ceal'd; left the Heathens, or others (to give their own reasons) might scorn and defpife their fimplicity.

Stromat.

lib. 5. pag. 658.

B

VII.

UT why do I infift on particulars? fince this diftinction of Exoterical and Efoterical doctrines, was, as it were, the Catholic eftablishment of all nations; which shows that Univerfality is no infallible mark of TRUTH, unless it be main(tain'd that there is more wisdom than folly, more honesty than wickedness, more knowledge than ignorance in the world. I have a cloud of witneffes to confirm what I have advanc'd: but let CLEMENS Alexandrinus be their spokesman and interpreter. All they (fays he) who have treated of divine fubjects, whether Barbarians or Greecs, did conceal the PRINCIPLES of things; but deliver'd the TRUTH under enigmas and fymbols, under allegories and metaphors. And indeed, not to fpeak of defigning men, many others were perfuaded, that both natural and divine things might best be explain'd by figures. Among these the Philofopher SALLUSTIUS is not the leaft confiderable: to whofe authority notwithstanding, in this point, I am farr from affenting. He looks upon it as improper, to be defirous to teach all men In libro de alike, what is true concerning the Gods; fince this in the unwife, who are incapable of fuch inftruction, will breed contemt, and in the wife laziness: wheras to conceal the Truth under Fables (adds he) refrains the former from defpifing, and neceffitates the latter

Diis et

Mundo,

cap. 3.

to

to Philofophize; as obliging them to inquire into the right meaning of fuch Fables, which will not let time ly idle on their hands. But where is the neceffity, what is the end, of teaching the Vulgar any thing they cannot understand or practife? and as for the Learned, tis a jeft to talk of exercising their diligence; when time can never fail them in imploying their industry about what is intelligible and ufefull: for all thofe ftudies are vain, fuperfluous, nay ridiculous; that relate to matters in themselves incomprehenfible, or of no manner of concern to human life. Not plainly to fay and profess all you think, or to do it by circumlocution and figures, is one thing: but tis quite another thing, to fpeak pofitively against your own judgment, or against the TRUTH in any figure of fpeech whatever. For all this, I am oblig'd as a hiftorian (fince the Hiftory of the Exoteric and Efoteric Philofophy is my prefent fubject) to relate, that there have been of old, as well as at this time, feveral great men; who declar'd it their opinion, that FRAUD and SUPERSTITION were neceffary means, to keep the common people in good order. Among fuch STRABO, a man himself not in the least fuperftitious, juftly claims the foremost place. In the first book of his invaluable Geography, he expreffes his judg- Edit. ment in the following words. Thefe [fpeaking Amft. of artizans and the reft of the mob] are turn'd pag. 36. from their vices, when either by words, or certain frightful reprefentations, they learn that punishments, and terrors, and comminations, procede from the Gods, or that they believe fuch things have been inflicted on any Perfons: for tis impofible to govern the bulk of women, and of the promiscuous vulgar, by Philofophical difcourfes, or to lead them into religion, piety, or fidelity; but to this purpofe SuPERSTITION is found to be necessary, which G

can

Edit. Amft. pag. 285.

as

can never fubfift without fictions and miracles. Wherfore JUPITER'S thunderbolts, MINERVA's field, NEPTUNE's trident, the torches and ferpents of the FURIES, and thofe fpears which are reckon'd the arms of the Gods, ARE ALL FABLES, as well as the WHOLE ANTIENT THEOLOGÝ! "for these things were receiv'd by LEGISLATORS, as fo many bullbeggars, wherby to keep in order the filly part of mankind. Nor is STRABO, I hinted before, fingle in this opinion concerning the use of Fables. HOMER, which DIONYSIUS Halicarnaffeus tells us in his Life, uses a paradoxical and fabulous narration of things; that he may fill his readers with diligence and admiration, and render his auditors amaz'd. That all his Gods are pure natural causes, qualities, incidents, and events, are prov'd in this very Life: but more particularly and exprefly by HERACLITUS, whose Allegories of HOMER deferve to be careTOU EG- fully perus'd. I fhall neither obftinately deny, Τείνου, προς that the horror of Superftition, inftill'd into the Opnegu minds of men, never produc'd any good; nor Boo- fhall I cafily grant, that it ever had fo defireable undartas an effect: feeing that, the circumstances of all Αλληγο el que things duely confider'd, it must neceffarily hapnou, oop- pen, that Superftition fhou'd occafion more evil Tataix, than good in the world. But granting that Suavaynar perftition had at any time prov'd beneficial to the public, yet at other times without number, and in things of incomparably greater importance, it -will be found detrimental, deftructive, and utterly pernicious; nor advantageous to any, excepting PRIESTS or PRINCES, who dextroufly turn it to their own intereft, tho even these are not always able to direct it at their pleasure. It does not onely every where difturb private fociety and concord, and fomtimes bring its facred and foverain managers to the laft extremities;

του Σκο

τους κατα

σταται.

but

but too often diforders, or quite overturns, most florifhing Governments, which the Hiftories of all ages and nations make evident by infinite examples. As for the particular perfons blafted with this contagious air, it never leaves 'em a moment's tranquillity, waking or dreaming, in occurrences of life, or at the point of death.

T

VIII.

O pafs over many paffages out of the moft noted Apologifts for Fables,fuch as those I have already nam'd, together with PROCLUS, PORPHYRY, JAMBLICHUS, MACROBIUS (not to speak of ORPHEUS, EMPEDOCLES, PARMENIDES, and fuch other of the Antients, who wrote allegorically) TIMEUS Locrus, that excellent difciple of PYTHAGORAS, teaches the fame doctrine with STRABO: for he thinks Superftition to be no less neceffary than the latter, for the restraint and government of the people. Tho the paffage declaring this be a little of the longest, yet I fhall wholly infert it here out of his golden treatife concerning the Soul of the world; efpecially, because it is from thence most manifeft, that neither PYTHAGORAS nor the Pythagoreans believ'd the Tranfanimation, or Tranfmigration of Souls, for holding of which they are fo famous: Juxwors. but that by this word they did Efoterically underftand the inceffant flux or motion of all things, and the perpetual change of forms in matter, one never decaying or dying but to begin and take on another; while Exoterically they did, to the promifcuous

G 2

RODOT.

lib. 2. n.

123.

Edit.
Amft. pag.

mifcuous croud, affectedly preach the Egyptian Vide HE- Revolution of Souls, for the punishment or reward of what was tranfacted in the Body. This laft does certainly tranfmigrate, revolve, interchange, or however otherwife it may be commodioutly expreft; as no lefs does the Soul in the fense of thofe, who will have it to be Ether acting by the mechanifm of the Brain and Nerves, which are the proper organs of thinking and feeling. But let us hear our Author. A good Understanding (fays TIMEUS) and the antient 565, 568. Philofophy, after purging the mind from false opinions and imbuing it with knowledge, have deliver'd it from great ignorance, and excited it to the contemplation of divine fubjects: in which things if any be fo converfant, as to live content with his lot, to be mov'd at nothing incident to humanity, and adds to diligence temperance, that man is certainly happy. To whom foever therfore the Divinity has granted this favor, be, by the TRUESTPHILOSOPHY, is led: to the most confummate felicity. But if any Perfon: will continue refractory and obftinate, he shall be fure of punishment both from the Laws, and from thofe Doctrines, which denounce celeftial and infermal judgments; as that unhappy ghosts will meet with implacable torments, and thofe other things. which the Ionic poet has deliver'd out of antient Tradition. For as we cure the bodies of fick perfons with any fort of remedies, if they refufe the most wholefom; fo we keep the minds of men in order by FALSE REASONS, if they will not be govern'd by TRUE ones. Wherfore there is a neceffity Namely of teaching thofe foren torments: as that there is a Egyptian. TRANSMIGRATION OF THE SOUL, thofe of Cowards paffing into female bodies, affign'd'em for a difgrace; thofe of Murderers into beafts of prey, for a punishment; thofe of Luxurious perfons into the form of fwine or goats; thofe of Inconftant..

HOMER.

and