heads with trifles, or worse than trifles, they were early taught what might be really useful, they would not then be fo continually in pursuit of filly, ridiculous, expensive, and many times criminal amufements; neither would their converfation be fo infipid and impertinent, as it too often is. On the contrary, were their minds properly improved with knowledge, which it is certain they are exceedingly capable of, how much more agreeable would they be to themselves, and how much more improving and delightful to us? How truly charming does beauty appear, when adorned by good nature, good fenfe, and knowledge? And when beauty fades, as foon it muft, there will then be those qualities and accomplishments remaining, which cannot fail to command great regard, efteem, and affection. BUT to return to my fubject. It has been taken notice of in the beginning of these Effays, that several paffions incident to human nature, when they proceed to the greatest excess, frequently end in cruelty. There are none, of which this is more remarkably true, than pride and ambition: and there are no men in the world more generally, or to a. greater degree infected with these vices, than the popish clergy. To which may be added, that as we see the barbarity of a large gang of banditti is ufually more enormous than that of a few rogues, fo the cruelty of Romih priefts is greatly increafed by their being fo numerous. And let us alfo add, that many of these have been taken from the very dregs of the people. Even one of the popes had been a beggar-boy about the streets of Malta'. TRUE it is, that although pride and ambition do often excite men to cruelty, yet without power they cannot practise it to near, the extent of their wishes, or feldom to any confiderable degree. Unhappily for Chriftendom, as we have elsewhere observed, power has been bestowed upon these men; and this hath enabled them to fill the world with their abominations and their cruelties. How much foever fome perfons may be inclined to cruelty, yet a fear of fuffering in their reputations, of offending the laws of God and man, and incurring present or future punishment, do undoubtedly restrain many from committing acts of barbarity. But when men are fo far from being under these restraints, that they are abetted and encouraged by a numerous fraternity, and by human laws, to exercife the greatest cruelties; and also take it in their heads to fancy, or pretend, most impiously pretend, that 2.2 they P Alexander V. they are commanded by God to plague and torment their fellow-creatures, what inhuman monsters are fuch likely to become! and what diabolical acts of cruelty may not be expected from them! Do not these several circumstances, when duly confidered, in fome measure account for Romish ecclefiaftics being more cruel, and exercifing more horrid barbarities, than other perfons of a civilized and learned education? SUPPLEMENT 229 SUPPLEMENT TO THE FOREGOING ESSAY. HAV AVING in the laft Effay mentioned the ill confequences attending the veneration paid to the works of the fathers, especially by Roman Catholics who are defigned for the service of the church; and that school divinity, in which great care is taken to instruct them, doth not only abound with vain and unprofitable, but ridiculous and indecent questions; and also that these mens being taught to read the romantic lives and lying legends of their faints with much devotion, frequently begets in them a belief of the moft improbable romances, and most notorious lyes and falfehoods, and caufes them to mistake the rankeft enthufiafm for the pureft and most acceptable religion, and the highest flights of madness for the trueft devotion; I shall here, in proof of what is there alledged, give fome fpecimens of thefe particulars : and first, Of the erroneous doctrines, fuperftitious ceremonies, and belief of falfe miracles, inculcated by divers of the primitive fathers. To which will be added, the recital of three or four miracles from fome of the moft ancient church-historians, and a few extracts from the lives of faints. M. SECTION I. BARBEYRAČ, in his Traité de la morale de peres de l'Eglife, plainly fhews, that several of these fathers, by declaiming against marriage, and bestowing such extravagant encomiums upon celibacy, laid the foundation of the monaftic life, and gave occafion for those unnatural vows, by which fuch multitudes of men and women oblige themselves to disobey that great command of God,-Increase and multiply. This author occafionally obferves, that the nuns are, by fome of the fathers, frequently called the spouses of Chrift; and that St. Ferom gives Euftochium, a nun, the title of my lady, as being Chrift's fpoufe, and to her mother that of God's mother-in-law'. Mr. Barbeyrac further takes notice, that St. Cyril's unintelligible Particularly in Ch. ii. §. 7. C. iii. §. 8. C. iv. §. 31. C. xiii. §. 2. |