Chap. VI. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 395 



contrary; for by It we are diredled, as I have faid, to put our trufl; 

 entirely in the life to come, and not at all in the things of this life. 

 It was, therefore, to thcfe only that the Jews looked, wifhing and hop- 

 ing that the kingdom of Ifrael fhould be reftored to its antient inde- 

 pendent fituation, the greateft happinefs they thought they could 

 enjoy. And, at this day, when Chriftianity is the religion of Eu- 

 rope and of fome part of Afia, they continue unbelievers, and are in 

 the moft lingular fituation that any nation ever was in; for they arc 

 difperfed, I may fay, all over the world, and yet continue a nation 

 without a country, and ftill obflinately attached to their religion, 

 cuftoms, and manners. 



I have already obferved ''••, that the Heatlien religion, was very 

 djftru£live of the animal race, by offering fo many of them to be 

 facrificed to the Gods. This, I have faid, mufl certainly have 

 been very ofFenfive to a wife and good God, who mull be fuppofed 

 to defire the prefervation and happinefs of the whole race of animals, 

 as far as is confident with the general fyftera of nature. But as 

 intelligence muft always adl according to fyftem, and the Supreme 

 InteUigenc emore than any other, fo in the progrefs of man, in 

 religion as well as in other things, we fee that every thing went on 

 in regular order; fo that man could not at once attain to true 

 religion, but muft have formed one fuitable to the degi-ee of intelli- 

 gence which he had acquired. And as there was nothing more 

 natural than his believing that his offering to his Gods what he 

 efteemcd moft valuable, would render them propitious, from thence 

 arofe thofe facriiices of animals, even by hundreds, which he made, 

 and burnt, that the odour might afcend to the (kics, vvhere he fup- 

 pofed the Gods dwelt. 



This enormity God "winked at (as the apoftle fays) In the days of 

 ignorance, and tolerated even in his chofen people the Jews, among 



.3 E> 2 Tvlioni' 



* Page 384. 



