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- r rr^B: HIBTCTRY /Bookie
of religion, and all' it* religious i<fa»& nwft hatej#gut> to gjfcw bodily and fenGtive. The foul, of the generality could no longer
- i& of itftlf to the coitom§*&t;iorl pf tfaje ipirituaJ world ^kh
which k was fe ihtkn&tely eoitne&cd, add tor the adoration of the fpirkual Lord to whom k waa fc inuaftediately fobje&td. Jt required fome material; repreftiltatidn* fcmO fubftltuted and inaa* ginary re&mblancfe, to be planted before the eye* * in order to aitift ks ideas and to Call out it* devotioils* Hence the fpread* tag tree was fele&ed aifcd the Jb#y pillar was raifed to an emblem of God and fen objeft in prayer. And the dread Majefty of heaven aad earth was regularly worshiped through the medium •f the one or the other. Such probably was the firft itrtrodu&ion of images into thtf wor(hip of the Heathens ! Such certainly was the firft intro* dti&ioh of imager into the worfhip of Ghriftians fincc I And afr Jbciaftcd vice and folly muft fooa have molded religion into a more corporeal iyftem* Accuftomed to feniible dbje&s in de* votion aod Weakened in Her fcculties by fin, the mind muft iboft have loft all the fpirhua! idtas of worfhip and have retained paly the exterior and the bodily. Such we have fitic$ h%n to hav4 been ubhappily the r cafe among the ChrMtara of the Rornaa thurch* it* a itis vitiated ft ate of the hnoaa mind and under the advantage of a greater ilhirahratioa. Adidftg the -grofs ifttel* lefts of the generality, the worfhip in both foon ceafcd to be dirb&ed to God, and rcfted afcfafotdy and eRttveiy ;in the image of kin* - ...',;' . Thus in all probability waa the adoration of the pilitteod the trte introduced at ficft into the world. And thfr Brkmo adopted the? idqlatty. They wOrfhiptid the flourifhiug Oak They adored the maffy coliaaa * ' - • Matter beiag ortce made tmivcrially die objoft of ptaytr, the fMdd wetaW natural^ Wander over the Creation* add fele& fuefa part* of k as appeared moft fpiendid aad important. The, fyft and the moon, therefore would firft fqgage her attention* and &r tfcttfame reafoa appear to have beeamore the general ofcye^a of worfhip thaq any other garta of oup material, Jjpftaap.r The pla* 2. nets*
