who are placed with them in Society, tend at the fame Time to make them uncomfortable in themselves; rather they occafion fome Self-Applause and Satisfaction in having rigorously purfued what They think right, though by the cruellest and most inhuman Methods. Neither again are those Superftitions, which derogate from the Honour of God, always immediately prejudicial to the Interefts of Men; nay it may happen, that though they are not for the Benefit of our whole Species, confidered as probationary Creatures, to be prepared by Holiness for the Enjoyment of future Happiness, yet they may prove in the Event to the greater Relief of fent Calamities.

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For Inftance, it is Superftition to place the Whole of Religion, where Revelation has placed but Part of it; and it is injurious to the Honour of God to believe that He will accept of any pecuniary Commutation for our Sins, or will receive us to Himself without the neceffary Qualifications of true Virtue and fincere Piety, Yet how Many think and talk and act, as if Benevolence was the Whole of Christianity, as if Perfofonal Irregularities were of little Account, provided only a Zeal be expreffed to supply the Wants and remedy the Misfortunes of their Fellow-Creatures. And however great and fatal this

Error

Error be, ftill this good Effect is experienced from it, that great Readiness is fhewn to affift the Distreffed, and if the Happiness of this World only is taken into View, Cafes may be conceived where a Doubt may arise, whether more Misery is occafioned by the licentious Indulgences of these Men, or relieved by their abundant Charity. In this Scheme of Notion and Practice they appear easy and satisfied themselves, and They apparently do much Good to Others, and yet their Conduct being founded on one of the grosseft Errors in Religion, is therefore groffly fuperftitious, and is indeed a Reproach to the Purity of our Religion, and the Holiness of its Blessed Author, as well as a certain Path to their own final Ruin.

In order therefore duly to ascertain the Mischiefs of Superftition, We must take in the Regard to another World as well as this, and muft confider particularly each Branch of this religious Delufion, that We may distinguish the Nature and Degree of that Cenfure, which is due to each.

Religion was inftituted to promote the Glory of God and the Salvation of Mankind, by fuch a Regulation of their Conduct as might at the fame Time establish the Welfare of Society and the Comfort of Individuals; and in Proportion

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as any Species of Superftition either contradicts or weakens any of these Purposes, so far it will be justly cenfurable, and fubject to a proper Degree of that Indignation expreffed in the Words of the Text against it.

To apply this then to the several Branches of this Delusion, in which the principal Distinction was observed to relate to the Object or to the Method of Worship.

Superftition confidered as a practical Error in the Object of Worship will lead us in the first Place to reflect on the Sin of Idolatry, which the Pfalmift had moft immediately in View, when He uttered thus his Abhorrence of it. And certainly this deserved all the Indignation that He could exprefs against it. This was the most injurious to the Honour of God, the clearest Offence against the Dictate of right Reason, and the most express Contradiction to every Revelation that has been afforded. Some indeed have represented even this as a Speculative Error, and have confidered it as a Point of little Confequence, whether Jehovah or the Heathen Gods received the Homage of Mankind, provided Men fincerely intended to pay their Tribute of Devotion to the real Author of the Bleffings that They enjoyed. But if this be fpeculative, what can be called practical, when the whole System of reli

gious Worship depends upon it? and if this be innocent, or but in a lower Degree blameable, what can be esteemed criminal, when every Argument that can be drawn from the Fitness of Things, or from the Manifestation of God's Holy Will, lays a peculiar Aggravation upon this Offence? Surely vain, as the Author of the Book of Wisdom expreffes it, are all Men by Nature, who are ignorant of God, and could not out of the good Things that are feen, know Him that is; neither by confidering the Works, did They acknowlege the Workmafter. Wifd. 13. 1. The Sacred Writers frequently argue in the fame Manner, nor can any Thing be plainer than that Creatures could not be supposed to have made their FellowCreatures; that Intelligence could not be communicated by Beings that were void of it themfelves; that Devotion is Folly were the Divine Attributes were not presupposed in the Object of it; and that it is Impiety to fuppofe them in any other than the one eternal, invifible, fpiritual God. These Reafonings appeal to the common Senfe and Understanding of Mankind, and indeed the Light of Nature, if it had been duly attended to, was fufficient to have established this Point. But as in Fact it was not attended to, as Men early and almost universally ran into Idolatry, particular Revelations were made

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from Time to Time to clear and establish this Truth, to confirm the Belief and Worship of the one true God, and to teach Men that Adoration was the incommunicable Prerogative of the Creator. Under this additional Light the Error was more blameable, and the Practice more finful; In those, who had Opportunity of Correfpondence with the Jewish Nation it was more unpardonable; in the Jews themselves it admitted of still lefs Excufe; and in what Terms then is it to be spoken of, when it is found even under the Profeffion of Christianity?

And as Idolatry is thus difhonourable to the Deity, fo is it injurious to the Peace and Welfare of Mankind. It is fo far from being a Matter of Indifference, whether We pay our intended Devotion to the right Object of it, or to false ones, that wherever Men have been mistaken in this fundamental Point, They have always degenerated farther into the most pernicious Immoralities. The Fact is evident from the History of all former Ages, and from the Accounts of those Parts, where Idolatry ftill prevails. The Reafon of it may poffibly be deduced, either from the juft Judgment of God, who, when Men have not liked to retain Him in their Knowlege, has fometimes given them over to a reprobate Mind; or from fome natural Connection betwixt falfe Wor