as to have, at different periods of the world, misled all mankind. All savage tribes are at present polytheists and idolaters: but among savages every instinct appears in greater purity and vigour than among people polished by

never mistakes its objects. The instinct or primary impression of nature which gives rise to selflove, affection between the sexes, &c., has, in all nations and in every period of time, a precise and determinate object which it inflexibly pursues. How, then, comes it to pass that this particular instinct, which, if real, is surely of as much importance as any other, should have uniformly led those who had no other guide to pursue improper objects to fall into the grossest errors, and the most pernicious practices?

all nations. I boldly call it universal, notwithstanding what is reported of some gross savages; for reports that contradict what is acknowledged to be general among men, require more able vouchers than a few illiterate voyagers. Among many savagearts and sciences; and instinct tribes there are no words but for objects of external sense: is it surprising that such people are incapable of expressing their religious perceptions, or any perception of internal sense? The conviction that men have of superior powers, in every country where there are words to express it, is so well vouched, that, in fair reasoning, it ought to be taken for granted among the few tribes where language is deficient." The same ingenious author shews, with great strength of reasoning, that the operations of nature and the government of this world, which to For these and other reasons, us loudly proclaim the existence which might easily be assigned, of a Deity, are not sufficient to they suppose that the first religious account for the universal belief principles must have been derived of superior beings among savage from a source different as well tribes. He is therefore of opinion from internal sense as from the that this universality of convic-deductions of reason'; from a tion can spring only from the image of Deity stamped upon the mind of every human being, the ignorant equal with the learned. This, he thinks, may be termed the sense of Deity.

This sense of Deity, however, is objected to by others, who thus reason: All nations, except the Jews, were once polytheists and idolaters. If, therefore, his lordship's hypothesis be admitted, either the doctrine of polytheism must be true theology, or this instinct or sense is of such a nature

source which the majority of mankind had early forgotten; and which, when it was banished from their minds, left nothing behind it to prevent the very first principle of religion from being perverted by various accidents or causes; or, in some extraordinary concurrence of circumstances, from being perhaps, entirely obliterated. This source of religion every consistent theist must believe to be revelation. Reason could not have introduced savages to the knowledge of God, and we have just

seen that a sense of Deity is clogged || the records of antiquity, the primeval inhabitants of this globe lived to so great an age, that they must have increased to a very large number long before the death of the common parent, who would, of course, be the bond of union to the whole society; and whose dictates, especially in what

with insuperable difficulties. Yet it is undeniable that all mankind have believed in superior invisible powers; and, if reason and instinct be set aside, there remains no other origin of this universal belief than primeval revelation corrupted; indeed, as it passed from father to son in the course of many gene-related to the origin of his Being rations. It is no slight support to and the existence of his Creator, this doctrine, that, if there really would be listened to with the ut be a Deity, it is highly presumable most respect by every individual that he would reveal himself to of his numerous progeny. Many the first men'; creatures whom he causes, however, would conspire had formed with faculties to adore to dissolve this family, after the and to worship him. To other death of its ancestor, into separate animals the knowledge of the De- and independent tribes, of which ity is of no importance; to man it some would be driven by violence, is of the first importance. Were or would voluntarily wander to a we totally ignorant of a Deity, this distance from the rest. From this world would appear to us a mere dispersion great changes would chaos. Under the government of a take place in the opinions of some wise and benevolent Deity, chance of the tribes respecting the object is excluded, and every event ap- of their religious worship. A sinpears to be the result of establish-gle family, or a small tribe, baed laws. Good men submit to nished into a desert wilderness whatever happens without repin-(such as the whole earth must ing, knowing that every event is then have been), would find emordered by Divine Providence: ployment for all their time in prothey submit with entire eigna-viding the means of subsistence tion; and such resignation is aand in defending themselves from sovereign balsam for every mis-beasts of prey. In such circumfortune or evil in life.

stances they would have little leisure for meditation; and, being constantly conversant with objects of sense, they would gradu

As to the circumstances which led to polytheism, it has been observed, that, taking it for granted that our original progenitors wereally lose the power of meditating instructed by their Creator in the truths of genuine theism, there is no room to doubt but that those truths would be conveyed pure from father to son as long as the race lived in one family, and were not spread over a large extent of country. If any credit be due to

upon the spiritual nature of that Being by whom their ancestors had taught them that all things were created. The first wanderers would, no doubt, retain in tolerable purity their original notions of Deity, and they would certainly endeavour to impress

those notions upon their children; || of their God, they would soon but in circumstances infinitely proceed to consider it as his body. more favourable to speculation Experiencing the effects of power than theirs could have been, the in the Sun, they would naturally human mind dwells not long-up-conceive that luminary to be anion notions purely intellectual. We mated as their bodies were aniare so accustomed to sensible ob- mated; they would feel his influjects, and to the ideas of space, ence when above the horizon; extension, and figure, which they they would see him moving from are perpetually impressing upon East to West; they would consithe imagination, that we find it der him, when set, as gone to extremely difficult to conceive take his repose; and those exerany being without assigning to tions and intermissions of power him a form and a place. Hence being analogous to what they ex bishop Law supposes that the ear-perienced in themselves, they liest generations of men (even would look upon the Sun as a real those to whom he contends that animal. Thus would the Divinity frequent revelations were vouch-appear to their untutored minds safed) may have been no better to be a compound being like a than Anthropomorphites in their man, partly corporeal and partly conceptions of the Divine Be-spiritual; and as soon as they ing. Be this as it may, it is easy imbibed such notions, though perto conceive that the members haps not before, they may be proof the first colonies would quickly nounced to have been absolute lose many of the arts and much idolaters. When men had once of the science which perhaps pre-got into this train, their gods would vailed in the parent state; and that, fatigued with the contemplation of intellectual objects, they would relieve their overstrained faculties by attributing to the Deity a place of abode, iple of israel against worshipping not a human form. To men totally illiterate, the place fuitest for the habitation of the Deity would undoubtedly appear to be the Sun, the most beautiful and glo-be deified; such as demons, derious object of which they could form any idea; an object from which they could not but be sensible that they received the bene-seems that, though the Polytheists fits of light and heat, and which believed heaven, earth, and hell, experience must soon have taught were all filled with divinities, yet them to be in a great measure the there was One who was considersource of vegetation. From look-ed as supreme over all the rest, or, ing upon the Sun as the habitation at most, that there were but two

multiply upon them with wonderful rapidity. The moon, the planets, the fixed stars, &c., would become objects of veneration. Hence we fid Moses cautioning the peo

the hosts of heaven, Deut. iv, 19. Other objects, however, from which benefits were received or dangers feared, would likewise

parted heroes, &c. See IDOLATRY. From the accounts given us by the best writers of antiquity, it

Enc. Brit.; Farmer, on the Worship of Human Spirits.

PONTIFF, or HIGH PRIEST. a person who has the superintendance and direction of divine

self-existent gods, from whom they ever," Rom. i, 20, 21, 22, 25. conceived all the other divinitics See list of books under article to have descended in a manner IDOLATRY; Prideaux's Con., v. i, analogous to human generation. p. 177, 179; Kime's Sketches of It appears, however, that the the History of plan; Bishop Lanv's vulgar Pagans considered each Theory of Religion, p. 58, 65 to divinity as supreme, and unac-68, 94, 95; article Polytheism in countable within his own province, and therefore entitled to worship, which rested ultimately in himself. The philosophers, on the other hand, seem to have viewed the inferior gods as ac-worship, as the offering of sacricountable for every part of their fices and other religious solemniconduct to him who was their ties. The Romans had a college sire and sovereign, and to have of pontiffs, and over these a sovepaid to them only that inferior || reign pontiff, instituted by Numa, kind of devotion which the church whose function it was to prescribe of Rome pays to departed saints. the ceremonies each god was to The vulgar Pagans were sunk in be worshipped withal, compose the grossest ignorance, from which the rituals, direct the vestais, and statesmen, priests, and poets, ex- for a good while to perform the erted their utmost influence to business of augury, till, on some keep them from emerging; for it superstitious occasion, he was prowas a maxim, which, however hibited intermeddling therewith. absurd, was universally received, The Jews, too, had their pontiffs; "that there were many things and among the Romanists the true in religion which it was not pope is styled the sovereign ponconvenient for the vulgar to know; t and some things which, though PONTIFICATE is used for false, it was expedient that they the state or dignity of a pontiff, or should believe." It was no won-high priest; but more particularly, der, therefore, that the vulgar in modern writers, for the reign should be idolaters and poly- of a pope. theists. The philosophers, how- POPE, a name which comes ever, were still worse; they were from the Greek word Bazz, and wholly "without excuse, because siguifies Father. In the East, this that, when they knew God, they appellation is given to all Christian glorified him not as God; neither priests; and in the West, bishops were thankful, but became vain were called by it in ancient times; in their imaginations, and their but now for many centuries it foolish heart was darkened. Pro- has been appropriated to the fessing themselves wise, they be-bishop of Kome, whom the Rocame fools, and worshipped and man Catholics look upon as the served the creature more than the common father of all Christians. Creator, who is God, blessed for All in communion with the see

gymen as have borne offices in the Roman court; some are assumed from religious orders; eminent ecclesiastics of other countries are likewise often honoured with this dignity. Sons of sovereign princes have frequently been members of the sacred college. Their distinctive dress is scarlet, to signify that they ought to be ready to shed their blood for the faith and

of Rome unanimously hold that || These cardinals are commonly our Saviour Jesus Christ consti- promoted from among such clertuted St. Peter the apostle chief pastor, under himself, to watch over his whole flock here on earth, and to preserve the unity of it, giving him the power requisite for these ends. They also believe that our Saviour ordained that St. Peter should have successors, with the like charge and power to the end of time. Now, as St. Peter resided at Rome for many years, and suffered martyr-church, when the defence and dom there, they consider the bishops of Rome as his successors in the dignity and office of the universal pastor of the whole Catholic church.

honour of either require it. They wear a scarlet cap and hat: the cap is given to them by the pope if they are at Rome, and is sent to them if they are absent; but the hat is never given but by the pope's own hand. These cardi

council, or consistory, for the ma nagement of the public affairs of church and state. They are di vided into different congregations for the more easy dispatch of bu siness; and some of them have the principal offices in the pontifical court; as that of cardinal, vicar, penitentiary, chancellor,

The cardinals have for several ages been the sole electors of the pope. These are seventy in num-nals form the pope's standing ber, when the sacred college, as it is called, is complete. Of these, six are cardinal bishops of the six suburbicarian churches; fifty are cardinal priests, who have all titles from parish churches in Rome; and fourteen are cardinal deacons, who have their titles from churches in Rome of less note, called diaconias or deaconries. These car-chamberlain, prefect of the signadinals are created by the pope when there happen to be vacancies, snd sometimes he names one or two only at a time; but commonly he defers the promotion until there be ten or twelve vacancies, or more; and then at every second such promotion the emperor, the kings of Spain and France, and of Britain, when Ca-are dispatched to all the Catholic tholic, are allowed to present one each, to be made cardinal, whom the pope always admits if there be not some very great objection.

ture of justice, prefect of memorials, and secretary of state. They have the title given them of eminence and most eminent.

On the demise of a pope, his pontifical seal is immediately broken by the chamberlain, and all public business is interrupted that can be delayed; messengers

sovereigns to acquaint them of the event, that they may take what measures they think proper; and that the cardinals in their