them; for which reason they hononred idols as much as the gods themselves, conceiving that they were united and incorporated with them: and they honoured these statues so much the more for their beauty, or antiquity, or any other singularity they had to recommend them."

Their worship was of a piece with their belief." It was wholly founded upon two passions, the love of pleasure, and the fear of coming to any outward harm. Their sacrifices were always accompanied with feasts, and music, and dancing. Comedy and tragedy had their rise from their merry-makings after vintage in honour of Bacchus." The Olympic games, and other trials of skill, so much celebrated in history, were instituted in honour of their gods. In short all the Grecian shews were acts of religion; and it was a piece of devotion, in their way, to assist at the most scandalous of Aristophanes's comedies. Thus, their chief business in time of peace was taking care of the sacred combats and theatrical shews; and often, in time of war, they were more attentive to these things, and at greater expence about them, than in the war itself.

Their religion then was not a doctrine of morality, like the true religion: they reckoned him a saint that was neither murderer, traitor, nor guilty of perjury; who avoided the company of those that committed such crimes; who kept up the rights of hospitality, and places of refuge; who faithfully

b Wisdom xiii. 10.

• lbid. xiv. 27-29.

"Tertull. de Spect. August. 2. De Civ. Dei.

• Demosth. Philipp. 5.

'August. de verá Relig. in init.

performed his vows, and gave liberally towards sacrifices and public shews. Religion was looked upon as a kind of trade; they made offerings to the gods, that they might obtain what they desired in their prayers. As to any thing else, debauchery did not offend it at all. Apuleius, after all the villainous actions with which he fills his metamorphosis, concludes with a description of his devotions," that is, how officious he was to get himself initiated into all sorts of mysteries, and how exact in observing all the ceremonies of them. Debauchery was so far from being condemned by religion, that it was sometimes enjoined: there was no celebrating the Bacchanal feasts in a proper manner without getting drunk,' and there were women that prostituted themselves in honour of Venus, particularly at Corinth. It is well known what the god of gardens, and the mysteries of Ceres and Cybele, were.

Thus they honoured the gods whom they thought kind and beneficent. But for the infernal deities, Hecate, the Eumenides or Furies, the Parcæ or Destinies, and others, with the stories of whom they were terrified, they were to be appeased with nocturnal sacrifices, and frightful inhuman ceremonies. Some buried men alive, others sacrificed children, and sometimes their own:* as the worshippers of Moloch mentioned with so much detestation in Scripture, who still kept up this abominable custom in Africa in Tertullian's time.'

To this fear and dread were owing all the rest of their cruel and troublesome superstitions; letting themselves blood with lancets, or cutting themselves with knives, as the false prophets of Baal and the priests of Cybele did;" as their fasting and bathing in cold water," and other such things. They thought thereby to avert particular evils or public calamities, with which they were threatened in dreams and prodigies, according to the interpretation of their soothsayers. These were the remedies by which they imagined they could prevent sickness, plagues, hail, and famine. For upon such occasions mankind is apt rather to do things that are of no use at all, than to omit any thing that may be thought serviceable. All their lustrations or expiations for crimes were troublesome superstitions of this sort: they consisted in purifying the body by water or fire, and performing certain srcrifices; but there was no mention of either repentance or conversion.

It will seem strange perhaps that people so wise as the Grecians should be led away by such gross superstition, and so easily suffer themselves to be imposed upon by astrologers, diviners, soothsayers, and many other sorts of conjurors. But it " 1 Kings xviii. 28.

* Jupiter, ingentes qui das adimisque dolores, Frigida si puerum quartana reliquerit; illo Manè die, quo tu indicis jejunia, nudus

In Tiberi stabit.—HOR. lib. ii. Sat. iii. 288-292.

"O Jupiter, thou who inflictest and removest great calamities, If this shivering ague shall leave my son,

He shall stand naked in the Tiber on the morning of thy fast day." This seems the readiest way he could take to get his ague repeated

must be considered that till Alexander's time, and the reign of the Macedonians, they had made no great progress in such learning as might cure them of superstition. They excelled in arts, their laws were wise: in a word, they had brought every thing to perfection that makes life easy and agreeable; but they took little pains in the speculative sciences, geometry, astronomy, and physics. The anatomy of plants and animals, the knowledge of minerals and meteors, the form of the earth, the course of the planets, and the whole system of the world, were still mysteries to them. The Chaldeans and Egyptians, who already knew something of them, kept it a great secret; and never spake of them but in riddles, with which they mixed an infinite number of superstitions and fables.

As these sciences depend chiefly upon experience, a succession of ages always improves them, and they are at present in the greatest perfection they ever were. They are taught openly to any one that will apply himself to them; and they agree perfectly with our holy religion, which condemns all superstition, divination, and magic. However, we find but too many that give ear to astrologers, and such impostors, not only peasants and ignorant people of the lowest sort, but ladies that value themselves upon their wit, politeness, and knowledge; °

• Many ladies of quality in France had professed astrologers and necromancers in their household. It is well known that Louisa of Savoy, mother of Francis I. was the grand paroness of Cornelius Agrippa. Queen Elizabeth also held the

and men that, notwithstanding they have had a good education, set up for free-thinkers, and cannot possibly submit to the dictates of true religion.

What then must be the case when all this nonsense made a part of religion; when conjurors were taken for men really inspired; when astrology, pyromancy, necromancy, and such knaveries, were esteemed divine knowledge? How was it possible to resist the authority of the priests, who gravely recounted an infinite series of proofs in confirmation of their doctrine, and were implicitly obeyed by whole nations? They could not help believing them, when they did not know how to account for these things in a philosophical manner; and if they had known, they must have been very bold to have contradicted them. P

A proneness to idolatry was not therefore peculiar to the Israelites. It was a general evil; and

science of Dr. Dee, the conjuror, in high repute; and is reported to have held frequent conferences with him on the subject at his poor house in Mortlake.

The intelligent Abbé had no doubt the case of Galileo in view when he wrote the above. This great philosopher, for asserting the true system of the world, was twice imprisoned by the holy infallible inquisition, in 1612 and 1632; obliged to renounce his heretical opinions, and not to defend them by word or writing; was condemned to imprisonment during pleasure, and to repeat the seven penitential psalms once a week; and his books being condemned also, were publicly burnt at Rome! The doctrine for which he was persecuted is now believed by the Pope and all his conclave! Thank God, the infernal inquisition is now no more! In Spain it had its last refuge, and there it is now suppressed. (1820.)