In claflk times the grove was the haunt of 

 Gods: 



-Habitarunt dii quoque fylvas. 



And in the days of nature, before art and 

 introduced a kind of combination againft her, 

 man had no idea of worfhipping God in a temple 

 made with bands. The templum nemorale was 

 the only temple he knew. 



-In the refounding wood 



All vocal beings hymned their equal God. 



We have a pleafmg modern inftance of this 

 fimple mode of worfhip in the accounts given 

 Us of Mr. Weftley's firft preaching the gofpel 

 in America. It was generally conducted in 

 fome open part of the wide forefts of the 

 country. " The woods refounded to the voice 

 " of the preacher j or to the finging of his 

 " numerous congregation: while their horfes, 

 " fattened to the trees, formed a fingular ad- 

 " dition to the fcene*." 



To this idea indeed of the ancient templum 

 nemorale^ one of the earlieft forms of the arti- 



See Hampfon's memoirs of Weftley. 



p 4 fcial 



