OF THE LAST CENTURY. 57 



the preffure of forne violent fear ; that the objects on 

 which they have placed their reliance, from a mifcon- 

 ception of religion, have been moitly the felf-created 

 images of terror by a mind poffefled with fear and for- 

 row; and that foothfayers, (feers, augurs, and dealers 

 in niyfteries,) have chiefly exercifed in times of ge- 

 neral calamity, their unbounded authority over the 

 people, which has often been fo tremendous even to 

 princes. 



Hence it is apparent, that all men, more or lefs, are 

 by nature liable to fall into fuperftition ; whatever may 

 be objected to the contrary by forne perfons, who fe'ek 

 the difpofition to this diforder of mind in certain ob- 

 fcure and gloomy reprefentations of the deity which 

 they pretend to be inherent in all mankind. 



Another confequence, no lefs certain than the 

 preceding, is, that fuperftition, as well as every 

 other illuiion of the imagination, and the attacks of 

 irafcible paflions, muft be very vcrfatile and incohe- 

 rent. — Eafily therefore as men may be captivated with 

 any fpecies of fuperftition ; yet it is not lefs difficult for 

 them permanently to adhere to one certain clafs and 

 determinate form of it. Nay, as the populace, under 

 every remedy they can find for their mi flake n devo- 

 tion, are always equally wretched ; fo none can fatisfy 

 them long together ; but the neweft muft always pleafe 

 them belt ; they ever place the greateft confidence in 

 that which has not yet deceived their expectations — in 

 other words, that which they have not yet tried. 



This natural versatility of fuperftition has very fre- 

 quently been the principal co-operating caufe of infur- 

 reclions and bloody wars. For, as the multitude, ac- 

 cording 



