CONTENTS, 



nations, and how it came to be fo barbarous as it was fpoken by feme nations. — Ic 

 was conveyed to India by Ofiris, and by him dcpofited in the hands of the Bramins, 

 who have preferved it with little or no corruption, but have not improved it. — It al- 

 fo went to Greece, but not in fo great purity as to India, — was preferved there by 

 Homer and the other poets. — Next to the Greek Langu.ige, it is in the greateft pu- 

 rity in the Celtic. — This proved by its refemblance to the Latin, — and by the name 

 of Shanfcrit being a Celtic word. — Surprifing that in fome of the moft barbarous Lan - 

 guages, a good deal of the art of the antient Egyptian Language fhould be preferved, 

 — as in the Gothic ; — even in the Lan^^uage of Greenland there is a dual number.—- 

 How fo many Languages, differing fo much from one another, fhoukl be all derived 

 from one primitive Language, accounted for. — The variety made in the two Egyp- 

 tian alphabets itill more wonderful — Objeftion anfwered, that it was not confiftent 

 with the wifdom and goodnefs of God, to confine tlie invention of Language to one 

 country. — That country fufficient for the purpofe. — The Variety of the fyllem of na- 

 ture did not admit that many countries Ihould be fo well fitted for that purpofe. 



Objeftion, that all the people on earth have not learned the ufe of fpeech, particu- 

 larly the Ourang Outangs. — But they may rtill learn it, as fome wild people in Ethi- 

 opia have done. Pane "j-j-* 



CHAP. VI. 



The hiftory of Religion fitly fubjoined to the hiflory of arts and fciences. In what 



fenfe Rehgion is natural to man :— It does not belong to him in his natural ftate, nor 

 even when he lives in herds, — but only in the civilifed ftate ; — not even in the firft 

 ages of civility. — This proved both by the reafon of the thing, and by three exam- 

 ples. — The knowledge of a God arofe from man's ftudying himfelf. — Th.e proircf^ 

 of that Itudy, and the reafoning, by which men were convinced of the exillence of 

 fuch a Being — As men formed the firft idea of a God from themfelves, tliey na- 

 turally made him like themielves, confifting both of body and mind, but both more 

 excellent than theirs. — Egypt the country in which Religion had its origin, as well 

 as arts and fciences. — This proved both by the reafon of the thing, and the autho- 

 rities of authors.— Egypt having been governed fo long by Dasmon Kings, tliere 

 were two Religions there, a Philofophical Religion, and a Religion for the vulcnr. 

 Religion went from Egypt to Greece ;— alfo to India, where feveral monuments of 

 the Religion of Egypt are to be feen at this day.— The idea ot a God went to other 

 countries as well as to Greece and India, though not the worflilp as prartifcJ in E- 

 gypt.— A plurality of Gods according to the firft Religion among men ;— but one 

 principle among them, according to the Religion both of Egypt and Greece.— As 

 thofe antient Gods were fuppofcd to have bodies, they had alfo icnfes that were to- 



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