CONFERENCE W. 491 was hard to search him out, and when you have found him, he forbidsyou to teach the knowledge of him to the bulkof mankind." Is this the man that deserves the favour of the true God, who hardly knew him himself, and was resolved to conceal him from the world? As for his own religion, he complied entirely with the polytheism and idolatry of the nation, and worshipped the multitude of their gods, that is, the stars, the devils, the de- parted heroes, or the chimeras which the city of Rome had adopted into the number of their deities. In many parts ofhis writings he vindicates the national ceremonies and idolatrous rites Of worship, superstition and auguration, asnecessary to be observed ; and I think it is in his second book of laws that he pressesupon his countrymen a strict observance of all the religi- ous rites established by authority, and declares all those worthy of the last punishment, who should attempt to disturb them, as some of the vindicatorsof human reason frankly allow con- cerning him. Pray, Sir, what great influence had reason upon the heart and practiceof such a man as this, who, when he could not believe the Roman idols tobe the true God who made Or go- verns the,world, yet uses his utmost influence to make the world worship them, that is, to make mankind idolaters, to set up` rivalsto the true God, and procure divine honoursfor them, with- out any public acknowledgement paid to the true God himself, the Creator and Lordof the universe, and with an express prohibi. tien of making him known ? Loo. If I would shew myself a fair disputant, and a search- er after truth, I know not well what defence to 'make for my darling author Cicero, unless you will permit me to say, that neither he, nor the rest of theancient sages, could imagine there was so much hurt in practising the religion oftheir nativecoun- try, and in worshipping the gods of it, as the bible has taught both Jews and christians to conceive : And that this vice of pride and ambition, of which Plthaoder brings such a heavy charge against Cicero, was so universal amongst all great men, that they counted it a piece of virtue and glory, rather than a crime. Pum. But does not human reason, even your darling rea- son, teach you the same that the bible teaches the Jews and christians ? Is not polytheism and idolatry contrary to the nature of things, and to all the principles and rules of reason ? Is not pride and self-sufficiency, and such an ambitious desire of fame, at the expence of honesty and truth, a very criminal thing in itself, and a high offence both against God and man ? Was Ci.. cero's own reason practically sufficient to be his guide in matters of religion and virtue, if it indulged him in such corrupt and abominable practices as these ? Or if it did make any feeble're- monstrances against them, his practice still shews howweak, and vain, and insignificant these remonstranceswere; and this proves
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=