difficulties. It is evident, from their method of propagation, that
a couple of cats, in fifty years, would stock a whole kingdom; and
if that religious veneration were still paid them, it would, in
twenty more, not only be easier in E/GYPT\ to find a god than a man,
which P/ETRONIUS\ says was the case in some parts of I/TALY\; but
the gods must at last entirely starve the men, and leave themselves
neither priests nor votaries remaining. It is probable, therefore,
that this wise nation, the most celebrated in antiquity for prudence
and sound policy, foreseeing such dangerous consequences, reserved
all their worship for the full-grown divinities, and used the
freedom to drown the holy spawn or little sucking gods, without any
scruple or remorse. And thus the practice of warping the tenets of
religion, in order to serve temporal interests, is not, by any
means, to be regarded as an invention of these later ages.

     The learned, philosophical V/ARRO\, discoursing of religion,
pretends not to deliver any thing beyond probabilities and
appearances: Such was his good sense and moderation! But the
passionate, the zealous A/UGUSTIN\, insults the noble R/OMAN\ on his
scepticism and reserve, and professes the most thorough belief and
assurance.[67] A heathen poet, however, contemporary with the saint,
absurdly esteems the religious system of the latter so false, that
even the credulity of children, he says, could not engage them to
believe it.[68]

     Is it strange, when mistakes are so common, to find every one
positive and dogmatical? And that the zeal often rises in proportion
to the error? , says S/PARTIAN\, <et ea tempestate, Judaei
bellum quod vetabantur mutilare genitalia>.[69]

     If ever there was a nation or a time, in which the public
religion lost all authority over mankind, we might expect, that
infidelity in ROME, during the C/ICERONIAN\ age, would openly have
erected its throne, and that C/ICERO\ himself, in every speech and
action, would have been its most declared abettor. But it appears,
that, whatever sceptical liberties that great man might take, in his
writings or in philosophical conversation; he yet avoided, in the
common conduct of life, the imputation of deism and profaneness.
Even in his own family, and to his wife T/ERENTIA\, whom he highly
trusted, he was willing to appear a devout religionist; and there
remains a letter, addressed to her, in which he seriously desires
her to offer sacrifice to A/POLLO\ and AE/SCULAPIUS\, in gratitude
for the recovery of his health.[70]

     P/OMPEY'S\ devotion was much more sincere: In all his conduct,
during the civil wars, he paid a great regard to auguries, dreams,
and prophesies.[71] A/UGUSTUS\ was tainted with superstition of
every kind. As it is reported of M/ILTON\, that his poetical genius
never flowed with ease and abundance in the spring; so A/UGUSTUS\
observed, that his own genius for dreaming never was so perfect
during that season, nor was so much to be relied on, as during the
rest of the year. That great and able emperor was also extremely
uneasy, when he happened to change his shoes, and put the right foot
shoe on the left foot.[72] In short it cannot be doubted, but the
votaries of the established superstition of antiquity were as
numerous in every state, as those of the modern religion are at
present. Its influence was as universal; though it was not so great.
As many people gave their assent to it; though that assent was not
seemingly so strong, precise, and affirmative.

     We may observe, that, notwithstanding the dogmatical, imperious
style of all superstition, the conviction of the religionist, in all
ages, is more affected than real, and scarcely ever approaches, in
any degree, to that solid belief and persuasion, which governs us in
the common affairs of life. Men dare not avow, even to their own
hearts, the doubts which they entertain on such subjects: They make
a merit of implicit faith; and disguise to themselves their real
infidelity, by the strongest asseverations and most positive
bigotry. But nature is too hard for all their endeavours, and
suffers not the obscure, glimmering light, afforded in those shadowy
regions, to equal the strong impressions, made by common sense and
by experience. The usual course of men's conduct belies their words,
and shows, that their assent in these matters is some unaccountable
operation of the mind between disbelief and conviction, but
approaching much nearer to the former than to the latter.

     Since, therefore, the mind of man appears of so loose and
unsteady a texture, that, even at present, when so many persons find
an interest in continually employing on it the chissel and the
hammer, yet are they not able to engrave theological tenets with any
lasting impression; how much more must this have been the case in
ancient times, when the retainers to the holy function were so much
fewer in comparison? No wonder, that the appearances were then very
inconsistent, and that men, on some occasions, might seem determined
infidels, and enemies to the established religion, without being so
in reality; or at least, without knowing their own minds in that
particular.

     Another cause, which rendered the ancient religions much looser
than the modern, is, that the former were <traditional> and the
latter are ; and the tradition in the former was
complex, contradictory, and, on many occasions, doubtful; so that it
could not possibly be reduced to any standard and canon, or afford
any determinate articles of faith. The stories of the gods were
numberless like the popish legends; and though every one, almost,
believed a part of these stories, yet no one could believe or know
the whole: While, at the same time, all must have acknowledged, that
no one part stood on a better foundation than the rest. The
traditions of different cities and nations were also, on many
occasions, directly opposite; and no reason could be assigned for