which the Pagan World adopted; as our Author without any hesitation afferts they were; That Idolatry and Superftition, taken in all their various fhapes, appear plainly to have arifen, partly from the weakness, the ignorance, and the fears, of all mankind in general; and partly from the wanton pride, as well as fometimes from the deep-laid policy, of the powerful Rulers of the Earth; and that the Priefts, confidered diftinctly; though actuated, as it is reasonable to conclude they might be, by the fame motives that influenced others in the fame nations, circumstances, and times; were little more than mere instruments, in the hands of the Civil Magiftrate, and the Heads of Nations, to perpetuate thofe Superftitions of which They Themselves were the original authors b. The Nature of the thing itself will convince us that it could not be otherwise, and that the principle laid down by these Writers, that Priests were the introducers of Superftition, is felf-contradictory and abfurd. If, as these Writers would perfuade us, Mankind muft originally have difcovered the Spiritual Nature of the One True God, and the rational duties of pure Natural Religion, by the light of their own reafon; and actually had difcovered and adopted this pure religion, till Priests corrupted it, and introduced all the Superftitions they have fince embraced; then there must have been a time, when an Order of men was actually fet apart for the purpofes of Religious Worship; that is, when there must have been Priests, properly fo called; whose whole bufinefs was the attendance upon the celebration of fuch Religious Worship, and For a fuller illuftration of this point, the Author may confult Chandler's Vindication of the Old Teftament in answer to Morgen: P. 2. Se&t. II. and XV. fuck fuch only, as pure undefiled Natural Religion could admit, and would prefcribe. Now the bufinefs of these Priests must have been, to officiate at Public Religious Affemblies; fince otherwife they would have had no business at all: and in fuch a pure ftate of mere Natural Religion, thefe Public Affemblies must have been held, merely to offer up joint prayers, thanksgivings, and confeffions, to the One True God; as well as to inculcate the duties of pure Morality, and worthy notions of the Nature of the One True God. Upon the scheme of our Author then, there must once have been a time, when This, and This Only, was the business of Priests. But if there ever had, in fact, been a time, when This was the bufinefs of Heathen Priefts; we must have found, at least, fome traces of it ftill remaining, in the hiftories of thofe times, which were nearest to it. Whereas it is notorious, that there is not the least trace of any fuch Religious Meetings; or of its ever having been a part of the proper Office of the Priests, to inculcate the duties of Morality in their public religious affemblies, in any Heathen Nation whatever. Notorious it is, that Such an Inftitution as this; in which it was the proper office of the Priests to inculcate on the people, in Public Affemblies held for that purpose, the duties of real Piety and Moral Virtue, must have been moft excellently calculated for the good of Society; and it is therefore utterly incredible, that if ever fuch an Institution had exifted, the Civil Magiftrate fhould permit it to be entirely abolished. Whatever Superstitions we may fuppofe him gradually to have been prevailed on to introduce; and however unworthily we may fuppofe the Priefts, by degrees, to have fallen into a custom of difcharging this Office; the Civil Magiftrate cannot be fuppofed capable of being induced to abolish it, fo as to leave us no trace of its ever having obtained. Whereas, it is a Fact not to be queftioned, that the Office of the Heathen Priefts, was wholly confined to the performance of their Sacrificial and other Rites; and had no connexion whatever, with inculcating the duties of pure Morality, or any just notions of the nature of the One True God. A proof, I apprehend, from Fact, of itself fufficient to convince us, that there never can have been a time, when mankind had really discovered by the light of their own reason, and did actually profefs, those pure notions of the One True God, and the rational duties of Natural Religion, which these Writers would fain perfuade us they once did; in order abfurdly to make us believe, that Priests introduced those wretched Superftitions to which we know mankind have been every-where given up. The plain and certain truth is, that Natural Religion has that name, not because every man's nature of courfe dictates it to him; but because fome men by a proper ufe of their natural reafon may discover fome parts of it, and others other parts; and the reason of all men, duly cultivated, will approve it when propofed. And hence, it is evident, that by negligence men may come to know little of it; and by mistakes and evil inclinations may corrupt, and pervert it; and all this without Priefts to lead them wrong. And if their Firft Knowledge of Religion was, as probably it was, more from Revelation than Reason; and That Revelation appointed fome things, as for inftance Sacrifices, which reafon alone could not neceffarily have pointed out; That Revelation might eafily, though not without fault, be gradually altered by tradition; and thus corrup tions might be introduced, without even the exiftence of a Prieft, properly so called. Mankind Mankind actually came to have little, or no, knowledge of the True God, and but a doubtful notion of future punishments and rewards. They actually came to confider unnatural lufts, and the expofing of Children, and many other equally unnatural practices, as allowable. But is there even the least reason for fuppofing, that the Priefts were the cause of thefe practices? Or has the Author even attempted to prove, what he has not fcrupled to affert, that the religious prostitution of women, which obtained in fome places, arose from the Priests? And might not men degenerate in other particulars, as well as in these, without having Priefts for their corrupters? The Heathen Priesthood indeed did not inculcate the principles of Moral Virtue; this was no part of their Office as Priefts: But what does the Author know of their inculcating any thing vicious, except the national Idolatry they profeffed, in common with others; and whofe Rites it was their Office to celebrate? By this means, without doubt, they did no little mifchief; but poffibly likewife fome good. Mankind in general are naturally prone to be governed by their paffions and fenfations, inftead of their reafon; and by this means to run into Superstition, inftead of adhering rationally to true Religion; though the Author very charitably, and like a true Rational Chriftian, fuppofes this to be the case with Priests only. Well-meaning Priests, or at least Priefts under the direction of well-meaning Civil Governours; and furely there were both; might check the most mifchievous part of their Superftitions, in fome places, without fuffering by it. And accordingly very fenfible, and by no means fuperftitious Heathen Writers fpeak very refpectfully of fome Priests and Priesthoods; and scarcely any of them inveigh against them in the illiberal and unjustifiable manner that thefe Writers do, against all Priefts of all Religions. But we are told, that Priefts of all Religions are the fame. And this indeed feems to be a fundamental Article in the Creed of certain Gentlemen; if not the only Article they agree in: So near are they to being, as our Author wishes Proteftants were, without any Creed at all. This favourite Article not only appears in the text of our Author; but He, or his Note-writer, has made another explicit profeffion of his faith in it, in a Note. And the proof which he there produces is, that Plutarch, who was a Heathen Prieft, in his Difcourfe upon Curiofity, forbids all to pry into the Mysteries of Religion. But unluckily Plutarch does not forbid it in that Discourse, though our Author does in this page. And fuppofing Plutarch had given the prohibition, it might furely have been an innocent one in the mouth of any man but a Priest; or at least have been forgiven a Writer, who, as our Author obferves, thought fome forts of Superftition were worse than Atheism. He who could fay this, does not furely exhibit a very strong proof, that Priests of all Religions are the fame. But as thefe Gentlemen make fo very free with the faith of others, let us examine a little into this Article of theirs. Are all Religions, as well as the Priests of all, the fame? One would think our Author imagined fo, fince he tells us, that if a man be virtuous, it matters not what his Religion is. Join this principle with that we are now confidering, and his meaning immediately appears to be, That Laymen of all teligions • P. 401. • P. 35. f P. 258. & P. 97. may |