CONTENTS. 



be gratified ; — and their minds alio were to be gained, in the fame way as the minds 

 of men, by things prefented to them. — The firft things oflered to the Gods were the 



fruits of the earth The memory of thefe offerings preferved both in Egypt and 



Greece. — ^When men began to eat tleih, animals were offered to the Gods. — This 

 <ione fo conftantly when they killed animals, that to kill was faid to facr'ifice. — This 

 enjoined in fome nations as a duty, — particularly among the Jews. — The Gods, by 

 thofe lacrifices, were fuppofed to have their fmell gratified, and their ears pleafed by 

 the mufic accompanying tli£ facrifice — ^Their eyes alfo pleafed by magnificent Tem- 

 pies, Altars, and Proceffions. — In return for thefe offerings, it was expefted that the 

 Gods would give them fuccefs in war and their other occupations ; — and would re- 

 veal to them future events, which they fuppofed was done in many different ways. 

 Amono the Jews, Mofes was obliged to eftabliili a Religion refembling the Reli- 

 gion of the times : — They were incapable of receiving any other. — This the ftate of 

 Religion in the firft ages of the world, before arts and fciences had made any confider- 

 able progrefs.— But after arts and fciences were improved, Religion wore a very different 



face. All Arts, Sciences, and Pliilofophy, came originally from Egypt. — From E- 



t'vpt they went to Greece. — Of the great difcoveries made by Philofophy in Theolo- 



oy, Of the Platonic Doiftrine of the Trinity. — The firft, fecond, and third perfons 



of that Trinity explained. — An error fhown in our Engllfh tranflation, with refpect 



to the fecond perfon of the Trinity. — Of Plato's da£h-ine with refpeft to a ftate of 



pre-exiftence, and a future ftate of rewards and punifhments. — ^The Religion of the 



Phllofophers of Egypt brought to Greece, and from Greece to Italy, — where it was 



much cultivated among the Romans. — The popular Religion of Egypt alfo came to 



Greece and Italy. — The opinions of the Phllofophers muft have had an influence 



even upon the opinions of the world. — Of the ftate of Religion at the time when 



our Saviour came to the Earth. — ^The underftanding of men fo much then unproved, 



that thev had formed the idea of Beings fuperior to themfelves. — But their ideas of 



fuch Beings very grofs. — By the advances made in Sciences and in Philofophy, men 



were difpofed to receive a purer Religion when our Saviour came to the world. — 



The days of ignorance were then over, as St Paul has faid in his fpeech to the 



Athenians. An account given of that fpeech. — It contains the fyftem of pure The- 



ifin and wives a defcription of the true God. — Of this God, even the vulgar, among 

 the Athenians, appear at that time to have had fome idea. — St Paul fays nothing of 

 the particular doccrines of Chriftianity, except in one verfe, where he fpeaks of the 

 refurreclion of Jefus Chrlft. — This laughed at by the Athenians, — though probably 

 the Egyptians believed in the refurreftion of the body. — St Paul would explain to his 

 Converts the fundamental doftrines of Chriftianity, as ly?, The doctrine of the Tri- 

 nity, of which an explanation is already given in this chapter. — ia*;. The docb-inc of 

 the eternal generation of the Son of God, — of which an explanation is here given. — 



