Or plain tradition, that this all begun, Convey'd unbroken faith from sire to son; The worker from the work distinct was known, Ere wit oblique had broke that steady light, And own'd a father when he own'd a God. A Sov'reign Being but a sov'reign good. That was but love of God, and this of man. Who first taught souls enslav'd, and realms undone, Th' enormous faith of many made for one; That proud exception to all nature's laws, T' invert the world, and counterwork its cause? Force first made conquest, and that conquest law; Till Superstition taught the tyrant awe, Then shar'd the tyranny, then lent it aid, And gods of conqu'rors, slaves of subjects made: She 'midst the light'ning's blaze, and thunder's sound, When rock'd the mountains, and when groan'd the ground, She taught the weak to bend, the proud to pray, To pow'r unseen, and mightier far than they: She, from the rending earth and bursting skies, And hell was built on spite, and heav'n on pride. Next his grim idol smear'd with human blood; With heav'n's own thunders shook the world below, And play'd the god an engine on his foe. So drives self-love, thro' just, and thro' unjust, To one man's pow'r, ambition, lucre, lust: The same self-love, in all, becomes the cause A weaker may surprize, a stronger take? All join to guard what each desires to gain. Ev'n kings learnt justice and benevolence: Self-love forsook the path it first pursu'd, And found the private in the public good. "Twas then, the studious head or gen'rous mind, Follow'r of God or friend of human-kind, The faith and moral nature gave before; That touching one must strike the other too; Th' according music of a well-mix'd state. Such is the world's great harmony, that springs. From order, union, full consent of things: |