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purity and holiness could be represented not only by Jupiter, Bacchus, and Vulcan, but by Pan and Priapus, by Baal Peor, and Moloch, and by all the monsters of Egypt, and of the most savage nations: that their rites were his rites; and their mad orgies performed to his honour? Yet these notions Mr. Pope recommends. Thus has

this excellent Poet facrificed truth to rythm, antithefis, and an affected alliteration. But God forbid, that we should suppose, that there was the least connexion between these widely different objects for as the Apostle fays-* What_communion hath light with darkness? what concord hath Chrift with Belial? The rites of these supposed divinities were obscene and horrid beyond imagination; and fo far were the base objects of this worship from having any relation to the fupreme Deity, that they are faid repeatedly to be devils, and no gods: and the whole of the divine institution under Mofes was to preserve one portion of mankind from this general

2 Corinth. vi. 15.

defection,

defection, that God's name might not be totally loft by the introduction of these demons. They are always mentioned in Scripture with detestation; and their worship as abominable: and their votaries are upbraided for their folly, as well as wickednefs. * They facrificed to devils, and not to God:- And they ferved idols, which were a fnare unto them. Yea, they facrificed their fons and their daughters unto devils. And fhed innocent blood, even the blood of their fons, and their daughters, whom they facrificed to the idols of Canaan. They have forfaken me (faith the Lord) and have burnt incenfe unto other gods. They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their fons with fire for burnt-offerings unto Baal. They made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and ferved Baal. And they caused their fons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and ufed divination and enchantments. Every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they,

* Deut. xxxii. 17.

+ Pfalm cvi. 36, 37, 38. Jeremiah xix. 4, 5. § 2 Kings xvii. 16, 17. | Deut.

xii. 31.

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the

the Canaanites, done to, or in honour of, their gods. Even their fons and their daughters have they burnt in the fire to their gods.- --The Ifraelites are upbraided for suffering themselves to be feduced from the true God to the worship of these ideal divinities. *Hath a nation changed their gods? which are yet no gods: but my people have changed their glory, for that which doth not profit: that is, for a deity of no efficacy or power. Be ye aftonished, O ye heavens, at this.-Again-Thy children have forfaken me, and fworn by them, which are no gods. And St. Paul tells the ‡ GalatiansWhen ye knew not God, ye did fervice unto them, who by nature are no gods.

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Of People in a State of Nature.

When therefore fome of the philofophers infifted, that no nation was fo barbarous, as not to have fome § religion; we

* Jerem. ii. 11, 12. + Jerem. v. 7. ↑ Gal. iv. 8. § Some of those, who allowed a God, denied his Providence. Nihil curare Deum, nec fui, nec alieni. The Deity never troubles himself about any business of his own, nor of any body else. Cicero. de Leg. L. 1. p. 1287. § 7. b.

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muft not from thence conclude, that the name of the true God was there known, or his worship carried on. There was no relation between the Lord of Light, and these infernal demons; who were worfhipped out of fear, and became the dread of their votaries. The nations of the earth in general had their mental powers very much obfcured; especially thofe, who were remote, and had no opportunities of cultivation. So far from entertaining any innate idea of the Supreme Being, there is reason to think, that they could not, without a miracle, have conceived any just notion of him. For we may judge of those times of darkness by the darkness which ftill prevails. There are many nations upon earth, of whom we are credibly informed, that, from their debility of mind, they are incapable of being instructed in any effential religious doctrine. How can those come to the knowledge of the true God, who have not words in their language to exprefs any of his attributes, by which only he can be made known? Such

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for the most part are the Samoids, Oftiacs, and Tongufes, and the other inhabitants near the great Siberian Sea.. South America confifts of an immenfe tract of country, the mediterranean part of which is filled with a variety of favage nations. An honest miffionary, Labat, confessed, that it was impoffible to convert them; for they wanted words to express, and ideas to conceive, thofe effential truths, upon which religion is founded. He accordingly told * Tamburini, the General of the Jefuits, that his miffionaries had effected nothing in refpect to religion. He afferted the fame before Clement the Eleventh, at that time pope: and infifted, that before the Americans could be converted, they muft be made men: for they were to the last degree favage, and incapable of conceiving inftruction. They confequently could have no idea of God; for they had no terms to express his attributes. To this Mr. de la Condamine bears witnefs, who had been

* See the General Hiftory of the Church, by Dr. Mofheim, Vol. II. p. 306. Note o; and Labat. tom. viii. p. 7. converfant

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