V.

CHAP. events prior to this deliverance and to the beginning of the Perfian empire. The books of Berofus the Chaldean, Manetho the Egyptian, Sanchoniathon the Phenician and Megafthenes the Indian are either loft or counterfeit; and though authentic are fuppofed to have been written in the time of Ptolemy 282. Philadelphus. "There is nothing" fays Julius Africanus quoted by Eufebius (p)" ac

curately written in hiftory by the Greeks "before the olympiads, all things faid to "have happened before that time are con"fufed and incoherent.' Thucydides (q) begins his history with the Peloponnesian war; because matters preceding that period were known only by conjecture: and Plutarch (r) goes no farther back than Thefeus; all before his time being but fable and fiction. The annals of the Romans previous to the burning of Rome by the Gauls were loft at 391 that time; and as to the Scythians and other barbarians we know little of them, except from the Greeks and Romans whofe accounts are frequently blended with fable and falfhood.

392.

Evil ten- <

Paganism

Heathen

Perhaps it might be expected that the dency of evil tendency of Paganifm was counteracted not oppof- by its minifters, or by the policy of ftatefmen. ed by We admit that the wifest of the ancient Heapriests. then lawgivers difcouraged immoral practices and deified fome virtues which were beneficial to their respective governments. in procefs of time rulers did not employ religion fo usefully; having admitted a fyftem

(1) Eufebii Præp: Evang: lib: X. cap: x.

(4) De Bello Pelop: lib. I,

() Life of Thefeus.

But

of

of fraud, impurity and cruelty blended with fome harmlefs rites and innocent devotions. Nor fhould it be expected that either the Heathen religion or the Heathen priests could reftrain the vices or paffions of men. The Pagans did not pretend that their gods delivered moral precepts or offered motives to the practice of them; nor did the duty of the Gentile priefts require them to inculcate fobriety, purity, juftice or the focial virtues, Auguftine (s) denies that the Heathens ever appointed inftructors to deliver morál precepts in the names of the gods; and challenges unbelievers to point out the places where fuch precepts were read or heard by the people. The people frequented the temples and attended the facrifices and other rites; while the priefts did not confider it their duty to inftruct them in morality. They directed men's attention not only to its innocent rites but to the worship of perfons who had been diftinguished by lewdnefs, bloodshed and other crimes. Virtue requires a firmer bafis than mere political wisdom; nor can we be furprized that when the wife inftitutions of the Roman government were fubverted by tyrants, the Romans became the moft vicious of any people on the earth.

of Hea

than thofe

If we compare what has been faid in the The laws IIId. chapter of this work with the general then lefs fpirit of Heathen authors we fhall be con- humane vinced that the Chriftians and their laws were of Chrif more favourable to the diftreffed than the tians. Heathens themselves or the best of their lawgivers. Heathen nations were lefs humane

(1) De Civit: Dei'ti,- $6.

than

V.

CHAP. than Chriftians; and the laws of the former though commonly just hardly convey an idea of univerfal benevolence. No Heathen lawgiver founded an inftitution for widows, orphans, &c. nor was there a fingle hof pital in the Heathen world (); whereas hospitals abounded in every nation of Chriftendom foon after the establishment of the Chriftian religion. Before it was published the Heathens used to inflict on debtors cruel punishments, fuch as fervitude, whipping them, putting them to death or cutting in pieces their bodies and dividing them among

the creditors where there were feveral of them (u). The firft Chriftian emperor reftrained thefe and other cruel punishments; and was the first who exempted debtors from the blows of sticks tipped with lead (w). Tho' many Heathen lawgivers furpaffed the Christian in abilities; yet were the laws of the former lefs merciful than thofe of the latter, even than thofe of the Vifigoths, Lombards and other barbarians who were affifted in the work of legiflation by Chriftianity and its 642: teachers. A law of Chindafwinthus king of the Vifigoths was gentle to debtors and fome protection to them against cruelty at certain feafons. Let no man, lays this pious prince (x), bring an execution for debt or otherwife on the feafts of the nativity, circumcifion, epiphany or pentecoft, on the Lord's day and for fifteen days after Eafter.

(1) Page 136 of this Hiftory.

(*) Vide Annales Baronii vol: i p: 135 A. D. 33.
(s) Cod: Theod: lib: iii de Exactionibus.

(*) Lindenbrog: Lez Wifig: lib; ii.

CHAP

CHAP. VI.

A REFUTATION OF VARIOUS OBJECTIONS AND
INSINUATIONS AGAINST THE UTILITY OF
RELIGION.

The divine attributes not investigated by philofophers. Nor moral precepts. -Philofo phers unable to reform the morals of the Heathens. Moral fenfe and fitness of things feeble fupports of virtue. So are its pleafures and advantages.

So are the love of

Sources of the
Morals of the

fame and law of honour
virtues of the Heathens.
Romans in their degenerate ftate.Bayle's
opinion of the inefficacy of religion refuted.

An objection to the efficacy of Christianity
refuted.- Rouffeau's opinion of its evil ten-
dency refuted.- Perfecutions not chargeable
on Chriftianity.- The intolerance of the
Jews was political. So was that of the
Heathens towards Heathens and Christians.

Caufes of the degree of tolerance exer-
cifed by Heathens- Caufes of various perfe-
cutions exercifed by Romanifts and by
Reformifts. Romanifts and Reformifts re-
-Shock-
fembled each other in fome points.-
ing effects of perfecution in various nations.

-Voltaire's

-Dr. Prieftly ignorant of the effects of
Christianity.Mr. Gibbons's error concern-
ing its effectsCauses of bereftes, contro-
verfies and religious troubles.-
error concerning the peaceableness of philofophers
and deifts. His charge on Calvinism re-
futed.Unbelievers criminal in afperfing a
religion they allow to be useful.

CHAP.
VI.

CHAP.

Divine ar

Ir has been infinuated that reveal

tributes not ed religion is unneceffary for the purposes of
investigat
ed by phi morality; as the attributes of God and no-
lofophers, ral piece is may be investigated and enforc

ed in various ways without the aid of reve
lation. In anfwer to this infinuation it will
be neceffary to prove that man did not ori-
ginally acquire a knowledge of the divine,
attributes or of moral precepts by the in-
veftigations of reafon, and that the Gofpel fur-
nifhes more powerful motives to the practice
of virtue than thofe offered by the unbelieva
ing moralift. From a former part of this
hiftory (a) it feems likely that the Medes,
Perfians, Indians and other ancient nations
learned from tradition refined ideas of the
Deity; and the following confiderations ren-
der it probable that to tradition and not to
their own refearches the fages were indebted
for theological information. The most an-
cient philofophers entertained more just ideas
of God than thofe who flourished feveral.
centuries after them; nor did the former en-
tertain a fingle worthy notion of him which
was not known to the Hebrews unaffifted
by philofophy, and long before the philofo-
phers appeared in the world. In courfe of
time the fublime theology of those men be-
came blended with falfhood and vulgar er-
rors; of which we have a melancholy proof
in Cicero's books concerning the nature of
the gods. Had theological knowledge been
deduced from men's own refearches, it is pro-
bable that fucceeding philofophers would have

(e) Chap: I. p: 8.