By this husband was meant the constellation of Bootes, the herdsman, which being in the vicinity of, and rising at the same time with, the celestial virgin, may be said to be married to her, but not to know her, because the distance between them is always the

same.

"That the child of this virgin, the saviour of mankind, and the restorer of the celestial nature, in the beginning led a mean, obscure, and indignant life."

By this was meant, that the winter sun was humbled, depressed below the horizon, that this first period of his four ages, or seasons, was a period of obscurity and indigence, of fasting and privation.

"That being put to death by the wicked, he gloriously rose again, ascended from hell into heaven, where he will reign forever."

By these expressions was described the life of the same sun, who terminating his career at the winter solstice, when Typhon, and the rebellious angels, exercised their sway, seemed to be put to death by them, but shortly after revived, and rose again in the firma

ment.

CHAPTER V.

OF THE SUBSEQUENT CHANGES OF RELIGION.

Ar the time when Polytheism began generally to prevail, the Theists and Pantheists were scattered among the nations which received it. Some of these admitted that there might be many Gods. The Theist believed that, though he had no reason to suppose that more than one God was engaged in the creation of the world, there might be others, who had no part in that work. The Pantheist divided his God into many, and supposed that instead of being governed by one soul alone, the universe might be governed by the souls of its parts, believing, however, that there was one sú. preme power, that ruled over these. Yet there were many of both sects, that boldly rejected the additional Gods, and uniting, because they agreed in the point which formed the dispute between them and their common enemies, formed a religion of their own. This religion, however, derived its activity, as well as many of its tenets, from that of the Polytheists.

Before the existence of any other religion, men regarded the question, whether the doctrines of the Theist, and Pantheist, were true or false, as one in which they had little or no concern; for it was not supposed that God, if he existed, concerned himself with the affairs of men, except by the immutable laws which he had established." Some might, perhaps, affirm, that God would be driven to wrath, by the ingratitude of man, and appeased by prayer and adoration, but.

these assertions would, by most men, be regarded as the dreams of disordered brains. If worship and prayer have any beneficial effect, it could not be known to those who possessed no religion, except that which might be derived from the contemplation of nature.—Experience would teach them, that the course of nature continued the same, whether prayers were ors were not addressed to God, that the sun shined, and the rain fell, on those who prayed not, as well as those who prayed. Philosophy would teach them, that as God has a full knowledge of all our wants, and of every thing which would contribute to our happiness, the whole, if consistent with his purposes, would be granted.hout any petition from us, and refused if not, whatever might be our prayers and supplications.

Nor would it be supposed, that the worship of God, could procure us any favor from that holy being. Nature affords us no reason for believing that God desires our worship, and if it should be granted that he does, he hath power to obtain it, without rewarding those who comply with his will, or punishing those who refuse. It is true that we have no proof, that worship and prayer do not produce beneficial effects, but it is. equally true that we cannot prove that they do. Without the aid of revelation, we could not even know that their effects were not injurious.

But the Polytheists, as soon as their religion began to exist, (owing to the cause that gave it birth,) believed that the Gods took great interest in the affairs of men. As their Gods were no more than the principles of nature, on which depended the condition of the human race, mistaken, from the tales which were related concerning them, for beings of an intellectual nature, the people could not suppose that human affairs were never affected by their influence. The Theist and Pantheist believed that their God governed the world by the laws of nature, which depended on his will, from which he did not often, if ever, deviate

since he had so contrived them from the beginning, that they should produce the state of things which he desired. The Polytheists, believing that the world was governed by many Gods, could not suppose that they had thus adapted the laws of nature to their designs. As they concluded from the traditions that were related, that these Gods were influenced by passions, like those of men, they supposed that their favors might be won by prayer and adoration. This opinion at first arose from the prayers addressed to their theoi, without any expectation of beneficial effects, and increased by subsequent causes. The Theists suppose that their God punished man only by the operation of the laws of nature. They therefore sought his favor by that virtue which we denominate prudence. The Polytheists, influenced in their belief, by the tales of the priests and politicians, supposed that his Gods punished those who offended, in the manner of human rulers; he therefore sought their favor by prayer, sacrifice, and by obedience to the government, which he supposed was supported by the will of the celestial. powers.

When the Theists and the Pantheists separated from the Polytheists, they borrowed from the latter, their notions of the concern which the divine powers take in the affairs of men, and of the worship and adoration which they require. They began to teach that God granted man no favors, except in consequence of prayer, that he severely punished those who disbelieved his existence, refused to obey his commands, or to worship and adore him, in a manner appropriate to his power and holiness. Hence arose a religion well calculated, so far as its tenets were believed, to curb the multitude, when in the hands of the rulers, and to excite seditions when in the hands of the factious.

Those Theists, who dwelled in nations governed by Polytheistical rulers, soon found that people of such discordant opinions, could not join in peace. They therefore attempted, by revolutions, to change the

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government, and bring the power of the nation into their own hands; where this could be effected, they repaid on their adversaries. the evils which they had suffered; where it could not, they flocked together in great numbers, and forsaking their native land, sought in regions which their swords might win, an assylum for their opinions. Their rulers, to encourage them, under the hardships and privations which they were forced to endure, affirmed that God was on their side, and that he would deliver them from their enemies.To maintain their own authority, they asserted that it was derived from the divine power, and that the same power would inflict the severest punishment on the disobedient. The slightest good fortune, they considered, or pretended to consider, as the immediate interposition of heaven in their favor; if they met with any disaster, some sin had been committed, at which the Lord was displeased, they sought for the offender, and as crimes are every day committed in a large and ill-governed multitude, the wrath of heaven was never without a cause. If they found any difficulty, in crossing rivers, lakes, or seas, when they had overcome it, and effected a passage, they affirmed that God had granted them his assistance. They marched into de serts, through which they were obliged to pass, they found wild fruits, manna, birds and beasts, suitable for food; they affirmed that God had sent them there, that they might not suffer for the want of meat; they overcame their enemies in battle, they attributed their success to the assistance of heaven. In the traditions of later times, these favors were magnified into miracles. It was asserted that the sea had opened, to give them a passage, standing above them, on each side, as they passed, and that returning, it had swallowed up their enemies, who ventured* to pursue them; that

*The infatuation of the Egyptians, in venturing to pursue the Israelites, under the circumstances mentioned in the scrip tures, was a greater miracle, than the opening of the waters,