496 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book V. 



it is intelligent, has likewife ideas, and, by confequence, the percep- 

 tion of truth, and of order, regularity, and beauty, derived imme- 

 diately from the material world which exifts around it, and upon 

 which the Divinity has imprefled the fignature of intelligence, good- 

 nefs, and beauty, and has, as it were, tranfcribed himfelf. 



This was antlent philofophy — This was the ivifdom of the Egyp^ 

 tians'^y brought by Pythagoras into Greece and Italy, cultivated in 

 the fchools of Plato and Ariftotle, and, in their writings, delivered 

 down to us. To revive the ftudy of thefe writings, and, with that 

 ftudv, the fyftem of genuine theifm, is the defign of this work-~a 

 defign that, I am perfuaded, will be approved of by the wife and good, 

 however much it may be difliked by the difciples of that wretched, 

 impious philofophy which has become fafhionable of late, and which 

 is built upon no other foundation than the total ignorance of the 

 Greek philofophy, and even of the language of it ; for, in proportion 

 as the Greek language has been more or lefs cultivated in the feveral 

 parts of Europe, the Atheiftical philofophy has more or lefs prevailed. 

 On the continent, where the Greek tongue is very near quite forgot, 

 it is almoft univerfal. In England, where the Greek language is ftill 

 (ludied, it is very much lefs prevalent. And here, in Scotland, I have 

 obferved that, as claffical learning declinesjthe philofophy of Mr David 

 Hume gains ground. 



* Ads of die Apoftles, chap- y verfe sa- 



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