When I first began these studies about the Druid antiquities, I plainly discern’d, the religion profess’d in these places was the first, simple, patriarchal religion. Which made me judge it worth while to prosecute my enquiries about them, as a matter the most interesting and important. Knowledge is the glory of a man, divine knowledge of a christian. What I have done in this volume, is a further prosecution of the scheme I have laid down to this purpose. The noble person to whom it is dedicated, induc’d me to hasten the publication, suggesting the shortness of human life, and having a good opinion of the work. I was willing to lay hold on the first opportunity of communicating to the world, the pleasure of contemplating so very noble antiquities, which we enjoy in our own island, before it be too late to see them. My endeavour in it is to open the times of first planting the world, after the flood; the propagation of true religion together with mankind; the deviation into idolatry; the persons that built the several kinds of patriarchal temples, such as we see here, in the more eastern parts of the world; the planters of _Great Britain_ in particular; and the connexion there is between the east and west in matters of religion. All this shews there was but one religion at first, pure and simple. _Pausanias in Corinthiac._ writes, “the _Phliasians_, one of the most ancient colonies in _Greece_, had a very holy temple, in which there was no image, either openly to be seen, or kept in secret.” He mentions the like of a grove or temple of _Hebe_, belonging to that people; and adds, “they give a mystical reason for it.” I guess the mystery to be, that it was after the first and patriarchal manner. The same author says _in argol._ “that at _Prona_ is a temple of _Vesta_, no image, but an altar, on which they sacrifice.” The ancient _Hetruscans_ ordain’d by a law, that there should be no statue in their temples. _Lucian de dea Syr._ writes, “the ancient temples in _Egypt_ had no statues.” _Plutarch, in Numa_, and _Clemens Alexan. strom._ I. remark, “that _Numa_ the second king of _Rome_, made express orders against the use of images, in the worship of the deity.” _Plutarch_ adds, “that for the first 170 years after building the city, the _Romans_ used no images, but thought the deity to be invisible.” So to the days of _Silius Italicus_ and _Philostratus_, at the temple of _Hercules_ our planter of _Britain_, at _Gades_, the old patriarchal method of religion was observ’d, as bishop _Cumberland_ takes notice, _Sanchoniathon_, p. 266. _Sed nulla effigies, simulachrave nota deorum._ Silius III. And our _british_ Druids had no images. And whatever we find in history, that looks like idolatry in them, is not to be referr’d to the aboriginal Druids, but to the later colonies from the continent.