( M ) 



tive religion, that is, to hold fail by the figure 

 vvhilft they lofe fight of the reality. 



Notwithftanding thefe fymbols fignify nothing 

 of themfelves, fomerimes it is the head of a bird, 

 at other times the foot of fome animal, or perhaps 

 a bit of wood •, in a word, the vileft and mod 

 common thing imaginable. This is preferved how- 

 ever with as much care, as the Dii Penates, or 

 houfhold gods were amongft the ancients. There is 

 even nothing in all nature, if we believe the In- 

 dians, which has not its genius, of which there 

 are fome of all ranks, but with different powers. 

 When they are at a lofs to conceive any thing, 

 they attribute it to a fuperior genius, and their 

 manner of expreffing themfelves then is, This rs a 

 fpirit. This is faid with greater jufrice of them, 

 who have any nngular talent, or who have per- 

 formed any extraordinary aclion, Thefe are fpirits^ 

 that is they have a tutelary genius of an ord r fu- 

 perior to the common. 



Some of them, and efpecially their jugglers, 

 endeavour to perfuade the multitude, that they 

 are tranfported into extafies This foHy has been 

 of all ages and amongft all nations, and is the pa- 

 rent of all falfe religions the vanity natural to 

 mankind, not being able to devife any more effica- 

 cious means of governing the weak andfimple, and 

 the multitude at laft carried along with them, thofe 

 who valued themfelves the mod on the fuperiority 

 of their underfbandings. The American impof- 

 tors, though they owe to themfelves only all 

 their addrefs in this point, draw all the advan- 

 tages from it to which they afpire. The jug- 

 glers never fail to publifh that their genii give 

 them great infight into the remoter! tranfactions, 

 and the moft diftant futurity in their pretended ex- 



i tafies \ 



