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being, with human paffions and appetites, limbs and organs. The mind rifes gradually from inferior to fuperior: By abftracting from what is imperfect, it forms an idea of perfection: And flowly distinguishing the nobler parts of its own frame from the groffer, it learns to transfer only the former, much elevated and refined, to its divinity. Nothing could disturb this natural progrefs of thought, but fome obvious and invincible argument, which might immediately lead the mind into the pure principles of theism, and make it overleap, at one bound, the vaft interval which is interpofed between the human and the divine nature. But though I allow, that the order and frame of the univerfe, 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 first rude notions of religion.

The causes of fuch objects, as are quite familiar to us, never ftrike our attention or curiofity; and however extraordinary or fuprifing these objects in themselves, they are paffed over, by the raw and ignorant multitude, without much examination or enquiry. ADAM, rifing at once, in paradise, and in the full perfection of his faculties, would naturally, as represented by MILTON, be astonished at the glorious appearances of nature, the heavens, the air, the earth, his own organs and members; and would be led to ask, whence this wonderful fcene arofe? But a barbarous, neceffitous animal (fuch as a man is on the first 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 those objects, to which from his infancy he has been gradually accuftomed. On the contrary, the more regular and uniform, that is, the more perfect nature appears, the more is he familiarized to it, and the less inclined to fcrutinize and examine it. A monftrous birth excites his curiofity,

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and is deemed a prodigy. It alarms him from its novelty; and immediately fets him a trembling, and facrificing, and praying. But an animal, complete 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 start the queftion, whence the firft animal; much less, whence the whole fyftem or united fabric of the univerfe arose. Or if you start such a question to him, expect not that he will employ his mind with any anxiety about a fubject, fo remote, fo uninterefting, and which fo much exceedsthe bounds of his capacity.

But farther, if men were at firft led into the belief of one Supreme Being, by reafoning from the frame of nature, they could never poffibly leave that belief, in order to embrace polytheifm; but the fame principles of reason, which at firft produced and diffused over mankind fo magnificent an opinion, must be able, with greater facility, to preferve it. The first invention and proof of any doctrine is much more difficult than the supporting and retaining of it.

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 small, if any, refemblance of the original truth on which it was founded. The frail memories of men, their love of exaggeration, their fupine carelessnefs; these 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 escaped those narrations. It is thus the fables of HERCULES, THESEUS, BACCHUS, are supposed to have been originally founded in true hiftory, corrupted by tradition. But with regard to fpeculative opinions, the cafe is far otherwife. 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 first diffused the opinions, will still preserve 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 be buried in oblivion. Whichever 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 polytheism, and to all the various fuperftitions of the heathen world. Reason, when obvious, prevents these corruptions: when abftrufe, it keeps the principles entirely from the knowledge of the vulgar, who are alone liable to corrupt any principle or opinion.

SECT. II. Origin of Polytheism

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

Were men led into the apprehenfion of invisible, intelligent power, by a contemplation of the works of nature, they could never poffibly entertain any conception but of one fingle being, who bestowed exiftence and order on this vaft machine, and adjusted all its parts, according to one regular plan or con

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nected fyftem. For though, 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 contrivanc and execution of one regular plan; yet is this a merely arbitrary fuppofition, which, even if allowed polfible, must be confeffed neither to be fupported by probability nor neceffity. All things in the univerfe are evidently of a piece. Every thing is adjusted 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 several causes, is not surely a natural and obvious fuppofition.

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 moifture of dews and rains. War may be favourable 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 fuccessful 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 polytheifm, the firft 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 recourfe to that invisible 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 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 VOL. II. order

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See NOTE [YY].

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