many Particulars, different from the Herodians; tho' the Refult of them, with regard to Religion and Virtue, is much the fame. Sadducifm confifts with all Stations and Employments, and Circumftances of Life; tho' it flourishes most among Men of vicious Inclinations, and eafy Fortunes, especially if they have fome little Talent for Raillery or fmattering in Learning. The Disbelief of a future State filences their Confciences, and lets them loofe to all Kinds and Degrees of Voluptuousness. And then the Pleasure of making Religion (or Superftition, as they call it) the Object of Ridicule, of starting new Difficulties, and then deciding all Truth by that Standard, is a perpetual Entertainment, and one that flatters the Pride of Human Nature in a very high Degree. They look upon the rest of Mankind as Bigots and Enthusiasts, as governed by Ignorance

and

and Fear, and the Craft of Priests : They are the only Men of free and enlarged Understandings, who can follow the Dictates of Nature without any Check, or Terror, from what shall fucceed hereafter.

It is very hard to conceive how the Sadducees of old could believe the Writings of Mofes, and at the fame time deny Angels and Spirits: All the other Books of the old Testament might have been as easily explained away as to thefe Points. But where one Piece of glaring Nonfenfe is admitted, it is not worth one's while to enquire into its feveral Confequences, Applications and Deduc

tions.

It is pretty evident, that the Sadducees used to be too hard for the Pharifees in many of their Difputations, as may be collected from this Paffage. When our Lord had put the Sadducees to filence, the Pharifees were VOL. I. T

fo

fo much pleased with it, that they could not forbear giving their publick Approbation, which they never would have done, if it had not been a great Relief to themselves; if he had not done, what was beyond their Ability to perform. Indeed this may be easily supposed, if it was not intimated in the before-cited Paffage. For as the Pharifees had made void the Law by their Traditions, and had perverted the whole Defign of their Scriptures, it could be no difficult Matter for the Sadducees to banter and ridicule them beyond all Reply. And it will be found in all other Inftances, that the Strength of Sadducism has lain in the Weakness of the Pharifees. Thefe Men by their idle Comments, Superftructures and Additions, and by their exalting them above the clear and material Points of Religion, have render'd themselves and their Opinions ridiculous, and have juftly expofed

ery

expofed both to the Infult and Mockof little Wits and minute Philofophers. A fmall Discernment will fuffice to fee thro' grofs Abfurdities, however awefully they may be recommended or pompously adorned: Whereas on the other hand, it requires great Labour and Patience and Honesty to collect the various Teftimonies and fcatter'd Evidences of ancient Revelations, and to clear the manifold Difficulties that are raised against them. The Jews themselves are not agreed about the Origin of Sadducifm, but it is very probable, that when the Greek Literature took place in Judea, the Epicurean Philofophy came along with it, from which Sadducifm acquired a great Support, if not the very worst of its Principles.

But to return to the moral Character of the Sadducees. Men who have attained to a thorough and steddy

Disbelief of a future State of Ex

istence, have nothing to do, but provide for their prefent Pleasures. As for Truth, Religion, Virtue, Conscience, they think them meer Bug-bears to others, and are become only matter of Sport and Diversion to themselves. It is plain from hence that Sadducifm reduces Men to the fame moral State with Herodianifm. Both make Pleafure the only Aim; Both make use of any means to attain it; and of confequence Both equally destroy all Regard to Religion and Virtue. Their Views and Purfuits in Life are often very different. The Pride of an Herodian is quite another fort of thing from that of a Sadducee; but the Sadducees must be allowed to have stronger Prejudices and Bars against Truth than the others. Theirs is a Pride of the Understanding, back'd with Pleafures of every Kind within their Reach, founded in Ignorance: The Herodian's a Pride of Power or Wealth_equally fup

ported