There is a great difference between hiftorical facts and fpeculative opinions; nor is the knowledge of the one propagated in the fame manner with that of the other. An hiftorical 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 careleffness ; thefe principles, if not corrected by books and writing, foon pervert the account of historical events; where argument or reafoning has little or no place, nor can ever recal the truth, which has once escaped those narrations. It is thus the fables of Hercules, Thefeus, Bacchus are fuppofed to have been originally founded in true hiftory, corrupted by tradition. But with regard to fpeculative opinions, the cafe is far otherwise. If these opinions be founded on arguments fo clear and obvious as to carry conviction with the generality of mankind, the fame arguments, which at firft diffufed the opinions, will ftill preferve them in their original purity. If the arguments be more abftrufe, and more remote from vulgar apprehenfion, 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 buried in oblivion. Whichever fide of this dilemma we take, it muft appear impoflible, that theifm could, from reasoning, have been the primary religion of human race, and afterwards, by its corruption, given birth to polytheifm and to all the various fuperftitions of the heathen world. Reafon, when obvious, prevents thefe corruptions: When abstruse, it keeps the principles entirely from the knowledge of the vulgar, who are alone liable to corrupt any principle or opinion. SECT. SECT. II. Origin of Polytheism. If we would, therefore, indulge our curiofity, in enquiring concerning the origin of religion, we must turn our thoughts towards polytheifm, 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 though, to perfons of a certain turn of mind, it may not appear altogether abfurd, that feveral independent beings, endowed with fuperior wifdom, might confpire in the contrivance and execution of one regular plan; yet is this a merely arbitrary fuppofition, which, even if allowed poffible, muft be confeffed neither to be fupported by probability nor neceffity. All things in the univerfe are evidently of a piece. Every thing is adjufted to every thing. One defign prevails throughout the whole. And this uniformity leads the mind to acknowledge one author; because the conception of different authors, without any diftinction of attributes or operations, ferves only to give perplexity to the imagination, without beftowing any fatisfaction on the understanding. The ftatue of Laocoon, as we learn from Pliny, was the work of three artifts: But it is certain, that, were we not told fo, we fhould never have imagined, that a groupe of figures, cut from one ftone, 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. On On the other hand, if, leaving the works of nature, we trace the footsteps of invifible power in the various and contrary events of human life, we are neceffarily led into polytheism and to the acknowledgment 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 favourable to a nation, whom the inclemency of the seasons 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 fubmit to their more profperous arms. In fhort, 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 acknowledge 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 separate from that of another. Nor are 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 favour 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, the first ideas of religion arofe 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 separated 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 seamen; and Mars of warriors. The husbandman cultivates his field under the protection of Ceres; and the merchant acknowledges the authority of Mercury. Each natural event is fuppofed to be governed by fome intelligent agent; and nothing profperous or adverse can happen in life, which may not be the subject of peculiar prayers or thanksgivings * It must neceffarily, indeed, be allowed, that, in order to carry men's attention beyond the prefent course of things, or lead them into any inference concerning invifible intelligent power, they must be actuated by fome paffion, which prompts their thought and reflection; fome motive, which urges their first enquiry. But what paffion fhall 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 comprehenfive 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 thirft 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 * See NOTE [YY]. curiofity, curiofity, the course of future caufes, and examine the various and contrary events of human life. And in this difordered fcene, with eyes still more difordered and aftonished, they see the first obfcure traces of divinity. SECT. III. The fame fubject continued. We are placed in this world, as in a great theatre, where the true fprings and causes of every event are entirely concealed from us; nor have we either fufficient wifdom to forefee, or power to prevent thofe ills, with which we are continually threatened. We hang in perpetual fufpence between 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 unaccountable. Thefe unknown caufes, 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 those 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 thefe caufes are nothing but the particular fabric and ftructure of the minute parts of their own bodies and of external objects: and that, by a regular and conftant 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 caufes in a general and confused manner; though their imagination, perpetually employed on the fame fubject, muft labour to form fome particular and diftinct idea of them. The more |