“And, particularly, they studied the genius of each city and country, placing it under its mental deity.
“Till a system was formed, which some took advantage of and enslaved 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 at length they pronounced that the Gods had ordered such things.
“Thus men forgot that All deities reside in the human breast.”
From this we pass to higher tones of exposition. The next passage is one of the clearest and keenest in the book, full of faith and sacred humour, none the less sincere for its dramatic form. The subtle simplicity of expression is excellently subservient to the intricate force of thought.
“A Memorable Fancy.
“The Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel dined with me, and I asked them how they dared so roundly to assert that God spoke to them; and whether they did not think at the time that they would be misunderstood, and so be the cause of imposition.
“Isaiah answered, ‘I saw no God, nor heard any, in a finite or organical perception; but my senses discovered the infinite in everything, and as I was then persuaded, I remain confirmed, that the voice of honest indignation is the voice of God. I cared not for consequences, but wrote.’
“Then I asked, ‘Does a firm persuasion that a thing is so, make it so?’