SECTION XVII.

OBSTACLES TO BE SURMOUNTED.

WHAT an aftonishing revolu

tion have I been contemplating! Who were the men who brought it about? What obftacles had they to furmount?

A poor man, who had not where to lay his head, who was reputed the son of a carpenter, and who ended his days by an ignominious death, was the Founder of this Religion, which triumphs over Paganifm and its monsters.

This man chose disciples from the dregs of the people: he took the greatest part of them front among fimple fishermen, and to fuch men he gave commiffion to publish his religion throughout the earth: Go and teach all nations.--Ye fhall be witnesses unto me to the uttermost parts of the earth.

They obey the voice of their Mafter; they publish to the nations the word of life; they atteft the refurrection of the crucified Jefus; the nations believe, and are ted.

conver

Here is the great phenomenon in morality which I have to explain : here is a revolution more furprizing than any recorded in hiftory, and

for which I must affign a satisfactory and fufficient reafon.

I take a furvey of the earth before this great revolution happened. Two principal religions prefent themfelves to my view, theifm and polytheifm.

I do not mean the theism of the pagan philosophers, that inconfiderable number of fages, who like Socrates or Anaxagoras, afcribed the origin of things to an Eternal Spirit; thefe fages did not form any body, and abandoned the people to the mire of prejudice and idolatry. They had their hands full of truth, and deigned to open them to those only who were adepts.

I mean

I mean the theism of that fingular and populous nation, feparated by its laws, its cuftoms, and even its prejudices, from all other nations, and which believed it had received its religion and laws from the immediate hand of God. This nation is firmly perfuaded, that this religion and these laws were fupported by divers extraordinary miracles; it is ftrongly attached to its external worPhip, its cuftoms, and its traditions; and though it is very much ftripped of its priftine splendour, and fubjected to a foreign yoke, it still preferves all the pride of its ancient liberty, and thinks itself the fole object of the CREATOR's favour: it has the moft fovereign contempt for all other nations, and profeffes to expect

K 2

expect a Deliverer, who will fubject the universe to its sway.

Polytheifm is almoft the univerfal and reigning religion. It affumes all kinds of forms, according to the climate and genius of the nations. It favours all the paffions, even the moft monftrous. It abandons the heart, but fometimes reftrains the hand. It flatters all the fenfes, and unites the flesh with the spirit. It presents to the people the famous examples of its gods, and thofe gods are monsters of cruelty and impurity, who must be honoured by cruelties and impurities. It attracts the eyes of the multitude by its enchantments, its prodigies, its auguries, its divinations, the pomp of its worship, &c. It builds the altar

of