of the I/CHTHYOPHAGI\, a nation in I/NDIA\, he says, that, there
being so great difficulty in accounting for their descent, we must
conclude them to be , without any beginning of their
generation, propagating their race from all eternity; as some of the
physiologers, in treating of the origin of nature, have justly
observed. "But in such subjects as these," adds the historian,
"which exceed all human capacity, it may well happen, that those,
who discourse the most, know the least; reaching a specious
appearance of truth in their reasonings, while extremely wide of the
real truth and matter of fact."

     A strange sentiment in our eyes, to be embraced by a professed
and zealous religionist![27] But it was merely by accident, that the
question concerning the origin of the world did ever in ancient
times enter into religious systems, or was treated of by theologers.
The philosophers alone made profession of delivering systems of this
kind; and it was pretty late too before these bethought themselves
of having recourse to a mind or supreme intelligence, as the first
cause of all. So far was it from being esteemed profane in those
days to account for the origin of things without a deity, that
T/HALES\, A/NAXIMENES\, H/ERACLITUS\, and others, who embraced that
system of cosmogony, past unquestioned; while A/NAXAGORAS\, the
first undoubted theist among the philosophers, was perhaps the first
that ever was accused of atheism.[28]

     We are told by S/EXTUS\ E/MPIRICUS\,[29] that E/PICURUS\, when
a boy, reading with his preceptor these verses of H/ESIOD\,

     Eldest of beings,  first arose;

     Next , wide-stretch'd, the  of all:
the young scholar first betrayed his inquisitive genius, by asking,
<And chaos whence?> But was told by his preceptor, that he must have
recourse to the philosophers for a solution of such questions. And
from this hint E/PICURUS\ left philology and all other studies, in
order to betake himself to that science, whence alone he expected
satisfaction with regard to these sublime subjects.

     The common people were never likely to push their researches so
far, or derive from reasoning their systems of religion; when
philologers and mythologists, we see, scarcely ever discovered so
much penetration. And even the philosophers, who discoursed of such
topics, readily assented to the grossest theory, and admitted the
joint origin of gods and men from night and chaos; from fire, water,
air, or whatever they established to be the ruling element.

     Nor was it only on their first origin, that the gods were
supposed dependent on the powers of nature. Throughout the whole
period of their existence they were subjected to the dominion of
fate or destiny. <Think of the force of necessity>, says A/GRIPPA\
to the R/OMAN\ people, <that force, to which even the gods must
submit>.[30] And the Younger P/LINY\,[31] agreeably to this way of
thinking, tells us, that amidst the darkness, horror, and confusion,
which ensued upon the first eruption of V/ESUVIUS\, several
concluded, that all nature was going to wrack, and that gods and men
were perishing in one common ruin.

     It is great complaisance, indeed, if we dignify with the name
of religion such an imperfect system of theology, and put it on a
level with later systems, which are founded on principles more just
and more sublime. For my part, I can scarcely allow the principles
even of M/ARCUS\ A/URELIUS\, P/LUTARCH\, and some other  and
, though much more refined than the pagan superstition,
to be worthy of the honourable appellation of theism. For if the
mythology of the heathens resemble the ancient E/UROPEAN\ system of
spiritual beings, excluding God and angels, and leaving only fairies
and sprights; the creed of these philosophers may justly be said to
exclude a deity, and to leave only angels and fairies.

 S/ECT\. V. <Various Forms of Polytheism: Allegory, Hero-Worship>.

                                  

     But it is chiefly our present business to consider the gross
polytheism of the vulgar, and to trace all its various appearances,
in the principles of human nature, whence they are derived.

     Whoever learns by argument, the existence of invisible
intelligent power, must reason from the admirable contrivance of
natural objects, and must suppose the world to be the workmanship of
that divine being, the original cause of all things. But the vulgar
polytheist, so far from admitting that idea, deifies every part of
the universe, and conceives all the conspicuous productions of
nature, to be themselves so many real divinities. The sun, moon, and
stars, are all gods according to his system: Fountains are inhabited
by nymphs, and trees by hamadryads: Even monkies, dogs, cats, and
other animals often become sacred in his eyes, and strike him with a
religious veneration. And thus, however strong men's propensity to
believe invisible, intelligent power in nature, their propensity is
equally strong to rest their attention on sensible, visible objects;
and in order to reconcile these opposite inclinations, they are led
to unite the invisible power with some visible object.

     The distribution also of distinct provinces to the several
deities is apt to cause some allegory, both physical and moral, to
enter into the vulgar systems of polytheism. The god of war will
naturally be represented as furious, cruel, and impetuous: The god
of poetry as elegant, polite, and amiable: The god of merchandise,
especially in early times, as thievish and deceitful. The
allegories, supposed in H/OMER\ and other mythologists, I allow,