out by antient Authors, until the Days of SOCRATES. He fays, There were as

many Religions almost as Men; for every "Man's Religion was his Fancy; and they "had moft Credit and Authority, that could "best invent, and make beft Shew. Among "fo many Religions there were no Contro"verfies, but very good Agreement and Con"cord; because no Reafon ufed either to "examine or to difprove. There was no Talk

among Men, but of Dreams, Revelations, "and Apparitions; and they, that could fo eafily fancy God in whatsoever they did fancy, had no Reason to miftruft or to

question the Relations of other, tho' never "fo ftrange, which were fo agreeable to "their Humours or Difpofitions; and by "which themselves were confirm'd in their own fuppofed Enthusiasms."

After the Days of SOCRATES, Greece for a long Time abounded in Philofophers, who were divided into all poffible Sentiments concerning the most important Points of Speculation, and difputed with each other and wrote Books without Number and without Controul in Behalf of their Schemes. And the Variety

and Alteration among them whetted and improved the Wits of Greece, infomuch that Athens by their Means became the Theatre of Learning and Politenefs, and was vifited by great Numbers of Foreigners, who, either as Travellers or Students fent thither by their Parents and Guardians, came to be inftructed by the Philofophers. Nor did their different Notions, under the Liberty allow'd, ever disturb the civil Government; but on the Contrary kept the Men of Senfe in good Humour, gave them Entertainment at their Repafts and Parties of Pleasure, where the chief Diverfion often was to debate with Temper and Civility Questions of Speculation; wherein they imitated the Philofophers themselves, who, tho' they wrote in Behalf of their several oppofite Sentiments, have not left a Book behind them. wrote with the leaft Spirit of Rancour or Malignity. There was little or nothing got or loft by maintaining Opinions; and therefore Men were not at all concern'd to impofe their Opinions on one another; nor were they angry for Diffent in Opinions any more than for Difagreement in Fortune, or Tafte, or about Beauty in a Mistress; nor was there any Application made to gain the common People

to

to bawl in Behalf of any Set of Notions; which, as they understood not, fo they left wholly to the Men of Learning and Senfe. How unlike is This to the State of Things' among us Chriftians; whofe Religion exceeds the Religion of these old Greeks, as much as they exceeded us in Practice. Our Difputes with one another, for Want of impartial Liberty, make Convulfions in Government, involve Neighbourhoods in Fends and Animofities, render Men impolite, and make Converfation among Friends, of different Sentiments, often difagreable? Into what Feuds did the City of Hambourg run (to omit a thousand other Inftances) on Occafion of a Difpute between two Minifters, whether in the Lord's Prayer the first Words should be tranflated Our Father, or Father Our; under whom the Citizens were work'd up into great Heat and Flame against one another, and at length divided themselves into Parties, that fought daily in the Streets? Nothing of which could happen under Liberty and a free Debate; to which it is abfolutely neceffary (as I before obferved) that no Man get or lofe by maintaining either Side of a Question. There would then be nothing to raife or feed the Spirit of b 4 Contention

Contention; Enthufiafm, like Love and other Paffions, would fpend itself by free Vent and amicable Collifion; Knavery would want its Spur; and grofs Nonfenfe, when unfupported by Enthufiafm and Knavery, would fink and fail by being inquired into and exposed; for as a true Senfe of Things is only to be got from Trial and Experience, or Comparison, fo let fuch Trial be made, and the Difference between Things will foon be seen, and the right Measure of all Things of Confequence to us will foon be found out.

While Rome was in the Height of its Glory for Arms, Learning, and Politeness, there were fix hundred different Religions (h) profefs'd and allow'd therein. And this great Variety does not appear to have had the leaft ill Effect on the Peace of the State, or on the Temper of Men; but, on the contrary, a very good Effect; for there is an intire Silence in History about the Actions of those antient different Profeffors, who, it seems, lived fo quietly together as to furnish no Materials for an Ecclefiaftial Hiftory, fuch as Chriftians have

(b) Lipfius de Magn. Rom. 1. 4. c. 5.

given

given Occafion for, which a reverend Divine (i) thus defcribes, "Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, fays "he, is chiefly fpent in reciting the wild Opi"nions of Hereticks (That is, in belying He"reticks); the Contentions between Emperors "and Popes; the idle and fuperftitious Casc nons, and ridiculous Decrees and Conftitu"tions of pack'd Councils, their Debates "about frivolous Matters, and playing the "Fool with Religion; the Confultations of "Synods about augmenting the Revenues of "the Clergy, and establishing their Pride and "Grandeur; the Impoftures of Monks and "Fryars; the Schifms and Factions of the “Church; the Tyranny, the Tyranny, Cruelty, and Im

piety of the Clergy; infomuch that the ex"cellent GROTIUS (k) fays, he that reads ecclefiaftical Hiftory reads nothing but the Roguery and Folly of Bishops and Church"men."

In fine, Matters were happily (7) ballanced among the antient Greeks and Romans. "Reason

(i) Edward's New Difcoveries, &c. p. 40, 41.

(k) Grotii Epiftolæ. p. 22.

(1) Shaftsbury's Letter of Enthufiafm,

" had