第42章

Whenwithadoctrinethatgivesustheideaofaspiritualsupremebeingwecanstilljointhoseofasensiblenatureandadmitthemintoourworship，wecontractagreaterattachmenttoreligion；becausethosemotiveswhichwehavejustmentionedareaddedtoournaturalinclinationsfortheobjectsofsense。ThustheCatholics，whohavemoreofthiskindofworshipthantheProtestants，aremoreattachedtotheirreligionthantheProtestantsaretotheirs，andmorezealousforitspropagation。

WhenthepeopleofEphesuswereinformedthatthefathersofthecouncilhaddeclaredtheymightcalltheVirginMarytheMotherofGod，theyweretransportedwithjoy，theykissedthehandsofthebishops，theyembracedtheirknees，andthewholecityresoundedwithacclamations。[1]

Whenanintellectualreligionsuperaddsachoicemadebythedeity，andapreferenceforthosewhoprofessitoverthosewhodonot，thisgreatlyattachesustoreligion。TheMahometanswouldnotbesuchgoodMussulmansif，ontheonehand，therewerenotidolatrousnationswhomakethemimaginethemselvesthechampionsoftheunityofGod；andontheotherChristians，tomakethembelievethattheyaretheobjectsofhispreference。

Areligionburdenedwithmanyceremonies[2]attachesustoitmorestronglythanthatwhichhasafewernumber。Wehaveanextremepropensitytothingsinwhichwearecontinuallyemployed：witnesstheobstinateprejudicesoftheMahometansandtheJews，[3]andthereadinesswithwhichbarbarousandsavagenationschangetheirreligion，who，astheyareemployedentirelyinhuntingorwar，havebutfewreligiousceremonies。

Menareextremelyinclinedtothepassionsofhopeandfear；areligion，therefore，thathadneitheraheavennorahellcouldhardlypleasethem。ThisisprovedbytheeasewithwhichforeignreligionshavebeenestablishedinJapan，andthezealandfondnesswithwhichtheywerereceived。[4]

Inordertoraiseanattachmenttoreligionitisnecessarythatitshouldinculcatepuremorals。Menwhoareknavesbyretailareextremelyhonestinthegross；theylovemorality。AndwereInottreatingofsograveasubjectIshouldsaythatthisappearsremarkablyevidentinourtheatres：wearesureofpleasingthepeoplebysentimentsavowedbymorality；wearesureofshockingthembythoseitdisapproves。

Whenexternalworshipisattendedwithgreatmagnificence，itflattersourmindsandstronglyattachesustoreligion。Therichesoftemplesandthoseoftheclergygreatlyaffectus。Thuseventhemiseryofthepeopleisamotivethatrendersthemfondofareligionwhichhasservedasapretexttothosewhowerethecauseoftheirmisery。

3。OfTemples。Almostallcivilisednationsdwellinhouses；hencenaturallyarosetheideaofbuildingahouseforGodinwhichtheymightadoreandseekhim，amidstalltheirhopesandfears。

And，indeed，nothingismorecomfortabletomankindthanaplaceinwhichtheymayfindthedeitypeculiarlypresent，andwheretheymayassembletogethertoconfesstheirweaknessandtelltheirgriefs。

Butthisnaturalideaneveroccurredtoanybutsuchascultivatedtheland；thosewhohavenohousesforthemselveswereneverknowntobuildtemples。

ThiswasthecausethatmadeJenghizKhandiscoversuchaprodigiouscontemptformosques。[5]ThisprinceexaminedtheMahometans；[6]heapprovedofalltheirdoctrines，exceptthatofthenecessityofgoingtoMecca；hecouldnotcomprehendwhyGodmightnotbeeverywhereadored。AstheTartarsdidnotdwellinhouses，theycouldhavenoideaoftemples。

Thosepeoplewhohavenotempleshavebutasmallattachmenttotheirownreligion。ThisisthereasonwhytheTartarshaveinalltimesgivensogreatatoleration；[7]whythebarbarousnations，whoconqueredtheRomanempiredidnothesitateamomenttoembraceChristianity；whythesavagesofAmericahavesolittlefondnessfortheirownreligion；why，sinceourmissionarieshavebuiltchurchesinParaguay，thenativesofthatcountryhavebecomesozealousforours。

Asthedeityistherefugeoftheunhappy，andnonearemoreunhappythancriminals，menhavebeennaturallyledtothinktemplesanasylumforthosewretches。ThisideaappearedstillmorenaturaltotheGreeks，wheremurderers，chasedfromtheircityandthepresenceofmen，seemedtohavenohousesbutthetemples，norotherprotectorsthanthegods。

Atfirstthesewereonlydesignedforinvoluntaryhomicides；butwhenthepeoplemadethemasanctuaryforthosewhohadcommittedgreatcrimestheyfellintoagrosscontradiction。Iftheyhadoffendedmen，theyhadmuchgreaterreasontobelievetheyhadoffendedthegods。

TheseasylumsmultipliedinGreece。Thetemples，saysTacitus，[8]werefilledwithinsolventdebtorsandwickedslaves；themagistratefounditdifficulttoexercisehisoffice；thepeopleprotectedthecrimesofmenastheceremoniesofthegods；atlengththesenatewasobligedtoretrenchagreatnumberofthem。

ThelawsofMoseswereperfectlywise。Themanwhoinvoluntarilykilledanotherwasinnocent；buthewasobligedtobetakenawayfrombeforetheeyesoftherelativesofthedeceased。Mosesthereforeappointedanasylumforsuchunfortunatepeople。[9]Theperpetratorsofgreatcrimesdeservednotaplaceofsafety，andtheyhadnone：[10]theJewshadonlyaportabletabernacle，whichcontinuallychangeditsplace；thisexcludedtheideaofasanctuary。Itistruethattheyhadafterwardsatemple；butthecriminalswhowouldresortthitherfromallpartsmightdisturbthedivineservice。Ifpersonswhohadcommittedmanslaughterhadbeendrivenoutofthecountry，aswascustomaryamongtheGreeks，theyhadreasontofearthattheywouldworshipstrangegods。Alltheseconsiderationsmadethemestablishcitiesofsafety，wheretheymightstaytillthedeathofthehigh—priest。

4。OftheMinistersofReligion。Thefirstmen，saysPorphyry，[11]

sacrificedonlyvegetables。Inaworshipsosimple，everyonemightbepriestinhisownfamily。

Thenaturaldesireofpleasingthedeitymultipliedceremonies。Henceitfollowed，thatmenemployedinagriculturebecameincapableofobservingthemallandoffillingupthenumber。

Particularplaceswereconsecratedtothegods；itthenbecamenecessarythattheyshouldhaveministerstotakecareofthem；inthesamemanneraseverycitizentookcareofhishouseanddomesticaffairs。Hencethepeoplewhohavenopriestsarecommonlybarbarians；suchwereformerlythePedalians，[12]andsucharestilltheWolgusky。[13]

Menconsecratedtothedeityoughttobehonoured，especiallyamongpeoplewhohaveformedanideaofapersonalpuritynecessarytoapproachtheplacesmostagreeabletothegods，andfortheperformanceofparticularceremonies。

Theworshipofthegodsrequiringacontinualapplication，mostnationswereledtoconsidertheclergyasaseparatebody。Thus，amongtheEgyptians，theJews，andthePersians，[14]theyconsecratedtothedeitycertainfamilieswhoperformedandperpetuatedtheservice。Therehavebeenevenreligionswhichhavenotonlyestrangedecclesiasticsfrombusiness，buthavealsotakenawaytheembarrassmentsofafamily；andthisisthepracticeoftheprincipalbranchofChristianity。

Ishallnotheretreatoftheconsequencesofthelawofcelibacy：itisevidentthatitmaybecomehurtfulinproportionasthebodyoftheclergymaybetoonumerous；and，inconsequenceofthis，thatofthelaitytoosmall。

Bythenatureofthehumanunderstandingweloveinreligioneverythingwhichcarriestheideaofdifficulty；asinpointofmoralitywehaveaspeculativefondnessforeverythingwhichbearsthecharacterofseverity。Celibacyhasbeenmostagreeabletothosenationstowhomitseemedleastadapted，andwithwhomitmightbeattendedwiththemostfatalconsequences。InthesoutherncountriesofEurope，where，bythenatureoftheclimate，thelawofcelibacyismoredifficulttoobserve，ithasbeenretained；inthoseofthenorth，wherethepassionsarelesslively，ithasbeenbanished。Further，incountrieswheretherearebutfewinhabitantsithasbeenadmitted；inthosethatarevastlypopulousithasbeenrejected。Itisobviousthatthesereflectionsrelateonlytothetoogreatextensionofcelibacy，andnottocelibacyitself。

5。OftheBoundswhichtheLawsoughttoprescribetotheRichesoftheClergy。Asparticularfamiliesmaybeextinct，theirwealthcannotbeaperpetualinheritance。Theclergyisafamilywhichcannotbeextinct；

wealthisthereforefixedtoitforever，andcannotgooutofit。

Particularfamiliesmayincrease；itisnecessary