58 APHORISMS FROM AN AUTHOR 



cording to the opinion of Curtius, is governed by no- 

 thing fo authoritatively as fuperffition ; fo, by the 

 great pliancy of this means, it was ealily brought 

 about, that mankind, from one and the fame motive « 

 of plauiible religion, fhould at one time adore their 

 kings as beings of a fuperior order, and at another de- 

 left thern as the common enemies of the human race. 



To guard againft this evil, governments have made 

 it a matter of chief concern, to give the national re- 

 ligion, without regard to the truth or falfhood of it, 

 either in its inward or outward form, a fovereign and 

 permanent authority, and to fecure to it the moil uni- 

 verfal veneration. A matter, which feems to have 

 better fucceeded with no nation whatever than with the 

 Turks, who even hold every theological controverfy of 

 the fchools to be a fin, and who have contrived to fill 

 the heads of their believers with fuch a number of preju- 

 dices, that found reafon, not excepting the leaft. de- 

 gree of doubt can find no room in. any of their actions. 



But, if it be one of the moil important concerns, 

 and one of the prime myfteries of flate in a defpotical 

 government, to keep men in perpetual illulion, and to 

 varnifh the images of fear with which they fill their 

 minds with the beautiful colours of religion ; that they 

 may fight in defence of their llavery as if it were for 

 their proper advantage, and to account it no difgrace, 

 but rather an honour to be lavifh of their blood and 

 lives for the avarice and arrogance of only one of their 

 equals : — fo, on the other/hand, a republican govern- 

 ment (or rather that which has the highefi poffible 

 welfare of the common weal for its object) cannot fall 

 upon a more unfortunate conceit, than to endeavour 

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