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vast interval, which is interpofed betwixt the human and the divine nature. But tho' Iallow, that the order and frame of the universe, when accurately examined, affords fuch an argument; yet I can never think that this confideration could have an influence on mankind when they formed their firft rude notions of religion.

THE causes of objects, which are quite familiar to us, never ftrike our attention or curiofity; and however extraordinary or furprizing thefe objects may be in themfelves, they are paffed over, by the raw and ignorant multitude, without much examination or enquiry. ADAM, rifing at once, in paradife, and in the full perfection of his faculties, would naturally, as reprefented by MILTON, be aftonished at the glorious appearances of nature, the heavens, the air, the earth, his own organs and members; and would be led to afk, whence this wonderful scene arofe. But a barbarous, neceffitous animal (fuch as man is on the firft origin of fociety) preffed by fuch numerous wants and paffions, has no leifure to admire the regular face of nature, or make enquiries concerning the cause of objects, to which, from his infancy, he has been gradually accustomed. On the contrary, the more regular and uniform, that is, the more perfect, nature appears, the more is he familiarized to it, and the lefs inclined to fcrutinize and examine it. A monftrous birth excites his curiofity, and is deemed a prodigy. It alarms him from its novelty; and immediately fets him a trembling, and facrificing, and praying. But an animal compleat in all its limbs and organs, is to him an ordinary fpectacle, and produces no religious opinion or affection. Afk him, whence that animal arofe; he will tell you, from the copulation of its parents. And thefe, whence? From the copulation of theirs. A few removes fatisfy his curiofity, and fet the objects at fuch a distance, that he entirely lofes fight of them. Imagine not, that he will fo much as ftart the queftion, whence the first animal; much lefs, whence the whole fyftem or united fabric of the universe arose. Or, if you ftart fuch a question to him, expect not, that he will employ his mind with any anxiety about a fubject, fo remote, fo uninteresting, and which so much exceeds the bounds of his capacity.

BUT farther, if men were at firft led into the belief of one fupreme being, by reasoning from the frame of nature, they could never poffibly leave that belief, in order to embrace idolatry; but the fame principles of reasoning, which at first produced, and diffused over mankind, fo magnificent an opinion, must be able, with greater facility, to preferve it. The firft invention and proof of any doc trine is infinitely more difficult than the fupporting and retaining it.

THERE is a great difference betwixt hiftorical facts and fpeculative opinions; nor is the knowlege of the one propagated in the fame manner with that of the other. An historical fact, while it paffes by oral tradition from eye-witneffes and contemporaries, is difguifed in every fucceffive narration, and may at laft retain but very fmall, if any, refemblance of the original truth, on which it was founded. The frail memories of men, their love of exaggeration, their fupine carele finefs; thefe principles, if not corrected by books and writing, foon pervert the account of hiftorical events, where argument or reafoning has little or no place; nor can ever recal the truth, which has once efcaped thofe narrations. 'Tis thus the fables of HERCULES, THESE US, BACCHUS are fuppofed to have been originally founded in true hiftory, corrupted by tradition. But with regard to fpeculative opinions, the cafe is far otherwife. If thefe opinions be founded in arguments fo

clear

clear and obvious as to carry conviction with the generality of mankind, the fame arguments, which at firft diffused the opinions, will ftill preferve them in their original purity. If the arguments be more abftrufe, and more remote from vulgar apprehenfions, the opinions will always be confined to a few perfons; and as foon as men leave the contemplation of the arguments, the opinions will immediately be loft and be buried in oblivion. Which ever fide of this dilemma we take, it must appear impoffible, that theifm could, from reafoning, have been the primary religion of human race, and have afterwards, by its corruption, given birth to idolatry and to all the various fuperftitions of the heathen world. Reafon, when very obvious, prevents thefe corruptions: When abftrufe, it keeps the principles entirely from the knowlege of the vulgar, who are alone liable to corrupt any principles, or opinions.

SECT. II. Origin of Polytheifm.

If we would, therefore, indulge our curiofity, in enquiring concerning the origin of religion, we must turn our thoughts towards idolatry or polytheism, the primitive Religion of uninftructed mankind.

WERE men led into the apprehenfion of invifible, intelligent power by a contemplation of the works of nature, they could never poffibly entertain any conception but of one fingle being, who bestowed existence and order on this vaft machine, and adjusted all its parts, according to one regular plan or connected fyftem. For tho', to perfons of a certain turn of mind, it may not appear altogether abfurd, that feveral independent beings, endowed with fuperior wisdom, might confpire in the contrivance and execution of one regular plan; yet is this a mere arbitrary fuppofition, which, even if allowed poffible, must be confeffed neither to be fupported by probability nor neceffity. All things in the universe are evidently of a piece. Every thing is adjusted to every thing. One defign prevails thro' the whole. And this uniformity leads the mind to acknowlege one author; becaufe the conception of different authors, without any distinction of attributes or operations, ferves only to give perplexity to the imagination, without beftowing any fatisfaction on the understanding *.

On the other hand, if, leaving the works of nature, we trace the footsteps of invisible power in the various and contrary events of human life, we are neceffarily led into polytheism and to the acknowlegement of feveral limited and imperfect deities. Storms and tempefts ruin what is nourished by the fun. The fun deftroys what is foftered by the moisture of dews and rains. War may be favorable to a nation, whom the inclemency of the feafons afflicts with famine. Sickness and peftilence may depopulate a kingdom, amidst the most profufe plenty. The fame nation is not, at the fame time, equally fuccefsful by fea and by land. And a nation, which now triumphs over its enemies, may anon submit to their more prof

The ftatue of LAOCOON, as we learn from PLINY, was the work of three artifts: But 'tis certain, that, were we not told fo, we fhould never have concluded, that a groupe of figures, cut from one stone, and united in one plan, was not

the work and contrivance of one ftatuary. To afcribe any fingle effect to the combination of feveral caufes, is not furely a natural and obvious fuppofition.

perous

perous arms. In short, the conduct of events, or what we call the plan of a particular providence, is fo full of variety and uncertainty, that, if we fuppofe it immediately ordered by any intelligent beings, we must acknowlege a contrariety in their defigns and intentions, a conftant combat of oppofite powers, and a repentance or change of intention in the fame power, from impotence or levity. Each nation has its tutelar deity. Each element is fubjected to its invifible power or agent. The province of each god is feparate from that of another. the operations of the fame god always certain and invariable. To day he protects: To morrow, he abandons us. Prayers and facrifices, rites and ceremonies, well or ill performed, are the fources of his favor or enmity, and produce all the good or ill fortune, which are to be found amongst mankind.

We may conclude, therefore, that in all nations, which have embraced polytheism or idolatry, the first ideas of religion arose not from a contemplation of the works of nature, but from a concern with regard to the events of life, and from the inceffant hopes and fears, which actuate the human mind. Accordingly, we find, that all idolaters, having feparated the provinces of their deities, have recourse to that invifible agent, to whofe authority they are immediately fubjected, and whofe province it is to fuperintend that courfe of actions, in which they are, at any time, engaged. JUNO is invoked at marriages; LUCINA at births. NEPTUNE receives the prayers of feamen; and MARS of warriors. The hufbandman cultivates his field under the protection of CERES; and the merchant acknowleges the authority of MERCURY. Each natural event is fuppofed to be governed by fome intelligent agent; and nothing profperous or adverfe can happen in life, which may not be the fubject of peculiar prayers or thanksgivings'.

Ir muft neceffarily, indeed, be allowed, that, in order to carry men's attention beyond the present course of things, or lead them into any inference concerning invisible intelligent power, they must be actuated by fome paffion, which prompts their thought and reflection; fome motive, which urges their firft enquiry. But what paffion shall we here have recourfe to, for explaining an effect of fuch mighty confequence? Not fpeculative curiofity furely, or the pure love of truth. That motive is too refined for fuch grofs apprehenfions, and would lead men into enquiries concerning the frame of nature; a fubject too large and comprehensive for their narrow capacities. No paffions, therefore, can be fuppofed to work upon fuch barbarians, but the ordinary affections of human life; the anxious concern for happiness, the dread of future mifery, the terror of death, the thirst of revenge, the appetite for food and other neceffaries. Agitated by hopes and fears of this nature, efpecially the latter, men fcrutinize, with a trembling curiofity, the course of future caufes, and examine the various contrary events of human life. And in this difordered scene, with eyes ftill more difordered and astonished, they see the first obscure traces of divinity.

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SECT. III. The famè fubje&t continued.

We are placed in this world, as in a great theatre, where the true springs and caufes of every event, are entirely unknown to us; nor have we either fufficient wisdom to forefee, or power to prevent thofe ills, with which we are continually threatened. We hang in perpetual fufpence betwixt life and death, health and fickness, plenty and want; which are diftributed amongst the human fpecies by fecret and unknown caufes, whofe operation is oft unexpected, and always unac countable. These unknown causes, then, become the conftant object of our hope and fear; and while the paffions are kept in perpetual alarm by an anxious expectation of the events, the imagination is equally employed in forming ideas of thofe powers, on which we have fo entire a dependance. Could men anatomize nature, according to the most probable, at least the most intelligible philofophy, they would find, that these causes are nothing but the particular fabric and structure of the minute parts of their own bodies and of external objects; and that, by a regular and constant machinery, all the events are produced, about which they are fo much concerned. But this philofophy exceeds the comprehenfion of the ignorant multitude, who can only conceive the unknown causes in a general and confused manner; tho' their imagination, perpetually employed on the fame fubjećt, must labor to form fome particular and diftinct idea of them. The more they confider these causes themfelves, and the uncertainty of their operation, the lefs fatisfaction do they meet with in their research; and, however unwilling, they muft at last have abandoned fo arduous an attempt, were it not for a propenfity in human nature, which leads into a system, that gives them fome feeming

fatisfaction.

THERE is an univerfal tendency amongst mankind to conceive all beings like themselves, and to transfer to every object thofe qualities, with which they are familiarly acquainted, and of which they are intimately confcious. We find human faces in the moon, armies in the clouds; and by a natural propensity, if not corrected by experience and reflection, afcribe malice and good-will to every thing, that hurts or pleases us. Hence the frequency and beauty of the profopopaia in poetry, where trees, mountains and streams are perfonified, and the inanimate parts of nature acquire fentiment and paflion. And tho' these poetical figures and expreffions gain not on the belief, they may ferve, at leaft, to prove a certain tendency in the imagination, without which they could neither be beautiful nor natural. Nor is a river-god or hama-dryad always taken for a mere poetical or imaginary perfonage; but may fometimes enter into the real creed of the ignorant vulgar; while each grove or field is reprefented as poffeft of a particular genius or invifible power, which inhabits or protects it. Nay, philofophers cannot entirely exempt themfelves from this natural frailty; but have oft afcribed to inamate matter the horror of a vacuum, fympathies, antipathies and other affections of human nature. The abfurdity is not lefs, while we caft our eyes upwards; and transferring, as is too ufual, human paffions and infirmities to the deity, reprefent him as jealous and revengeful, capricious and partial, and, in fhort, a wicked and foolish man in every refpect, but his fuperior power and authority. No wonder, then, that mankind, being placed in fuch an abfolute ignorance of caufes, and being

at the fame time fo anxious concerning their future fortunes, fhould immediately. acknowlege a dependence on invifible powers, poffeffed of fentiment and intelligence. The unknown caufes, which continually employ their thought, appearing always in the fame afpect, are all apprehended to be of the fame kind or fpecies. Nor is it long before we afcribe to them thought, and reason, and paffion, and fometimes even the limbs and figures of men, in order to bring them nearer to a refemblance with ourselves.

In proportion as any man's courfe of life is governed by accident, we always find, that he encreases in fuperftition; as may particularly be obferved of gamefters and failors, who, tho' of all mankind, the leaft capable of ferious meditation, abound moft in frivolous and fuperftitious apprehenfions. The gods, fays CORIOLANUS in DIONYSIUS", have an influence in every affair; but above all, in war; where the event is fo uncertain. All human life, efpecially before the inftitution of order and good government, being fubject to fortuitous accidents; it is natural, that fuperftition fhould prevail every where in barbarous ages, and put men on the moft earneft enquiry concerning thofe invifible powers, who difpofe of their happiness or mifery. Ignorant of aftronomy and the anatomy of plants and animals, and too little curious to obferve the admirable adjustment of final causes; they remain ftill unacquainted with a first and fupreme creator, and with that infinitely perfect fpirit, who alone, by his almighty will, bestowed order on the whole frame of nature. Such a magnificent idea is too big for their narrow conceptions, which can neither obferve the beauty of the work, nor comprehend the grandeur of its author. They fuppofe their deities, however potent and invifible, to be nothing but a fpecies of human creatures, perhaps raifed from among mankind, and retaining all human paffions and appetites, together with corporeal limbs and organs. Such limited beings, tho' masters of human fate, being, each of them, incapable of extending his influence every where, must be vastly multiplied, in order to answer that variety of events, which happen over the whole face of nature. Thus every place is ftored with a crowd of local deities; and thus idolatry has prevailed, and still prevails, among the greatest part of uninstructed mankind ".

ANY of the human affections may lead us into the notion of invifible, intelligent power; hope as well as fear, gratitude as well as affliction: But if we examine our own hearts, or obferve what paffes around us, we fhall find, that men are much oftener thrown on their knees by the me'ancholy than by the agreeable paffions. Profperity is easily received as our due, and few questions are asked concerning its caufe or author. It begets cheerfuln fs and activity and alacrity and a lively enjoyment of every focial and fenfual pleasure: And during this ftate of

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