400 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



ed, did all they could to ftop their progrefs. But befides the mira- 

 cles they wrought, and their gift of tongues, they were affifted by 

 the Holy Spirit, which animated them, and fome of their converts, 

 and made them go on fo fuccefsfully, that, in not very many years, 

 a confiderable part of Greece and Italy was converted to Chriftianity. 



As to the general ftate of religion of this earth at prefent, I have 

 already obferved', that Chriftianity is the religion of Europe ; for 

 even where the Turks are the Sovereigns, the Chriftian religion is 

 prevalent. It alfo prevails in feveral parts of Afia, and even in 

 Egypt, particularly in the country about Alexandria, where they have 

 a Patriarch; and have joined together Judaifm and Chriftianity in 

 one remarkable particular, the obferving both the Chriftian and 

 Jewilh Sabbaths. In the weftern parts of Alia, Mahomedifm is the 

 prevailing religion ; and in-the eaftern parts, fuch as India, China, 

 and Japan, the popular religion of Egypt, which was brought to In- 

 dia by Ofiris, is predominant. Into India, it appears, that the Egyp- 

 tians imported their philofophy, as well as their popular religion j for 

 among the Bramins of India the doctrine of the Trinity is an article 

 of faith*. Of the nations of Africa we know fo little, that we cannot 

 fay what their religion is. And I have only been informed by a ne- 

 gro, who is emancipated, and has embraced the Chriftian religion, 

 and whom I had an opportunity of feeing in Edinburgh, that, in his 

 nation, they pradice circumcilion ; and aUb, that they performed 

 an operation upon the women, which is called in Greek ixri^vziv^ 

 and which was only pradifed in Egypt, but not in Judea. So it 

 appears, that this nation of negroes learned the pradice of circum- 

 cifion from the Egyptians. As to the New World on the other fide 

 of the Atlantic, all we know with any certainty of the religion of 

 the inhabitants there, is, that the nations of North America have got 

 the knowledge, as I have elfewhere obferved f, of one Superior Be- 

 ing, 



* Page 292. I Page 153. and 368. 



