inadequate and partial estimate of the effects of Christianity, if, confining our admiration to the visible burft of its rays, we should not reflect on its power over every dependency of the intellectual world; its efficacy pervading every secret vein of thought; its inftructions meliorating, often by imperceptible degrees, the laws, literature, and manners of every country, which in the revolution of fucceffive ages it hath vifited.

The communication of a perfect law, which every mind, in proportion as it is enlarged, venerates with increafing admiration and improvement, could not be promulgated but with beneficial effect to the world. To enquire wherefore its glory hath not been displayed with univerfal and equal lustre; why either it hath not risen on fome lands, or hath fet with too speedy decline, is to enquire wherefore God hath harmonized the fpiritual as well as the natural world with gradations of position, with unequal extent of favour. That where it hath spread it hath imparted bleffings, cannot be disputed. The paffions and perverfe inclinations of men. may often hurry them to act inconfiftently with the fuggestions of their own conscience;

but

but in general the propriety of their conduct muft depend upon the integrity of the principles implanted in their minds.

We are not surprised that the Heathens fhould have "committed all iniquity with

greedinefs," when we reflect on the springs and motives of their actions. Their temples were the fanctuaries of impurity *: whatever of elegance was diffufed over the fanciful objects of their mythology, or their infti

tutions

The licentious character of the Heathen theology has been exposed till we are weary of the theme; and more de teftable features of Paganifm might eafily be produced. Its worship was often fanguinary, and its deities are not too ftrongly described by Clemens Alexandrinus, as powπos Δαίμονες, και ουχι μονον επιχαίροντες τη φρενοβλαβεία των ανθρώπων, προσδε και ανθρωποκτονίας απολαυονίες. Of the favage nature of the Gentile fuperftitions he produces many ftriking proofs, defcribing its deities as vifiting nations and cities like peftilences. Vide Cohort. ad Gent. § 3. p. 36. Edit. Potter. Vid. alfo Juftin Martyr, Theophilus, and Lactantius de falfa Religione. Those who confider how general and deep were the impreffions of Polytheifm, and how much the Chriftians were condemned for defpifing them, will not think, with Gibbon, that the Fathers " expofed its extravagance with fuper"fluous wit and eloquence." The evidence from prophecy and miracles, now fo juftly infifted on, would have been urged with lefs effect, while falfe prophecies and miracles, and defcending deities, were univerfally believed; and it was neceffary to prepare the mind for the pure and fublime morality of the Gofpel, by firft awakening it to the falfe glare and the abfurdities of exifting fuperftition. The Hiftorian himself feems often to have been reconciled to the extravagance of Polytheism, and inclined to foften down its inftitutions into harm. lefs rites; and many other writers, with a refinement of philofophy,

tutions and ceremonies of religious celebration, ferved but to disguise their real character with luxuriant and feductive embellishment; and thofe only could advance towards the perfection of a moral life, who, rejecting the vicious fables of their religion, exerted their industry in retracing the native impreffions of the human mind; or in collecting fuch traditionary fragments of revealed knowledge, as were graven "with an iron pen" on the rocks and rude ftructures of antiquity, and difperfed in fcattered leaves by exiles from that land, in which its inftructions were recorded. As however they too generally reafoned from the illufive fpeculations of human fancy, limited to the contemplation of the human character, they systematically erred from falfe principles; and those whose noble minds revolted from furrounding fcenes, but cherished with pride, and recommended with eloquence, artificial fyftems, grounded on human motives, and productive of erroneous conduct.

fophy, and an affectation of claffical knowledge, have endeavoured to extract from its groffeft imagery a fecret wisdom; fearching amidst the impurities of licentious fable for the most fublime principles of religion, by a chemistry which might be neceflary indeed for the enlightened part of mankind, fhould the infatuation of a relapfe into Pagan worship prevail beyond the boundaries of that unhappy country which has been deluded to refore it.

The

The excellency of Revealed Religion, not only as it is a system in which the Divine attributes, and the glories of a spiritual world are gradually disclosed; but as it inculcates principles of religious and moral conduct, univerfal in their application, and unimpeachable in their character, is established. with undisputed evidence. Its efficacy to promote the welfare and happiness of mankind, has been controlled and fuppreffed by the obftinacy of that repugnance, which, from its affection to evil, has rejected its guidance*; and it has been still more fatally impeded by the perverseness of that iniquity, which hath mutilated its inftructions.

With the evil paffions of thofe who have refused to act under the direction of religion, and concealed themselves with conscious guilt from God's prefence; however they may have lived in periods and countries in which it was promulgated, we have no concern in a vindication of its tendency, fince it never can be represented as effential to Revelation,

* Αδυναίον εν το αγαθον ἐνθαδε καθαρεύειν της κακιας ὁ γαρ κοσμος πλήρωμα επί της κακίας. The existence of evil was obvious ; the caufe unknown to the Heathen World. Παντων δε μεγίσου κακον ανθρωποις τοις πολλοις εκφυτον εν ταις ψυχαίς ετινο Plat. de Legibus. 1. v.

that

that it should impofe conviction, and compel obedience.

The depravity however, which hath rejected Religion, hath often borne, as the Devils, who acknowledged Christ, an unwilling teftimony to its worth; fulfilling the prophecies which it unfolds, and affording a ftriking contrast to its character, in the unhappy objects, whom it hath haraffed. When the Ifraelites became children of tranfgreffion, and inflamed themfelves with idols under every green tree, it was to flay the children in the valleys, under the clifts of the rocks *. And it would be but too obvious to point out an aggravated counterpart of the effects of apoftafy in modern times. Not the pride which hath rejected Religion; not the defection which hath renounced its laws: but that pretended attachment which hath changed its principles, and kindled " a strange fire on God's altar," hath effected the greatest injury; here hath the malignant fpirit difplayed his most fatal enmity, and bruised with too fuccessful subtilty the heel of the Meffiah.

That speculative and delufive fancies fhould have been framed on that general

*Ifaiah, chap. Ivii. ver. 4, 5. See alfo 2 Kings, chap. xvi. ver. 3. Jeremiah, chap. xxxii. ver. 35.

perfuafion,