CONTENTS. 



CHAP. VI. 



Of Religion, and the neceffity of it to conflitute and carry on a good polity..^The opi- 

 nion of Mr David Hume upon this fubieft, very different from that of Cicero. — Re- 

 ligion not known to Alan in his natural ftate, — nor in the firft age of civility. ^This 



proved, firft by Reafoti, and then by Facts, — and firft as to Rcafzn. — It fhews that 

 Miin in the natural ftate can have no ideas at all -, and, in the beginning of civility, 

 only ideas of corporeal fubftances, — but no ideas of invifible powers aibng upon bo- 

 dy, without which there can be no idea of God. — This idea only to be acquired in 

 procefs of time after the invention of different ans. — Secondly as to FaSfs; it is prov- 

 ed by the example of the Ourang Outang, — Peter the Wild tjoy, — the Wild Girl in 

 France, — the people of the Pelew lilands, — thoie of New Zeaiaiid — ui New Holland, 

 and particularly of Botany Bay Objedtion anlwered, troin the example of the In- 

 dians of North America, who have got the notion of a great ipint. — This they muft 

 have got from a people farther advanced in arts and civ.lu;y, who are proved by mo- 

 numents Itill exifting to have been once in that country. — iuat the idea of a God 

 is not an iimate idea; no innate ideas of any kind. Page 159 



CHAP. VII. 



Impoffible that the Egyptians, who had invented fo many arts and fciences, fhould not 

 have been Religious. — They were the moft Religious of all Nations. — Religion here 

 confidered as a Political Inftitutioii, which produced no bad effects among the Egyp- 

 tians, as it has done in many other Nations. — If it produced no bad eftects, where 

 there was lb much of it as in Egypt, it muil have produced good effects. — Difference 

 betwixt the ReUgion of Egypt and that of other Countries. — In other Countries 

 the Gods only predicted events ; in Egypt they were Kings, and Governed. — Of the 

 nature of the Egyptian Gods. — They were embodied, were born, and diedj and were 

 <>f different Characters. — They were of that clafs of Beings called Daemons. —This 

 opinion fupported by the authority of Plutarch, Plato, and other Authors quoted by 

 him. — Proved from theory that fuch Beings as Dsemons muft exift, otherwile there 

 would be a void in the univerfe, which cannot be fuppofed to be in fo perfeft 

 a Syftem. — Agreeable to the wifdom and goodnefs of God, that fuch Beings liiould 

 be fent among men, to aflift them to recover from their fallen State, by teaching 

 them Arts and Sciences. — This was done by the Daemons in Egypt. — ^This happened 

 in other countries as well as in Egypt, particularly in China and Peru. — In Peru there 

 was an Oiiris and an Ifis, under the name of Manco Capuc and his Sifter-wife. — 

 Authorities from Scripture to prove the exiftence of Dsnaons. — They may be fup- 



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