while those who made these kind of predictions a subject of raillery, were accounted impious and profane. Thus they construed as a punishment from the gods, the defeat of Claudius Pulcher, who, when the sacred chickens refused to eat what was set before them, ordered them to be thrown into the sea. If they wont eat,' said he, 'they shall drink.'” As ignorance is said to be the parent of superstition, it is astonishing that so wise a people as the Romans could ever be addicted to such monstrous absurdities; and that they should even allow them to encroach upon their religious ceremonies. The Church of Rome in the first ages of Christianity, it is generally allowed, was purely Apostolic; but in process of time strange superstitions, through the misunderstanding of former customs, perverted their judgment, and betrayed them into errors of a most serious nature. 66 Hopes and fears, romantically indulged," says Johnson," are apt to misguide. If you are pleased with prognostics of good, you will be terrified likewise with tokens of evil, and your whole life will be a prey to superstition." The veneration which the Romans entertained for Augury, led them into ceremonial devotions both unscriptural and contrary to common sense. When all the previous ceremonies were performed, the Augur, clothed in robe, offered up a prayer, the form of which may be seen in that offered to Jupiter at the election of Numa Pompilius. "O Father Jupiter, if it be thy will that this Numa Pompilius, on whose head I have laid my hand, should be King of Rome, grant that there be clear and unerring signs within the bounds I have described." The prayer being thus ended, the Priest turned to the right and left, and to whatever point the birds directed their flight, in order to determine from thence whether the god approved or rejected the choice. From hence it appears that superstition and folly, by adopting what they did but imperfectly understand, turned symbols and allegories into realities, and did infinite injury to the cause of religion, by diffusing error rather than knowledge. The Romans, not satisfied with the Apostolic doctrines that were first taught them by St. Peter, when he converted them to Christianity; and bewildered with the superstitious practices to which they were addicted, at length became, contrary to the sage advice of the wisest of men, righteous overmuch, and through excess of religion, introduced ceremonies and imposed penalties in the Church of Christ, that were neither sanctioned by the Scriptures, nor consistent with the mild doctrines of Christianity. Thus do trifling absurdities, sometimes, grow into enormities, and lead to the most ruinous consequences. All extremes are reprehensible ;but extremes in religion should be particularly guarded against-they are full of danger, and - who when viewing the curiosities that were carefully preserved in the Church of St. Ambrose, at Milan, was shewn the brazen serpent erected by Moses in the desert. I thought,' said she, that 'I ‘ was beaten to powder by the Divine command.' The Priest looked surprised and displeased. 'Forgive me, father,' said she, perhaps this was made of that powder?" The father bowed assent." NUMBER XXXV. ON SUPERSTITION. Alas! you know the truth too well; THE desire of searching into futurity has, no doubt, given rise to a variety of superstitious follies, equally weak and extravagant. "The Romans in particular," says a celebrated Author of Heathen Theology, "found out almost innumerable ways of Divination; all nature had a voice, and the most senseless beings, and most trifling accidents, became presages of future events. This introduced ceremonies that were the most childish and ridiculous, and which yet. were performed with an air of solemnity." "Birds, on account of their swiftness, were sometimes considered by the Egyptians as the symbols of the winds; and figures of particular species of fowl, were set up to denote the time when the near approach of a periodical wind was expected. From hence, before they undertook any thing of consequence, as sowing, planting, or putting out to sea, it was usual for them to say, let us consult the birds, meaning the signs fixed up to give them the necessary information they then stood in need of. By doing this, they knew how to regulate their conduct; and it frequently happened, that when this precaution was omitted, they had reason to reproach themselves for their neglect. From hence mankind mistaking their meaning, and retaining the phrase let us consult the birds; and, perhaps, hearing old stories repeated of the advantages such and such persons had received by consulting them in a critical moment, when the periodical wind would have ruined their affairs; they began to conceive an opinion that the fowls which skim through the air were so many messengers sent by the gods to inform them of future events, and to warn them against any disastrous undertaking. From hence they took notice of their flight, and from their different manner of flying prognosticated good or bad omens. The birds were instantly grown wonderous wise; and an owl, who hates the light, could not pass by the window of a sick person in the night, where he was offended by the light of a lamp or candle, but his hooting must be considered as prophesying that the life of the poor |