from his scrutiny, and that even the inmost receffes of their breast lie open before him. They must then be careful not to form expressly any fentiment of blame and difapprobation. All must be applaufe, ravifhment, extacy. And while their gloomy apprehenfions make them afcribe to him meafures of conduct, which, in human creatures, would be highly blamed, they muft ftill affect to praise and admire these measures in the object of their devotional addreffes. Thus it may fafely be affirmed, that many popular religions are really, in the conception of their more vulgar votaries, a fpecies of dæmonifm; and the higher the deity is exalted in power and knowlege, the lower of courfe is he frequently depreffed in goodness and benevolence; whatever epithets of praise may be bestowed on him by his amazed adorers. Amongft idolaters, the words may be falfe, and belie the fecret opinion: But amongst more exalted religionists, the opinion itself often contracts a kind of falfhood, and belies the inward fentiment. The heart fecretly detests such measures of cruel and implacable vengeance; but the judgment dares not but pronounce them perfect and adorable. And the additional mifery of this inward ftruggle aggravates all the other terrors, by which thefe unhappy victims to fuperft.tion are for ever haunted.

LUCIAN obferves, that a young man, who reads the hiftory of the gods in HOMER OF HESIOD, and finds their factions, wars, injuftice, inceft, adultery, and other immoralities fo highly celebrated, is much furprized afterwards, when he comes into the world, to obferve, that punishments are by law inflicted on the fame actions, which he had been taught to afcribe to fuperior beings. The contradiction is ftill perhaps ftronger betwixt the reprefentations given us by fome latter religions and our natural ideas of generofity, lenity, impartiality, and juf tice; and in proportion to the multiplied terrors of thefe religions, the barba rous conceptions of the divinity are multiplied upon us P. Nothing can preferve untainted

• Necyomantia.

P BACCHUS, a divine being, is reprefented by the heathen mythology as the inventor of dancing and the theatre. Plays were antiently, even a part of public worship on the most folemn occafions, and often employed in times of peftilence, to appeafe the offended deities. But they have been zealoufly profcribed by the godly in latter ages; and the play-houfe, according to a learned divine, is the porch of hell.

But in order to fhow more evidently, that it is pofible for a religion to represent the divinity in ftill a more immoral and unamiable light than the antients, we fhall cite a long paffage from an author of taste and imagination, who was furely no enemy to Chriftianity. It is the chevalier RAMSAY, a writer, who had fo laudable an inclination to be orthodox, that his reafon never found any difficulty, even in the doctrines which freethinkers fcruple the moft, the trinity, incarnation, and fatisfaction: His humanity alone, of which he seems to have had a great stock, rebelled against the doctrines of eternal reprobation and predeftination. He expreffes himself thus: What

ftrange ideas, fays he, would an Indian or a Chinese philofopher have of our holy religion, if they judged by the fchemes given of it by our modern freethinkers, and pharifaical doctors of all fects? According to the odious and too vulgar fyftem of thefe incredulous fcoffers and credulous fcriblers, "The God of the Jews is a moft cruel, unjuft, partial and fantastical being. He created, about 6000 years ago, a man and a woman, and placed them in a fine garden of ASIA, of which there are no re"mains. This garden was furnished with all "forts of trees, fountains, and flowers. He al"lowed them the ufe of all the fruits of this "beautiful garden, except of one, that was

planted in the midft thereof, and that had in it a fecret virtue of preferving them in continual "health and vigor of body and mind, of exalt

ing their natural powers and making them wife. "The devil entered into the body of a ferpent, "and folicited the first woman to eat of this for"bidden fruit; fhe engaged her husband to do "the fame. To punish this flight curiofity and "natural defire of life and knowlege, God not only

X X X 2

untainted the genuine principles of morals in our judgment of human conduct, but the abfolute neceffity of thefe principles to the existence of fociety. If common conception can indulge princes in a fyftem of ethics, fomewhat different from that which should regulate private perfons; how much more thofe fuperior beings, whofe attributes, views, and nature are fo totally unknown to us? Sunt fuperis fua jura. The gods have maxims of juftice peculiar to themselves.

only threw our firft parents out of paradife, but unconvertible, because he will be for ever un"he condemned all their pofterity to temporal "appeafable and irreconcileable. It is true, that mifery, and the greateft part of them to eternal "al this makes God odious, a hater of fouls, "pains, tho' the fouls of thefe innocent chil" rather than a lover of them; a cruel, vindic"dren have no more relation to that of ADAMtive tyrant, an impotent or a wrathful dæmon, "than to thofe of NERO and MAHOMET; fince, " rather than an all-powerful, beneficent Father according to the fcholaftic driveller, fabul fts, "of fpirits: Yet all this is a mystery. He has "and mythologifts, all fouls are created pure, "fecret reafons for his conduct, that are impene"and infufed immediately into mortal bodies, fo "trable; and tho' he appears unjust and barba"foon as the fœtus is formed. To accomplish the "rous, yet we must believe the contrary, be"barbarous, partial decree of predeftination and "caufe what is injuftice, crime, cruelty, and reprobation, God abandoned all nations to "the blackeft malice in us, is in him juftice, "darkness, idolatry and fuperftition, without any "mercy, and fovereign gcodnefs." Thus the faving knowlege or falutary graces; unless it incredulous freethinkers, the judaizing Chriftiwas one particular nation, whom he chofe as ans, and the fatalistic doctors have disfigured "his peculiar people. This chofen nation was, and dishonored the fublime myfteries of our holy faith; thus, they have confounded the nature of good and evil; transformed the moft monstrous paffions into divine attributes, and furpaffed the pagans in blafphemy, by afcribing to the eternal nature, as perfections, what makes the most horrid crimes amongst men. The groffer pagans contented themselves with divinizing luft, inceft, and adultery; but the predeftinarian doctors have divinized cruelty, wrath, fury, vengeance, and all the black. eft vices.' See the Chevalier RAMSAY's philo fophical principles of natural and revealed religion, Part II. p. 401.

however, the moft ftupid, ungrateful, rebel"lious, and perfidious of all nations. After "God had thus kept the far greater part of all "the human fpecies, during near 4000 years, in a reprobate ftate, he changed all of a fudden, "and took a fancy for other nations, befide the JEWS. Then he fent his only begotten Son "to the world, under a human form, to appeafe "his wrath, fatisfy his vindictive justice, and die "for the pardon of fin. Very few nations, how"ever, have heard of this gofpel; and all the "reft, tho' left in invincible ignorance, are dam"ned without exception, or any poffibility of "remiffion. The greatest part of those who have "heard of it, have changed only fome fpecula"tive notions about God, and fome external "forms in worship: For, in other refpects, the "bulk of Chriftians have continued as corrupt, "as the reft of mankind in their morals; yea, fo "much the more perverfe and criminal, that "their lights were greater. Unless it be a very "fmall felect number, all other Chriftians, like "the pagans, will be for ever damned; the great "facrifice offered up for them will become void "and of no effect. God will take delight for ever in their torments and blafphemies; and "tho' he can, by one fiat, change their hearts, 66 yet they will remain for ever unconverted and

66

The fame author afferts, in other places, that the Arminian and Molinift fchemes ferve very little to mend the matter: And having thus thrown himself out of all received fects of Christianity, he is obliged to advance a fyftem of his own, which is a kind of Origenifm, and fuppofes the pre-exiftence of the fouls both of men and beafts, and the eternal falvation and converfion of all men, beafts,, and devils. But this notion, being quite peculiar to himself, we need not treat of. I thought the opinions of this ingenious author very curious; but I pretend not to warrant the juftness of them.

1 OVID. Metam. lib. ix. 501.

SECT.

SECT. XIV. Bad influence of most popular religions on morality.

HERE I cannot forbear obferving a fact, which may be worth the attention of thofe, who make human nature the object of the enquiry. It is certain, that, in every religion, however fublime the verbal den. a C, which it gives of its divinity, many of the votaries, perhaps the greatest number, will still feek the divine favor, not by virtue and good morals, which alone can be acceptable to a perfect being, but either by frivolous obfervances, by intemperate zeal, by rapturous extafies, or by the belief of myfterious and abfurd opinions. The leaft part of the Sadder, as well as of the Pentateuch, confifts in precepts of morality; and we may be affured, that that part was always the leaft obferved and regarded. When the old ROMANS were attacked with a peftilence, they never afcribed their fuferings to their vices, or dreamed of repentance and amendment. They never thought that they were the general robbers of the world, whofe ambition and avarice made defolate the earth, and reduced opulent nations to want and beggary. They only created a dictator', in order to drive a nail into a door; and by that means, they thought that they had fufficiently appeafed their incenfed deity.

IN EGINA, one faction entering into a confpiracy, barbarously and treacherously affaffinated seven hundred of their fellow citizens; and carried their fury fo far, that, one miferable fugitive having fled to the temple, they cut off his hands, by which he clung to the gates, and carrying him out of holy ground, immediately murdered him. By this impiety, fays HERODOTUS, (not by the other many cruel affaffinations) they offended the gods, and contracted an inexpiable guilt.

NAY, if we fhould fuppofe, what feldom happens, that a popular religion were found, in which it was exprefsly declared, that nothing but morality could gain the divine favor; if an order of priefts were inftituted to inculcate this opinion, in daily fermons, and with all the arts of perfuafion; yet fo inveterate are the people's prejudices, that for want of fome other fuperftition, they would make the very attendance on thefe fermons the effentials of religion, rather than place them in virtue and good morals. The fublime prologue of ZALEU CUS's laws infpired not the LOCRIANS, fo far as we can learn, with any founder notions of the measures of acceptance with the deity, than were familiar to the other GREEKS.

THIS obfervation, then, holds univerfally: But ftill one may be at fome lofs to account for it. It is not fufficient to obferve, that the people, every where, degrade their deities into a fimilitude with themselves, and confider them merely as a fpecies of human creatures, fomewhat more potent and intelligent. This will not remove the difficulty. For there is no man fo ftupid, as that, judging by his natural reafon, he would not esteem virtue and honefty the most valuable qualities, which any perfon could poffefs. Why not afcribe the fame fentiment to his deity? Why not make all religion, or the chief part of it, to consist in these attainments?

Called Dictator clavis figendæ caufa. T. LIVII, 1. vii. c. 3.

• Lib. vi.

To be found in DIOD. SIC. lib. xii.

NOR

NOR is it fatisfactory to say, that the practice of morality is more difficult than. that of fuperftition; and is therefore rejected. For, not to mention the exceffive pennances of the Brackmans and Talapoins; it is certain, that the Rhamadan of the TURKS, during which the poor wretches, for many days, often in the hottest months of the year, and in fome of the hotteft climates of the world, remain without eating or drinking from the rifing to the fetting of the fun; this Rhamadan, I fay, must be more fevere than the practice of any moral duty, even to the most vicious and depraved of mankind. The four lents of the MUSCOVITES, and the aufterities of fome Roman Catholics, appear more difagreeable than meekness and benevolence. In fhort, all virtue, when men are reconciled to it by ever fo little practice, is agreeable: All fuperftition is for ever odious and burthenfome.

PERHAPS, the following account may be received as a true folution of the difficulty. The duties which a man performs as a friend or parent, feem merely owing to his benefactor or children; nor can he be wanting to thefe duties, without breaking thro' all the ties of nature and morality. A ftrong inclination may prompt him to the performance: A fentiment of order and moral beauty joins its force to thefe natural ties: And the whole man, if truly virtuous, is drawn to his duty, without any effort or endeavor. Even with regard to the virtues, which are more auftere, and more founded on reflection, fuch as public fpirit, filial duty, temperance, or integrity; the moral obligation, in our apprehenfion, removes all pretence to religious merit; and the virtuous conduct is efteemed no more than what we owe to fociety and to ourselves. In all this, a fuperftitious man finds nothing, which he has properly performed for the fake of his deity, or which can peculiarly recommend him to the divine favor and protection. He confiders not, that the moft genuine method of ferving the divinity is by promoting the happiness of his creatures. He ftill looks out for fome more immediate fervice of the fupreme being, in order to allay thofe terrors, with which he is haunted. And any practice, recommended to him, which either ferves to no purpose in life, or offers the ftrongeft violence to his natural inclinations; that practice he will the more readily embrace, on account of thofe very circumftances, which should make him abfolutely reject it. It feems the more purely religious, that it proceeds from no mixture of any other motive or confideration. And if, for its fake, he facrifices much of his eafe and quiet, his claim of merit appears ftill to rife upon him, in proportion to the zeal and devotion, which he difcovers. In reftoring a loan, or paying a debt, his divinity is no way beholden to him; because these acts of juftice are what he was bound to perform, and what many would have performed, were there no god in the univerfe. But if he faft a day, or give himfelf a found whipping; this has a direct reference, in his opinion, to the fervice of God. No other motive could engage him to fuch aufterities. By thefe diftinguished marks of devotion, he has now acquired the divine favor; and may expect, in recompence, protection and fafety in this world, and eternal happiness in the next.

HENCE the greateft crimes have been found, in many inftances, compatible with a fuperftitious piety and devotion: Hence it is juftly regarded as unfafe to draw any certain inference in favor of a man's morals from the fervor or ftrictness of his religious exercifes, even tho' he himself believe them fincere. Nay, it has been obferved, that enormities of the blackest dye, have been rather apt to produce fuperftitious terrors, and encrease the religious paffion. BoмILCAR, hav

ing formed a confpiracy for affaffinating at once the whole fenate of CARTHAGE, and invading the liberties of his country, loft the opportunity, from a continual regard to omens and prophefies. Those who undertake the most criminal and most dangerous enterprizes are commonly the most fuperftitious; as an antient hiftorian " remarks on this occafion. Their devotion and fpiritual faith rife with their fears. CATILINE was not contented with the established deities, and received rites of his national religion: His anxious terrors made him feek new inventions of this kind; which he never probably had dreamed of, had he remained a good citizen, and obedient to the laws of his country.

To which we may add, that, even after the commiffion of crimes, there arise remorses and secret horrors, which give no rest to the mind, but make it have recourse to religious rites and ceremonies, as expiations of its offences. Whatever weakens or disorders the internal frame promotes the interefts of fuperftition: And nothing is more deftructive to them than a manly, fteddy virtue, which either preferves us from difaftrous, melancholy accidents, or teaches us to bear them. During fuch calm funshine of the mind, these spectres of false divinity never make their appearance. On the other hand, while we abandon ourselves to the natural undifciplined fuggeftions of our timid and anxious hearts, every kind of barbarity is afcribed to the fupreme being, from the terrors, with which we are agitated; and every kind of caprice, from the methods which we embrace, in order to appeafe him. Barbarity, caprice; these qualities, however nominally disguised, we may univerfally obferve, to form the ruling character of the deity, in popular religions. Even priefts, inftead of correcting thefe depraved ideas of mankind, have often been found ready to fofter and encourage them. The more tremendous the divinity is reprefented, the more tame and fubmiffive do men become to his minifters: And the more unaccountable the measures of acceptance required by him, the more neceffary does it become to abandon our natural reason, and yield to their ghostly guidance and direction. And thus it may be allowed, that the artifices of men aggravate our natural infirmities and follies of this kind, but never originally beget them. Their root ftrikes deeper into the mind, and springs from the effential and univerfal properties of human nature.

SECT. XV. General Corollary from the whole.

THO' the ftupidity of men, barbarous and uninftructed, be fo great, that they may not fee a fovereign author in the more obvious works of nature, to which they are fo much familiarized; yet it scarce feems poffible, that any one of good understanding should reject that idea, when once it is fuggefted to him. A purpofe, an intention, a design is evident in every thing; and when our compre henfion is fo far enlarged as to contemplate the firft rife of this vifible fyftem, we must adopt, with the ftrongeft conviction, the idea of fome intelligent cause or author. The uniform maxims too, which prevail thro' the whole frame of the universe, naturally, if not neceffarily, lead us to conceive this intelligence as single and undivided, where the prejudices of education oppofe not fo reasonable a

DIOD. SIC. lib. xx.

W CIC. CATIL. i. SALLUST. de bello CATIL.

theory.