50 LIBERTY OP REASONING 



the point of union of numberlefs petty tribes and na- 

 tions, from whence, by infenlible degrees, that great 

 political body grew, which reverenced Jupiter, as its 

 general guardian god, and the amphiclyons as its fo- 

 vereign national tribunal. 



Thus all civil focieties were in fome fort founded on 

 religion ; it eompofed a part of the legiflature, an ef- 

 fential piece of the conftitution. It was conlidered 

 (how far right or wrong is not now the queftion) as a 

 band of the Hate, that could not be cut, without at 

 the fame time diffolving the government. But — - how 

 was this religion framed ? 



Such raw and extremely fenfual people, as we muft 

 conceive the men of tht>fe times to be, were yet hut little 

 capable of elevating their minds to the rational idea of 

 fovereign power, wifdom, and goodnefs ; the only 

 idea that can be worthily connected with the word 

 God. They required vilible and palpable objedls of 

 their religious adoration. The deities therefore got 

 images, the images temples, and the temples prieils. 

 Thefe latter, as was highly natural, came gradually, 

 from minifters to be the familiars, from the familiars 

 to be the favourites, and from the favourites to be the 

 organ of their gods. The gods revealed themfelves to 

 them, one while in dreams, at another by voices and 

 apparitions. They were inftructed by thefe fuperior 

 beings in the fecrets of nature and the decrees of fate. 

 Hence, the priefts in thofe remoter periods were alfo 

 the fages or the learned, the foothfayers and the phy- 

 licians of the nation ; and ftill are fo among all the na- 

 tions that yet remain in the lowermoft degrees of civi- 

 lization. They healed difeafes, which they conlidered 

 3 as 



