Chap. Vr. A N T I E N T METAPHYSICS. 151 



*' of vvifdom." Without that fear, I hold, there is no real wifdom 

 or found underftanding among men ; and, therefore, that, without 

 religion, there never was nor ever will be formed, or carried on, any 

 polity in the lead degree perfect. — So far I differ in opinion from 

 our philofopher Mr David Hume, who has thought proper to in- 

 form the public, that the lefs religion there is in any country, fo 

 much the better for that country *. Cicero was fo much of a dif- 

 ferent opinion, that he thought the chief praife he could beftow up- 

 on his countrymen, was, that, however they might be excelled by 

 other nations in other things which he names, fed pletate ac religi' 

 one, atque hac una fapientia, quod Deorum immorialium numine om.' 

 nia regi gubernariqiie perfpeximus^ omnes gentes nalionefque Juperavl' 

 mus f . And I am perfuaded it was to their religion chiefly that they 

 owed the conqueft of the world : For it was their religion, and par- 

 ticularly their moll religious regard to an oath, which made thera. 

 fo good citizens and foldiers if. 



I am, however, of opinion, that religion was not known to man 

 in his natural ftate, nor even in the firft ages of civility, but was 

 difcovered by him, like other things, in procefs of time, as he im- 

 proved in underftanding. And this is a truth not only proved by 

 fa£t and obfervation, as I fhall afterwards ftiow, but I think is evi- 

 dent from theory, and may be demonftrated in this manner. 



Men in the mere natural ftate have no ideas at all, but only the 

 capacity of forming them. They have therefore only the perceptions 

 of fenfe. From thefe perceptions, when they are a little advanced in 

 civility and arts, they form, by abftracflion and generallifation, ideas in 

 the manner I have elfewhere ihown §. But their firft ideas were only 



of 

 • See ■vol. il. of this woek, p. 301.; and fee further concerning the philofophy of 

 Mr Hume, -vol. I. p. 309. 



f Oratio, dc Harufp'xcum refponfts. 



\ See what I have further faid on this fubjc(f\, in vol. V. of Origin of Language, p. a. 



5 Page 65. and 66. of this voluLrie 



