The ancient poets animated all sensible objects with Gods
or geniuses.
Calling them by names and adoring them with the
properties of woods,
rivers, mountains, lakes, cities, nations, and whatever
their enlarged and
numerous senses could perceive. And particulary they
studied the genius of
each city & country, placing it under its mental deity;
till a system was
formed, which some took advantage of,& enslav'd the
vulgar by attempting
to realize or abstract the mental deities from their
objects: thus began
priesthood; choosing forms of worship from poetic tales.
And it length
they pronounc'd that the gods had order'd such things.
Thus men forgot
that all deities reside in the human breast.
