ble Teftimogy, That EPICUR us declares it to be his Opinion, That of all things which Wisdom can procure towards a happy Life, Friendship is the noblest, most extenfive, and delicious Pleasure. And this he did not only affert in his Writings, but gave a practical proof of it in his Life and Converfation. How great a Commendation this is, appears from the rare Inftances of Friendship, of which the Mythology of the Antients, as voluminous and full of variety as it is, will hardly afford us three from THESE US's time down to ORESTES. But Oh! what a numerous, what an harmonious Company of Friends, did EPICURUS croud into his own little Habitation! And the Epicureans follow his example at this day.

BUT we Chriftians ought ftill to have a higher Veneration of EPICURUS for this Virtue of Friendship than CICERO: Because even our Holy Religion it self does

* Epicurus ita dicit, Omnium rerum, quas ad beatè vivendum fapientia comparaverit, nibil esse majus amicitiâ, nihil uberius, nibil jucundius. Neque verò hoc oratione folum, fed multò magis vitâ & factis & moribus comprobavit. Quod quàm magnum fit, fictæ veterum declarant fabule; in quibus tam multis, tamque variis, ab ultimâ antiquitate repetitis, tria vix amicorum paria reperiuntur, ut ad Oreftem pervenias, profectus a Thefeo. At verò Epicurus una in domo, & ea quidem angufta, quàm magnòs, quantaque amoris confpiratione confentientes tenuit amicorum greges! Quod fit etiam nunc ab Epicureis. De Finibus, c. 1. 1. ad finem.

not

*

not any where particularly require of us fuch a high degree of Virtue. For as Bifhop TAYLOR in his Treatife of FriendShip very juftly obferves, The word FriendShip in the fenfe we commonly mean by it, is not fo much as nam'd in the New Teftament; and our Religion takes no notice of it. You think it strange; but read on, before you spend fo so much as the Beginning of a Paffion or a Wonder upon it. There is mention made of Friendship with the World, and it is faid to be Enmity with God; but the word is no where else nam'd, or to any other purpofe, in all the New Teftament. It speaks of "Friends often; but by Friends are meant our Acquaintance, or our Kindred, the Relatives of our Family, or our Fortune, or our Sect; fomething of Society, or fomething of Kindness there is in it; a Tenderness of Appellation and Civility, a Relation made by Gifts, or by Duty, by Services and Subjection: and I think I have reafon to be confident, that the word Friend is no otherwife used in the Gospels, or Epiftles, or Acts of the Apoftles.

(5.) PLUTARCH is the most known Author of all the Antients. His Works are tranflated into all the modern Languages, and by confequence his Learning and Virtue display'd before the eyes of all that read any Books. And tho he was a Heathen Priest,

Pag. 35. at the end of his Polemick Works.

yet he preferv'd his Understanding free, and was not misled by the Gain of his Profeffion into Superftition, nor fo far engag'd in the Craft of his Profeffion as to conceal his Opinion of the Mischief thereof. Says he, in his Treatife of Superftition, * Atheism brings Men to an Unconcernedness and Indifferency of Temper: for the Defign of those who deny a God, is to ease themselves of his Fear. But Superftition (by which the Greeks meant

the Fear of God, and which THEOPHRASTUS in his Characters exprefly defines fo) appears by its name to be a distemper'd Opinion and Conceit productive of fuch mean and abject Apprehenfions, as debafe and break a Man's Spirit. For tho he thinks justly, that there are Divine Powers, yet fo erroneous is his Judgment, that he thinks they are four and vindictive Beings. Atheism is only falle Reafoning, while Superftition is not only falfe Reafoning, but fuperadds a Paffion, viz. Fear, which is deftitute both of Courage and Reafon, and renders us ftupid, distracted and unactive. But of all Fears, none confounds a Man like the Religionary Fear. He fears not the Sea, who never goes to Sea; nor a Battel, who follows not the Camp; nor Robbers, who stirs not abroad; nor malicious Informers, who is a poor Man;

Morals, in English, vol. 1. p. 162, &c.

+ This was the common Definition of Superftition likewise among the Romans. Hence Horace fays, Quone malo mentem concuffa? timore Deorum.

nor

nor Emulation, who leads a private Life; nor Earthquakes, who dwells in Gaul; nor Thunder-bolts, who dwells in Ethiopia. But he who fears the Divine Powers, fears every thing, the Land, the Sea, the Air, the Sky, the Dark, the Light, a Sound, a Silence, a Dream. Even Slaves forget their Masters in their fleep; Sleep lightens the Irons of the Fetter'd; their angry Sores, mortify'd Gangrenes, and pinching Pains allow them fome intermiffion at night. But Superftition will give no truce at night, nor fuffer the poor Soul fo much as to breathe, or look up or respite her four and difmal Thoughts of God a moment. Neither have they, when awake, Senfe enough to flight and fmile at all this; nor are they in the leaft apprehenfive, that nothing of all that terrify'd them was real; but still fear an empty Shadow, which could never mean them ill, and cheat themselves afresh at noon-day. In a word, the thought of Death it felf puts no end to this vain and foolish Fear, but it tranfcends thofe limits, and extends its Fears beyond the Grave, adding to it the Conceit of immortal Ills; and after respite from paft Sorrows, fancies it shall next enter upon never-ending ones. I know not what Gates of Hell open themselves from be neath; Rivers of Fire, together with Stygian Torrents, prefent themselves to view; a gloomy Darkness appears full of ghaftly Specters and horrid Shapes, with dreadful Afpects and doleful Groans, together with Judges, Tormentors, Pits and Caverns full of Miferys and Woes.

I 3

HE

134

HE fatyrizes likewife the publick Forms of Devotion, which yet are fuch, as in almoft all Countrys pafs for the true Worship of God. Says he, in the fame Difcourfe, *O wretched Grecians, who bring into Religion that frightful Mien of fordid and vilifying Devotion, ill-favour'd Humiliation and Contrition, abject Looks and Countenances, Confternations, Proftrations, Disfigurations; and, in the Act of Worship, Distortions, constrain'd and painful Poftures of the Body, wry Faces, beggarly Tones, Mumpings, Grimaces, Cringings, and the rest of this kind.

(6.) VARRO, the most learned of all the Romans, fpeaking of their Theology, faid, That it contain'd many Fables below the Dignity and Nature of Immortal Beings; fuch for inftance, as Gods begotten and proceeding from other Gods Heads, Legs, Thighs, and Blood. He likewise affirm'd, || There were many things falfe in Religion, which it was not convenient for the Vulgar to know; and again, fome things which, tho falfe, yet it was expedient they should be believ'd by them. Upon

* As tranflated in the Characterifticks, vol. 3. p. 126. + Multa funt contra dignitatem & naturam Immortalium ficta. In hoc enim eft, ut Deus alius ex capite, alius ex femore fit, alius ex guttis fanguinis natus. Aug. de Civ. Dei, 1.6. C. 5.

Multa effe vera que vulgo fcire non fit utile, & quædam quæ tametfi falfa fint, aliter exiftimare populum expediat. Ibid. 1. 4. C. 31.

which