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 defcribing 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 moft trivial circumftances, the most inconfiderable monuments 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 laft he erroneously fupposes 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 Religion Religion have occafioned whole folios: And yet we may perhaps, with reason 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 study 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 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," wards delivered in the EDDA: And the Franks and Saxons, who afterwards fettled in Gaul and Britain, being of GoTHIC Race introduced the Polytheifm of their own nation, which was in general the fame with what prevailed among all the other GOTHIC OF I EUTON C people, viz. the Germans, Scandinavians, &c. [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 peo ple, fuppofes that the Druidical fyftem of the CELTIC nations, was uniformly the fame with the Polytheism 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 na tions. The first inhabitants of Gaul and Britain, being of CELTIC Race, followed the Druidical fuperftitions. The ancient Germans, Scandinavians, &c being of GOTHIC Race, proteffed that fyftem of Polytheifm, after gled together.] After all it is to be obferved, in favour of our Author's general course of reafoning, that in Gaul and britain, and in many other countries, innumerable reliques both of the CELTIC and GOTHIC fuperftitions, are fill dif cernable among the common people; as the prefent inhabitants of thofe countries derive their defcent equally from the GOTHS and CELTS, who at different times were mafters of thefe kingdoms, and whofe defcendants are now to blended and min T. which they would probably still have cultivated had they been left for ever to themfelves, and continued plunged in their original darkness: This is the Religion, which (if I may be allowed to say fo) our climate, our conftitutions, our very wants are adapted to and infpire: For who can deny, but that in the falfe religions, there are a thousand things relative to these different objects? It is, in fhort, this Religion, of which Chriftianity (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 Paganism of Greece and Rome ingroffes all our attention, while there are fo few, even among the learned, who have any notion of the Religion I am fpeaking 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 refearches than thofe of the northern nations? What indeed are they, after all, but a chaos of indiftinct and confufed opinions, and of customs indifcriminately borrowed and picked up from all other religions, void of all connection and coherence; and where, amidft eternal contradictions and obfcurities, one has fome difficulty to trace out a few bright rays of a 4 reafon reafon and genius? What was this Religion, but a rude and indigefted system, wholly compofed of fuperftitious ceremonies, directed by blind fear, without any fixed principles, without a fingle view for the good of humanity, without rational confolations, which, although in fome circumstances it might arreft the hand, wholly abandoned the heart to all its weakneffes ? Who can be afraid of finding among the most favage nations ideas of Religion more difgraceful to human nature, than these? But perhaps the Grecian Mythology may have been ftudied, in order to discover the origin of many cuftoms ftill exifting in Europe! It cannot indeed be denied, but that it is often neceffary to recur thither, in order to explain fome peculiarities of our manners, of which it is easier to difcover the cause, than to ascertain the reason. But doth not a knowledge of the Religions profeffed by the ancient Celtic and Gothic' nations lead to discoveries of the fame kind, and perhaps to others still more interesting? One generation imitates the preceding; the fons inherit their fathers fentiments, and whatever change time may effect, the manners of a nation always retain traces of the opinions professed by its first founders. Most of the prefent nations of Europe derive their origin either' from the |