&c.

A. As Bigotry is the worst Sort of Superftition, fo you know the Philofophers in general fuppofe Superftition to be worse than Atheism itself. Plutarch, in particular, makes it his Business in his Tract of Difidemony, or Superftition, to To. 2.165.B, prove that Atheism, tho' an Opinion falfe, and even stupid, yet is far lefs hurtful to Men than Superftition; and reflects less Dishonour on the Deity itself: For he interprets Difidemony, to be the continual Dread of a Deity p. 171. A,B, no less mifchievous than powerful; which is the most odious Character that can belong to any intellectual Being, and has given Birth to thofe fhocking Notions, and difmal Rites in divine Worship, that have either run Men into Atheism, and expos'd Religion itself to Ridicule and Contempt; or made Mankind the Dupe of defigning Knaves, and taught fierce Bigots to exercife, and then fanctify the most inbuman Barbarities.

"THE Atheist, fays he, knows no God at all; the Su-p. 167. C,D, perftitious none but what is monftrous and terrible; miftaking for dreadful, what is moft kind and beneficent;

«for tyrannical, what is truly paternal; for mischievously "inclin'd, what is full of providential Care; nay, for a

Being brutally favage and fierce, what is meer Goodness

" itself. Shall then, adds be, the Atheist be counted im- p. 169, E, F. "pious, and not this fuperftitious Perfon much more so? "I, for my part, had rather Men should say there is no "fuch Perfon as Plutarch, than that he is a Man incon

stant, fickle, prone to Anger, ready to revenge himself upon the flightest Occafion, and full of Indignation for meer Trifles, &c, And yet this is no more than what the

fuperftitious think of the Deity; whom of Confequence "they must as well hate as fear: They worship, indeed, and « adore him; and fo do Men even those very Tyrants they wou'd

O 2

P. 170. D.

P. 171 -- A, wou'd be glad of an Opportunity to deftroy. The Atheist

&c.

P. 171 E.

P. 96.

"contributes not in the leaft to Superstition; but Supersti"tion having given out fo hideous an Idea of the Deity, "some have been frighted into the utter Disbelief of any "fuch Being; because they think it much better, nay, "more reasonable, that there fhou'd be no Deity, than one "whom they see more Reason to hate, and abominate ; "than to love, honour, and reverence. Thus inconfide

"rate Men, fhock'd at the Deformity of Superftition, run directly into its opposite Extream Atheism, heedlefly skipping over true Piety, that is the Golden Mean between "both." So much for this Philofopher of the Gentiles, I shall now quote a noble Christian Philofopher, who says, Bacon's Effays, " Atheifm leaves a Man to Senfe, to Philosophy, to natural Pity, to Laws, to Reputation; all which may be Guides "to an outward moral Virtue, tho' Religion were not: But Superftition difmounts all these, and erecteth an absolute Monarchy in the Minds of Men. Therefore Atheism did never perturb States; for it makes Men wary of themfelves, as looking no further: And we fee the Times inclining to Atheism (as the Time of Auguftus Cæfar) were civil Times. But Superftition hath been the Confu"fion of many States, and bringeth in a new Primum Mobile, that ravisheth all the Spheres of Government."

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I grant that next to a real Bigot, an Atheist in Mafquerade may do moft Mifchief; but then it is by hiding the Atheist, and perfonating the Bigot; and under Colour of promoting Religion, advancing Priest-craft. And there are no small Number of thefe Atheifts, if what the famous Scaligerana, Scaliger fays is true, Quicumque Jefuita vel Ecclefiaftici Romæ in honoribus vivunt, Athei funt. And Men must have a great deal of Charity to think better of any Proteftant, whofe

P. 126,

pre

pretended Zeal carries him, contrary to the Principles of his Religion, into persecuting Measures.

HAD the Heathen distinguish'd themselves by Creeds made out of Spite to one another, and mutually perfecuted each other about the Worship of their Gods, they wou'd foon have made the Number of their Votaries as few as the Gods they worshipp'd; but we don't find (except in Egypt that Mother-land of Superstition) they ever quarrell'd about their Gods; tho' their Gods fometimes quarrell'd, and fought about their Votaries: No, it was a Maxim with them, Dearum injuriæ, Diis curæ.

Letter of Enthufiafm. p.

29.

By the univerfal Liberty that was allow'd amongst the Ancients, "Matters (as a noble Author obferves) were fo "ballanc'd, that Reason had fair Play; Learning, and Sci- 18. al. 28---, ence flourish'd; wonderful was the Harmony and Temper, which arofe from thefe Contrarieties. Thus Superstition, and Enthusiasm were mildly treated; and being "let alone, they never rag'd to that Degree as to occasion Bloodshed, Wars, Perfecutions, and Devastations; but a new Sort of Policy, has made us leap the Bounds of "natural Humanity, and out of a super-natural Charity, has taught us the Way of plaguing one another moft devoutly. It has rais'd an Antipathy, that no temporal Interest "could ever do, and entail'd on us a mutual Hatred to all "Eternity. And favage Zeal, with meek and pious Sem-Ib. 389. blance, works dreadful Maffacre; and for Heaven's-fake

(horrid Pretence) makes defolate the Earth.

154.

AND as this noble Author obferves, "The Zed's EnG, Characterist. (or the Jupiter of Strangers) was, among the An. Vol. 3. p.153. "cients, one of the folemn Characters of Divinity, the pe"culiar Attribute of the fupreme Deity; benign to Man"kind, and recommending univerfal Love, mutual Kind

" nefs

"ness and Benignity between the remotest, and most unlike “of human Race. Such was the ancient Heathen Charity, " and pious Duty towards the whole of Mankind; both "those of different Nations and different Worship.

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BUT, good God! how different a Character do Bigots give us of the Deity, making him an unjust, cruel, and inconfiftent Being; requiring all Men to judge for themselves, and act according to their Confciences; and yet authorising some among them to judge for others, and to punish them for not acting according to the Confciences of those Judges, tho' ever fo much against their own.

THESE Bigots thought they were authoris'd to punish all those that differ with them in their religious Worship, as God's Enemies; but had they confider'd, that God alone cou'd difcern Mens Hearts, and alone discover whether any, by conscientiously offering him a wrong Worship, cou'd become his Enemies; and that infinite Wisdom best knew how to proportion the Punishment to the Fault, as well as infinite Power how to inflict it; they wou'd, furely, have left it to God to judge for himself, in a Cause which immediately related to himself; and where they were not fo much as Parties concern'd, and as likely to be miftaken as those they wou'd punish. Can one, without Horror, think of Mens breaking through all the Rules of doing as they wou'd be done unto, in Order to set themselves up for Standards of Truth for God as well as Man? Do not these impious Wretches fuppofe, that God is not able to judge for himself; at least, not able to execute his own Judgment? And that therefore, he has Recourse, forfooth, to their fuperior Knowledge or Power; and they are to revenge his Injuries, root out his Enemies, and restore his loft Honour, tho' with the Destruction of the better Part of Mankind? But,

Το

To do the Propagators of these blafphemous Notions Juftice, they do not throw this Load of Scandal on the Law of Nature; or fo much as pretend from thence to authorife their execrable Principles; but endeavour to support them by Traditional Religion; efpecially by misinterpreted Texts from the Old Testament; and thereby make, not only Natural and Reveal'd Religion, but the Old and New Testament (the latter of which requires doing Good both to Jews and Gentiles) contradict each other. But to return,

IF what the Light of Nature teaches us concerning the divine Perfections, when duly attended to, is not only fufficient to hinder us from falling into Superftition of any Kind whatever; but, as I have already shown, demonstrates what God, from his infinite Wisdom and Goodness, can, or cannot command; how is it poffible that the Law of Nature and Grace can differ? How can it be conceiv'd, that God's Laws, whether internally, or externally reveal'd, are not at all Times the fame, when the Author of them is, and has been immutably the fame for ever,

CHAP.