parl. 1649, renewed act 22. parl. 1661, the capital punishment is converted to imprisonment, or a fine to the wife and children. In a period fo late as the Restoration, ftrange blindness it was, not to perceive, that homicide in felf-defence, being a lawful act, juftified by the ftricteft rules of morality, fubjects not a man to punishment, more than the defending his property against a robber; and that cafual homicide, meaning homicide committed innocently without ill intention, may fubject him to reparation, but never to any punishment, mild or fevere. The Jefuits in their doctrines feem to reft on the external act, difregarding intention. It is with them a matter of perfect indifference, from what motive men obey the laws of God; and that the service of those who obey from fear of punishment, is no lefs acceptable to the Deity, than of those who obey from a principle of love *. The other error mentioned above, is, That the end justifies the means. In defence of that propofition, it is urged, that the character of the means is derived from the end; that every action must be right which contributes to a good end, and that every action must be wrong which contributes to an ill end. But those who reason thus, ought first to confider, whether reasoning be at all applicable to the present subject. Reason is the true touchstone of truth and falsehood; but the moral sense is the only touchstone of right and wrong; and to maintain, that reason is our guide in judging of right and wrong, is no lefs abfurd than to maintain, * External show made a great figure, when nothing was regarded but what is visible. By acutenefs of judgement, and refinement of tafte, the pleasures of fociety prevail, and forms and ceremonies are difregarded. External fhow, however, continues to stand its ground in feveral inftances. It occafions, in particular, many an ill-forted match: a young man is apt to be captivated with beauty or drefs; a young woman with equipage or a title. that the moral fenfe is our guide in judging of truth and falsehood. The moral fenfe dictates, that on no pretext whatever is it lawful to do an act of injuftice, or any wrong (a): and men, confcious that the moral fenfe governs in matters of right and wrong, fubmit implicitly to its dictates. Influenced however by the reasoning mentioned, during the nonage of the moral sense, men did wrong currently in order to bring about a good end; witnefs pretended miracles and forged writings, urged without reserve by every fect of Christians against their antagonists. And I am forry to obferve, that the error is not totally eradicated: miffionaries employ'd in converting infidels to the true faith, are little fcrupulous about the means: they make no difficulty to feign prodigies in order to convert those who are not moved by argument. Such pious frauds tend to fap the very foundations of morality. (a) See the first part of this sketch, § 2 at the end. SKETCH SKETCH III. Principles and Progrefs of THEOLOGY. 349 S no branch of knowledge can vie with theology, either in dignity or importance, it juftly claims to be a favourite study with every person endued with true taste and solid judgement. From the time that writing was invented, natural religion has employ'd pens without number; and yet in no language is there found a complete history of it. That task is far above my abilities: I propose only a flight sketch; which I fhall glory in, however imperfect, if it excite any one of fuperior talents to undertake a task so arduous. CHAP. I. Existence of a DEITY. THat there are beings, one or many, powerful above men, has been generally believed among the various tribes of men: I may fay univerfally believed, notwithstanding what is reported of fome grofs favages; for reports repugnant to the common nature of man, require more able vouchers than a few illiterate voyagers. Among many favage tribes, there are no words but rior but for objects of external fenfe: is it furprifing, that fuch people are incapable to exprefs their religious perceptions, or any perception of internal fenfe? and from their filence can it be fairly prefumed, that they have no fuch perception *? The belief of fupein powers, every country where there are words to exprefs it, is fo well vouched, that in fair reafoning it ought to be taken for granted among the few tribes where language is deficient. Even the groffeft idolatry affords to me evidence of that belief. No nation can be fo brutifh as to worship a ftock or a stone, merely as fuch. The visible object is always imagined to be connected with fome invifible power; and the worship paid to the former, is as representing the latter, or as in fome manner connected with it. Every family among the ancient Lithuanians, entertained a real ferpent as a household god; and the fame practice is at present univerfal, among the negroes in the kingdom of Whidah: it is not the ferpent that is worshipped, but fome deity imagined to refide in it. The ancient Egyptians were not idiots, to pay divine honours to a bull or a cat, as fuch: the divine honours were paid to a deity, as refiding in these animals. The fun is to man a familiar object: as it is frequently obfcured by clouds, and totally eclipfed during night, a favage readily conceives it to be a great fire, fometimes flaming bright, fometimes obfcured, and sometimes extinguished. Whence then fun-worship, once universal among favages? Plainly from the fame caufe: it is not properly the fun that is worshipped, but a deity who is supposed to dwell in that luminary. *In the language even of Peru, there is not a word for expreffing an abstract idea, fuch as time, endurance, Space, existence, fubftance, matter, body. It is no lefs defective in expreffing moral ideas, fuch as virtue, juftice, gratitude, liberty. The Yameos, a tribe on the river Oroonoko, defcribed by Condamine, ufe the word poettarraroincouroac to exprefs the number three, and have no word for a greater number. The Brafilian language is nearly as barren. Taking Taking it then for granted, that our belief of fuperior powers has been long univerfal, the important queftion is, From what cause it proceeds. A belief fo univerfal, and fo permanent, cannot proceed from chance, but must have a cause operating conftantly and invariably upon all men in all ages. Philofophers, who believe the world to be eternal and self-existent, and imagine it to be the only deity, tho' without intelligence, endeavour to account for our belief of fuperior powers, from the terror that thunder and other elementary convulfions raise in favages; and thence conclude that fuch belief is no evidence of a deity. Thus Lucretius,, Præterea, cui non animus formidine divum Contrahitur? cui non conripunt membra pavore, Contremit, et magnum percurrunt murmura cœlum * (a)? And Petronius Arbiter, Primus in orbe deos fecit timor: ardua cœlo Fulmina quum caderent difcuffaque moenia flammis, Man, during infancy a defencelefs animal, is endued on that ac * What man can boast, that firm undaunted foul, Nor fhrinks with fear of an offended pow'r, When lightnings flafh, and ftorms 2nd tempefts roar?' When dread convulfions rock'd the lab'ring earth,. Inftinctive fear within the human breaft. The first ideas of a God imprefs'd.. (a) Lib. 5, count |