were difficult, even, to recount the names and attributes of their false deities: suffice it to say, that they were, for the most part, personifications of despotism and folly. Even the superior gods, of the most enlightened nations, were celebrated rather for the greatness of their delinquencies, than for the brilliancy of their virtues. Jupiter himself was fabled to have filled the earth with his libidinous intrigues, and Juno with her pitiful stratagems. In fact, Plato deemed the history of the gods unfit to be read, and said that 'the only practical inference the youth could draw from the poetical fictions concerning them, was, to commit all manner of crimes, and, out of the fruits of their villany to offer costly sacrifices, and appease the divine powers.' It was utterly impossible, therefore, that mankind could attain to the excellencies of the rational nature, under the influence of systems which were such fertile sources of all evil and unrighteousness. It was impossible, for instance, that the worshiper, who was accustomed to contemplate violence and revenge, personified, in Mars, or intemperance, in Bacchus, or brutality and lasciviousness, in Pan, could be prepared to exercise the virtues of patience, and forgiveness, and moderation, and gentleness, and chastity. Neither could the man who set up a serpent, or an ox, or a crocodile, as an object of worship, be a cultivator of the best dispositions of humanity; but he must necessarily sink in the scale of intellectual being, and approximate the brutal nature of the object of his reverence.

་་,!་་་*

Such, then, were the deities commonly worshiped by the Gentile nations.", Is it, therefore, to be wondered at, that men had their conversation in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,-walking in lasciviousness, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and all abominable practices? Men excused their own misdeeds, as being merely a conformity to the example of the objects of their worship. Pride and arrogance, and revenge, and intemperance, and lust had been deified; what wonder, therefore, that men should be proud, and arrogant, and revengeful, and intemperate, and libidinous? The cause of evil existed, and evil was, naturally enough, produced.

But it may be said, that notwithstanding the gross defects of the religious systems of the Gentiles, many excellent characters appeared amongst them, many fine sentiments were inculcated in the writings of the philosophers, and that a great mass of private and public virtue did, in various ways and forms, exist, and diffuse its influence amongst the people. Yes, wretched indeed must those times be, in which, the better feelings and virtuous dispositions of the human mind should be totally overpowered and laid waste by the operation of systems which licentiousness and folly had begotten. In the very abjectness of its humiliation, human nature has had some redeeming qualities, which testified to the divinity of its origin. Bad systems of theology may deface, but can never destroy, the image of God, in which

men were created. Howsoever sunk in ignorance and folly the multitude may be, yet human nature will send forth her representatives, to assert her rights and to claim her honours. The country of the idolater was not entirely wanting in such characters. Men, from time to time, appeared, who rose superior to the vanities and abominations of their times and country, who promulgated such moral sentiments and religious maxims, as would be worthy of admission into any system.

Thales, who was esteemed one of the seven Grecian sages, and who flourished six hundred. years before the Christian era, being asked 'whether an actually injurious man could escape the notice of the Gods?" replied, 'no, nor if he has only wicked intentions." Philemon, another Grecian writer, who flourished about two hundred and fifty years before Christ, has these just sentiments: Think you that those who lived a life of pleasure, and now are gone, shall escape the notice of God, as if they were out of his sight? There is an eye of justice which sees all things. There are in Hades, two several paths, the one of the just, the other of the unjust. For if the just and wicked were to enjoy the same, and the earth were always to cover both, men may rob, and plunder, and steal, and confound all things. But do not be deceived; there is a judgment after this life, which God the Lord of all, whose name is dreadful, which I dare not name, and who continues life to sinners, will certainly execute.'*

* These examples of the opinions of the heathen philosophers are quoted chiefly from Dr. Sykes.-Connex. Nat. and Rev. Rel.

*,*(}

Socrates, who flourished at Athens, four hundred years before the Christian era, was called the divine, in consequence of the excellence of his philosophy. Here, then, was purity of moral precept: and we may reasonably conclude that no men could give utterance to such sentiments, and be at the same time, deficient in their moral conduct. But the number of such men was extremely small; their example and their precept were of little avail against the wide-spreading vices and evils of the times. Their influence, moreover, was confined to the few. Beyond the circle of their own respective friends and followers, moral and intellectual darkness reigned.

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But besides that the virtuous sentiments of a small number of wise

reach the ears of the and good men could not

multitude, for whom no instruction was provided, no instructor cared; the sentiments of the heathen philosophers, generally, were by no means favourable to virtue and humanity. It was not enough for human degradation, that the objects of pagan worship, being, for the most part, personifications of unruly passion and vicious qualities, were corrupting to the multitude of the worshipers; but, either, the pursuit of sensual pleasure, or the opposite extreme, the suppression of every sympathy of nature, was held to be the great business of man's existence. Yea, one class averred that self-interest and self-gratification were the proper rule and motive of human actions, while another laboured, by an absurd and brutal stoicism, to root out and destroy every natural feeling. What, therefore, could the few

righteous effect towards enlightening mankind, towards setting them free from the shackles wherewith they were bound? Within the systems by which men were degraded, there were no means of reformation, and from without, no human help, sufficient to the exigency, could be expected. Indeed, so convinced were some of the wisest heathen philosophers, of the wretchedness of man's condition, and the hopelessness of his state, that they declared no power but that of God's could effectually relieve him.

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Thus did a corrupt system, like a corrupt tree, bring forth evil fruit. It were an ungracious task, minutely, to describe practices, abhorrent to human nature, perpetrated in the name of religion. Indeed religion and morals,' says Dr. Priestley, 'were never considered by the heathens as having any proper connexion at all. It was never supposed to be any part of the business of a priest to teach the people virtue, the office of a priest being confined to the due performance of religious rites. and ceremonies.' What these rites and ceremonies were, we may judge from the description of 'deities set up as objects of worship. Whatsoever was degrading to humanity was commonly practised in celebrating the festivals of these false. gods. Some were thought to be rendered propitious by the licentiousness and debaucheries of their votaries; others were pleased with the grossest follies; and some were appeased, only, by deeds of cruelty and blood. When the lives of animals, and rivers of oil,' were deemed insufficient offerings, recourse was had to a more dread