CONTENTS FIRST VOLUM E. THE introduction, the nature of internal evidence; OF the original of civil fociety; the causes of its defective plan: that this defect can be only supplied by religion: that religion under the prefent difpenfa- tion of providence, cannot fubfift without the doc- trine of a future ftate of rewards and punishments; SECT. HI. THE arguments of those who deny the neceffity of religion to fociety confidered: Pomponatius falfely ranked in that number, and vindicated: Cardan characterized and cenfured, P. 75-83. SECT. IV. and V. Mr. Bayle, the great defender of this paradox in his apology for atheism, examined. His arguments collected, methodized, and confuted. In the course of this difputation, the true foundation of morality enquired into, and shewn to be neither the effential difference of things, nor the moral fenfe, but the will of God. The causes of the contrary errors fhewn: and the objections against morality's being founded in the will of God, anfwered, p. 83-126. SECT. VI. THE Author of the Fable of the Bees, who contends that it is Vice, and not Virtue, that is useful to fociety, examined, expofed, and confuted, p. 126 141. BOOK II. PROVES the neceffity of the doctrine of a future fate to fociety, from the conduct of the antient lawgivers, and founders of civil policy, p. 141. SECT. SECT. I. THE magiftrate's care in cullivating religion, shewn, 1. From the univerfality of it, amongst all civil policied nations. 2. From the genius of pagan religion, both with regard to the nature of their gods, the attributes affigned to them, and the mode of worship in civil ufe amongst them, P. 141-157. SECT. II. THE particular arts the legiflator employed to this purpose: as, 1. the univerfal practice of pretending to infpiration. It is fhewn that this was done to establis the opinion of the fuperintendency of the gods over human affairs: not to fecure the reception of their laws; nor to render thofe laws perpetual and immutable when received, p. 157-164. SECT. III. THE next art the legiflator ufed was to preface his laws with the doctrine of a providence in its full extent. The prefaces to the laws of Zaleucus and Charondas, the only remains of this kind, proved genuine against the arguments of a learned critic, p. 164–188. SECT. IV. THE next art was the legislator's invention of the myfteries, folely inftituted for the propagation and fupport of the doctrine of a future ftate of rewards and punishments. punishments. Their original and progress deduced their nature and end explained: their secrets revealed: and the causes of their degeneracy accounted for. To give a compleat idea of this important inftitution, the fixth book of Virgil is examined, and the defcent of Eneas into bell, fhewn to be only an initiation into, and reprefentation of the fhews of the mysteries, p. 188 392. PRE PREFACE TO THЕ FIRST EDITION In MDCCXXXVIII. T HE following fheets make the first volume of a work, defigned to prove the DIVINE ORIGIN OF THE JEWISH RELIGION. As the author was neither indebted, nor engaged to the Public, he hath done his Readers no injury in not giving them more; and had they not had this, neither he nor they, perhaps, had efteemed themselves lofers. For writing for no Party, it is likely he will please none; and begging no Protection, it is more likely he will find none: and he must have more of the confidence of a modern Writer than falls to his fhare, to think of making much way with the feeble effort of his own reason. VOL. I. Ꭰ Writers, |