SECT. XI. With regard to Reafon or Abfurdity.

HERE is another obfervation to the fame purpofe, and new proof that the corruption of the best things begets the worst. If we examine, without prejudice, the ancient heathen mythology, as contained in the poets, we fhall not difcover in it any fuch monftrous abfurdity as we may at first be apt to apprehend. Where is the difficulty in conceiving, that the fame powers or principles, whatever they were, which formed this vifible world, men and animals, produced alfo a fpecies of intelligent creatures, of more refined fubftance and greater authority than the reft? That these creatures may be capricious, revengeful, paffionate, voluptuous, is eafily conceived; nor is any circumstance more apt, among ourselves, to engender fuch vices, than the licence of abfolute authority. And in fhort, the whole mythological fyftem is fo natural, that, in the vast variety of planets and worlds, contained in this univerfe, it seems more than probable, that, fomewhere or other, it is really carried into execution.

The chief objection to it with regard to this planet, is, that it is not afcertained by any just reason or authority. The ancient tradition, infifted on by heathen priests and theologers, is but a weak foundation; and tranfmitted alfo fuch a number of contradictory reports, fupported, all of them, by equat authority, that it became abfolutely impoffible to fix a preference amongst them. A few volumes, therefore, muft contain all the polemical writings of pagan priests: And their whole theology muft confift more of traditional ftories and fuperftitious practices, than of philofophical argument and controverfy.

But where theifm forms the fundamental principle of any popular religion, that tenet is fo conformable

to

to found reafon, that philofophy is apt to incorporate itself with fuch a fyftem of theology. And if the other dogmas of that fyftem be contained in a facred book, fuch as the Alcoran, or be determined by any visible authority, like that of the ROMAN pontiff, fpeculative reafoners naturally carry on their affent, and embrace a theory, which has been inftilled into them by their earlift education, and which alfo poffelles fome degree of confiftence and uniformity. But as these appearances are fure, all of them, to prove deceitful, philofophy will foon find herself very unequally yoked with her new affociate; and instead of regulating each principle as they advance together, she is at every turn perverted to ferve the purposes of fuperftition. For befides the unavoidable incoherencies, which must be reconciled and adjusted, one may fafely affirm, that all popular theology, especially the fcholaftic, has a kind of appetite for abfurdity and contradiction. If that theology went not beyond reafon and common fenfe, her doctrines would appear too eafy and familiar. Amazement muft of neceffity be raised: Myftery affected: Darknefs and ob fcurity fought after: And a foundation of merit afforded to the devout votaries, who defire an opportunity of fubduing their rebellious reafon, by the belief of the most unintelligible fophifms.

Ecclefiaftical hiftory fufficiently confirms these reflections. When a controverfy is started, fome people always pretend with certainty to foretel the iffue. Which-ever opinion, fay they, is moft contrary to plain fense, is fure to prevail; even where the general intereft of the system requires not that decifion. Though the reproach of herefy may, for fome time, be bandied about among the difputants, it always refts at laft on the fide of reafon. Any one, it is pretended, that has but learning enough of this kind to know the defini ARIAN, PELAGIAN, ERA

TESTANT, whose fate is yet uncertain, will be convinced of the truth of this obfervation. It is thus a fyftem becomes more abfurd in the end, merely from its being reasonable and philofophical in the beginning.

To oppose the torrent of fcholaftic religion by fuch feeble maxims as thefe, that it is impoffible for the fame thing to be and not to be, that the whole is greater than a part, that two and three make five; is pretending to stop the ocean with a bull-rush. Will you fet up profane reafon against facred myftery? No punishment is great enough for your impiety. And the fame fires which were kindled for heretics, will ferve alfo for the deftruction of philofophers.

SECT. XII. With regard to Doubt or Conviction.

WE meet every day with people fo fceptical with regard to history, that they affert it impoffible for any nation ever to believe fuch abfurd principles as those of GREEK and EGYPTIAN paganifm; and at the fame time fo dogmatical with regard to religion, that they think the fame abfurdities are to be found in no other communion. CAMBYSES entertained like prejudices; and very impioufly ridiculed, and even wounded, APIs, the great god of the EGYPTIANS, who appeared to his profane fenfes nothing but a large fpotted bull. But HERODOTUS judiciously afcribes this fally of paffion to a real madness or diforder of the brain: Otherwife, fays the hiftorian, he never would have openly affronted any established worship. For on that head, continues he, every nation are best fatisfied with their own, and think they have the advantage over every other nation.

It must be allowed, that the ROMAN CATHOLICS are a very learned feet; and that no one communion, but that of the church of ENGLAND, can dispute their being the most learned of all the Christian

churches:

churches: Yet AVEROES, the famous ARABIAN, who, no doubt, had heard of the EGYPTIAN fuperftitions, declares, that, of all religions, the most abfurd and nonfenfical is that, whofe votaries eat, after having created, their deity.

I believe, indeed, that there is no tenet in all paganifm, which would give fo fair a fcope to ridicule as this of the real prefence: For it is fo abfurd, that it eludes the force of all argument. There are even fome pleasant ftories of that kind, which, though fomewhat profane, are commonly told by the Catholics themselves. One day a priest, it is faid, gave inadvertently, inftead of the facrament, a counter, which had by accident fallen among the holy wafers. The communicant waited patiently for fome time, expecting it would diffolve on his tongue: But finding that it ftill remained entire, he took it off. I wish, cried he to the priest, you have not committed Some mistake: I wish you have not given me God the Father: He is fo hard and tough there is no fwallowing him.

A famous general, at that time in the MUSCOVITE fervice, having come to PARIS for the recovery of his wounds, brought along with him a young TURK, whom he had taken prifoner. Some of the doctors of the SORBONNE (who are altogether as pofitive as the dervifes of CONSTANTINOPLE) thinking it a pity that the poor TURK fhould be damned for want of inftruction, folicited MUSTAPHA very hard to turn Christian, and promised him, for his encouragement, plenty of good wine in this world, and paradife in the next. Thefe allurements were too powerful to be refifted; and therefore, having been well inftructed and catechized, he at last agreed to receive the facraments of baptifm and the Lord's fupper. The priest, however, to make every thing fure and folid, ftill continued his inftructions; and began the next day with the usual queftion, How many Gods are there? None at all, replies BENEDICT; for that was

his new name. How! None at all! cries the priest. To be fure, faid the honeft profelyte. You have told me all along that there is but one God: And yesterday I eat him.

Such are the doctrines of our brethern the Catholics. But to thefe doctrines we are fo accustomed, that we never wonder at them: Though in a future age, it will probably become difficult to perfuade fome nations, that any human, two-legged creature could ever embrace fuch principles. And it is a thousand to one, but thefe nations themfelves fhall have fomething full as abfurd in their own creed, to which they will give a most implicit and most religious affent.

I lodged once at PARIS in the fame hotel with an ambaffador from TUNIS, who, having paffed fome years at LONDON, was returning home that way. One day I obferved his MOORISH excellency diverting himself under the porch, with furveying the fplendid equipages that drove along; when there chanced to pass that way fome Capucin friars, who had never feen a TURK; as he, on his part, though accustomed to the EUROPEAN dreffes, had never feen the grotesque figure of a Capucin: And there is no expreffing the mutual admiration with which they infpired each other. Had the chaplain of the embaffy entered into a dispute with thefe FRANCISCANS, their reciprocal furprize had been of the fame nature. Thus all mankind stand staring at one another; and there is no beating it into their heads, that the turban of the AFRICAN is not just as good or as bad a fashion as the cowl of the EUROPEAN. He is a very honest man, faid the prince of SALLEE, fpeaking of DE RUYTER, It is a pity he were a Chriftian.

How can you worship leeks and onions? we fhall suppose a SORBONNIST to fay to a priest of SAIS. If we worship them, replies the latter; at least, we do not, at the fame time, eat them. But what strange objects of adoration are cats and monkies? fays the

learned