164 



THE PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. 



punishments in his intercourses and contests 

 with communities and nations in his commer 

 cial transactions in his judicial administrations 

 in the height of prosperity and in scenes of 

 danger, and of the deepest distress, a principle 

 of malignity is forever operating to destroy his 

 comfcits, and to undermine the foundation of his 

 happiness! 



The above sketches may suffice, in the mean 

 time, as specimens of some of the prominent dis 

 positions of that portion of the human race who 

 have assumed to themselves the character of 

 civilized nations. It will readily be admitted, 

 by most of my readers, that the dispositions dis 

 played in the instances I have selected; are 

 all directly repugnant, to the principle of benevo- 

 cnce recognised in the divine law, and tend to 

 undermine the happiness of intelligent beings. 

 I shall now conclude with a very brief sketch 

 of the conduct of Christians, and of Christian 

 societies towards each other, and of the leading 

 traits of character which appear in the religious 

 world. 



SECTION IV. 



MORAL STATE OF THE PROFESSING CHRISTIAN 

 WORLD. 



I have already endeavoured to show, that 

 Christianity is a religion of love ; that its facts, 

 its doctrines, and its moral precepts, are all cal 

 culated to promote &quot; peace on earth,&quot; and to 

 form mankind into one affectionate and harmo 

 nious society. This glorious and happy effect, 

 in the first instance, it actually produced. We 

 are told, in the history of the Apostles, that the 

 multitudes who were converted to the Christian 

 faith, by the powerful sermons delivered by Peter 

 on the day of Pentecost, had their malignant pro 

 pensities subdued, and their minds animated 

 with an ardent affection for each other ; and, as 

 a practical proof of the operation of this noble 

 principle, &quot; they had all things common, and sold 

 their possessions and goods, and parted them to 

 all, as every man had need.&quot; During the early 

 ages of Christianity, a goodly portion of the 

 same spirit was manifested by the greater part 

 of those who had enrolled themselves as the dis 

 ciples of Christ. Even in the midst of the re 

 proaches, and the severe persecutions to which 

 they were subjected during the two first centuries 

 of the Christian era, a meek and forgiving dis 

 position, and a spirit of benevolence towards 

 one another, and towards all men, distinguished 

 them from the heathen around, and constrained 

 even their enemies to exclaim, &quot; Behold how these 

 Christians love one another!&quot; But no sooner 

 was the Christian Church amalgamated with the 

 kingdoms of this world, in the reign of Constan- 

 nne, than its native purity began to be tainted, 

 and Pagan maxims, and worldly ambition began 



to be blended with the pure prectpts and the su &amp;gt; 

 blime doctrines of the Gospel. Many of it 

 professed adherents, overlooking the grand prac 

 tical bearings of the Christian system, began te 

 indulge in vain speculations on its mysterious 

 doctrines ; to substitute a number of unmeaning 

 rites and ceremonies in the room of love to God 

 and to man ; and even to prosecute and destroy 

 all those who refused to submit to their opinions 

 and decisions. Pride, and a desire of domina 

 tion, usurped the place of meekness and humi 

 lity ; and the foolish mummeries of monastic su 

 perstition, and ihe austerities of the Ascetics, 

 were substituted in the room of the active duties 

 of justice and benevolence. Saints were deified ; 

 the power of the clergy was augmented; celi 

 bacy was extolled; religious processions were 

 appointed ; pilgrimages were undertaken to the 

 tombs of the martyrs ; monasteries and nunneries, 

 without number, were erected ; prayers were of 

 fered up to departed saints ; the Virgin Mary 

 was recognised as a species of inferior deity ; the 

 sign of the cross was venerated as capable of 

 securing victory in all kinds of trials and calami 

 ties, and as the surest defence against the influ 

 ence of malignant spirits ; -the bishops aspired 

 after wealth, magnificence, and splendour : errors 

 in religion were punished with civil penalties and 

 bodily tortures ; and the most violent disputes 

 and contentions convulsed every section of the 

 Christian world ; while the mild and beneficent 

 virtues of the religion of Jesus were either dis 

 carded, or thrown into the shade. 



Of these, and similar dispositions and prac 

 tices, details might be exhibited which would 

 fill many volumes, and which would carry con 

 viction to every impartial mind, that the true 

 glory of Christianity was sadly tarnished and ob 

 scured, and its heavenly spirit almost extinguish 

 ed amidst the mass of superstitious observances, 

 of vain speculations, and of angry feuds and 

 contentions. Millot. when adverting to the state 

 of the Church in the days of Constantine and 

 the succeeding emperors, justly remarks : &quot; The 

 disciples of Christ were inspired with mutual 

 feuds, still more implacable and destructive than 

 the factions which were formed for or against 

 different emperors. The spirit of contention 

 condemned by St. Paul became almost universal. 

 New sects sprung up incessantly, and combated 

 each other. Each boasted its apostles, gave its 

 sophisms for divine oracles, pretended to be the 

 depository of the faith, and used every effort to 

 draw the multitude to its standard. The church 

 was filled with discord ; bishops anathematized 

 bishops ; violence was called in to the aid of ar 

 gument, and the folly of princes fanned the flame 

 which spread with so destructive rage. They 

 played the theologists, attempted to command 

 opinions, and punished those whom they could 

 not convince. The laws against idolaters were 

 soon extended to heretics ; but what one emperoi 



