Attica, and appointed one council hall, common to all the Athenians. He established a common form of religion, with certain religious ceremonies to be performed at Athens, the more effectually to ftrengthen civil allegiance; and by inviting ftrangers from all parts of the world, by the promise of privileges and protection, he raised the city to the highest pitch of fame and popularity. The fplendour of Athens eclipsed that of all the other states of Greece.

ence.

This monarchy foon gave place to an overbearing influThefeus had formed his kingdom into three dif tinct claffes; the nobles, the artizans, and the husbandmen. And to prevent the increafing power of the nobles, he granted many immunities and privileges to the two other classes. This fyftem of politics, in a few years, gave the two inferior claffes an opportunity of acquiring confiderable property: and, confequently, they became important members of the ftate; and, by their riches and independence, upon the death of Codrus, a prince of great merit, in the year B. C. 1070, they had power and influence enough to abolish the regal power, under pretence of finding no one worthy of filling the throne of Codrus, who had devoted himself to death for the fafety of his people. Thus they proclaimed Jupiter king, declaring none else was fit to govern Athens. This was the first instance of a republican form of government in Greece.

From this period, fo various have been the modes and forms of government, that it is impoffible to distinguish them all. Governments are generally divided into three distinct forms, each of which has its partizans, viz. the monarchical, ariftocratical, and democratical.

The monarchical form of government is, where a nation is governed by a king, or monarch; and is divided into two parts, called abfolute, and limited, monarchy. Abfolute monarchy is, where the fovereign is entirely unrestrained, having the legislative as well as the executive power. A limit

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ed monarchy is, where the fovereign is reftrained by certain laws, beyond which he cannot pass.

An ariftocracy is, where the legislative and executive authority is vested in the hands of a felect number of perfons, generally titled nobility; and in whom the office is moftly hereditary.

A democracy is that government in which the legislative and executive authority is vested in a certain number of individuals, who hold their office by election; and generally elected by the majority of the nation at large.

From the various modifications of these different forms of government, all the governments of the earth are formed; some approaching nearer to one, and fome to another form. For there is hardly a government exifting, that is entirely either an abfolute monarchy, a perfect ariftocracy, or a complete republic.

SECT. V.

OF RELIGION.

RELIGION is coeval with the origin of mankind: without it the present order of the universe would be entirely overturned; and mankind, from their natural depravity, be rendered worse than the most voracious of the brute creation.

The diftinguishing religions in antiquity were Judaism, and Polytheism, or Paganism.

But in modern times the prevailing religions may be divided into the four following, viz. the Jewish, Christian, Mahometan, and Pagan.

Before

Before treating of the four foregoing systems, it may be neceffary to premife the following general axiom, viz. That all fyftems of religion contribute more or less to the welfare of fociety. From hence we deduce the following theorem; that all religion must have somewhat in its origin of a divine nature, however it may be transformed, corrupted, or mifapplied, by the ignorance or artifice of its propagators.

In confidering the Jewish code of religion, it does not appear as a complete system of religion, adapted to all countries and ages, but seems particularly defigned by the all-wife Creator, for the people to whom it was fent; for the age they lived in, being over-run by idolatry; the circumstances in which they had lived in Egypt, and the means by which they were to form their new settlement in the land of Canaan.

From hence they were enjoined the observation of the fab. bath, in honour to that Being who created the heavens and the earth, with all the host of heaven; which hoft, sun,~ moon, ftars, &c. were worshipped by the Egyptians as eternal beings. To prevent their communication with the neighbouring idolatrous nations, they were profcribed the use of certain animals for food, and permitted others; that, by being forbidden the ufe of those animals for food, fuch as the hog, &c. which the Gentile nations confidered as the greateft luxury, a perpetual bar might be, kept up between the Jews and Gentiles. And by being permitted to eat other animals, such as goats, sheep, oxen, &c. which were worfhipped in Egypt, and from which the Egyptians religiously withheld all violence, the Jews would foon overcome any re ligious prejudices they might have acquired from the Egyptian idolatry. The reftitution of property, in the year of Jubilee, which would answer no purpose in another state, was defigned to preserve the order of rank, and that divifion of property, originally established.

In condefcenfion to their rude and grofs notions of Deity,

the Creator permitted them, in their wanderings through the Wilderness, to have a tabernacle, or portable temple, in which he sometimes deigned to display fome rays of his glory.

From this general view of the Jewish religion, it appears happily adapted to promote the welfare of its followers. In comparing it with other religions, it is necessary to reflect on the peculiar purposes for which it was established; which were principally two; firft, to preserve the Jews a feparate people; and fecondly, to guard them from the idolatry with which they were every where furrounded. The religion of the Jews was not formed, nor defigned, to be propagated through all the earth; that would have been inconsistent with the purposes for which it was instituted: therefore we see the Jewish religion, though near four thousand years old, wants that effential attribute for propagation, to be found in all other religions, viz. a difference of fentiment, and, confequently, a division and subdivision into different fects.

The Chriftian religion is to be confidered as an improvement of the Jewish. The effects of the Jewish religion were indeed beneficial, but were confined almost to them alone; whereas the effects of the Christian religion are extended to all mankind; reprefenting them with true philanthropy as children of the fame God, and heirs of the fame falvation. It levels all diftinctions of rich and poor, native and foreigner, as accidental and infignificant diftin&tions with that impartial Being, who rewards or punishes according to the demerits of his creatures.

The precepts of the Chriftian religion are more happily calculated to promote the happiness of mankind, than thofe of any other religion. Its whole defign is to infpire mankind with mild, benevolent, and peaceable difpofitions. Its diftinguishing rule, by which it excels all other religions, is, to do unto others, as we would they should do unto us; and fuch is its purity, that it does not allow an impure thought. It requires its followers to abandon their vices, however dear; and

to

to join the cautious wisdom of the ferpent with the innocent fimplicity of the dove. And to prevent perfeverance in immorality, it offers a pardon for the paft, provided the offender forfake his vicious practices. The practice and belief of the Gospel have a peculiar tendency to raise the mind of man above the trifling pursuits of time; and to render its followers incorruptible by wealth, honour, or pleasures. It. not only requires the Chriftian to abftain from injuring his neighbour, but even enjoins him to forgive any unmerited injuries which he himself fuffers, upon the principle of his being forgiven by his offended Creator. It reprefents the Deity and his attributes in the faireft light, fo as to render our ideas of him confiftent with the correct principles of reason and philofophy. The rites of this gospel are few and fimple; easy to perform, expreffive, and edifying. It inculcates no duties, but what are founded in, the principles of human nature, and on the relation on which man stands to God, as his Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. The affiftance of the Spirit of God is there promised to those who labour to discharge the duties which it enjoins. It teaches us that worldly afflictions are cafual accidents; incident to both bad and good men: a doctrine highly encouraging to virtue, confoling in affliction, preventing despair, and encouraging in difficulty.

Such are the precepts and spirit of the Christian religion. And even those who have refused to give credit to its history, and follow its doctrines, have acknowledged the excellency of its precepts. Bolingbroke, one of its moft zealous oppofers, fays, that "no religion ever yet appeared in the world, of which the natural tendency was fo much directed to promote the peace and happiness of mankind, as the Chriftian; and that the Gospel of Chrift is one continued lesson of the stricteft morality, of juftice, benevolence, and univerfal charity." Thus we can pronounce, with confidence, that the precepts of a religion, which is fo happily formed to promote all that

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