on preceding revelations, was to fhew that the revelations, which we call true, imitated the falfe. And he proves it,-by fhewing that the falfe imitated the true. That Mahomet's did fo, is agreed on all hands. And thofe bewildered men who would have us credit the ftory of a late Zoroafter, do, and must fuppofe that he borrowed from Judaifm. But the truth is, the whole is an idle tale, invented by Perfian writers under the early Califs. However, tho' the Zoroafter of Hyde and Pri deaux be a mere phantom, yet the Religion called by his name, was a real thing, and ftarted up in the firft ages of Mahometifm, with a Bible to fupport its credit, in imitation of, and to oppofe to, the Alcoran. But this neat device unluckily detects the whole imposture: For in the Age of Mahomet, and in the time of the first Commentators on the Alcoran, the Perfians were esteemed by them, as Idolaters, and without a Bible; (and they had good Opportunity, by their conftant commerce thither, to be well informed :) Which is agreeable to every thing that the earlier and the later Greek Writers unanimously deliver of the Perfian Religion. But that, on the appearance of Mahometanism, the Perfians fhould do what the Greeks did on the first appearance of Chriftianity, refine their old idolatrous worship, till they brought it to what Hyde and Prideaux obferve it is at this day, amongst the remainder of the Magian fect in Perfia and India, is nothing strange. The wonder is, that thefe learned men fhould have fwallowed fo grofs a cheat, on the testimony of later Mahometan Writers; who had fo many motives to fupport it, and fo flender abilities to detect it; whofe propenfity to fabling is fo great as even to difcredit any truth that refts on their authority; and whofe talents in the art of lying are fo little proportioned to to their inclination to exercise it, that they never fail of defeating their own impofitions. This argument, therefore, was in all respects worthy the Author of The Grounds and Reafons of the Chriftian Religion. 3. Laftly, he tells us, that "the Siamese and "Brachmans both pretend that they have had a fucceffion of incarnate deities amongst them, who "at due diftances of time, have brought new Re"velations from heaven; each fucceeding one de"pending on the former; and that religion is to "be conveyed on, in that way, for ever." He promifed to prove a fucceffion of Religions in the ancient world, the later founded and depending on the preceding: And he proves-a fucceffion of incarnate deities, talked of amongst the MODERN pagans of India and Siam; and, from this fucceffion concludes for a fucceffion of DEPENDING RELIGIONS, of which they have no kind of notion. Nor are these extravagancies, which their priests do indeed talk of, any other than late inventions of their priests, to oppofe to Mahometan and Chriftian Miffionaries. But a fucceffion of incarnate deities was fo arch a ridicule on the mysteries of our holy faith, that it was to be brought in at any rate. But now the joke is over, let me tell him, he need not have gone fo far for it. Were not Coelus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, &c. a fucceffion of incarnate deities? yet were any of the Religions, which had those Gods for their author or object, FOUNDED of DEPENDENT on (tho' they fucceeded to) one another? Here again, our fagacious Freethinker was at a fault; and, with all his logic, could not Book V. distinguish between one Religion's being built upon another, and one Religion's fimply fucceeding another. II. He comes next to the NATURE OF THINGS. The reader has feen how fhort he falls of his reckoning from fact: But let him fairly make up his accounts, and we fhall not differ with him about his way of payment; but willingly receive his deficiencies of Fact, in Reason.- "If we confider. "(fays he) the nature of things, we shall find that "it must be difficult, if not impoffible, to intro"duce amongst men (who in all civilized countries 66 are bred up in the belief of fome revealed re ligion) a revealed religion wholly new, or fuch "as has no reference to a preceding one: for that "would be to combat all men in too many refpects, "and not to proceed on a fufficient number of principles neceffary to be affented to by thofe, "on whom the first impreffions of a new religion are propofed to be made ". Here his head was full of the theologic ideas of modern times; where one Religion is maintained and propagated on the deftruction of all the reft. And that indeed would be combating all men in too, many respects, without good evidence in the Religion thus propofed. But had he had the least knowledge of Antiquity, he would have known that the Gentile religions of thofe times were founded on different principles, and propagated on different practices. Not one of thofe numerous Religions ever pretended to accufe another of falfhood; and therefore was never itfelf in danger of being fo accused. They very amicably owned one another's • Page 23, 24. pretenfions; pretenfions; and all that a new Religion claimed, was to be let into partnership with the reft, whose common practice was to trade in fhares*. Yet according to this great Philofopher, it was difficult, if not impossible-it was combating all men in too many refpects. It was not proceeding on a fufficient number of principles necessary to be affented to, &c. But he can make Men, as well as Religions, change their natures when he wants them for fome glorious mischief. It is his more usual way, and fo it is of all his fellows, to make the People, (the grofs body of mankind) run headlong into Religion, without the leaft inquiry after evidence. But here we are told it is very difficult, if not impoffible, to induce them to think well of a Religion which hath not the most plaufible evidence for its fupport: That the not giving them this, is not proceeding on a fufficient number of principles, but combating all men in too many respects, &c. .. And this is all we can get out of him, FROM THE NATURE OF THINGS. But as he has raised a curiofity which he knew not how to gratify, I fhall endeavour to fupply his ignorance; and, from this nature of things, fhew the reader, 1. How the Religions of MOSES and JESUS muft NECESSARILY SUPPOSE a dependency on fome preceding. 2. How the ancient Religions of paganifm muft NECESSARILY NOT SUPPOSE any fuch dependency; and 3. How it came to pafs, that more modern Impoftors, rifen fince the coming of Chriftianity, imitated the true, rather than the falfe Religions of ancient times, in this pretence to dependency. I. The PATRIARCHAL, the JEWISH, and the CHRISTIAN Religions, all profeffed to come from See the first vol. part II. p. 36. & feq. 4th Ed, the the only one GOD, the Creator of all things. Now as the whole race of mankind must be the common object of its Creator's care, all his Revelations, even those given only to a part, muft needs be thought ultimately directed to the intereft of the whole : confequently, every later Revelation must fuppofe the TRUTH of the preceding. Again, when feveral fucceffive Revelations are given by him, fome lefs, fome more extenfive, we must conclude them to be the parts of ONE ENTIRE DISPENSATION; which, for reafons best known to infinite Wildom, are gradually enlarged and opened: confequently every later muft not only fuppofe the TRUTH of every preceding Revelation, but likewise their mutual RELATION and DEPENDENCY. Hence we fee, there may be weighty reasons, why God, from the beginning, should have been conftantly giving a fucceffion of Difpenfations and Revelations"; as this Author, with a lewd fneer, feems to take a pleafure in obferving. If therefore, what we call the true Revelation came from GOD, these Religions must needs be, and profefs to be, dependent on one another. II. Let us fee next how the cafe ftood in the ancient Pagan world. Their pretended Revelations were not from the ONE GOD; but all from local tutelary Deities; each of which was fuppofed to be employed in the care of his own Country or People, and unconcerned in every Other's department. Confequently, between earlier and later Revelations of this kind, there could be no more dependency, than there was oppofition: But each stood on its own foundation, fingle, unrelated, and original. 7 Page 22. III. But |