1 it; it will foon give them a character analogous to its own: One of these two forces muft unavoidably triumph over the other, and become both of them blended and combined together; as two rivers when united, form a common ftream, which rapidly bears down all oppofition. But in this multitude of Religions, all are not equally worthy of our research. There are, among fome barbarous nations, Creeds without ideas, and practices without any object; these have at firft been dictated by fear, and afterward continued by mere mechanical habit. A fingle glance of the eye thrown upon fuch Religions as these, is fufficient to fhow us all their relations and dependencies. The thinking part of mankind, muft have objects more relative to themselves ; they will never put themselves in the place of a Samoiede or an Algonquin: Nor beftow much attention upon the wild and unmeaning fuperftitions of barbarians, fo little known and unconnected with themfelves. But as for these parts of the world, which we ourselves inhabit, or have under our own immediate view; to know fomething of the Religions which once prevailed here and influenced the fate of these countries, cannot furely be deemed uninteresting or unimportant. Two* principal Religions for many ages divided between them all these countries, which are now bleffed with Christianity: Can we comprehend the obligations we owe to the Christian Religion, if we are ignorant from what principles and from what opinions it has delivered us? I well know that men find employment enough in describing one of these two fyfftems; viz. that of the Greeks and Romans. How many books on their ancient mythology hath not that Religion occafioned ? There have been volumes written upon the little petty Divinities adored only in one fingle village; or accidentally named by fome ancient author: The most trivial circumstances, the most inconfiderable monu ́ments of the worship prescribed by that Our Author fays Two RELIGIONS, meaning, 1. The Polytheism of GREECE and ROME, and, 2. The Druidical Religion of the CELTS: which Jaft he erroneously fuppofes to be the fame with the Polytheism of the Scandinavians of GOTHIC Race. The truth is, the ancient Pagan Religions of Europe may be claffed more properly thus. I. ThePolytheism ofGREECE and ROME, &c. 2. The Druidical Religion of the CELTIC nations. 3. The Polytheism of the TEUTONIC and GOTHIC nations. 4. The Pagan Religion of the SCLAVONIAN nations. And, 5. The low wretched Superftitions of the more northern favages, viz. The LAPLANDERS, FINS, GREENLANDERS, &c. T. Religion Religion have occafioned whole folios: And yet we may perhaps, with reafon affert, that a work which fhould endeavour to unfold the fpirit, and mark the influence of that Religion in a moral and political view, is yet wanted. Nevertheless that Religion only extended itself in Europe over Greece and Italy. How indeed could it take root among the conquered nations, who hated the Gods of Rome both as foreign Deities, and as the Gods of their mafters? That Religion then fo well known among us, that even our children ftudy its principal tenets, was confined within very narrow bounds, while the major part of Gaul, of Britain, Germany and Scandinavia uniformly cultivated another very different, from time` immemorial. The Europeans may reasonably call this CELTIC worship, the Religion of their * "It little imports that the learned stile this Religion in France, "the GAULISH; in Eng"land, the BRITISH; "in Germany, the GER MANIC, &c. It is now "allowed to have been "the fame, at least with "refpect to the funda fathers ; fathers; Italy itself having received into her bofom more than one conquering nation who profeffed it. This is the Religion "proceed, in my opi"nion, from men's not "understanding one an"other." [Thus far our ingenious Author, who having been led by Pelloutier and Keyflar into that fundamental error (which has been the ftumbling-block of modern antiquaries) viz. That the CELTS and GOTHS were the fame people, fuppofes that the Druidical fyftem of the CELTIC nations, was uniformly the fame with the Polytheifm of the nations. of GOTHIC Race: Than which there cannot be a greater mistake in itfeif, nor a greater fource of confufion in all our refearches into the antiquities of the European nations. The firft inhabitants of Gaul and Britain, being of CELTIC Race, followed the Druidical fuperftitions. The ancient Germans, Scandinavians, &c. being of GOTHIC Race, profeffed that fyftem of Polytheifm, after wards delivered in the EDDA: And the Franks and Saxons, who afterwards fettled in Gaul and Britain, being of GoTHIC Race, introduced the Polytheism of their own nation, which was in general the fame with what prevailed among all the other GOTHIC OFTEU TONIC people, viz. the Germans, Scandinavians, &c. After all it is to be obferved, in favour of our Author's general course of reasoning, that in Gaul and Britain, and in many other countries, innumerable reliques both of the CELTIC and GOTHIC fuperftitions, are ftill difcernable among the common people; as the pre fent inhabitants of those countries derive their defcent equally from the GOTHS and CELTS, who at different times were masters of thefe kingdoms, and whofe defcendants are now so blended and mingled together.] T. which they would probably ftill have cultivated had they been left for ever to them-felves, and continued plunged in their original darkness: This is the Religion, which (if I may be allowed to say so) our climate, our conftitutions, our very wants are adapted to and inspire: For who can deny, but that in the falfe religions, there are a thousand things relative to thefe different objects? It is, in fhort, this Religion, of which Christianity (though after a long conflict, it triumphed over it) could never totally eradicate the vestiges. We may reasonably inquire how it comes to pass that the Paganifm of Greece and Rome ingroffes all our attention, while there are so few, even among the learned, who have any notion of the Religion I am speaking of? Hath this preference been owing to any natural fuperiority either in the precepts or worship of these learned nations? Or do they afford fubjects for more fatisfactory researches than those of the northern nations? What indeed are they, after all, but a chaos of indiftinct and confufed opinions, and of cuftoms indifcriminately borrowed and picked up from all other religions, void of all connection and coherence; and where, amidst eternal contradictions and obfcurities, one has fome difficulty to trace out a few bright rays of reafon a 4 |