How far, and how faft, thefe Seminaries have fince then corrupted and inflamed the People, every body knows, and the Nation feels. Had it not been for them, we should have lighter Taxes, and fewer Soldiers.

G.

NUMBER XLII.

Wednesday, November 2. 1720.

Of High-Church ATHEISM.

HAT Religion, or the Worship of a Deity, is natural to Man, is confeffed by Mr. Hobbes himself in his Leviathan, wherein he endea vours to affign the natural Causes thereof: And no History or Voyages give us an Account of any Country, in any manner civilized, without Religion, as well as Priests or Minifters, and Temples or Places of Worship. Men have been in all Ages fo prone to Religion, that rather than not have one, they have

been

been contented to worship the most abject
Beings in Nature; and indeed, nothing feems
to have been too abfurd and ridiculous for
them to believe and practise, under the Direc-
tion of any Men, who had Confidence enough
to take upon them to be spiritual Guides of the
People. It was ever fufficient to pretend to
teach Religion, to make any thing to be received
as Religion.

Th' Egyptians worshipp'd Dogs, and for
That Faith made internecine War.
Others ador'd a Rat, and fome
For that Church fuffer'd Martyrdom.
The Indians fought for the Truth
Of th' Elephant's and Monkey's Tooth.
But no Beaft ever was fo flight,
For Man, as for his God, to fight.
They have more Wit, alas! and know
Themselves and us better than so.

HUDIBRAS.

NOR is this Difpofition at all abated in the World. The Pagan Part is much the fame: And many Chriftians are more prone, if poffible, to Abfurdity and Folly, than the Pagans. The Popish, Greek, and feveral other Christian Sects, worship a Breaden God; and, befides other numerous Abfurdities and Follies, exceed

VOL. II.

E

them

:

them in that grand one of all, of delivering up their Perfons, Eftates, and Confciences, to the Prieft; and of hating, damning, perfecuting, and burning one another, and all who have any Difference in Opinion with them, as be inspires them In all which they outgo both the antient and modern Pagans, who have generally given Toleration to Men of different Religions from themselves, and have in no Place gone thofe Lengths in Perfecution, which fome Chriftians (or rather fome Perfons pretending to be Chriftians) have done.

As a farther Proof, that Religion is natural to Man, I observe, that no Hiftory informs us, that ever Atheism (by which I understand, a direct Denial of the Existence of a Deity, a Providence, and Worship) was able to introduce itself among the People of any Country whatsoever.

RELIGION is not only patural to Man, but esteemed neceffary to Government by Princes and States, who, whether they themfelves have believed any Religion or no, have established Forms of Religion, and been willing, that their Subjects fhould obey them, and defend their Country, upon a Principle of Religion, as knowing its powerful Operation on the Minds of Men.

AND

AND befides, Religion has a great Support from Priefts or Divines, who are very numerous every-where, and have a Zeal for every Form which they profess, equal to the Interest which they derive from it: And if the Intereft of one Form runs low, many of them can change their Party, and become zealous for another Religion; as they did three times it the Compass of five Years in England, in the Reigns of Edward the Sixth, Mary, and Elizabeth; the non-complying Clergy never amounting to Two hundred under any of thofe Changes.

GREAT Complaints indeed have been and are daily made in relation to the mighty Growth of Atheism. But thofe Complaints feem to me, for the most part, if not altogether, groundless, and to be generally Calumnies of High-Church Priefts, and High-Church Men, upon the beft Chriftians, namely, fuch who profefs themselves ready to fubmit to the Authority of Jefus Chrift, but refuse Submiffion to any Priests, whether they be Greek, Muscovite, Roman, Dutch, Scotch, or English.

THERE is not, therefore, and cannot be, any Danger of the Overthrow of Religion, as long as Men continue Men; Religion will ne ceffarily prevail among us, and every-where

E 2

elfe,:

elfe, in Virtue of Mens general Difpofition to Religion, either under one or several Forms, according as the Civil Magistrates of the World are more or less perfuaded, that they themselves are to dictate (or to dictate after a Priest) Religion to their Subjects.

THE noify Outcry therefore of the Danger of Religion from Atheism or Irreligion, is a mere Chimera of the High Priefts; which, in all Likelihood, they start, to put Men on a falfe Scent, and to disguise and carry on their own Deligns of Power and Wealth: For while People are alarmed with the Fears of Atheism, they are disposed to fall into all the pretended Measures of the Priest to suppress it, and to become zealous for him, who never fails to make use of the Panic or Madness of the People (which is his Opportunity) to establish Doctrines and Practices for his own Advantage; which at his Suggestion they falsly suppose to be most oppofite to Atheism, and to be the best Means to suppress it.

BUT the constant Danger, and the great and only Concern which we ought to have, is, left under the Colour and Name of Religion, or the Worship of God, we have not only Falfhood and Superftition put upon us, but the most deteftable and wicked Practices introduced;

fuch