civilized it; and whilst they oppressed mankind, they united them together. The same laws were every where established, and the same languages understood. Men approached nearer to one another in sentiments and manners; and the intercourse between the most distant regions of the earth was rendered secure and agreeable. Hence the benign influence of letters and philosophy was spread abroad in countries which had been before enveloped in the darkest ignorance.

Just before Christ was born, the Roman empire not only rose to its greatest height, but was also settled in peace. Augustus Cæsar had been for many years establishing the state of the Roman empire, and subduing his enemies, till the very year that Christ was born: then all his enemies being reduced to subjection, his dominion over the world appeared to be settled in its greatest glory. This remarkable peace, after so 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 necessary to enable the ministers of Christ to execute, with success, their sublime commission to the human race. In the situation into which the providence of God had brought the world, the gospel, in a few years, reached those remote corners of the earth, into which it could not otherwise have penetrated for many ages.

OF THE PAGAN IDOLATRY.

ALL the heathen nations, at the time of Christ's appearance on earth, worshipped a multiplicity of gods and demons, whose favour they courted, by obscene and ridiculous ceremonies, and whose anger they endeavoured to appease, by the most abominable cruelties.

Every nation had its respective gods, over which one more excellent than the rest presided; yet, in such a manner, that the supreme deity was himself controlled by the rigid decrees of fate, or by what the philosophers called eternal necessity. The gods of the East were different from those of the Gauls, the Germans, and other northern nations. The Grecian divinities differed from those of the Egyptians, who deified plants, and a great variety of the productions both of nature and art. Each people had also their peculiar manner of worshipping and appeasing its respective deities. In process of time, however, the Greeks and Romans grew as ambitious in their religious pretensions, as in their political claims. They maintained that their gods, though under different appellations, were the objects of religious worship in all nations; and therefore they gave the names of their deities to those of other countries.

The deities of almost all nations were either antient heroes, renowned for noble exploits and worthy deeds, or kings and generals, who had founded empires, or women who had become illustrious by remarkable actions or useful inventions. The merit of those eminent persons, contemplated by their posterity with enthusiastic gratitude, was the cause of their exaltation to celestial honours. The natural world furnished another kind of deities; and as the sun, moon, and stars shine with a lustre superior to that of all other material beings,

they received religious homage from almost all the nations of the world.

The learned Mr. Bryant, in his Analysis of Antient Mythology, supposes that the worship of the powers of nature, principally the Sun, was the 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 goddesses mean only the powers of nature (especially the Sun) branched out and diversified by a number of different names and attributes. Sir Wm. Jones, in his History of the Antiquities of Asia, appears to have embraced the same opinion*. [Mr. Faber also, "On the origin of Pagan Idolatry," adopts the same system; and it seems by no means unnatural, that a Pagan, having lost the light of Revelation, should address the Sun in the language which Milton puts into the mouth of Satan on his first beholding it:—

"O thou, that with surpassing glory crown'd,

Lookest from thy sole dominion like the god
Of this new world !".

The Sun might probably be considered by the more intelligent of the early idolators as the residence of Deity, and its fairest emblem; and fire would naturally be adopted as its representative. The " mighty hunters" of the earth perhaps held out the idea of going at their death to reside in that refulgent orb; and their flatterers, when they died, confirmed the notion, by celebrating their apotheoses, and paying them divine honours. And thus the gods of earth were transplanted to the skies.]

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

These deities were honoured with rites and sacrifices of various kinds, according to their respective nature and offices. Most nations offered animals; and human sacrifices were universal in antient times. They were in use among the Egyptians till the reign of Amasis: they were never so common among the Greeks and Romans; yet they were practised by them on extraordinary occasions. Porphyry says, that the Greeks were wont to sacrifice men when they went to war. He relates also, that human sacrifices were offered at Rome till the reign of Adrian, who ordered them to be abolished in most places. ‡

Pontiffs, priests, and ministers, distributed into several classes, presided over the pagan worship, and were appointed to prevent disorder in the performance of religious rites. The sacerdotal order, which was supposed to be distinguished by an immediate intercourse and friendship with the gods, abused its authority in the basest manner, to deceive an ignorant and wretched people.

Analysis, vol. i. p. 308. See also Sir W. Jones's Dissertation on the Gods of Greece, Italy, and India. + Mosheim (Baynes's ed. 1810) vol. i. p. 23. Note h.

Dr. Priestley on the Evidences of Revealed Religion.-See also Ency. Brit. in Sacrifices.

The religious worship of the pagans was confined to certain times and places. The statues, and other representations of the gods, were placed in the temples, and supposed to be animated in an incomprehensible manner; for they carefully avoided the imputation of worshipping inanimate beings; and therefore pretended that the divinity represented by the statue was really present in it, if the dedication were truly and properly made.

Besides the public worship of the gods, to which all without exception were admitted, there were certain religious rites celebrated in secret by the Greeks, and in several eastern countries, to which a small number was allowed access. These were called mysteries *; and persons who desired an initiation were obliged previously to exhibit satisfactory proofs of their fidelity and patience, by passing through various trials and ceremonies of the most disagreeable kind. The secret of these mysteries was kept in the strictest manner, as the initiated could not reveal any thing that passed in them, without exposing their lives to the most imminent danger.

These secret doctrines were taught in the mysteries of Eleusis, and in those of Bacchus, and other divinities; but the reigning religion was totally external. It held out no body of doctrines, no public instruction to be participated on stated days, in the established worship. The only faith required was, to believe that the gods exist, and reward virtue either in this life or in that to come; the only practice, to perform at intervals some religious rites, such as appearing in the solemn festivals, and sacrificing at the public altars.‡

The spirit and genius of the pagan religion was not calculated to promote moral virtue. Stately temples, expensive sacrifices, pompous ceremonies, and magnificent festivals, were the objects presented to its votaries; but just notions of God, obedience to his moral laws, purity of heart, and sanctity of life, were not once mentioned as ingredients in religious service. No repentance for past crimes, no amendment of conduct in future, was ever prescribed by the pagans, as necessary means of appeasing their offended deities. Sacrifice a chosen victim, bow down before a hallowed image, be initiated in the sacred mysteries, and the wrath of the gods shall be averted. [But no reference was ever made to the defiling nature of sin; nor (except perhaps in the instances of Socrates and Plato) to the necessity of divine influence to produce a change of mind; much less was there any allusion to the great sacrifice of the Lamb of God, as in the Jewish sacrifices.]

*The vulgar were carefully excluded from these secrets, which were reserved for the nobility and sacerdotal tribe. The priests, who had devised these allegories, understood their original import, and bequeathed them as an inestimable legacy to their children. In order to celebrate these mysteries with the greater secresy, the temples were so constructed, as to favour the artifice of the priests. The fanes, in which they used to execute their sacred functions, and perform the ceremonies of their religion, were subterraneous mansions, so constructed, that every thing which appeared in them breathed an air of solemn secresy.--See Enc. Brit. Mysteries. They were the same, probably, as the esoteric doctrine of the philosophers, which was generally a philosophical atheism. (See Dictionary, in Esoteric.)

Barthelemi's Travels of Anarcharsis the Younger in Greece, vol. ii. p. 311.

The gods and goddesses, to whom public worship was paid, exhibited to their adorers, examples of egregious crimes, rather than of useful and illustrious virtues. It was permitted to consider Jupiter, the father of the gods, as an usurper, who expelled his father from the throne of the universe; and who was, in his turn, to be one day driven from it by his son. The priests were little solicitous to animate the people to virtuous conduct, either by precept or example: they plainly enough declared, that all which was essential to the true worship of the gods, was contained in the rites and institutions which the people had received by tradition from their ancestors. Hence the wiser part of mankind, about the time of Christ's birth, looked upon the whole system of religion as a just object of ridicule and contempt. The consequence of this state of theology, was an universal corruption of manners, which discovered itself in the impunity of the most flagitious crimes. The colours are not too strong which the apostle employs in drawing the character of the heathens. Rom. i. 21, 22. Eph. iv. 17, 18, 19.

At the time of Christ's appearance on earth, the religion of the Romans, as well as their arms, had extended itself throughout a great part of the world. Those nations, who, before their subjection, had their own gods, and their own particular religious institutions, were persuaded, by degrees, to admit into their worship a great variety of the sacred rites and customs of the conquerors. [For it must be acknowledged, that the gods of paganism were not jealous, as indeed they had little reason to be, of the moral character of the idols they admitted to share their worship. In many cases, the original institutions of these religions had as little to do with piety as morality—they were merely engines of state, and the people were thus occupied to keep them from thinking of their rights, or their oppressions. In other cases, as particularly in the north of Europe, their devotions were designed to enkindle military ardour and the flames of war; and even the hopes held out of a future state, were not to excite to moral virtue, but to a desperate and ferocious courage, an insensibility of danger, and contempt of life.]

At this time Christianity broke forth from the East like a rising sun, and dispelled the universal religious darkness which obscured every part of the globe. "The noblest people (says Dr. Robertson) that ever entered upon the stage of the world, appear to have been only instruments in the Divine hand, for the execution of wise purposes concealed from themselves. The Roman ambition and bravery paved the way, and prepared the world, for the reception of the Christian doctrine. They fought and conquered, that it might triumph with the greater ease. (See Isaiah x. 7.) By means of their victories, the overruling providence of God established an empire, which really possesses that perpetuity and eternal duration which they vainly arrogated to their own. He erected a throne which shall continue for and of the increase of that government there shall be no end.”*

ever;

Robertson's Sermon on the Situation of the World at the time of Christ's Appearance.

It has been mentioned, to the honour of Christianity, that it rose and flourished in a learned, enquiring, and discerning age; and made the most rapid and amazing progress through the immense empire of Rome, to its remotest limits, when the world was in its most civilized state, and in an age that was universally distinguished for science and erudition.*

OF THE CORRUPT STATE OF THE JEWS.

THE state of the Jews was not much better than that of other nations, at the time of Christ's appearance on earth. They were governed by Herod, who was himself tributary to the Roman people. His government was of the most vexatious and oppressive kind. By a cruel, suspicious, and overbearing temper, he drew upon himself the aversion of all, not excepting those who lived upon his bounty.

Under his administration, and through his influence, the luxury of the Romans was introduced into Palestine, accompanied with the vices of that licentious people. He built temples in the Grecian taste; erected statues for idolatrous worship; consecrated a superb theatre, and amphitheatre, to celebrate games in honour of Augustus. In a word, Judea, governed by Herod, groaned under all the corruption which might be expected from the authority and example of a prince, who, though a Jew in outward profession, was, in point of morals and practice, a contemner of all laws, human and divine.

After the death of this tyrant, the Romans divided the government of Judea between his sons. In this division, one half of the kingdom was given to Archelaus, under the title of Exarch. Archelaus was so corrupt and wicked a prince, that at last both Jews and Samaritans joined in a petition against him to Augustus, who banished him from his dominions, about ten years after the death of Herod the Great. Judea was, by this sentence, reduced to a Roman province, and ordered to be taxed.

The governors whom the Romans appointed over Judea, were frequently changed, but seldom for the better. The whole administration of Pontius Pilate, according to Josephus, was one continual scene of venality, rapine, and cruelty. But the most remarkable transaction of his government, however, was, his condemnation of Jesus Christ-seven years after which, he was removed from Judea.

But, severe as was the authority which the Romans exercised over the Jews, it did not extend to the entire suppression of their civil and religious privileges. The Jews were, in some measure, governed by their own laws, and permitted the enjoyment of their religion. The administration of religious ceremonies was entrusted to the high priest, and to the sanhedrim; yet it is impossible to express the disquietude and disgust, the calamities and vexations, which this unhappy nation suffered from the Romans, whom their religion obliged them to regard as a polluted and idolatrous people.

It was not, however, from the Romans only, that the calamities of

* Addison's Evidences and Harwood's Introduction, vol. i. p. 32.