SERIA. I.1 NATURAL RELIGION, ITS USES AND DEFECTS. 13 want of a better guide than their own reasonings ? and how generally, and almost without exception, did their philosophers comply with the idolatry of their country, and worshipped God in the form of beasts and birds, and creeping things, and changed the truth of God into a lie; or the true God into false and shameful images; Rom. i. 23, 25. Sometimes appetite and passion, pride and :humour spread a mist over the understanding of the heathens; sometimes the customs and traditions of their nation, the authority of their ancestors, or their philosophers, or their own vile prejudices, of various kinds gave them a false clue, and set them, a running- upon .a wrong scent : In other places, the tyranny of their princes, and the folly and superstitious madness of their priests, either led, or drove them far away from the truth. What shameful vices were authorised by some of their great men ? Theft, in some places, was commended as a feat of dexterity, and revenge as a point of honour while public robberies of nations were the glory of their heroes. The murder and ravage of whole' countries, were allowed for the enlargement of their dominions, and the blood of kingdoms was made an offering to the ambition of neighbour-kings. In some countries, the youth and flower of conquered nations were doomed 'a sacrifice to their idols; and sometimes filthy and abominable lewd- ness were the ceremonies of their worship. -flow blind, was the eye of their reason, not to see this madness? And how feeble its power, that it made no remonstrances against these lewdand bloodyscenesofpretended piety? All these instances indeed do not effectually prove, that reason could not possibly teach them better; but the experience of long ages, and of whole nations, suf- ficiently shew us,' that their reason neither did inform them better, nor was ever likely to do it. Even the best of the philosophers could give us" but a sorry system of religion compared with our. bible ; so that St. Paul roundly expresses it; 1 Cor. i. 2l. "The. world by wis- dom knew not God." 3. ` All the knowledge of God which theyarrived at, by,the, light of nature, had actually but little influence to reform the hearts, or the lives of mankind." I say, it had but little influence in comparison of what it might,
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