386 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



the dof^rines of that better religion, which would fhow them, at the 

 faine time, the abfurdities of the religion they profelTed. 



Thus it appears, that the Chrlftian religion is founded upon 

 principles of philofophy, fuch as are formed from the ftudy of 

 nature; and, indeed, I think it would be abfurd, and even im- 

 pious, to maintain that there is any thing m it contrary to the 

 eftablifhed order of nature and the fyftem of the univerfe. But, 

 fo far from that, it is a moft philofophical religion, much more fo 

 than any other religion that ever was in the world; and it was 

 fit it fhould be fo, as philofophy was fo far advanced in the world; 

 nor could the philofophers have believed in it, if it had not been ^ 

 founded on principles of philofophy. The myftery of the Trinity is, 

 as I fhall {how in the next volume, not only a very great myftery of 

 religion, but of philofophy, as it not only explains to us the nature of 

 the Divinity, but leads to the knowledge of fuch a fyftem in the 

 univerfe, as to a man, who is philofopher enough to comprehend it, 

 muft appear aftonifhing. And it was neceffary that this myftery 

 fhould be revealed to Chriftians, as, without having the nature of the 

 Divinity thus explained, they could not comprehend how our Savi- 

 our fhould be the Son of God, nor could they have any idea of the 

 third perfon of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. 



That this myftery of the Trinity was revealed to the apoftles, 

 cannot, I think, be doubted, as they were not philofophers, and 

 therefore could not difcover it themfelves. But, I believe, the E- 

 gyptians did themfelves, with the affiftance of their Daemon Kings, 

 make this great difcovery in philofophy, which afcends to the very 

 fummit of theology. This difcovery they communicated to Plato ; 

 and their was another difcovery of theirs, which they alfo com- 

 municated to Plato, 1 mean the do£lrine of ic/eas. This dodlrine 

 I have no doubt that Plato brought with him from Egypt, as well 



as 



