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,
have often been so strained, that men of sense are apt entirely to
reject them, and to consider them as the production merely of the
fancy and conceit of critics and commentators.
Pages:
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43