RELIGION. 



fcem to be tlie remains oi an ancient univerfal tradition, or 

 primeval religion, derived from the rcmoteft antiquity, and 

 which, probably, had their original fourcc in divine revela- 

 ton, though in procefs of time it was greatly altered and 

 cornitltedr Leland's Advantage and Neceffity of the Chrif- 

 tian Revelation, vol. i. J i. ,,,,.. 



Religion, Revcnhd, is commonly underltood to be that 

 knowledge of religion, whicli was originally communicated 

 from God to men in a way of extraordinary revelation, for 

 initrufting them in important rehgious truth, and direding 

 and engaging them to the praftice of their duty. In a ge- 

 neral fenfe, all truth, and the manifeftation of it, may be 

 faid to come from God, even that which we difcover in the 

 ordinary ufe of thofe rational faculties which God hath 

 given us. But revealed religion, as dillinguifhcd from that 

 which is ufually called natural, denotes that knowledge of 

 religion which was originally communicated in an extraordi- 

 nary and fupernatural way. Leland, ubi iupra. See Revk- 



I.ATION. 



The firll kind of religion, above-mentioned, or natural 

 religion, flows immediately from the relation between the 

 creature and the Creator ; the latter, or revealed religion, 

 does not follow from fuch a relation, but is fuperadded from 

 the mere will and pleafuro of the Creator. 



The fil-ft we ordinarily call morality, or ethics ; becauic 

 immediately convcrfant about ths manners and duties of men 

 towards one another ; and towards themfelves, confidered as 

 creatures of that Being. See Ethics, Morality, and 

 Moral Philosophy. 



The latter we call, by way of eminence, religion, as being 

 the rule of our duty immediately to God himfelf. 



Tlie firfl fuppofes a God, a providence, and a future ftate, 

 of rewards and punifhments ; the latter likewife fuppofes an 

 immediate miffion from God himfelf, attelted by miracles, 

 &c. See Christian Religion. 



Religion is more particularly ufed for that fpecial fyftem 

 of faith and worfhip, w-hich obtains in a particular age, feft, 

 or country, &c. 



In this fenfe we fay the Romilh religion, the Reformed 

 religion, the religion of the Greeks, the Mahometan reli- 

 gion, the Jewifli religion, &c. See Judaism, Mahome- 



TANISM, &C. 



The Siamefe hold the diverfity of religions, i. e. the dif- 

 ferent manners of honouring God, to be pleafing to him ; 

 inafmuch as they have all the fame objeft, and all tend to 

 the fame end, though by different means. Claude. 



This fentiment of thefe idolaters is doubtlefs more juft 

 than that of our zealots, who hold all but thofe of their 

 own religion odious to God. The feveral fefts in rehgion 

 fee under their proper articles. See alfo Sect. 



Of the religion of the ruling part of the world, you may 

 hnd a lively defcription in a chorus in Seneca's Troas, at 

 the end of the fecond act, beginning thus : " Verum elt, an 

 timidos fabula decipit ? umbras corponbus vivere conditis, 

 Stc." This, according to Patin, is the rehgion of princes, 

 and oreat men, of magiftrates, monaftic fuperiors, and even 

 fortie phyficians and philofophers. M. Du Maine, head of 

 the leaguers in France, ufed to fay, that princes have no 

 religion till after they are turned of forty. ""Cum numine 

 nobis mors inftat, majore facit." Patin. Lett. Choif. io6. 

 Under this article we are naturally led to difcufs the fub- 

 ieft of national religion, in its connexion with religious etta- 

 blifliments. It mull appear, on the flighteft' reflection, 

 that religion has a very confiderable influence, not only on 

 the difpofition and charafter of individuals, but on the ftate 

 of fociety in general. Accordingly legiflators and rulers 

 have often found it one of the moil powerful inftruments of 



civil policy ; and the liillory of ainiull every country aliord^ 

 numerous inftances of its being an excellent ally to llie 

 povrer of the civil magiftrate, or the moil dangerous rival. 

 By religion we now mean that principle which influences 

 men by the dread of evil or the hope of reward, from un- 

 known and invifible caufes ; whether the good or the evil 

 be cxpedled to take place in this world or in another ; and 

 in this general fenfe of the term, it comprehends cnthufialm, 

 fuperdition, and every other fpecies oi falfe rehgion as well 

 as the true. It would lead us too far, if we attempted to 

 trace the influence of this principle in the more barbaroiu 

 or more civilized nations of antiquity. Enthufiafin and fu- 

 perdition have been more powerful and more efficacious on 

 many occalions, which hiftory records, than political wifdom 

 in the cabinet, or martial (Icill and valour in the iield. In 

 fome cafes religion has concurred with the views of the civil 

 magifl:rate ; and in others, it has counteradted them even in fa- 

 vour of the bell intercils of mankind. It is an obfervation oi 

 Mr. Hume's, that the pn-cious fparks of liberty were 

 kindled and prefervcd by the Puritans in England, and that 

 it is to this feft, whofe principles appear fo frivolous, and 

 whofe habits fo ridiculous, as he fomewhat invidioudy * 

 defcribes them, that the Engbfti owe the whole freedom 

 of their conftitution. The affertion, however, is too 

 general. The capital advantage derived from Chriilianity 

 in this weftern part of the world, is the total abolition of 

 llavery, in confequence of its raifing men's ideas of the im- 

 portance of the human fpecies. It is a memorable faft, 

 that after the introduction of Chriilianity into the Roman 

 empire, every law which was made relating to (laves was in 

 their favour, till at lad all the fubjedts of the empire were 

 reckoned equally free. Although, in later times, flavery 

 has been revived and continued, for commercial purpofes, in 

 countries calling themfelves Chridian, we trull that laudable 

 efforts, originating in the liberal fentiments and uffeftions 

 which Chriilianity inculcates, will be crowned with fuccefs, 

 and gradually annihilate this nefarious kind of trafhck in 

 every nation of the globe. Cliriilianity, indeed, is almoft 

 incompatible with abfolute defpotic power, both in fove- 

 reigns and private perfons. The corruptions of Chridianity, 

 exemplified in the exorbitant power of the pope, and tlie 

 fuperdition of the Popiih worfliip, have been indireitly pro- 

 duftive of confiderable benefit. The union of the welteru 

 churches under one fupreme pontiff facilitated < the inter- 

 courfe of nations in barbarous ages ; and the pomp of the 

 Popiih power contributed in no fmall degree towards pre- 

 venting the fine arts from being totally loil in the barbarifm 

 of Europe, and to their fubi'equent revival, previoufly to 

 that of literature and fcience in this wedern part of the 

 world. Erroneous notions of religion, and the fuperdition 

 blended with its purer principles, have been, however, the 

 occafion of the mod lamentable evils in the government of 

 dates. Beccaria fays, in his " Effay on Crimes and Punidi- 

 ments," that more than 100,000 witches have been con- 

 demned to die by Chriftian tribunals. Falfe principles of 

 religion have encouraged men to commit the mod horrid 

 crimes ; and to inflict tortures both on themfelves and 

 others, which cannot be thought of without horror. The 

 hidorical page of perfecution is dained with blood. But 

 it is our prefent defign to iketch out the benefits refulting 

 from religion to civil fociety, rather than the evils which 

 the perverfion of its principles and genuine fpir* have pro- 

 duced. It is natural to imagine, that the civil magiltrate 

 would take religion under his proteftion with a view to 

 thefe benefits ; neverthelefs, it is much to be lamented that 

 by erroneous notions of its nature and deiign, and a mif- 

 application of its influence, it has been rendered the in- 

 1 drument 



