5. If then we reflect on the foregoing description of the work of _Abury_, whether we consider the figure it is built upon, the antiquity or the grandeur of it, we must needs admire it, as deservedly to be rank’d among the greatest wonders on the face of the earth. The ancients indeed did make huge temples of immense pillars in colonnades, like a small forest; or vast concaves of cupolas to represent the heavens; they made gigantick colosses to figure out their gods; but to our _British_ Druids was reserv’d the honour of a more extensive idea, and of executing it. They have made plains and hills, valleys, springs and rivers contribute to form a temple of three miles in length. They have stamp’d a whole country with the impress of this sacred character, and that of the most permanent nature. The golden temple of _Solomon_ is vanish’d, the proud structure of the _Babylonian Belus_, the temple of _Diana_ at _Ephesus_, that of _Vulcan_ in _Egypt_, that of the _Capitoline Jupiter_ are perish’d and obliterated, whilst _Abury_, I dare say, older than any of them, within a very few years ago, in the beginning of this century, was intire; and even now, there are sufficient traces left, whereby to learn a perfect notion of the whole. Since I frequented the place, I fear it has suffer’d: but at that time, there was scarce a single stone in the original ground-plot wanting, but I could trace it to the person then living who demolish’d it, and to what use and where. This I verily believe to have been a truly patriarchal temple, as the rest likewise, which we have here described; and where the worship of the true God was perform’d. And I conclude with what _Epiphanius_ writes, speaking of the old religion from the beginning of the world. _Non erat judaismus aut secta quæpiam alia: sed ut ita dicam, ea quæ nunc in præsenti sancta Dei catholica ecclesia obtinet, fides erat; quæ cum ab initio extiterit, postea rursum est manifestata._ He affirms _Adam_ and all the patriarchs from him to _Abraham_, were no other than christians; and this is the doctrine of the apostle of the _Gentiles_, 1 _Cor._ ix. 21. INDEX. _The dignity of the study of antiquities_, Page 1, 46 _Religion the principal purpose of life_, 6, 7, 55, 85, 100 _The patriarchal and Christian religion the same_, 4, 6, 62, 68, 89, 102 _Publick religion began with_ Adam’_s grandson_, Enos, 2, 6 _Exercis’d in a publick place call’d a temple_, 3, 7, 25 _A temple was an open circle of stones_, 4, 8 _Groves planted as cathedrals, summer-temples_, 4, 5 _Groves and temples equivocal_, ibid. _The Druid temples were patriarchal_, 4, 5, 102 _Heathen remains of patriarchal temples_, 5, 8, 33, 52, 83 _Our patriarchal round temples often dedicated to the sun_, 9, 67 _Likewise to dead heroes who built them_, 13, 84, 95, 98, 101 _Publick religion was on a stated day, the sabbath_, 6, 36, 68 _Heathen remains of the sabbath_, 68