opposed and pretended to despise; it is evident, that they had read the Scriptures, and do sometimes make use of Terms which they had taken from thence, unknown to former Philosophers. But Philosophy after all their Endeavours still retaining many Errors, and wanting that Evidence and Authority, which is the Foundation of all true Religion, could never maintain its Ground against that Religion, which was preached by those, whom they contemn'd as ignorant Men; but which in a short time wrought fuch a Reformation in the World, as the Philosophy of all Ages had been never able to effect.

It is not to be deny'd, that there were many great and eminent Examples among the Heathen, but then there were always as great Enormities allow'd in the most civiliz'd Nations. Philosophy was m prohibited by three of the Principal States of Greece, by the Thebans, the Spartans, and the Argives. And the Romans, who have set so many Famous Examples to the World, were little oblig'd to Philofophy: for all their Worth and Greatness was raised upon the Stock only of common Notions, the Traditions that they had receiv'd with the rest of Mankind, and the Laws brought from Athens, which were enacted by Solon, who had been in Ægypt at a time, when the Jews were there in sufficient Numbers. But it was a long while before Philosophers were suffered at Rome, they had been

Tertul. Apol. c. 47.

2

expell'd expell'd by the Senate: Tully was the first that brought Philosophy into any Credit there, and by the Apologies which he often makes for his giving himself to the Study of it, we may perceive under what Prejudices it then lay among the Romans, and that there was need of all his Wit and Eloquence to gain it Admission.

A strict Discipline both in Peace and War, great Application and Industry, by which they improved their common Notions, and arriv'd to wonderful Experience and Dexterity in the Management of Affairs, a zealous Love of their Country, and an unparallel'd Constancy, manifest in all their Actions, and especially in the Observation of their Laws, raised the Romans to that mighty Height and Extent of Empire. But that which they retain'd of Truth, in relation to Matters of Religion, had been so abused and disguised with Fabulous Corruptions, that at length it had generally lost all Belief amongst them. • Tully made no Scruple at a publick Tryal in a Court of Judicature, to deny the Punishments of the Wicked in a future state, as a ridiculous Fiction; which shews a strange Corruption of Principles in that Age, when he could propose to himself to gain his Cause by speaking in that manner. In another Oration, he says, P Non semper fuperet vera illa & directa Ratio, vincat aliquando cupiditas, voluptasque rationem. That this should be spoken in a publick Pleading by one of the Gravest and

0

A. Gell. lib. xv. c. II. Pro Cluentio. • Pro M. Cælio.

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most

most Learned of all the Romans, shews how little either the Philosophy which he had studied, or the Roman Laws themselves could do towards the Establishment of Vertue, and that the Modesty of Youth, and the Vertue and Honour of Families, must be secur'd upon some better Principles. Afterwards he adds: Verùm fiquis est, qui etiam meretriciis Amoribus interdictum juventuti putet, est ille quidem valde feverus : Negare non poffum, sed abhorret non modo ab hujus feculi licentia, verùm etiam a Majorum confuetudine atque concessis. I believe there is scarce any Man so far loft to all Shame among Christians, that he would be willing to hear himself so defended in a Publick Court, or any Judge that would admit of such a Defence: which is a manifest Argument of the Excellency of the Christian Religion, that it lays such a powerful Restraint upon Men. But this loofness of Manners was the fatal Fore-runner of that horrid and monstrous Lewdness, which afterwards, like a Leprosie, overspread the Roman Empire. The Conspiracies of that Time, which so much endanger'd the State, were contriv'd by Libertines, and no greater Cruelties have ever been committed than by this Sort of Men, when once they have got into Power; as may be seen in Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, &c. And Tully himself, perhaps, might feel the Effects of these Encouragements to Vice, being kill'd by a Villain, whose Life he had formerly saved by that Eloquence, which was sometimes employ'd, as if he had been retain'd against Vertue.

It must be owned, that Tully has in many places of his Works laid down admirable Rules of Vertue, but then it is with little or no regard to such Principles as are the only sure Foundations of a Vertuous Life, viz. the Fear of God, and the Expectation of Rewards or Punishments after Death; and such was thedefect of his Philosophy, that he could be positive and certain in nothing. Seneca, as he professeth, has taken many of his best Precepts from Epicurus, which, without a due Confideration had of a God and a Providence, are no better than Prudent Cautions against Temporal Evils, either of Body or Mind. Seneca many times diverts rather than instructs; what he says is always fine, but not always solid; he dances upon the surface, according to Quintilian's Censure of him, but seldom descends to the depth of things; and it were well if that Character, which he has given of Seneca's Style, might not be applyed to his Sense, abundat dulcibus Vitiis, a luscious Poison sometimes diffuseth it self in his Writings. 9 Seneca derides the subtilty and trifling both of Zeno and Chryfippus; but he did, it seems, think himself more concern'd to expose them for being ill Disputants, than for being Teachers of ill Dotrines: tho' upon this account they were fo very scandalous, that Sextus Empericus endea

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:

Sen. Epist. 82. de Benefic. lib. I. c. 3, 4.

Sext, Empir. Pyrrh. Hypot. lib. 3. c. 24, 25.

vours to prove from their Words, that there is no real and certain Difference betwixt Vertue and Vice.

The bare knowledge of the Christian Dotrine, even without a fincere belief of its Authority, has taught Men to abhor those Crimes which were approved of by the Philosophers, and practised in the wisest Heathen Nations : and when things, notoriously Evil, were receiv'd and taught by those, who did and said so many things well, it is evident, that what was good was not owing so much to the strength of their own Reason, as to some higher Principle. I will here give but one Instance, and it shall be concerning the lawfulness of killing Infants, or exposing them to be starved or destroyed. This was the Express Doctrine of $ Plato; and Aristotle, who contradicts him in most other things, follows him in this. Indeed, this was so general a Practice, that it is taken particular notice of, that the Thebans had a Law to for bid it. u Romulus made a Law to regulate this Practice, and to hinder it in some Cases. * Tacitus observes it as a thing deserving his Remark, that this was not practifed either by the Jews or the Germans, tho' the latter had a CuItom of casting their Children into the Rhine for a tryal of their Legitimacy. But that which is more strange, is, that y Seneca and Plutarch,

* Plat. de Repub. lib. v. Ariftot. Polit. lib. vii. c. 16.

* Ælian. lib. ii. c. 7.

"Dionyf. Halicarn. lib. ii.

* Tacit. Hift. lib. v. & de Morib. Germ. cum notis Lipf. Senec. de Ira, lib. i. c. 15. Plut. in Lycurg.

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who