whole city. Who can exprefs the perfections of the Almighty, fay the Mahometans? Even the nobleft of his works, if compared to him, are but duft and rubbish. How much more muft human conception fall short of his infinite perfections? His fmile and favor renders men for ever happy; and to obtain it for your children, the best method is to cut off from them, while infants, a little bit of ikin, about half the breadth of a farthing. Take two bits of cloth, fay the Roman catholics, about an inch or an inch and an half square, join them by the corners with two ftrings or pieces of tape about fixteen inches long, throw this over your head, and make one of the bits of cloth lie upon your breaft, and the other upon your back, keeping them next your fkin, there is not a better fecret for recommending yourself to that infinite Being, who exifts from eternity to eternity. THE GETES, Commonly called immortal, from their steddy belief of the foul's immortality, were genuine theifts and unitarians. They affirmed ZAMOLXIS, their deity, to be the only true god; and afferted the worship of all other nations, to be addreffed to mere fictions and chimeras. But were their religious principles any more refined, on account of these magnificent pretenfions? Every fifth year they facrificed a human victim, whom they fent as a meffenger to their deity, in order to inform him of their wants and neceffities. And when it thundered, they were so provoked, that, in order to return the defiance, they let fly arrows at him, and declined not the combat as unequal. Such at leaft is the account, which HERODOTUS gives of the theism of the immortal GETES 2. SECT. VIII. Flux and reflux of polytheism and theifm. It is remarkable, that the principles of religion have a kind of flux and reflux in the human mind, and that men have a natural tendency to rife from idolatry to theifm, and to fink again from theism into idolatry. The vulgar, that is, indeed, all mankind, a few excepted, being ignorant and uninftructed, never elevate their contemplation to the heavens, or penetrate by their difquifitions into the fecret ftructure of vegetable or animal bodies; fo as to difcover a fupreme mind, or original providence, which bestowed order on every part of nature. They confider thefe admirable works in a more confined and selfish view; and finding their own happiness and mifery to depend on the fecret influence and unforeseen concurrence of external objects, they regard, with perpetual attention, the unknown causes, which govern all thefe natural events, and diftribute pleasure and pain, good and ill, by their powerful, but filent, operation. The unknown caufes are still appealed to, at every emergence; and in this general appearance or confused image, are the perpetual objects of human hopes and fears, wifhes and apprehenfions. By degrees, the active imagination of men, uneasy in this abstract conception of objects, about which it is inceffantly employed, begins to render them more particular, and to clothe them in shapes more fuitable to its natural comprehenfion. It reprefents them to be fenfible, intelligent beings, like mankind; actuated by • HYDE de Relig. veterum PERSARUM. P Called the Scapulaire. 2 9 Lib. iv. love love and hatred, and flexible by gifts and entreaties, by prayers and facrifices. Hence the origin of religion: And hence the origin of idolatry or polytheism. BUT the fame anxious concern for happiness, which begets the idea of thefe invifible, intelligent powers, allows not mankind to remain long in the first fimple conception of them; as powerful, but limited beings; mafters of human fate, but flaves to destiny and the courfe of nature. Men's exaggerate praises and compliments ftill fwell their idea upon them; and elevating their deities to the utmost bounds of perfection, at laft beget the attributes of unity and infinity, fimplicity and fpirituality. Such refined ideas, being fomewhat difproportioned to vulgar comprehenfion, remain not long in their original purity; but require to be fupported by the notion of inferior mediators or fubordinate agents, which interpofe betwixt mankind and their fupreme deity. These demi-gods or middle beings, partaking more of human nature, and being more familiar to us, become the chief objects of devotion, and gradually recal that idolatry which had been formerly banished by the ardent prayers and panegyrics of timorous and indigent mortals. But as thefe idolatrous religions fall every day into groffer and more vulgar conceptions, they at last destroy themselves, and, by the vile reprefentations, which they form of their deities, make the tide turn again towards theism. But fo great is the propenfity, in this alternate revolution of human fentiments, to return back to idolatry, that the utmost precaution is not able effectually to prevent it. And of this, fome theifts, particularly the Jews and MAHOMETANS, have been fenfible; as appears by their banishing all the arts of ftatuary and painting, and not allowing the representations, even of human figures, to be taken by marble or colors; left the common infirmity of mankind fhould thence produce idolatry. The feeble apprehenfions of men cannot be fatisfied with conceiving their deity as a pure spirit and perfect intelligence; and yet their natural terrors keep them from imputing to him the leaft fhadow of limitation and imperfection. They fluctuate betwixt these oppofite fentiments. The fame infirmity still drags them downwards, from an omnipotent and fpiritual deity, to a limited and corporeal one, and from a corporeal and limited deity to a ftatue or visible reprefentation. The fame endeavor at elevation ftill pushes them upwards, from the ftatue or material image to the invifible power; and from the invifible power to an infinitely perfect deity, the creator and fovereign of the universe. SECT. IX. Comparison of thefe Religions, with regard to Perfecution and Toleration. POLYTHEISM or idolatrous worship, being founded entirely in vulgar traditions, is liable to this great inconvenience, that any practice or opinion, however barbarous or corrupted, may be authorized by it; and full fcope is left for knavery to impofe on credulity, til morals and humanity be expelled from the religious fyftems of mankind. At the fame time, idolatry is attended with this evident advantage, that, by limiting the powers and functions of its deities, it naturally admits the gods of other fects and nations to a fhare of divinity, and renders all the va rious rious deities, as well as rites, ceremonies, or traditions, compatible with each other 2. Theifm is oppofite both in its advantages and disadvantages. As that fyftem fupposes one fole deity, the perfection of reafon and goodness, it should, if juftly profecuted, banish every thing frivolous, unreasonable, or inhuman from religious worship, and fet before men the most illuftrious example, as well as the most commanding motives of juftice and benevolence. Thefe mighty advantages are not indeed over-ballanced, (for that is not possible) but fomewhat diminished, by inconveniencies, which arife from the vices and prejudices of mankind. While one fole object of devotion is acknowleged, the worship of other deities is regarded as abfurd and impious. Nay, this unity of object feems naturally to require the unity of faith and ceremonies, and furnishes defigning men with a pretext for reprefenting their adverfaries as prophane, and the objects of divine as well as human vengeance. For as each fect is pofitive that its own faith and worship are entirely acceptable to the deity, and as no one can conceive, that the fame being fhould be pleased with different and oppofite rites and principles; the feveral fects fall naturally into animofity, and mutually discharge on each other, that sacred zeal and rancor, the moft furious and implacable of all human paffions. THE tolerating spirit of idolaters both in antient and modern times, is very obvious to any one, who is the leaft converfant in the writings of hiftorians or travellers. When the oracle of DELPHI was afked, what rites or worship was most acceptable to the gods? Thofe legally established in each city, replied the oracle. Even priests, in thofe ages, could, it feems, allow falvation to those of a different communion. The ROMANS commonly adopted the gods of the conquered people; and never difputed the attributes of those topical and national deities, in whose territories they refided. The religious wars and perfecutions of the EGYPTIAN idolaters are indeed an exception to this rule; but are accounted for by antient authors from reasons very fingular and remarkable. Different fpecies of animals were the deities of the different fects among the EGYPTIANS; and the deities being in continual war, engaged their votaries in the fame contention. The worfhippers of dogs could not long remain in peace with the adorers of cats or wolves. And where that reason took not place, the EGYPTIAN fuperftition was not fo incompatible as is commonly imagined; fince we learn from HERODOTUS", that very large contributions were given by AMASIS towards rebuilding the temple of DELPHI. THE intolerance of almoft all religions, which have maintained the unity of God, is as remarkable as the contrary principle in polytheifts. The implacable, narrow fpirit of the Jews is well known. MAHOMETANISM fet out with ftill more bloody principles; and even to this day, deals out damnation, tho' not VERRIUS FLACCUS, cited by PLINY, lib. xxviii. cap. 2. affirmed, that it was ufual for the ROMANS, before they laid fiege to any town, to invocate the tutelar deity of the place, and by promifing him equal or greater honors than those he at prefent enjoyed, bribe him to betray his old friends and votaries. The name of the tutelar deity of ROME was for this reafon kept a moft religious myftery; left the enemies of the republic fhould be able, in the fame manner, to draw him over to their fervice. For without fire and faggot, to all other fects. And if, amongft CHRISTIANS, the ENGLISH and DUTCH have embraced the principles of toleration, this fingularity has proceeded from the fteddy refolution of the civil magiftrate, in oppofition to the continued efforts of priests and bigots. THE difciples of ZOROASTER fhut the doors of heaven against all but the MAGIANS. Nothing could more obftruct the progrefs of the PERSIAN conquefts, than the furious zeal of that nation against the temples and images of the GREEKS. And after the overthrow of that empire, we find ALEXANDER, as a polytheift, immediately re-establishing the worship of the BABYLONIANS, which their former princes, as monotheists, had carefully abolished'. Even the blind and devoted attachment of that conqueror to the GREEK fuperftition hindered not but he himfelf facrificed according to the BABYLONISH rites and ceremonies &. So fociable is polytheism, that the utmoft fiercenefs and averfion, which it meets with in an oppofite religion, is fcarce able to difguft it, and keep it at a diftance. AUGUSTUS praised extremely the reserve of his grandfon, CAIUS CAESAR, when, paffing by JERUSALEM, he deigned not to facrifice according to the JEWISH law. But for what reafon did AUGUSTUS fo much approve of this conduct? Only, because that religion was by the PAGANS efteemed ignoble and barbarous ". I MAY venture to affirm, that few corruptions of idolatry and polytheifm are more pernicious to political fociety than this corruption of theifm', when carried to the utmoft height. The human facrifices of the CARTHAGINIANS, MEXICANS, and many barbarous nations*, fcarce exceed the inquifition and perfecutions of ROME and MADRID. For befides, that the effufion of blood may not be fo great in the former cafe as in the latter; befides this, I fay, the human victims, being chofen by lot, or by fome exterior figns, affect not, in fo confiderable a degree, the rest of the fociety. Whereas virtue, knowlege, love of liberty, are the qualities, which call down the fatal vengeance of inquifitors; and when expelled, leave the fociety in the most shameful ignorance, corruption, and bondage. The illegal murder of one man by a tyrant is more pernicious than the death of a thousand by peftilence, famine, or any undiftinguishing ca'amity. In the temple of DIANA at ARICIA near ROME, whoever murdered the prefent prieft, was legally entitled to be installed his fucceffor'. A very singular inftitution! For, however barbarous and bloody the common fuperftitions often are to the laity, they usually turn to the advantage of the holy order. SECT. X. With regard to courage or abafement. FROM the comparison of theifm and idolatry, we may form fome other obfervations, which will alfo confirm the vulgar obfervation, that the corruption of the beft things gives rife to the worst. WHERE the deity is reprefented as infinitely fuperior to mankind, this belief, tho' altogether juft, is apt, when joined with fuperftitious terrors, to fink the human mind into the loweft fubmiffion and abafement, and to represent the monkish virtues of mortification, penance, humility and paffive fuffering, as the only qualities, which are acceptable to him. But where the gods are conceived to be only a little fuperior to mankind, and to have been, many of them, advanced from that inferior rank, we are more at our cafe in our addreffes to them, and may even, without profaneness, afpire fometimes to a rivalship and emulation of them. Hence activity, fpirit, courage, magnanimity, love of liberty, and all the virtues, which aggrandize a people. THE heroes in paganifm correfpond exactly to the faints in popery and holy dervises in MAHOMETANISM. The place of HERCULES, THESEUS, HECTOR, ROMULUS, is now fupplied by DOMINIC, FRANCIS, ANTHONY, and BENEDICT, And instead of the deftruction of monsters, the fubduing tyrants, the defence of our native country; celeftial honors are obtained by whippings and fäftings, by cowardice and humility, by abject fubmiffion and flavish obedience. One great incitement to the pious ALEXANDER in his warlike expeditions was his rivalship of HERCULES and BACCHUS, whom he justly pretended to have excelled ". BRASIDAS, that generous and noble SPARTAN, after falling in battle, had heroic honors paid him by the inhabitants of AMPHIPOLIS, whofe defence he had embraced". And in general, all founders of states and colonies amongst the GREEKS were raised to this inferior rank of divinity, by those who reaped the benefit of their labors. THIS gave rife to the obfervation of MACHIAVEL°, that the doctrines of the CHRISTIAN religion (meaning the catholic; for he knew no other) which recommend only paffive courage and fuffering, had fubdued the fpirit of mankind, and had fitted them for flavery and subjection. And this obfervation would certainly be juft, were there not many other circumftances in human fociety, which controul the genius and character of a religion. BRASIDAS feized a moufe, and being bit by it, let it go. There is nothing fo contemptible, fays he, but what may be safe, if it has but courage to defend itself. BELLARMINE, patiently and humbly allowed the fleas and other odious vermin to prey upon him. We shall have heaven, fays he, to reward us for our Sufferings: But these poor creatures have nothing but the enjoyment of the prefent life. Such difference is there betwixt the maxims of a GREEK hero and a CATHOLIC faint. |