You will say, this is horrid, to make the magistrate prosecute the primitive Christians by the same provision which obliged him to exterminate those monsters of society! But who can help it? Our chancellor had but this one precedent for the prosecution of nocturnal assemblies; and if it be not the most honourable support of his hypothesis, it is not his fault.

But there was no proof, you will say, against the Christian, as there was against those Bacchanalian assemblies. What of that? Our chancellor opines, that mere suspicion, in so delicate an affair, was sufficient to acquit the magistrate of blame: nay, to make his conduct, in his care and jealousy for the state, very commendable. You shall have his own words. A jealous governor, therefore, and a stranger to the true principles of Christianity, was naturally open to such impressions; and COULD NOT BUT exert that caution and attention which the practice of their country so warmly recommended, p. 579. Could Cicero himself have been more warm, not to say more eloquent, in defending the decree which dispersed the profligate crew of Bacchanals?

And now a very capital point of ecclesiastical history is cleared up and settled. "The ten persecutions were begun and carried on, not, as had been hitherto supposed, upon the score of religion, or mere opinion, but against bad subjects, or, at least against those who were reasonably suspected of being such." And this is given to us by the learned critic as the true defence of free and generous antiquity, IN ITS PUBLIC CAPACITY: just as in free Britain (where, indeed, we now find small difference, as to freedom, between its public and its private capacity, except to the advantage of the latter), when papists complain of the penal laws, we reply, they are not enforced against erroneous religionists, but against refractory subjects, for refusing the magistrate the common security for obedience. There is indeed a difference; our answer to the papists is a serious truth; and our critic's apology for the pagan persecutors, an idle and ridiculous fiction.

But as if he had not yet done enough for his beloved antiquity, in thus blanching its TEN PERSECUTIONS; he goes on to clear it from the opprobrium of persecution in general; by charging the original of this diabolic practice on the Christian church; where, indeed, the freethinkers had very confidently placed it, till the author of The Divine Legation restored it to its right owner, the pagan magistrate.- PERSECUTION FOR DIFFERENCE OF BELIEF ALONE, says our learned civilian, OWES ITS NATIVITY TO MORE MODERN AGES; and Spain was its country; where Priscillian, by some, is held to be the first sufferer for MERE OPINION.

Thus the whole blame of PERSECUTION for religion is thrown from the gentile persecutors, upon the suffering church: and Christianity, either for its follies or its crimes (as either insulting civil society by its obstinacy, or polluting it by its vices), stands covered with confusion. So happy an advocate has our learned civilian approved himself for the cause to which, by a double tie, he had devoted and engaged his ministry.

The length of these animadversions hindered them from finding a place in the body of this volume, amongst other things of the like sort. Except for this, he had no claim to be distinguished from his fellows. I had a large choice before me: for who has not signalized himself against the DIVINE LEGATION? Bigots, Hutchinsonians, methodists, answerers, freethinkers, and fanatics, have in their turns been all up in arms against it. Quid dicam? (to use the words of an honest man in the same circumstances.) Commune fere hoc eorum fatum est, quorum opera supremum numen uti vult in ecclesia, ut MATURE insidiis, accusationibus et criminationibus appetantur. The scene was opened by a false zealot, and at present seems likely to be closed by a true Behmenist.* A natural and easy progress, from knavery to madness, where the imposture fails: as the progress is from madness to knavery, where it succeeds. It as now time to settle my accounts with them. To this end I applied to a learned person, who, in consideration of our friendship, hath been prevailed upon to undergo the drudgery of turning over this dirty heap, and marking what he imagined would in the least deserve, or could justify any notice: for I would not have the reader conceive so miserably of me as to think I was ever disposed to look into them myself. He will find, as he goes along, both in the text and the notes, what was thought least unworthy of an answer. Nor let it give him too much scandal that, in a work which I have now put into as good a condition for him as I was able, I have revived the memory of the numerous and gross absurdities of these writers, part of whom are dead, and the rest forgotten: for he will consider, that it may prove an useful barrier to the return of the like follies, in after-times, against more successful inquirers into truth. The seeds of folly, as well as wit, are connate with the mind: and when, at any time, the teeming intellect gives promise of an unexpected harvest, the trash starts up with it, and is ever forward to wind itself about rising truth, and hinder its progress to maturity. Were it not for this, I should refer the candid reader to what I take to be the best defence and support of the ARGUMENT OF THE DIVINE LEGATION, the succinct view of the whole and of all its parts, which he will find at the conclusion of the last of these volumes.† For, as Lord Verulam says excellently well; THE HARMONY OF A SCIENCE, SUPPORTING EACH PART THE OTHER, IS, AND OUGHT TO BE, THE TRUE AND BRIEF CONFUTATION AND SUPPRESSION OF ALL THE SMALLER SORTS OF OBJECTIONS.

Rev. Mr William Law.

† P. 401 of this edit.

THE

DIVINE LEGATION OF MOSES

DEMONSTRATED.

BOOK IV.-SECT. I.

THE foregoing Books* have occasionally, and in the course of my main argument, shown the reader, that it was always the practice of mankind to listen to, and embrace some pretended REVELATION; in neglect of what is called, in contradistinction to it, the RELIGION OF NATURE; that, I mean, which is only founded on our relation to the first Cause; and deducible from the eternal reason of things.†

If ever a general propensity might be called a dictate of nature, this surely may. That such a propensity there is, the deist, or pretended follower of natural religion, freely confesseth, nay, is forward to insist upon, as a circumstance of discredit to those revelations, which we receive for true. Yet surely, of all his visionary advantages, none ever afforded him less cause of triumph; a consequence flowing from it, which is entirely subversive of his whole scheme.

For let me ask such a one, What could be the cause of so universal a propensity in all ages, places, and people? But before he answer, let him see that he be able to distinguish between the causes which the few had in giving, and the many in receiving, pretended revelations. The causes for projecting and giving are explained at large in a former part of this volume; where it is shown, that all the pretended revelations, but real corruptions of religion, came from princes and lawgivers. It is true, he hath been taught otherwise. His instructors, the Tolands and Tindals of the time, assure him, that all came from the PRIESTS; and I suppose they spoke what they believed: it might be so, for any thing they knew. My question then is; What could induce mankind to embrace these offered revelations, unless it were,

1. Either a CONSCIOUSNESS, that they wanted a revealed will for the rule of their actions; or,

*Books I. II. III.

† Σὺ δὲ τὸν λόγον ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀναλαβὼν τῆς δεισιδαίμονος πλάνης, ἐπίσκεψαι τὴν διάπτωσις φύσει μὲν οὖν καὶ αὐτοδιδάκτοις ἐννοίαις, μᾶλλον δὲ Θεοδιδάκτοις, καλόντι καὶ ὠφέλιμον τυγχάνειν, τὸ σημαῖνον τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ προσηγορίαν τε καὶ οὐσίαν· πάντες γὰρ ἄνθρωποι κοινοῖς λογισμοῖς προειλήφεσαν, τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Δημιουργοῦ, τοῦτο πάσῃ λογικῇ καὶ νοιρᾷ ψυχή, φυσικαῖς ἐννοίαις ὑποσπείραντος· οὐ μὴν καὶ τῇ προαιρέσει τῇ κατὰ λόγον ἐκέχρηντο.—Euseb. Præp, Evang. lib. ii. cap. 6, edit. Steph. pp. 45, 46.

2. An old TRADITION, that God had vouchsafed it to their forefathers? One can hardly conceive any thing else; for a general effect must have as general a cause: which, in this case, is only to be found in the nature of man; or in a tradition preserved in the whole race. Prince-craft or priest-craft might indeed offer them, for their own private ends: but nothing short of a common inducement could dispose mankind to accept

them.

1. As to the consciousness of the want of a revelation, that may fairly be inferred from the miserable blindness of our condition: and he who wants to be informed of this, should consult antiquity; or, what may be more for his ease, those modern writers, who, for no very good ends, but yet to a very good issue, have drawn such lively pictures of it, from thence. But without going even so far, he may find, in the very disposition to receive such absurd schemes of religion as revelations from. heaven, more than a thousand other arguments to prove men ignorant of the first principles of natural religion; a very moderate knowledge of which would have certainly detected the imposture of those pretences. But now, men so totally at a loss for a rule of life, would greedily embrace any direction that came with pretended credentials from heaven.

*

If we turn to the few, the wise and learned amongst them, we shall find the case still more desperate. In religious matters, these were blinder even than the people; and in proportion too, as they were less conscious of their ignorance. The most advanced in the knowledge of human nature and its dependencies, were, without question, the ancient sages of Greece. Of these, the wisest, and far the wisest, was SOCRATES; for he saw and confessed his ignorance, and deplored the want of a superior direction. For the rest, who thought themselves wise, and appeared not so sensibly to feel their wants, we have shown at large, how they became fools; and, debauched by false science, affected the language of gods before they had well emancipated themselves from the condition of brutes. The two great supports of natural religion, in the world at large, are the belief of a FUTURE STATE, and the knowledge of MORAL OBLIGATION. The first was rejected by all; and the true ground of the second was understood by none: the honour of this discovery was reserved for revelation, which teacheth us, in spite of unwilling hearers, that the real ground of moral obligation is the will of God.

2. There only remains that other possible cause, the general tradition of God's early revelation of his will to mankind, as delivered in scripture. I, for my part, suppose both concerned in the effect; and that that state of mind which disposed men to so ready and general a reception of these numerous impostures, was the result of the consciousness of their wants, joined to the prejudice of tradition. If the deist allow tradition, he gives up the question; if he acknowledge our wants, he affords a strong presumption, in favour of revelation.

Book iii. sect. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

The stoics, who thought the soul mortal, yet reckoned their wise man equal, or superior, to the gods.

For if man (let the cause proceed from what it will) be so irrecoverably blind and helpless, it is highly reasonable to think that Infinite Goodness would lead and enlighten him by an extraordinary revelation of his will.

But here, Tindal objects, "That this blindness is men's own fault, who, instead of improving their reason, and following its dictates, which would lead them into all truth, (our own scriptures assuring us, that that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them,*) go on like beasts, and follow one another as they are led or driven."

To this I answer, that what had been the lot of man from the beginning of the world to the birth of CHRIST, was like to continue so to the end of it. A deviation springing from no partial cause of climate, government, or age; but the sad effect of human weakness in the circumstance of our earthly situation.By the fault of man, it is true; but such a fault as, it is seen by long experience, man could never remedy. He therefore flies to Heaven for relief; and seems to have reason for his confidence.

But to this, our man of morals has a reply at hand; "That if such be our condition, it may indeed want redress; but then, a revelation will not render the cure lasting." And for this he appeals to the corrupt state of the Christian world; which, in his opinion, seems to demand a new revelation, to restore the virtue and efficacy of the old.

But let me tell this vain rationalist. There is an extreme difference between the corruption of the pagan and the Christian world. In the pagan, where false revelations had given men wrong ideas of the attributes of the Deity, they must of course, and did in fact, act viciously UPON PRINCIPLE ;† a condition of blindness which seemed to call out on God's goodness for a remedy: but in the Christian world, for the very contrary reason, all wicked men act ill AGAINST PRINCIPLE; a condition of perverseness which seems to call out for nothing but his justice: God, according to the state of the case, having done every thing that man, with all his presumption, can pretend to expect from the goodness of his Maker.

Rom. i. 19, 20.

+ See Div. Leg. book ii. sect. 5 -Τὴν φύσιν θνητοὺς καὶ ἀνθρωπίναις κεχρημένους συμφο ραῖς, ὡς ἀγαθῶν χορηγούς, σωτῆρας καὶ θεοὺς ἀναγορεύειν, τὴν σεβάσμιον ἔννοιαν φυσικῶς αὐτοῖς ἐνυπάρχουσαν, ἐφ' οὓς ἐνόμιζον εὐεργέτας μετατεθεικότες. Τοσαύτη δ' ἄρα συνεῖχεν αὐτοὺς φρενῶν ἀποπληξία, ὡς μηδὲν τῶν πλημμελουμένων τοῖς θεολογουμένοις ὑπολογίζεσθαι· μηδ' ἐρυθριᾷν ἐπὶ τοῖς αἰσχρῶς περὶ αὐτῶν φημιζομένοις, τὰ πάντα δὲ τοὺς ἄνδρας διὰ τὰς παρ' αὐτῶν παρεχο μίνας ὠφελείας, ἢ καὶ διὰ τὰς τότε πρῶτον συνισταμένας δυναστείας τι καὶ τυραννίδας ἀποθαυμάζειν. Νόμων γοῦν, ὥσπερ ἔφην, ἤδη πρότερον μηδέπω τότε ἐν ἀνθρώποις πολιτευομένων, μηδ' ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτανομένοις ἁμαρτίας [τιμωρίας] ἀπρωρμίνης, μοιχείας καὶ ἀῤῥένων φθορὰς, ἐκθέσμους τε καὶ παρανόμους γάμους, μιαιφονίας τε καὶ πατροκτονίας, τέκνων τε καὶ ἀδελφῶν σφαγὰς, καὶ μὴν καὶ πολέμους καὶ στάσεις πεπραγμένας ὄντως τοῖς οἰκείοις προστάταις, οὓς θεοὺς ἡγοῦντό τε καὶ ἀπηκάλουν, ὥσπερ ἐν μέρει κατορθωμάτων καὶ ἀνδραγαθίας ἀπεμνημόνευον, τὴν τούτων μνήμην ὡς σεμνῶν καὶ ἀνδρείων τοῖς ὀψιγόνοις ἀπολιπόντες.-Euseb. Praep. Evang. lib. ii. cap. 6, edit. Steph. p. 46.