, that favages know little of the connection between causes and effects, and still lefs of the order and government of the world: every event that is not familiar, appears to them fingular and extraordinary; and if such event exceed human power, it is without hesitation afcribed to a fuperior being. But as it occurs not to a favage, nor to any person who is not a philofopher, that the many various events exceeding human power and feemingly unconnected, may all proceed from the fame caufe; they are readily afcribed to different beings. Pliny afcribes Polytheism to the consciousness men have of their imbecillity: “ Our 66 66 powers are confined within narrow bounds: we "do not readily conceive powers in the Deity "much more extenfive: and we fupply by num"ber what is wanting in power *." Polytheism, thus founded, is the firft ftage in the progrefs of theology; for it is embraced by the rudest savages, who have neither capacity nor inclination to pierce deeper into the nature of things.. This *Plurality of heads or of hands in one idol, is fometimes made to fupply plurality of different idols. Hence among favages the grotesque figure of fome of their idols. This ftage is diftinguishable from others, by a belief that all fuperior beings are malevolent. Man, by nature weak and helplefs, is prone to fear, dreading every new object and every unufual event. Savages, having no protection against ftorms, tempefts, nor other external accidents, and having no pleasures but in gratifying hunger, thirst, and animal love; have much to fear, and little to hope. In that difconfolate condition, they attribute the bulk of their diftreffes to invifible beings, who in their opinion must be malevolent. This feems to have been the opinion of the Greeks in the days of Solon; as appears in a conversation between him and Cræfus King of Lydia, mentioned by Herodotus in the firft book of his hiftory. Crofus, faid Solon, you ask me about human "affairs; and I anfwer as one who thinks, that 46 all the gods are envious and difturbers of man"kind." The negroes on the coaft of Guinea, dread their deities as tyrants and oppreffors: having no conception of a good deity, they attribute the few bleffings they receive, to the foil, to the rivers, to the trees, and to the plants. The Lithuanians continued Pagans down to the fourteenth century; and worshipped in gloomy woods, where their deities were held to refide. Their worship probably was prompted by fear, which is allied to gloominefs. The people of Kamfkatka acknowledge to this day many malevolent deities, having little or no notion of a good deity. They believe the the air, the water, the mountains, and the woods, to be inhabited by malevolent fpirits, whom they fear and worship. The favages of Guiana afcribe to the devil even their most common difeafes; nor do they ever think of another remedy, but to apply to a forcerer to drive him away. Such negroes as believe in the devil, paint his images white. Befide the Efquimaux, there are many tribes in the extenfive country of Labrador, who believe the Deity to be malevolent, and worship. him out of fear. When they eat, they throw a piece of flesh into the fire as an offering to him; and when they go to fea in a canoe, they throw something on the shore to render him propitious. Sometimes, in a capricious fit, they go out with guns and hatchets to kill him; and on their return boast that they have done fo. Conviction of fuperior beings, who, like men, are of a mixed nature, fometimes doing good, fometimes mischief, conftitutes the second stage. This came to be the fyftem of theology in Greece. The introduction of writing among the Greeks, while they were little better than favages, produced a compound of character and manners, that has not a parallel in any other nation. They were acute in science, skilful in fine arts, extremely deficient in morals, grofs beyond conception in theology, and fuperftitious to a degree of folly; a ftrange jumble of exquifite fenfe and abfurd nonfenfe. They held their gods to refemble men in their ex ternal ternal figure, and to be corporeal. In the 21ft book of the Iliad, Minerva with a huge ftone beats Mars to the ground, whofe monftrous body covered seven broad acres. As corporeal beings, they were fuppofed to require the nourishment of meat, drink, and fleep. Homer mentions more than once the inviting of gods to a feaft: and Paufanias reports, that in the temple of Bacchus at Athens, there were figures of clay, reprefenting a feaft given by Amphyction to Bacchus and other deities. The inhabitants of the island Java are not fo grofs in their conceptions, as to think that the gods eat the offerings prefented to them but it is their opinion, that a deity brings his mouth near the offering, fucks out all its favour, and leaves it taftelefs like water. The Grecian gods, as described by Homer, dress, bathe, and anoint, like mortals. Venus, after being detected by her husband in the embraces of Mars, retires to Paphos, Where to the pow'r an hundred altars rife, The Graces unguents fhed, ambrofial show'rs, All Greek writers, and thofe in their neighbourhood, form the world out of a chaos. They had no fuch exalted notion of a deity as to believe, that he could make the world |