66

Deity; which fhould be profperous while they adhered to him, and unprofperous when they declined to idolatry; 66 not only in order to make them perfevere in the true faith, but alfo in order to exemplify to all nations the conduct

of his Providence." It is certain, however, that the perverfe Jews claimed God Almighty as their tutelar deity in the vulgar acceptation of the term. And this error throws light upon an incident related in the Acts of the Apostles. There was a prophecy firmly believed by the Jews, that the Meffiah would come among them in perfon to restore their kingdom. The Christians gave a different sense to the prophecy, namely, that the kingdom promised was not of this world. And they faid, that Chrift was fent to pave the way to their heavenly kingdom, by obtaining forgiveness of their fins. At the fame time, as the Jews held all other nations in abhorrence, it was natural for them to conclude, that the Meffiah would be fent to them only, God's chofen people: for which reafon, even the apostles were at first doubtful about preaching the gospel

to

to any but to the Jews (a). But the apostles reflecting, that it was one great purpose of the miffion, to banish from the Jews their grovelling and impure notion of a tutelar deity, and to proclaim a state of future happiness to all who believe in Christ, they proceeded to preach the gofpel to all men: "Then Peter opened his "mouth, and faid, Of a truth I perceive, "that God is no refpecter of perfons: but "in every nation, he that feareth him,

and worketh righteousness, is accepted "with him (b)." The foregoing reafoning, however, did not fatisfy the Jews: they could not digeft the opinion, that God fent his Meffiah to fave all nations, and that he was the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews. They stormed against Paul in particular, for inculcating that doctrine (c).

Confidering that religion in its purity was established by the gospel, is it not amazing, that even Chriftians fell back to

(a) See the 10th and 11th chapters of the Acts of the Apostles.

(b) Acts of the Apostles, x. 34.

(c) Acts of the Apostles, chap. 13.

the

the worship of tutelar deities? They did not indeed adopt the abfurd opinion, that the fupreme Being was their tutelar deity: but they held, that there are divine perfons fubordinate to the Almighty, who take under their care nations, families, and even individuals; an opinion that differs not effentially from that of tutelar deities among the Heathens. That opinion, which flatters felf-love, took root in the fifth century, when the deification of saints was introduced, fimilar to the deification of heroes among the ancients. People are fond of friends to be their intercellors; and with regard to the Deity, deified faints were thought the propereft intercef fors. Temples were built and dedicated to them; and folemn rites of worthip inftituted to render them propitious. It was imagined, that the fouls of deified faints are at liberty to roam where they lift, and that they love the places. where their bodies are interred; which accordingly made the fepulchres of the faints a common rendezvous of fupplicants. What paved the way to notions fo abfurd, was the grofs ignorance that clouded the Chriftian world, after the northern barbarians became ma

fters

fters of Europe. In the feventh century, the bishops were fo illiterate, as to be indebted to others for the fhallow fermons they preached; and the very few of that order who had any learning, fatisfied themselves with compofing infipid homilies, collected from the writings of Auguftin and Gregory. In the ninth cen tury, matters grew worfe and worfe; for these faints, held at first to be mediators for Chriftians in general, were now converted into tutelar deities in the ftrictest fense. An opinion prevailed, that such faints as are occupied about the fouls of Christians in general, have little time for individuals; which led every church, and every private Chriftian, to elect for themfelves a particular faint, to be their patron or tutelar deity. That practice made it neceffary to deify faints without end, in order to furnish a tutelar deity to every individual. The dubbing of faints, became a new fource of abufes and frauds in the Christian' world: lying wonders were invented, and fabulous hiftories compofed, to celebrate exploits that never were performed, and to glorify perfons who never had a being. And thus religion among VOL. IV. I i Christians,

Chriftians, funk down to as low a ftate as it had been among Pagans.

There still remains upon hand, a capi tal branch of our hiftory; and that is idolatry, which properly fignifies the worshipping visible objects as deities. But as idolatry evidently fprung from religious worship, corrupted by the ignorant and brutish; it will make its appearance with more advantage in the next chapter, of which religious worship is the subject.

We have thus traced with wary steps, the gradual progrefs of theology through many stages, correfponding to the gradual openings and improvements of the human mind. But tho' that progress, in almost all countries, appears uniform with refpect to the order of fucceffion, it is far otherwife with refpect to the quickness of fucceffion: nations, like individuals, make a progrefs from infancy to maturity; but they advance not with an equal pace, fome making a rapid progrefs toward perfection in knowledge and in religion, while o thers remain ignorant barbarians. The religion of Hindostan, if we credit hiftory or tradition, had advanced to a confiderable degree of purity and refinement, at a