ESSAY X, Of SUPERSTITION and ENTHUSIASM, THAT the corruption of the best things produces the worst, is grown into a maxim, and is commonly proved, among other instances, by the pernicious effects of fuperftition and enthusiasm, the corruptions of true religion. These two species of false religion, though both pernicious, are yet of a very different, and even of a contrary nature. The mind of man is subject 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 fuch 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 fostering its predominant inclination, finds imaginary ones, to whofe power and malevolence it fets no limits. As these enemies are entirely invifible and unknown, the methods taken to appease them are equally unaccountable, and confift in ceremonies, ob 6 fervances, fervances, 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 fubject to an unaccountable elevation and prefumption, arifing from prosperous fuccefs, from luxuriant health, from ftrong fpirits, 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 fpirits, where the foul is at liberty to indulge itself in every imagination, which may best fuit its present taste and difpofition. Hence arife raptures, tranfports, and furprising flights of fancy; and confidence and prefumption ftill encreafing, thefe raptures, being altogether unaccountable, and feeming 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 diftinguished 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 himfelf over, blindly, and without referve, to the fuppofed illapfes of the fpirit, and to inspiration from above. Hope, pride, prefumption, a warm imagination, together with ignorance, are, therefore, the true fources of ENTHU SIASM. Thefe These two fpecies of falfe religion might afford occafion to many fpeculations; but I fhall confine myself, at present, to a few reflections concerning their different influence on government and fociety.. My first reflection is, That fuperftition is favourable to priefly power, and enthufiafm not lefs or rather more contrary to it, than found reafon and philofophy. As fuperftition is founded on fear, forrow, and a depreffion of spirits, it represents the man to himself in fuch defpicable colours, that he appears unworthy, in his own eyes, of approaching the divine prefence, and naturally has recourfe to any other person, whofe fanctity of life, or, perhaps, impudence and cunning, have made him be supposed more favoured by the Divinity. To him the fuperftitious entrust their devotions: To his care they recommend their prayers, petitions, and sacrifices: And by his means, they hope to render their addreffes acceptable to their incenfed Deity. Hence the origin of PRIESTS, who may juftly 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 me diation of his fuppofed friends and fervants. As fuperftition is a confiderable ingredient in almost 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 fect of religion there are priests to be found: But the ftronger mixture there is of fuperftition, the higher is the authority of the priesthood. On the other hand, it may be obferved, that all enthusiasts have been free from the yoke of ecclefiaftics, and have expreffed great independence in their devotion; with a contempt of forms, ceremonies, and traditions. The quakers are the most egregious, though, at the fame time, the most innocent enthufiafts that have yet been known; and are, perhaps, the only fect, that have never admitted priests amongst them. The independents, of all the ENGLISH fectaries, approach nearest to the quaker's in fanaticism, and in their freedom from prieftly bondage. The prefbyterians follow after, at an equal distance in both particulars. In fhort, this obfervation is founded in experience; and will alfo appear to be founded in reafon, if we confider, that, as enthufiafm arifes from a prefumptuous pride and confidence, it thinks itself fufficiently qualified to approach the Divinity, without any human mediator. Its rapturous devotions are fo fervent, that it even imagines itself actually to approach him by the way of contemplation and inward converfe; which makes it neglect all thofe outward ceremonies and obfervances, to which the affiftance of the priests appears fo requifite in the eyes of their superftitious votaries. The fanatic confecrates himself, and beftows on his own person a facred character, much superior to what forms and ceremonious inftitutions can confer on any other. My fecond reflection with regard to thefe fpecies of falfe religion is, that religions, which partake of enthusiasm, are, on their first rife, more furious and violent than those which partake of fuperftition; but in a little time become more gentle and moderate. The violence of this fpecies of religion, when excited by novelty, and animated by oppofition, appears from numberless instances; of the anabaptifts in GERMANY, the camisars in FRANCE, the levellers and other fanatics in ENGLAND, and the covenanters in SCOTLAND. Enthufiafm being founded on ftrong ftrong spirits, and a presumptuous boldness of character, it naturally begets the most extreme resolutions; espe cially after it rises to that height as to inspire the deluded fanatic with the opinion of divine illuminations, and with a contempt for the common rules of reason, morality, and prudence. It is thus enthusiasm produces the most cruel disorders in human society; but its fury is like that of thunder and tempeft, which exhaust themselves in a little time, and leave the air more calm and ferene than before. When the first fire of enthusiasm is spent, men naturally, in all fanatical fects, fink into the greatest remiffness and coolnefs in facred matters; there being no body of men among them, endowed with fufficient authority, whofe intereft is concerned to support the religious fpirit: No rites, no ceremonies, no holy obfervances, which may enter into the common train of life, and preferve the facred principles from oblivion. Superftition, on the contrary, fteals in gradually and infenfibly; renders men tame and fubmiffive; is acceptable to the magistrate, and seems inoffenfive to the people: Till at last the priest, having firmly established his authority, becomes the tyrant and difturber of human fociety, by his endless contentions, perfecutions, and religious wars. How fmoothly did the ROMISH church advance in her acquifition of power? But into what difmal convulfions did fhe throw all EUROPE, in order to maintain it? On the other hand, our fectaries, who were formerly fuch dangerous bigots, are now become very free reasoners; and the quakers seem to approach nearly the only regular body of deifts in the universe, the literati, or the difciples of CONFUCIUS in CHINA *. The CHINESE Literati have no priefts or ecclefiaftical establishment. My |