happens that the very reverse is the truth. The mosl 

 ancient record of the human race, and by far the most credi- 

 ble, are the writings of Moses, being written upwards of 

 1500 years before our aera, and consequently 3300 years ago ; 

 and these unequivocally attest the unity of the Supreme 

 Being to have been originally known to the whole human 

 race. Mr. Hume, assuredly, has not acted fairly in neglect- 

 ing this testimony, without assigning any reason for rejecting 

 it. Sir William Jones, in his 6th discourse addressed to the 

 Asiatic Society, asserts that, if we may rely on the authorities 

 adduced by Mohsani Fani, the primitive religion of Iran was 

 that which Newton calls the oldest of all religions, a firm belief 

 that one Supreme God made the world by his power, and 

 governs it by his providence. Under the name of Iran, he 

 comprehends Chaldea, Assyria, and the greater part of Lesser 

 Asia, and adds that it cannot be doubted that the corruption 

 of this purest and oldest religion was the system of Indian 

 theology, invented by the Bramins. 



Mr. Hume assumes as his second ground, the apparent im- 

 possibility that mankind, in their original state, " while as yet 

 " rude and barbarous," should attain a truth so sublime as 

 that of the divine unity ; for that, " according to the naturaj 

 " progress of human thought, the ignorant multitude must 

 " first entertain some grovelling and familiar notion of human 

 " powers, before they stretch their conception on that 

 " perfect Being, who bestowed order on the whole frame of 



" nature ;. 



