SKETCH III. Principles and Progrefs of Theology. A S no other fcience can vie with the ology, either in dignity or importance, it justly claims to be a favourite study with every person endued with true taste and folid judgement. From the time that writing was invented, natural religion has employ'd pens without number; and yet in no language is there found a connected history of it. The prefent work will only admit a flight sketch: which I shall glory in, however imperfect, if it excite any one of fuperior talents to undertake a complete history. CHAP. THat СНАР. І. Existence of a Deity. 'Hat there exift beings, one or many, powerful above the human race, is a propofition univerfally admitted as true, in all ages, and among all nations. I boldly call it univerfal, notwithstanding what is reported of fome grofs favages; for reports that contradict what is acknowledged to be general among men, require more able vouchers than a few illiterate voyagers, Among many favage tribes, there are no words but for objects of external fenfe: is it furprising, that fuch people are incapable to exprefs their religious perceptions, or any perception of internal fenfe? and from their filence can it be fairly prefumed, that they have no fuch perception *? The In the language even of Peru, there is not a word for expreffing an abftract idea, fuch as time, endurance, Space, exiflence, fubftance, matter, body. It is no lefs defective in expreffing moral ideas, fuch as The conviction that men have of fuperior powers in every country where there are words to exprefs it, is fo well vouched, that in fair reasoning it ought to be taken for granted among the few tribes where language is deficient. Even the groffeft idolatry affords evidence of that conviction. No nation can be fo brutifh as to worship a stock or a stone, merely as fuch: the vifible object is always imagined to be connected with fome invifible power; and the worship paid to the former, is as reprefenting the latter, or as in fome manner connected with it. Every family among the ancient Lithuanians, entertained a real ferpent as a household god; and the fame practice is at present univerfal among the negroes in the kingdom of Whidah: it is not the ferpent that is worshipped, but fome deity imagined to refide in it. The ancient Egyptians were not idiots, to pay divine honours to a bull or a cat, as virtue, juftice, gratitude, liberty. The Yameos, a tribe on the river Oroonoko defcribed by Condamine, ufe the word poettarraroincouroac to exprefs the number three, and have no word for a greater number. The Brafilian language is nearly as bar ren. VOL. IV. B b as as fuch the divine honours were paid to a deity, as refiding in these animals. The fun is to man a familiar object: being frequently obfcured by clouds, and totally eclipsed during night, a favage naturally conceives it to be a great fire, sometimes flaming bright, fometimes obfcured, and fometimes extinguished. Whence then fun-worship, once univerfal among favages? Plainly from the fame cause: it is not properly the fun that is worshipped, but a deity who is fuppofed to dwell in that luminary. Taking it then for granted, that our conviction of fuperior powers has been long univerfal, the important question is, From what cause it proceeds. A conviction fo univerfal and fo permanent, cannot proceed from chance; but must have a caufe operating conftantly and invariably upon all men in all ages. Philofophers, who believe the world to be eternal and self-existent, and imagine it to be the only deity tho' without intelligence, endeavour to account for our conviction of fuperior powers, from the terror that thunder and other elementary convulfions raife in favages; and thence conclude that fuch fuch belief is no evidence of a deity. Thus Lucretius, Præterea, cui non animus formidine divum Contrahitur? cui non conripunt membra pavore, And Petronius Arbiter, Primus in orbe deos fecit timor: ardua cœlo Fulmina quum caderent difcuffaque moenia flammis, Atque ictus flagraret Athos †. It will readily be yielded to these gentlemen, that favages, grofsly ignorant of caufes and effects, are apt to take fright at every unusual appearance, and to think that fome malignant being is the caufe. * What man can boast that firm undaunted foul, That hears, unmov'd, when thunder fhakes the pole; Nor fhrinks with fear of an offended pow'r, When lightnings flash, and ftorms and tempefts roar? When dread convulfions rock'd the lab'ring earth, The firft ideas of a God imprefs'd. (a) Lib. 5. B b 2. And |