wheretheeventissouncertain。Allhumanlife，especiallybeforetheinstitutionoforderandgoodgovernment，beingsubjecttofortuitousaccidents；itisnatural，thatsuperstitionshouldprevaileverywhereinbarbarousages，andputmenonthemostearnestenquiryconcerningthoseinvisiblepowers，whodisposeoftheirhappinessormisery。Ignorantofastronomyandtheanatomyofplantsandanimals，andtoolittlecurioustoobservetheadmirableadjustmentoffinalcauses；theyremainstillunacquaintedwithafirstandsupremecreator，andwiththatinfinitelyperfectspirit，whoalone，byhisalmightywill，bestowedorderonthewholeframeofnature。Suchamagnificentideaistoobigfortheirnarrowconceptions，whichcanneitherobservethebeautyofthework，norcomprehendthegrandeurofitsauthor。Theysupposetheirdeities，howeverpotentandinvisible，tobenothingbutaspeciesofhumancreatures，perhapsraisedfromamongmankind，andretainingallhumanpassionsandappetites，togetherwithcorporeallimbsandorgans。Suchlimitedbeings，thoughmastersofhumanfate，being，eachofthem，incapableofextendinghisinfluenceeverywhere，mustbevastlymultiplied，inordertoanswerthatvarietyofevents，whichhappenoverthewholefaceofnature。Thuseveryplaceisstoredwithacrowdoflocaldeities；andthuspolytheismhasprevailed，andstillprevails，amongthegreatestpartofuninstructedmankind。4
Anyofthehumanaffectionsmayleadusintothenotionofinvisible，intelligentpower；hopeaswellasfear，gratitudeaswellasaffliction:Butifweexamineourownhearts，orobservewhatpassesaroundus，weshallfind，thatmenaremuchoftenerthrownontheirkneesbythemelancholythanbytheagreeablepassions。Prosperityiseasilyreceivedasourdue，andfewquestionsareaskedconcerningitscauseorauthor。Itbegetscheerfulnessandactivityandalacrityandalivelyenjoymentofeverysocialandsensualpleasure:
Andduringthisstateofmind，menhavelittleleisureorinclinationtothinkoftheunknowninvisibleregions。
Ontheotherhand，everydisastrousaccidentalarmsus，andsetsusonenquiriesconcerningtheprincipleswhenceitarose:Apprehensionsspringupwithregardtofuturity:Andthemind，sunkintodiffidence，terror，andmelancholy，hasrecoursetoeverymethodofappeasingthosesecretintelligentpowers，onwhomourfortuneissupposedentirelytodepend。
Notopicismoreusualwithallpopulardivinesthantodisplaytheadvantagesofaffliction，inbringingmentoaduesenseofreligion；bysubduingtheirconfidenceandsensuality，which，intimesofprosperity，makethemforgetfulofadivineprovidence。Noristhistopicconfinedmerelytomodernreligions。Theancientshavealsoemployedit。