[ 3t ] 



fellow creatures was originally founded, and which would render 

 the tranfition eafy of worfhipping that being when dead, to 

 whom, while alive, men had been accuftomed to proftrate them- 

 felves, could not, as we have already mentioned, exift in the earlier 

 ftage even of monarchy j neither would gratitude, the fecond 

 probable inducement, as yet operate, fince the principal objeds 

 of that gratitude, the invention of ufeful arts, and even the infti- 

 tution of beneficial laws, muft neceffarily have been the refultr 

 of time and experience, and cannot be fuppofed to have takea 

 place until fome confiderable time after communities had bden 

 formed. The fcale then of idolatry would probably be thus 

 graduated :— When the traces of original revelation had been 

 confufed and well nigh obliterated, nothing remaining but the 

 univerfal traditionary beHef in fomething fupreme to which 

 homage was due, and mankind, ceafing to adore one invifible 

 God, had begun to feek for deities among his creatures, the 

 firft objeds of adoration would undoubtedly be the great and 

 glorious phenoniena of nature, and firll of all the Sun,. 



that with furpaffing glory crown'd 



I,ooks from his fole dominion, like the God 

 Of this new world. 



His dazzling light, beyond the capacity of the human organ, 

 would be admired with aftoniQiment, his genial heat would 

 be felt with grateful acknowledgment, and his benign infla- 

 ence on the vegetable world would fpeedily be underftood 

 md acknowledged even by favages. The awful majefty of 



the 



