Imatges de pàgina
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moon, and stars, the fouls of dead men, or their images, fymbols, &c.

With these general ideas, which are the foundation of all idolatry, mankind would naturally, in the first place, pitch upon the most illuftrious objects in the creation, as inftruments in the hands of the fupreme being of communicating bleffings to them, or inflicting judgments upon them; and these they would confider as the moft proper to be placed in the order of gods. Accordingly we find, that the fun, moon, and stars, were univerfally the first objects of idolatrous worship, as those beings from which it was fuppofed that men had the moft to hope or to fear. And being fenfible that intelligence was neceffary to their office of fuperintending the affairs of men, they either imagined them to be animated by fome intelligent minds, or to be the habitations of fuch beings.

Imagining alfo that there must be something in man befides what is visible, they conceived that a fpirit, capable of being feparated from him, animated him alfo; and, fuppofing that the powers of this animating spirit might even be enlarged after death, they made the most illuftrious of their princes and heroes the objects of divine worship likewife. Afterwards, imagining that various parts both of the animate and inanimate creation bore a peculiar relation to these gods, with respect to their

names,

names, forms, or qualities, they first entertained a refpect for them as the fymbols, or tokens of the prefence of their gods; and in time proceeded to conceive of them as being themselves endowed with fupernatural powers. In this manner, probably, the ancient Egyptians came to rank a great number of both animals and vegetables, and alfo their images, &c. among their divinities.

By proceeding in this train, it came to pass, as I have obferved already, that at length the one living and true God, the creator and governor of the world, was overlooked, and forgotten by mankind. The neceffary confequence of this was, that, befides entertaining very false, unworthy, and injurious ideas of God and his perfections, mankind were deftitute of that most excellent means of exalting their conceptions, and confequently of improving their natures, which is derived from the contemplation of, and a sense of their conftant intercourse with, a being in whom all venerable and amiable attributes unite. It is a fenfe of our immediate dependence upon, and conftant intercourfe with a being, omniprefent, omnifcient, omnipotent, and, at the fame time, perfectly holy, juft, and good, that can alone infpire that deep reverence, humility, gratitude, fubmiffion,.and confidence, which gives the greatest dignity to our fenti

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fentiments, the nobleft ardour to our beft affections, the most ferene and chearful temper of mind under all events, and which thereby qualifies and prompts us to act our parts in life to the most ad-vantage, fo as to make the most of our fituation in every respect, by being happy ourselves, ahd contributing to the happiness of others.

Whenever we quit our hold of this great doctrine of the divine unity, and imagine that there is no one object of our worship in whom all venerable and all amiable attributes unite, there is nothing we can contemplate that is capable of impreffing our minds fo forcibly, or in so happy a manner. Our attention being divided by a multiplicity of objects of worship, and our ideas of their characters being neceffarily different, our affections, with respect to them, will alfo vary, fo that we fhall be apt to love fome of them, and be afraid of others; and fince, in confequence of diftributing the divine attributes among a number of beings, they will all of them be, neceffarily, brought nearer to our own level, both our fear and love will be in danger of becoming little more than fuch as beings like ourfelves are capable of infpiring. It is also impoffible but that, while we imagine there is fuch a multiplicity of fuperior beings, which confequently must have their peculiar characters, we shall suppose them to have their

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peculiar taftes and inclinations, and that those of fome of them will interfere with thofe of others.

Laftly, it can hardly be, but that, among such a number of deities, of inferior natures and characters, the creatures of men's imagination, and confequently fuppofed to be in many respects like themselves, fome of them will be fuppofed to be capable of fuch capricious fancies, as men are influenced by; and confequently that, in order to please them, mankind would be led to a variety of fuperftitious and unmeaning practices, and even fuch as are immoral and deftructive.

This appears to have been the natural and univerfal confequence of polytheism; so that though at first fight it may feem to be a matter of fpeculation only, whether there be more gods than one, it has, in fact, the most serious and alarming confequences in practice. By breaking the unity of God, and diftributing his attributes among a number of beings, the character of the divine adminiftration was debased, a multiplicity of rites were devifed, in order to please a multiplicity of deities, and some of them were whimfical, fome flagitious, and fome cruel.

That the doctrine of the divine unity is a doctrine of very great importance, may be inferred with certainty, from the very great ftrefs that is every where laid upon it in the fcriptures. The facred writers always fpeak of one being, of in1 G 6 comprehenfible

comprehenfible power, wisdom, and goodness; as the only maker, preferver, and fovereign difpofer of all things; who has exifted from all eternity, and who is abfolutely unchangeable in his nature or defigns. He is the only invifible being to whom we are authorized to addrefs ourfelves by prayer, while the worship of other beings is forbidden in the ftrongest manner; and other gods, whether fuppofed to be equal or fubordinate to him, are fpoken of with the greatest indignation and contempt. More especially, whereas fome of the heathen gods were thought to prefide over fome particular parts of nature only, and others over other parts, and fome of them were fuppofed to be the authors of good, and others of evil; univerfal dominion is always afcribed to the one true God, and alfo the appointment of both good and evil, refpecting both individuals and nations of mankind.

Indeed, it is not poffible to form an idea of the juftnefs, or propriety of thofe magnificent descriptions of the perfections and government of God, which occur in the books of fcripture, without keeping in view the very low ideas which other nations entertained of their Gods; nor can we fee the propriety of this fubject being fo mych enlarg ed upon, and the precepts founded upon it being fo frequently repeated, or of the fanctions appointed to guard it being made fo awful, without confidering that very great propenfity to idolatry

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