то THE

VIEW OF RELIGIONS:

CONTAINING A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE STATE OF THE WORLD, AT THE TIME OF CHRIST'S

APPEARANCE UPON EARTH.

SECTION I.

State of the World in general, at the Birth of Jefus Chrift.

WHEN

HEN Jefus Chrift made his appearance on earth, a great part of the world was fubject to the Roman empire. This empire was much the largest temporal monarchy that had ever exifted: fo that it was called all the world, Luke ii. 1. The time when the Romans firft fubjugated the land of Judea, was between fixty and feventy years before Chrift was born; and foon after this, the Roman empire rofe to its greatest extent and fplendor. To this government the world continued fubject till Chrift came, and many hundred years afterwards. The remoter nations, that had submitted to the yoke of this mighty empire, were ruled either by Roman governors, invested with temporary commiflions, or by their own princes and laws, in fubordination to the republic, whofe fovereignty was acknowledged, and to which the conquered kings, who were continued in their own dominions, owed their borrowed majefty. At the fame time, the Roman people, and their venerable fenate, though they had not loft all fhadow of liberty, were

yet in reality reduced to a state of fervile fubmiffion to Auguftus Cefar, who, by artifice, perfidy and bloodshed, attained an enormous degree of power, and united in his own person the pompous titles of Emperor, Pontiff, Cenfor, Tribune of the People; in a word, all the great

offices of the State.*

At this period, the Romans, according to Daniel's prophetic description, had trodden down the kingdoms, and by their exceeding ftrength devoured the whole earth. However, by enflaving the world, they civilized it; and whilft they oppreffed mankind, they united them together. The fame laws were every where established, and the fame languages understood. Men approached nearer to one another in fentiments and manners; and the intercourse between the moft diftant regions of the earth was rendered fecure and agreeable. Hence the benign influence of letters and philofophy was spread abroad in countries, which had been before enveloped in the darkest ignorance.†

Juft before Chrift was born, the Roman empire not only rofe to its greatest height, but was alfo fettled in peace. Auguftus Cefar had been for many years eftablifhing the state of the Roman empire, and fubduing his enemies, till the very year that Chrift was born: then, all his enemies being reduced to subjection, his dominion over the world appeared to be fettled in its greatest glory. This remarkable peace, after fo many ages of tumult and war, was a fit prelude to the ushering of the glorious Prince of peace into the world. The tranquillity, which then reigned, was neceffary to enable the minifters of Chrift to execute with fuccefs their fublime commiffion to the human race. In the fituation, into which the providence of God had brought the world, the gospel in a few years reached thofe remote corners of the earth, into which it could not otherwife have penetrated for many ages.

Monheim's Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, vol. i. p. 16.

All

† Robertfon's Sermon on the Situation of the World at the Time of Christ's Appearance.

All the heathen nations, at the time of Chrift's appearance on earth, worshipped a multiplicity of gods and demons, whofe favor they courted by obfcene and ridiculous ceremonies, and whofe anger they endeavoured to appease by the most abominable cruelties.*

Every nation had its refpective gods, over which one, more excellent than the reft, prefided; yet in fuch a manner, that the fupreme deity was himfelf controlled by the rigid decrees of fate, or by what the philofophers called eternal neceffity. The gods of the Eaft were different from those of the Gauls, the Germans, and other northern nations. The Grecian divinities differed from thofe of the Egyptians, who deified plants, and a great variety of the productions both of nature and art. Each people had alfo their peculiar manner of worshipping and appeafing its refpective ities. In process of time, however, the Greeks and Romans grew as ambitious in their religious pretenfions, as in their political claims. They maintained that their gods, though under different appellations, were the objects of religious worfhip in all nations; and therefore they gave the names of their deities to thofe of other countries.†

The deities of almoft all nations were either ancient heroes, renowned for noble exploits and worthy deeds, or kings and generals, who had founded empires, or women who had become illuftrious by remarkable actions or useful inventions. The merit of thofe eminent perfons, contemplated by their posterity with enthufiaftic gratitude, was the cause of their exaltation to celef tial honours. The natural world furnished another kind of deities; and as the fun, moon and ftars fhine with a luftre fuperior to that of all other material beings, they received religious homage from almost all the nations of the world.

B 2

* See Mofheim and Robertfon.

+ Mofheim, vol. i. p. 18.

From

The learned Mr. Bryant, in his Analysis of Ancient Mythology, fappofed, that the worship of the powers of nature, principally the fan, was the firft

origina

From those beings of a nobler kind, idolatry defcended into an enormous multiplication of inferior powers; fo that in many countries, mountains, trees and rivers, the earth, and fea, and wind; nay, even virtues, and vices, and diseases, had their fhrines attended by devout and zealous worshippers.*

Thefe deities were honoured with rites and facrifices of various kinds, according to their respective nature and offices. Moft nations offered animals; and human facrifices were univerfal in ancient times. They were in ufe among the Egyptians till the reign of Amafis. They were never fo common among the Greeks and Romans; yet they were practifed by them on extraordinary occafions. Porphyry fays, "that the Greeks were wont to facrifice men when they went to war." He relates alfo,

"that human facrifices were offered at Rome till the reign of Adrian, who ordered them to be abolished in most places."+

Pontiffs, priefts, and minifters, diftributed into feveral claffes, prefided over the Pagan worship, and were appointed to prevent diforder in the performance of religious rites. The facerdotal order, which was supposed to be diftinguifhed by an immediate intercourfe and friendship with the gods, abufed its authority in the bafest manner, to deceive an ignorant and wretched people.

The religious worship of the Pagans was confined to certain times and places. The ftatues, and other reprefentations of the gods, were placed in the temples, and fuppofed

original idolatry, which prevailed in all nations; that the characters of the Pagan deities of different countries melt into each other; and that the whole crowd of gods and goddeffes mean only the powers of nature, (especially the sun) branched out and diverfified by a number of different names and attributes. Sir William Jones, in his Hiftory of the Antiquities of Afia, appears to have embraced the fame opinion. See Bryant, vol. i. p. 2, 308. See alfo Sir William Jones' Differtation of the Gods of Greece, Italy, and India."

* Mofheim, vol. i. p. 20.

+ Dr. Priestley's Difcourfes relating to the Evidences of Revealed Religion. Notwithstanding the ignorance which prevailed refpecting religion, the Augustan was the most learned and polite age the world ever faw. The love of literature was the univerfal paflion.