them; as the pox, saint Roque; the falling-evil, saint Cornelius; the tooth-ache, saint Appollin; and even beasts and cattle have their's; saint Loy is the horse-leech, and saint Anthony the swine-herd.

As the Heathen priests would suffer none to come into their sanctuaaries but themselves; neither will the Popish priests permit any layman to come within the rails of the alter, and prophane with unhallowed feet that holy place. As the ancients obliged all who were initiated into their mysteries to confess, under the most severe denunciations, all the secrets of their past lives, by which means they were so much in their power, that they never afterwards durst blab out what they saw, nor give the least opposition to their designs; so the Romish priests trust their mysteries only to the vere adepti, (their trusty associates) and have made the same use of confession, (the loss of which is sorely lamented by others :) for they oblige, upon the penalty of damnation, all their votaries to confess not only their private sins, but secret tho'ts, as well as every thing else they know of other peoples, which may any way regard the interests of their order; and so have possession and fast hold of all families, and become acquainted with all the designs, which may ever thwart their pride; and consequently have secured their own domination, and the people's misery, beyond almost a possibility of redress.

Lastly, as the Heathen priests sacrificed goats to Bacchus, for browsing his vines; and men to Pluto and Proserpine, and other angry deities, to appease their wrath, and avert evils from themselves; so the Popish priests sacrifice and devote their enemies, under the names of hereticks and schismaticks, to the infernal fiend: And as those idolaters were allowed to know when was the most proper time to make their sacrifices to their deities, and what victims would be most acceptable to them, as being presumed to understand best the minds of their provoked gods; so the present ones are in possession of the sole judgement of what is heresy, and of sacrificing by that means whom they please to their ambition and revenge; which equally subjects the unhappy laity to them.

They have also imitated the Heathens in making every human foible and imbecility, as well as every common and uncommon appearance in nature, contribute to their interests; which shall be the subject of my next paper.

T.

NUMBER 53.

Priestly Empire founded on the Weakness of Human Nature.

THERE is not a living creature in the universe, which has not some innate weakness, or original imbecility co-eval with its being; that is, some inclinations or disgusts, some peculiar desires or fears, which render it an easy prey to other animals, who, from their constitutional sagacity or experience, know how to take advantage of this infirmity; of

which it would be needless, as well as endless, to enumerate particulars. My purpose is only to shew, that all the dignity of human nature, and the superiority which Almighty God has given to man above other beings, has not exempted him from this imperfection; which probably was left in his fabrick, to put him in mind of his mortality, to humble his pride, and excite his diligence.

The peculiar foible of mankind, is superstition, or an intrinsick and pannick fear of beings invisible and unknown. It is obvious to every one, that there must be causes in nature for all the good or evil which does, or ever can happen to us; and it is impossible for any man so far to divest himself of all concern for his own happiness, as not to be solicitous to know what those causes are: and since, for the most part, they are so hidden and out of sight, that we cannot perceive or discov er them by our own endeavours, we conclude them to be immaterial, and in their own nature invisible; and are, for the most part, ready to take their accounts, who have the dexterity to make us believe that they know more of the matter than we do, and that they will not deceive us.

To this ignorance and credulity joined together, we are beholden for the most grievous frauds and impositions, which ever did, or do yet oppress mankind, and interrupt their happiness; namely, for the rev. elations and visions of enthusiasts, for all the forged religions in the world, and the abuses and corruptions of the true one; as well as all the idle and fantastical stories of conjurers and witches, of spirits, apparitions, fairies, dæmons and hobgoblins, fortune-tellers, astrologers, and the belief in dreams, portents, omens, prognosticks, and the sevezal sorts of divinations; all which, more or less, disturb the greatest part of the world, and have made them the dupes and property of knaves and imposters in all ages.

Every thing in the universe is in constant motion, and wherever we move we are surrounded with bodies, every one of which must, in a certain degree, operate upon themselves and us; and it cannot be otherwise, that in the variety of actions and events, which happen in all nature, but some must appear very extraordinary to those who know not their true causes. Men naturally admire what they cannot apprehend, and seem to do some sort of credit to their understandings, in believing whatever is out of their reach, to be supernətural.

From hence perpetual advantages have been given to, and occasions taken by the heathen and popish priests, to circumvent and oppress the credulous and unwary vulgar. What fraudulent uses have been made of eclipses, meteors, epidemical plagues, inundations, great thunder and lightnings, and other amazing prodigies, and seeming menaces of nature? What juggling tricks have been or may be acted with glasses, speaking-trumpets, ventriloquies, echoes, phosphorus, magick-lanthorns, &c. in the ignorant parts of the world? The Americans were taught to believe, that paper and letters, were spirits, which conveyed men's thoughts from one to another; and a dancing mare was, not many years since, burnt for a witch in the inquisition in Portugal. Nature works by a thousand ways imperceptible to us; the loadstone draws iron to it, gold, quick-silver; the sensitive plant shrinks from the touch; some sorts of vegetables attract one another and twine together; others grow farther apart; the treading upon the torpe

do affects, and gives raging pains to our whole bodies; turkey cocks and pheasants fly at a red rag; a rattle-snake, by a sort of magical power in his eyes (as it is said) will force a squirrel to run into his mouth; musick will cure the bite of a Tarantula; the frights and longings of women with child, will stamp impressions upon the babes within them; people, in their sleep, will walk securely over precipices, and the ridges of houses, where they durst not venture, when awake; lightning will melt a sword without hurting the scabbard.

There is something within us, which we all feel, that baffles and gets the better of our best reasonings and philosophy; and this shews itself in love, in fear, in hatred, ambition, and almost every act of the mind; but in nothing so much as in superstition: sometimes we find a secret pannick, and at other times a strange and uncommon energy, or feeling of a mighty power within us; and not being able to account by any conduct of reason, or other causes in nature, for such perceptions, we are easily persuaded to believe them to be supernatural. Hence great philosophers, poets, legislators, famous conquerors, and often mad men, have been thought in many ages, by themselves as well as others, to have been inspired; and even distempers, such as, apoplexies, epilepsies, prophetick fits and trances, have been deemed miraculous.

Nothing strikes so strongly upon our senses, as what causes surprize and admiration; there are very few men, who are not affected with unusual sounds and voices, with the groans of others in misery, the solemnity of a coronation, or any publick shew, the pomp of a funeral, the farce of a procession, the power of eloquence, the charms of poetry, the rich and splendid equipage of great men, or the solemn phiz and mien of an enthusiast. Whoever therefore can find out the secret of hitting luckily upon this foible and native imbecility in mankind, may govern them and lead them as he pleases. And herein has consisted the greatest skill and success of crafty priests in all ages. They have made use of this power to turn us and wind us to all their purposes, and have built and founded most of their superstitions upon it; and consequently have ever adapted their worship rather to catch our passions, than convince our minds, and enlighten our understandings; all which is directly contrary to the spirit of Christianity and the precepts of our Saviour, as shall be fully shewn in the next paper. For this reason the heathens built their temples in groves, in solitary, dark and desart recesses, by or over caverns, and grottoes, or in the midst of echoing and resounding rocks, that the hideous and dismal aspect, and often hollow and hoarse bellowing of such places, might strike a solemn awe and religious horrour into their votaries, and sometimes help their imaginations to hear voices, and see forms, and so intimidate and prepare them for any stories and impressions, which they should think it their interest to make.

The popish priests have admirably well aped these their predeces sors; by building their churches dark and dismal, with figured and painted windows, to let in a false and glimmering light; arched and contrived in such manner, as to resound the voice hollow and shrill; with many private apartments, cemetries for their saints, proud inscriptions, whispering places, secret chappels for confessions, Saying masses, dirges, penances, &c. Like the heathens too, they build

their temples solemn and magnificent, in antick and uncommon figures, adorn them with silver and gold, rich carpets, curious statues, and images stuck about with jewels; and their priests appear in gaudy vestments, and fantastical robes and caps, and perform their wor ship with musick and affected ceremonies; all which pageantry and farce is calculated, and intended to act upon the passions, attract the eyes, amuse, lull, and suspend the understanding, and draw admiration and reverence to those who preside in these haughty fabricks, and this pompous adoration. Their bells too, which call the people together, are contrived to emit such sounds, as affect the minds of most people, with a sort of superstitious melancholy.

Indeed, as the Romish priests are more numerous, have vastly larger revenues, and more leisure, so they have greatly improved upon the heathens in this art of deceiving; insomuch, that there is scarce an imperfection or errour of human nature, which is not adopted into their scheme, and made subservient to their interest. Men of sprightly genius and courage are caught by their ambition, are highly honoured, flattered and raised up by their general voice to the highest dignities, and then are indulged in all their passions, and gratified with confessors, who are not only to overlook or pardon, but assist them in their vicious pleasures; by which arts those great talents, instead of being nobly employed to free mankind from sacerdotal usurpations, are meanly perverted to support and aggrandize the monkish empire.

Men of violent and impetuous tempers, are suitably employed to execute their tyrannical designs, and to take vengeance of their enemies; and the debauched and wicked are made to buy their peace of heaven, by giving money and lands to the priests; but none contribute so much to advance their system, as visionaries and enthusiasts: There are in all countries, multitudes of people, whom ignorance, pride, conceit, ill habit of body, melancholy and splenetick tempers, unfortunate circumstances, causeless and secret fears, and a pannick disposition of mind, have prepared to be the objects, as well as instruments of delusion, and they have been ever made use of accordingly.

Some of these are thrust or decoyed into religious houses, or persuaded to lead retired, recluse and austere lives, and to torture and punish themselves with whippings, penances, fasting, and to walk bare-foot in order to astonish the gaping multitude, and thereby gain reverence to the priesthood, for their fancied holiness; whilst the governing ecclesiasticks feast and tiot in delicious banquets, ride in state with coaches and six, attended by numerous servants in costly liveries, and earth and sea is ransacked, and heaven itself profaned, to maintain their luxury and pride.

Such amongst them as are disposed to hear voices and see forms, shall hear and see enough of those, which are real ones, and afterwards be made use of to divulge them; and in order to it, their sanctity shall be proclaimed abroad, and their mad and incoherent speeches be called revelations, heavenly dispensations, and incomprehensible mysteries. Such crazed and fanatical men and womes have been the founders of most of the colleges, monasteries, and uunneries of the Romish church, (to say nothing of others) and their follies and madness been the support of the papal dominion.

But this artificial devotion, this mechanick religion has nothing to do with Christianity; which is natural religion restored and improved, and consists in virtue and morality, and in being useful and beneficent to one another, as I shall shew in my next paper.

The prophets have taught us the same lesson; the first chapter of Isaiah fully shews, that religion does not consist in sacrifices, in burntofferings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts, in the blood of bullocks, and of lambs, and of he-goats, in vain oblations, incense, new-moons, sabbaths, and calling of assemblies, in appointed feasts, or many prayers; but in doing good to mankind. The prophet sums up our duty in these words, cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow; for, as another prophet says, what doth the Lord require of thee, O man, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micab, chap. vi. v. 8.

T.

NUMBER 54.

In what only true Religion consists.

1 HAVE undertaken in this paper to prove, what, methinks, should want no proof; namely, that the all-powerful God is not a whimsical and humourous being, that governs his creatures by caprice, and loads them with arbitrary and useless burthens, which can serve no good purpose in nature.

The Almighty is infinitely happy in his own perfections, and cannot receive pleasure from such things or actions, as only the weakest men are fond of, and the wisest contemn. He is not capable, like mortals, of being ruffled by accidents, or surprized by disappointments. Wisdom, goodness and felicity, are essential to his being; and consequently, he could have no view in creating mankind, but their own happiness; for we can neither add to his, nor take away from it.

It is absurd therefore to suppose, that there can be any merit in bare opinions and abstruse speculations; or, in the performance of indifferent and useless actions; or, indeed, that any thing can be part of true religion, but what has a tendency to make men virtuous and happy. The father of mercies will never perplex our minds, or burthen our bodies, with any thing that signifies nothing.

Moses indeed gave to the Jews a carnal law, a law of bondage; a yoke, which neither they, nor their posterity could bear; statutes which were not good, and judgments by which they could not live.-But these were given them for the hardness of their hearts, and as punishments for their manifold sins and iniquities. And besides, they were only to last for a time, and afterwards give way to a simple, pure, and perfect law, to a spiritual, innocent, and undefiled religion; free from their own fond superstitions, and the stale idolatries of the Gentiles; not loaded either with priests, sacrifices, or ceremonies; a reli