power; the other can be accomplished only by superior wisdom.

The two articles last mentioned, though absolutely necessary, namely, external worship in all its branches, and an appointed order of persons for religious service and instruction, I should rather consider as means for preserving and extending religion in the world, than as essential ingredients of religion itself. Wherever her heavenly form in reality exists, she will always carry these in her train. If she appears without them, she will not long reside among men, or retain her influence over their hearts.

Thus, the belief of Deity as an all-perfect spirit, of his overruling providence and moral government, and of the immortality of the human soul, and of a future state of moral retribution, exhibit the basis of all true religion to a moral and free agent, such as man is by his very nature. But in But in consequence of his present state of moral degradation and subsequent misery, other articles must be superadded to these, no longer of themselves sufficient for his comfort and restoration. Hence, the necessity of an economy of pardon and grace; a pure and comprehensive system of morality; the assurance of divine aid in the discharge of duty amidst all the vicissitudes of life; the certainty of future rewards and punishments conformable to the nature and present probationary condition of man;

a scheme of religious instruction suited to every capacity and calculated to move the best affections of our nature; religious worship, worthy of its object, founded on his perfections, and conducive to human improvement; and an appointed order of men duly qualified to discharge the peculiar functions and to direct the immediate concerns of religion; these appear to be the additional requisites in a religious system adapted to man's corrupt state, and conducive to his present and eternal happiness. Where these ten requisites are exclusively to be found, will afterwards appear. Thus I have endeavoured to exhibit what I would denominate a general sketch or outline of true religion.

CHAP. II.

OF SUPERSTITION-FANATICISM-BIGOTRY-
IMPOSTURE.

THAT the best things are most liable to corruption, and when corrupted are productive of the worst effects, is a maxim generally admitted. Indeed, that this should be the case, will be evident on the smallest reflection, and the fact is

chiefly to be ascribed to two causes. In the first place, whatever is highly valued will naturally be an object of scrupulous care and of assiduous exertions for its improvement; with a view to preserve or improve, men frequently deteriorate what they value and admire, either by absurd guards or by preposterous refinement. Secondly, whatever is in itself conducive to the reformation of morals and the amendment of the heart, meets with strong resistance from that very corruption which it is intended to remove or to diminish. The remedy is not positively rejected, but it is so sophisticated and altered that its operation is either entirely defeated or much impaired in its efficacy. Thus, while the name of the salutary application is retained, its nature is changed, and its efficiency destroyed.

All this has been particularly the case with religion. It has been more corrupted than any other useful and salutary gift which heaven has bestowed on mankind; and its reality has speedily produced its resemblances and counterfeits, which have claimed its authority and usurped its power. Human folly and corruption seem in this field to have attempted to wage perpetual war with divine wisdom and goodness.

It would be vain to endeavour to enumerate all the forms of corruption which religion has been forced to assume in the different ages of the world; nay, it would be an almost endless

task to aim at detailing merely the corruptions of Christianity. But these corruptions may be reduced to four general heads, as including the four grand sources from which they have all flowed, namely, Superstition, Fanaticism, Bigotry, and Imposture. On each of these I shall offer some observations.

I. Superstition exhibits one principal counterfeit of true religion, pretends to bear its form, completely perverts its nature, and frustrates its beneficial tendency. In ascertaining the peculiar and appropriate character of Superstition, as distinct from Fanaticism, Bigotry, and Imposture, with the first two of which it has some common features, it may be of some use to attend to the derivation of the word. It has been transferred into our language from the Latin, through the medium of the French. Cicero gives, in my opinion, an erroneous derivation of the word Superstitio in his own language, the origin of the word in ours. "Those," says he, "who prayed and sacrificed whole days, that their children might survive them, were called superstitious, and the term afterwards obtained a more extensive signification." Lactantius rejects this derivation as absurd, and although I cannot assent to the whole of his argument on

a Qui totos dies precabantur et immolabant, ut sui sibi liberi superstites essent, superstitiosi sunt appellati; quod nomen postea latius patuit. De Nat. Deor. 1. ii. c. 28.

the point, I think his derivation is more natural, and rests on more solid ground. His words chiefly affecting the point in question are,

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They are denominated superstitious, not who desire that their sons may survive them, (for this we all desire) but either they who pay worship to the memories of the dead, or who worshipped the images of their deceased parents as household deities. For, those who adopt new religious rites, honouring as gods deceased men whom they believed to be received into heaven, were called superstitious. But those who worshipped only the public and ancient deities were called religious. Hence Virgil

Vain superstition knows not ancient gods.

But, since we find that even the old deities were in this manner consecrated after death, the superstitious are such as worship a plurality of false gods; but we who adore the one true Deity are religious.'

a Superstitiosi autem vocantur, non qui filios suos superstites optant (omnes enim optamus) sed qui superstitem memoriam defunctorum colunt, aut qui parentibus suis superstites, colebant imagines eorum domi, tanquam Deos penates. Nam qui novos sibi ritus assumunt, ut deorum vice mortuos honorarent, quos ex hominibus in cœlum receptos putabant, hos superstitiosos vocabant. Eos vero qui publicos et antiquos Deos colerent, religiosos nominabant; unde Virgilius

Vana superstitio veterumque ignara deorum.

Sed cum veteres quoque deos inveniamus, eodem modo consecratos esse post obitum superstitiosi, ergo qui multos ac falsos deos colunt. Nos autem religiosi qui uni et vero Deo supplicamus. Lact. Dio. Instit. 1. iv. c. 28.