iS2 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



that man comes into the world, he feeks after 

 happinefs. The milk which nature has given 

 to the mother, renders the child content, and con- 

 fequently happy : it defires nothing more. But 

 as its age advances, and ks ideas increafe, it 

 feeks after fports, pleafures, and fortune. At 

 length man difcovers that there is a future exift- 

 ence, and a Supreme Being, who is the creator 

 and preferver of this world, and the-difpenfer 

 of happinefs or mifery in the world that is to 

 come. The firft human beings perceived there- 

 fore that it was of importance to render the Divi- 

 nity propitious to them ; but to obtain that end, 

 they made ufe of means that were as weak and 

 imperfect as were their underftandings. Hav- 

 ing nothing but fenfible objects before their eyes, 

 they could form only corporeal ideas, and thefe 

 ideas they applied to the Supreme Being, to 

 whom nothing corporeal can belong. 



II. By groping continually in that darknefs, 

 without the guidance of revelation or philofophy, 

 after the right way of obtaining the knowledge 

 of God, and the manner in which he ought to 

 be worfhipped, they could not but wander and 

 deceive themfelves, as well with refpect to the 

 one as the other of thefe objects. The know- 

 ledge of God, and of the manner in which he is 

 to be worfhipped, forms what we call religion. 

 The defign of this chapter, therefore, is to in- 

 form our readers what have been the principal 

 religions, that men have invented and followed, 



from 



