or immaculate? The following few inftances, taken out of a large heap, are controverfies of that kind, which miferably afflicted the Chriftian church for ages, and engendered the bittereft enmity, raging with deftruction and flaughter among brethren of the fame religion. In the fifth century, it was the employment of more than one general council, to determine, whether the mother of God, or the mother of Chrift, is the proper epithet of the Virgin Mary. In the fixth century, a bitter controverfy arofe, whether Chrift's body was corruptible. In the feventh century, Chriftians were divided about the volition of Chrift, whether he had' one or two Wills, and how his Will operated. In the eighth and ninth centuries, the Greek and Latin churches divided about the Holy Ghoft, whether he proceeded from the Father and Son, or only from the Father. In the eleventh century, there arofe a warm contest between the Greek and Latin churches, about ufing unleavened bread in the eucharift. In the fourteenth century, it was controverted between Pope John XXII. and the divines of his time, whether fouls in their intermediate ftate fee God, or only the human nature of Chrift. Francifcans have fuffered death in multitudes about the form of their hood. It was dif puted between the Dominicans and Francifcans, whether Chrift had any property. The Pope pronounced the negative propofition to be a peftilential and blafphemous doctrine, fubverfive of Catholic faith. Many councils were held at Conftantinople, to determine what fort of light it was that the difciples faw on Mount Tabor: it was folemnly pronounced, to be the eternal light with which God is encircled; and which may be termed his energy or operation, but is diftin&t from his nature and effence. A heap of propofitions in the creed of St. Athanafius, as far as intelligible, are merely fpeculative, fuch as may be adopted or rejected, without the least danger to religion, or to morality; and yet we are commanded to believe every one of them, under the pain of eternal damnation. An endless number of fuch propofitions, adopted by the Romish church, clearly evince, that Chriftianity was in that church held to confift entirely in belief, without any regard to good works.

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works*. Whether the Alcoran was eternal, or whether it was created, is a difpute that has occafioned much effufion of Mahometan blood. The Calif Mamoun, with many doctors, held it to have been created; but the greater number infifted, that being the word of God, it must like him be eternal. This opinion is embraced by the prefent Mahometans, who hold all who deny it to be infidels. There is among men great uniformity of opinion in matters of importance. Religious differences are generally about trifles, where liberty ought to be indulged without reserve (a); and yet upon these trifles, are founded the bittereft enmities. It ought therefore to be a fundamental law in every church, to abftain from loading its creed with articles that are not effential; for fuch articles tend to eradicate brotherly love, and to convert into bitter enemies, men who are fundamentally of the fame faith.

In the next place fhall be mentioned, certain articles of faith that tend to fap the very foundation of one or other moral duty. What, for example, can more effectually promote cruelty, than the creed of the Idaans, a people in the island of Borneo, That every perfon they put to death muft attend them as a flave in the other world? This belief makes them prone to war, and occafions affaflinations without end. According to the creed of the favages in Canada, the killing and burning enemies are what chiefly entitle them to be happy in another world, and that he who deftroys the greateft number will be the most happy. At the fame time, they have no notion of greater happiness there, than plenty of game, great abundance of all things without labour, and full gratification of every fenfual appetite. The Scandinavians had no notion of greater blifs in another world, than to drink beer out of the skull of an enemy, in the hall of Woden, their tutelar deity: can hatred and revenge in this world be more honourably rewarded?

*The great weight that was laid upon orthodoxy, appears from triumphal arch erected over the tomb of Charlemagne, upon which was the following infcription: "Here lies the body of Charles, a great and orthodox emperor."

(a) Elements of Criticism, vol. 2. p. 493. edit. 5.

rewarded? The doctrine of tutelar deities is equally productive of hatred and revenge: relying on a fuperior power who efpoufes all my quarrels, I put no bounds to my resentment, and every moral duty in oppofition is trampled under foot. The following creed of the inhabitants of the Marian or Ladrone iflands, is a great encouragement to cowardice. Heaven, according to that creed, is a region under the earth, filled with cocoatrees, fugar-canes, and variety of other delicious fruits. Hell is a vaft furnace, conftantly red hot. Their condition in the other world depends not on good or bad actions, but on the manner of their death. Those who die a natural death, go ftraight to heaven: they may fin freely, if they can but fecure their perfons against violence. But war and bloodshed are their averfion, because thofe who fuffer a violent death go ftraight to hell. In many ancient nations, a goddess was worshipped, whofe province it was to promote animal love without regard to matrimony. That goddefs was in Greece termed Aphrodité, in Rome Venus, and in Babylon Mylitta. To her was facrificed, in some countries, the virginity of young women; which, it was believed, did fecure their chastity for ever after. Juftin mentions a custom in the island of Cyprus, of fending young women at flated times to the fea-fhore; where they proftituted themfelves as a tribute to Venus, that they. might be chafle the reft of their lives. His words are, Pro reliqua pudicitiæ libamenta Veneri foluturas (a). In other nations, a fmall number only were proftituted, in order to fecure to the remainder, a chafte and reguJar life. This explains a custom among the Babylonians, which, far from being thought a religious act, is held as a proof of abandoned debauchery. The cuftom was, That every woman once in her life, fhould proftitute herfelf in the temple of the, goddefs Mylitta. Herodotus reports, that thereby they became proof against all temptation. And Ælian obferves the fame of the Lydian ladies. Credat Judæus Apella. Margaret Poretta, who in the fourteenth century made a figure among the Beguines, preached a doctrine not a little favourable to incontinence. She undertook to demonftrate, "That

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(a) Lib. 18. cap. 5.

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the

Book III, "the foul when abforbed in the love of God, is free "from the restraint of law, and may freely gratify eve

ry natural appetite, without contracting guilt;" a cordial doctrine for a lady of pleasure. That crazy perfon, inftead of being laughed at, was burnt alive at Paris. In the fifteenth century, a fect termed brethren and fifters of the free fpirit, held, That modesty is a mark of inhering corruption; and that thofe only are perfect, who can behold nakedness without emotion. These fanatics appeared at public worship, without the leaft covering. Many tenets profeffed by the Jefuits, open a door to every immorality. "Perfons truly wicked, "and void of the love of God, may expect eternal life "in heaven; provided only they be impreffed with "fear of divine anger, and avoid heinous crimes through "the dread of future punishment." Again, " Per"fons may tranfgrefs with fafety, who have a probable "reafon for tranfgreffing, fuch as any plaufible argu" ment. A judge, for example, may defide for the "leaft probable fide of a question, and even against his own opinion, provided he be supported by any tole"rable authority," Again, "Actions intrinfically evil, "and contrary to divine law, may however be innocent"ly performed, by those who can join, even ideally, a

good end to the performance. For example, an ec"clefiaftic may fafely commit fimony, by purchasing a "benefice, if to the unlawful act, he join the innocent "purpose of procuring to himself a fubfiftence. A man "who runs another through the body for a flight af"front, renders the action lawful, if his motive be ho

nour, not revenge." A famous Jefuit taught, that a young man may wish the death of his father, and even rejoice at his death, provided the wifh proceed, not from hatred, but from fondness of his father's eftate. And another Jefuit has had the effrontery to maintain, that a monk may lawfully affaffinate a calumniator, who threatens to charge his order with fcandalous practices.

A doctrine that ftrikes at the root of every moral duty, as well as of religion itfelf, is, That God will accept of a compofition for fin; a doctrine that prevailed univerfally during the days of ignorance. Compofitions

for

for crimes were countenanced by law in every country (a); and men, prone to indulge their paffions, flattered themfelves, that they might compound with God for finning against him, as with their neighbours for injur ing them. Those who have no notion of any motive but intereft, naturally think it to be equally powerful with the Deity. An opinion prevailed univerfally in the Christian church, from the eighth century down to the Reformation, that liberal donations to God, to a faint, to the church, would procure pardon even for the groffeft fins. During that period, the building churches and monafteries was in high vogue, This abfurd or rather impious doctrine, proved a plentiful harveft of wealth to the clergy; for the great and opulent, who are com→ monly the boldeft finners, have the greateft ability to compound for their fins. There needs nothing but fuch an opinion, to annihilate every duty, whether moral or religious; for what wicked man will think either of reftitution or of reformation, who can purchase a pardon from Heaven with folittle trouble? Louis XI. of France was remarkably fuperftitious, even in a fuperftitious age. To ingratiate himself with the Virgin Mary, he furrendered to her the county of Boulogne with great folemnity. Voltaire remarks, that godliness confifts, not in making the Virgin a Countefs, but in abftaining from fin. Compofition for fins is a doctrine of the church of Rome, boldly profeffed without difguife. A book of rates, published by authority of the Pope, contains ftated prices for abfolutions, not excepting the most heinous fins that men are capable to commit. So true is the obfervation of Eneas Silvius, afterward Pope Paul H. "Nihil eft quod abfque argento Romana curia det: ipfa manuum impofitio, et Spiritus Sancti dona, ven"duntur; nec peccatorum venia nifi nummatis impen" ditur *." Of all the inimoral atonements for fin, human facrifices are the most brutal; deviating no less from the purity of religion, than from the fundamental pinciples

(a) Hiftorical law tracts, tract 1.

There is nothing to be obtained from the court of Rome, "but by the force of money: even the ceremony of confecra"tion, and the gifts of the Holy Ghoft, are fold; and the re

miffion of fias is bestowed only on those who can pay for it."