r6 M O S T- H I G H. have fern in the Introduétion, worshipped the heavenly Bodies as the fnfible Reprefentatives of the true GOD, the fecond Caufes inftead of the first; then the Powers of Nature, and Nature itself, for the GOD of Nature ; and, at laft, the vilest and molt fordid Reprefentations of thofe Powers, that Head could imagine or Hands compote. 'They could go but one Step lower, and That they went.They worshipped the Devil himfelf; and, it muft be owned, with Rites and Ceremonies fuitable to the Objeft. In this they exhibit a melancholy Pi&ure of human Nature, left of GOD ; and prove, that there is nothing fo vain, fo fottifh, or depraved, but which will be greedily enough received, if it but concur with the Fiithinefs or Superftition of the carnal Mind.* The Apoftle, in the firft Chapter of his Epiftie to the Ro- mans, paints, with great Exprefiion, the ugly Outlines of the antient idolatrous Charafter. Nothing could a Among the many Superfitions praaifed almoft over all the Eats, the Worship of the Serpeno feems not the least extraordinary. From the wifer and more intelligent Chald tins and Bgÿptians, this probable Corruption of the Tradition, refpe Ling the In/7rumens of Man's Fall, made its way into the most remote and inhospitable Re- gions of Africa. The Serpent is to this Day a favourite Divinity among many of the Negro States, and particularly that of the Whi- dahs. An odd Incident, which may ferve to mark the Folly that neceffarily attends Idolatry, the Author of a late Hillary ofyamaica has related, in the 399th Page of his Second Volume., " In the Year ° 1697, a Hog, that had been teized for fome time by one of thefe Reptiles, killed and gobbled it up. The Marbuts, or Pries, " went with their Complaint in Form to the King ; and no one " prefuming to appear as Council for Defendant Hog, he was " convifted of the Sacrilege, and an Order iffued for a general Maf- .. facre of all his Species throughout the Kingdom, A thoufand chofen Warriors, armed with Cutlaffes, began the bloody Exe- " cution ; and the whole Race of Swine had been extirpated front ', Whidah, if the King'(who loved Pork) had not put a Stop to the " Carnage, by reprefenting to the Marbuts, that they ought to refs " fatisfied with the Vengeance they had already taken:" How ridi- culous and abfurd is the Mindof Man, under the Impreflions of Su- perftition ! 'Tis hard to fay, who are thegreateft Dupes theNegroes, who fancy the DivinityofSerpents, or thofe of the Pap /1s who be- \ lieve, that tso Companions of yofepb of Arimathea mtraculoufy 'failed over Sea upon his Son's Shirt; and filch like Fables of their Legends. g 'weed
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