88 



LIBERTY OF REASONING 



were considered as effects of the vengeance of fome 

 offended god. 



Deities, that in fuch various ways were implicated 

 in the deffcinies of mankind, from whom fo much was 

 hoped for and fo much dreaded, whom it was neceffary 

 fo frequently to appeafe, or to render propitious to 

 their undertakings, could not long be without priefrs, 

 that is, mediators, procurators, and advocates, with 

 thefe fuperior beings, in behalf of wretched mortals, — 

 and prieffo could not be long without theology. As 

 reafon can only fay what God is not, and falls into 

 perplexity on being aiked, what he is, and either Ham- 

 mers or is mute : fo it needed no great artift, for en- 

 graving the whole theology of reafon on a grain of millet. 

 It was natural that priefts fhould not content themfelves 

 with, fo compendious a fyftem of divinity ; they fhouid 

 know more of their Principals than ordinary men, and 

 whence mould they have this fecret fcience, but from 

 the gods themfelves ? They revealed themfelves to 

 them in dreams, by apparitions or by other means, and 

 the facerdotal and magical arts were foon feen to flow 

 from thefe fupernatural fountains ; of which indeed 

 philofophy never would have thought, to which how- 

 ever ihe had at leaf! the key : the theory of good and 

 malignant fpirits, of heavenly,- elementary, and infer- 

 nal daemons ; the fcience of facrifices, expiations, and 

 initiations ; the art of rendering the fupreme divinities 

 propitious, the good daemons favourable, and the evil 

 ones fubmiffive; the fcience of interpreting dreams, 

 and of foretelling future events from certain llgns by 

 which the deities declare their wills; the fcience of 

 dealing difeafes by amulets, necromantic words, incan- 



tations, 



