sg8 
GENERAL REMARKS 
baniflied, and here they remained without thofe hopes held out 
to the fojourners in the Jabme-Abimo, juft mentioned, of one day 
enjoying the fight of Radien, and dwelling with him evermore in 
the manfions of blifs. To Rota the Laplanders made application 
as their lafl refort, when their Replications appeared not to have 
been attended to by the other divinities. They moreover be¬ 
lieved that all difeafes with which men or beaRs were afflicted, 
originated w T ith Rota, and that, as he was equal in power with 
the other gods, no relief could be expeCted unlefs this malignant 
deity was inclined to become propitious. 
Thus we obferve among this people, what I believe may be 
found in every early Rage of fociety, the acknowledgment of fe- 
veral limited and imperfeCt deities. Little reflection feems necef- 
fary to convince us that polytheifm muft have been the molt an¬ 
cient religion among mankind. What religion fo natural to con¬ 
fined and obfcure minds, as that which afcribes particular caufes 
for health and ficknefs, plenty and want, profperity and adverfity ? 
They moft eafily fuppofe that florms and tempefls, peftilence and 
famine come from malignant powers; profperous aflairs from the 
contrary. To them good and ill appear univerfally intermingled 
and confounded; happinefs and mifery, wickednefs and benevo¬ 
lence, all advantages attended with difadvantages. 
In fuch a flage of fociety, no paflions but the ordinary affec¬ 
tions of human life can operate. We may as well fuppofe that 
the Laplanders inhabited houfes and palaces before caves and huts, 
as that they fliould have had a belief in that perfeCl Being, who 
has 
