may convince us, that fome biafs ftill hangs upon our conftitution, fome extrinfic weight, which turns it from its natural courfe, and caufes a confufion in our parties*. Some of the opinions delivered in thefe Effays, with regard to the public tranfactions in the last century, the Author, on more accurate examination, found reason to retract in his Hiftory of GREAT BRITAIN. And as he would not enflave himself to the systems of either party, neither would he fetter his judgment by his own preconceived opinions and principles; nor is he ashamed to acknowledge his mistakes. Thefe miftakes were indeed, at that time, almoft univerfal in this kingdom. F 2 ESSAY IX. Of SUPERSTITION and ENTHUSIASM. THAT "HAT the corruption of the best things produces the worst, is grown into a maxim, and is commonly proved, among other inftances, by the pernicious effects of fuperftition and enthufiafm, the corruptions of true reli gion. These two species of falfe religion, though both pernicious, are yet of a very different, and even of a contrary nature. The mind of man is fubject to certain unaccountable terrors and apprehenfions, proceeding either from the unhappy fituation of private or public affairs, from ill health, from a gloomy and melancholy difpofition, or from the concurrence of all these circumftances. In such a state of mind, infinite unknown evils are dreaded from unknown agents; and where real objects of terror are wanting, the foul, active to its own prejudice, and foftering its predominant inclination, finds imaginary ones, to whose power and malevolence it fets no limits. As these enemies are entirely invisible and unknown, the methods taken to appease them are equally F 3 equally unaccountable, and confift in ceremonies, obfervances, mortifications, facrifices, prefents, or in any practice, however abfurd or frivolous, which either folly or knavery recommends to a blind and terrified credulity. Weakness, fear, melancholy, together with ignorance, are, therefore, the true fources of SUPERSTITION. But the mind of man is also subject to an unaccountable elevation and prefumption, arifing from prosperous fuccefs, from luxuriant health, from ftrong spirits, or from a bold and confident difpofition. In such a state of mind, the imagination fwells with great, but confused conceptions, to which no fublunary beauties or enjoyments can correfpond. Every thing mortal and perishable vanishes as unworthy of attention. And a full range is given to the fancy in the invifible regions or world of spirits, where the foul is at liberty to indulge itself in every imagination, which may best fuit its present taste and difpofition. Hence arife raptures, transports, and furprising flights of fancy; and confidence and prefumption ftill encreafing, thefe raptures, being altogether unaccountable, and seeming quite beyond the reach of our ordinary faculties, are attributed to the immediate inspiration of that Divine Being, who is the object of devotion. In a little time, the infpired perfon comes to regard himself as a distinguished favourite of the Divinity; and when this frenzy once takes place, which is the fummit of enthusiasm, every whimsy is confecrated: Human reason, and even morality are rejected as fallacious guides: And the fanatic madman delivers himself over, blindly, and without referve, to the fuppofed illapfes of the spirit, and to inspiration from above. Hope, pride, presumption, a warm imagination, together with ignorance, are, therefore, the true fources of ENTHU SIASM. Thefe Thefe two fpecies of falfe religion might afford occafion to many fpeculations; but I fhall confine myself, at prefent, to a few reflections concerning their different influence on government and fociety. My first reflection is, That fuperftition is favourable to priefly power, and enthusiasm not less or rather more contrary to it, than found reason and philofophy. As fuperftition is founded on fear, forrow, and a depreffion of spirits, it represents the man to himself in fuch despicable colours, that he appears unworthy, in his own eyes, of approach- ́ ing the divine prefence, and naturally has recourfe to any other perfon, whofe fanctity of life, or, perhaps, impudence and cunning, have made him be fuppofed more favoured by the Divinity. To him the fuperftitious entrust their devotions: To his care they recommend their prayers, petitions, and facrifices: And by his means, they hope to render their addreffes acceptable to their incenfed Deity. Hence the origin of PRIESTS, who may justly be regarded as an invention of a timorous and abject fuperftition, which, ever diffident of itself, dares not offer up its own devotions, but ignorantly thinks to recommend itself to the Divinity, by the mediation of his fuppofed friends and fervants. As superftition is a confiderable ingredient in almoft all religions, even the most fanatical; there being nothing but philofophy able entirely to conquer thefe unaccountable terrors; hence it proceeds, that in almoft every sect of religion there are priests to be found: But the ftronger mixture there is of fuperftition, the higher is the authotity of the priesthood. On the other hand, it may be obferved, that all enthufiafts have been free from the yoke of ecclefiaftics, |