Gauls and Scythians to be without any Religion, than to have had such a one as taught them to believe that the Gods delighted in the blood of human victims: And much better for Carthage to have had the Atheists, Critias and Diagoras, for Lawgivers, than such as those who authorized the Sacrifices performed to Saturn."* The sophisms which support these assertions are fully exposed in the introductory observation to these remarks; and so, stand in need of no further detection.

Lord BACON's chapter on Superstition, in his Essays civil and moral, is no other than an epitome of this tract of Plutarch. Now whether that great man thought his Original defective, in not attempting to shew the advantage of Atheism over Superstition, as well with regard to Society as to Particulars; Or whether he thought, that though his Author did attempt it, yet he was too concise and obscure; and therefore judged it expedient to comment on his hints: It is remarkable, that he addresses himself very strenuously, to make out this important point. "Atheism" (saith his Lordship) "did never perturb States for it makes men wary of themselves, as looking no farther: And we see, the times inclined to Atheism, as the time of Augustus Cæsar, were civil times. But Superstition hath been the confusion of many States; and bringeth in a new primum mobile, that ravisheth all the spheres of Government. The Master of Superstition is the People."

This is a paragraph totally unworthy so great a Genius. Atheism, he says, did never perturb States. The observation might, perhaps, pass for true, when he wrote. But, true or false, to make it to his purpose, he must suppose, that this negative advantage ariseth from the essential nature and intrinsic quality of Atheism, and not from mere accident; and so he plainly insinuates, in the reason subjoined -For it makes men wary of themselves, &c. but falsely. It is not from the nature of things, but by mere accident, that Atheism never perturbed States; it having rarely, or never, spread amongst the People, but hath been confined to a few speculative men. If ever it should become thus extensive, if ever it should infect the Sovereign, it must not only perturb States (as we have sad experience that it does, even under its negative form of IRRELIGION) but, as we have shewn at large,† would certainly overturn Society. Indeed his Lordship himself fairly confesseth thus much, where, charging this very mischief on Superstition, he subjoins the cause of its malignitythe Master of Superstition is the People, i. e. the people are they

• Οὐκ ἄμεινον οὖν ἦν Γαλάταις ἐκείνοις καὶ Σκύθαις τοπαράπαν μήτε ἔννοιαν ἔχειν θεῶν, μήτε φαντασίαν, μήτε ἱστορίαν, ἢ θεοὺς εἶναι νομίζειν χαίροντας ἀνθρώπων σφαττο μένων αἵμασι ; τί δὲ Καρχηδονίοις οὐκ ἐλυσιτέλει Κριτίαν λαβοῦσιν ἢ Διαγόραν νομοθέτην ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, μήτε τινὰ θεῶν μήτε δαιμόνων νομίζειν, ἢ τοιαῦτα θύειν οἷα τῷ Κρόνῳ ἔθυον ; -P. 297. † Book i. sect. 4.

who are infected with this error. Atheism, he says, makes men wary of themselves, as looking no further: This argument in favour of Atheism seems to have been borrowed from CARDAN; and (as miserable as it is) hath been considered in its place.*

The times, inclined to Atheism, he says, were civil times: I know of no times inclined to Atheism; that is, when the people had a propensity to it, unless, perhaps, two or three centuries ago in Italy; and then the times were as miserable as civil distractions could make a bad and wicked Government. His Lordship, indeed, refers to the age of Augustus Cæsar. But it is certain, that, at that time, no Roman troubled his head with Grecian principles, (and Atheism was then to be had no where else) except it were a few of the Nobility: Then, indeed, part of their Grandees, to make themselves easy under Servitude, espoused the principles of EPICURUS: But a much larger part followed the doctrine of the PORCH. Either served their turn. If they could persuade themselves to believe that their miseries were inevitable, it was just as well as if they could force themselves to think that these miseries were no evils. The soft, the delicate, the luxurious, espoused the first: The more rigid, and severe of morals, the latter. But still we must observe that their PRINCIPLES were the effect of their acquiescence in a state of Servitude; not the cause; as his lordship would insinuate: And did then, in reality, no more concern the Public, than their different tastes for wild-boar or mullets. The time of Augustus Cæsar, he says, was a civil time. And this must be placed to the score of Atheism, although other causes be so very obvious: The miseries of the preceding civil wars, in support of Liberty, often renewed, with still greater violence, and still less success, made men weary both of struggling and suffering; and willing, at last, to thrust their necks under the yoke of a well-established Master. And this, together with the want of Instruments (for the general slaughter of them had made Confusion cure itself) were the real causes which, in the ceaseless round of human actions, produced that still calm of real slavery, after a long tempestuous season of nominal Freedom.

However, the general observation we made on PLUTARCH may be well applied to BACON: What he wants in fact and argument, he makes up in wit, and the ornaments of fancy: as where he says, Superstition bringeth in a new primum mobile, that ravisheth all the spheres of government. By which pompous figure, borrowed of the Peripatetic Philosophy, no more is meant than the Churchman's destructive claim of independency on the State; which conceals a vile ambition under the cloak of Religion: A claim, which, at that time, those two capital enemies of the established Church, the PAPIST and

See vol. i. p. 128.

9

the PURITAN, alike pursued; as then to the disturbance, so, wherever they succeed, to the certain ruin of civil Government.

But to return to Plutarch, and conclude. The only sage part of his Declamation is in his last words; where he observes, "That, for the reasons he hath given, we ought to shun and avoid SUPERSTITION; but so cautiously, as not to fall into the other extreme of ATHEISM; like those giddy travellers, who flying from wild beasts and robbers, fall down rocks and precipices, where they perish."* But to enforce

so plain a conclusion, there was no need of all that expence of wit and sophistry to prove (what the conclusion did not want) That Atheism was in all things preferable to Superstition. To proceed,

III. As to the Inventors of Religion, their not believing what they taught concerning it, which is the last pretence, This comes with an ill grace from an Atheist, who, under cover of an unquestionable maxim, That, in matters of speculation, reason and not authority should determine the judgment, despiseth all Authority, so as to oppose his own singularities against the common voice of mankind. Was it true, then, that the inventors did not believe what they taught, this would be seen to be a very poor argument against the truth of religion.

But indeed, the supposition is absolutely false; and betrays gross ignorance of the true character of the ancient Lawgivers. The idea, our adversaries have formed of these Civilizers of mankind (as men are but too apt, in their representations of others, to copy from themselves) is of a species of sly cold-headed Cheats, whose capacity arose only from the predominancy of their phlegm. But the History of all times might have told them, that, amongst the infirmities of Heroes, a deficiency of Faith is not one. Diodorus was so sensible of their propensity to be on the believing side, that he makes it a question, Whether those ancient Lawgivers whom he there enumerates, did not really believe the divine Mission they professed to execute? "They did this" (says he) "either because they really thought that the conceptions which they had formed, so productive of public good, must needs be strictly supernatural and divine."+And I may venture to affirm, That there never was a great Conqueror, a Founder of Civil Policy, or the Preacher up of a new Religion, (if he succeeded by mere human means) but who was naturally much inclined to ENTHUSIASM. Not that I suppose the heat of Enthusiasm is not always tempered, in Heroes, with an equal share of CRAFT and policy. This extraordinary composition makes their true

Φευκτέον οὖν αὐτὴν ἀσφαλῶς τε καὶ συμφερόντως, οὐχ ὥσπερ οἱ λῃστῶν ἢ θηρίων ἔφοδον, ἢ πῦρ ἀπερισκέπτως καὶ ἀλογίστως περιφεύγοντες, ἐμπίπτουσιν εἰς ἀνοδίας βάραθρα καὶ κρημνοὺς ἐχούσας· οὕτως γὰρ ἔνιοι φεύγοντες τὴν δεισιδαιμονίαν, ἐμπίπτουσιν εἰς ἀθεότητα τραχεῖαν καὶ ἀντίτυπον, ὑπερπηδήσαντες ἐν μέσῳ κειμένην τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Ρ. 298. † Εἴτε θαυμαστὴν καὶ θείαν ὅλως ἔννοιαν εἶναι κρίναντας τὴν μέλλουσαν ὠφελήσειν ἀνθρώπων πλῆθος, εἴτε.—Lib, i. p. 59. Steph. edit.

character: A character so much better conceived than expressed, that it hath embarrassed the pen even of a Livy to delineate correctly.*

But the necessity of this odd-paired union appears plainly from the nature of things. A mere cold-headed Contriver, without any tincture of natural enthusiasm, can never succeed in his designs; because such a One can never supply those surprising freaks, which a heated imagination, working on a disordered, though, for this purpose, fitly-framed temper of body, so speciously exhibits. For the spirits of the PEOPLE who are to be taken in, can never be allured but by raising their Admiration, and keeping up their confidence, by the aid of an inspired Leader. Besides, new doctrines and new ideas are never so readily received as when the Teacher of them is in earnest, and believes himself: for then there is something so natural in his conduct, so alluring in his behaviour, as easily conciliates wavering opinions; and acts, on his followers, like fascination, or a charm. This made an ingenious French writer not scruple to say; "Give me but half a dozen men whom I can thoroughly persuade that it is not the Sun makes the day, and I would not despair of seeing whole nations brought over to the same opinion."+

On the other hand, a mere Enthusiast, who by virtue of his fanaticism, hath gone so far in his purpose, as to raise the admiration, and captivate the spirits of the Populace, must here begin to fail for want of the other quality, of sectarian craft; for his imagination not being under the government of his judgment, he will want the proper dexterity to apply the different views, tempers, and stations of the People, now enflamed, and ready to become his instruments for the attainment of his purpose.

But when these two talents of Fraud and Fanaticism unite to furnish out a Hero, or Leader of a sect, great will be the success of his undertakings. The sallies of enthusiasm will be so corrected by his cunning, as to strengthen and confirm his supernatural pretences: And the cold and slow advances of a too cautious policy, will be warmed and pushed forward by the force of his fanaticism. His craft will enable him to elude the enquiries and objections of the more rational; and his visions will irrecoverably subdue all the warmer noddles. In a word, they will mutually strengthen and enforce each other's power; and cover and repair each other's defects. St. Jerom seems to have had some idea of this extraordinary combination, when he said, "Nullus potest Hæresin struere, nisi qui ARDENTIS INGENII est, et habet DONA NATURÆ." Which may be thus paraphrased,No Heretic will ever be able to raise a Sect, but he, in whose constitu• See note MM, at the end of this book. t "Donnez moi une demi-dozaine de personnes, à qui je puisse persuader que ce n'est pas le Soleil qui fait le jour, je ne desesperai pas que des nations entieres n'embrassent cette opinion."-FONTENELLE, Hist. des Oracles, cap. xi.

tion Nature hath enabled Fraud and Fanaticism to act in concert. And indeed, there are so many powerful and opposite interests to overcome and reconcile, so much caprice and humour to cajole, and artfully to apply; that it is not strange, if no one ever yet succeeded in any great design, where a whole People was the instrument, who had not reconciled in himself, by a happy union, these two qualities seemingly incompatible.

Several things concur to facilitate this conjunction. An Enthusiast considers himself as an instrument employed by Providence to attain some great End, for the sake of which he was sent out. This makes him diligent in his Work; impatient under let or impediment, and disposed to practise every means for removing them. Persuaded of the necessity of the END, and of the reality of the divine Commission intrusted to him, for procuring it, he begins to fancy that One so employed, is dispensed with, in breaking, nay is authorized to break, the Common-Law of Morality; which, in the cant of that fatal time when Fanaticism had its full swing amongst us, was called the Being ABOVE ORDINANCES. In the first application of these extraordinary MEANS the People are the Dupes of their Leader: But the success being frequently even beyond his own expectation, he becomes, in his turn, the Dupe of his own contrivance; and begins in good earnest to believe that the trick which he played them was indeed not of his own invention, but the inspired instigation of Heaven.* This may serve to explain an obscure passage of Tacitus, where speaking of this sort of Character, he says, in his Oracular way, FINGUNT SIMUL

CREDUNTQUE.

To confirm all this, it might be easily made appear, by an historical deduction from ancient and modern Times, that all those successful Disturbers or Benefactors of mankind, who have prospered in their designs, were indebted for their good fortune to the mutual assistance of these two Qualities. By this operation, under the management of such as MAHOMET, IGNATIUS LOIOLA, and OLIVER CROMwell, great and powerful empires have been created out of nothing.

And again, it might be shewn, that those, who are upon the records of History for having failed, were either mere Enthusiasts, who knew not how to push their projects, when they had disposed the People to support them; or else mere Politicians, who could never advance their wise schemes so far, as to engage a fanatic Populace to second them; or lastly, which most deserves our observation, such as had the two qualities in conjunction, but in a reverted order. Of each of which defects, we have domestic examples in the three great Companions of the last successful Impostor, mentioned above; I mean in FLEETWOOD, LAMBERT, and VANE.-CROMWELL had • See note NN, at the end of this book.