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.
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