admired philosopher, Plotinus, and the famous Origen, who, Porphyry tells us, was one of his hearers, and made a great proficiency in the knowledge of philosophy, under this master. The Pagan philosophers that proceeded out of this school blended the notions received from the holy Scriptures with the Pagan theology and philosophy, and thereby rose, in several instances, to higher flights than their predecessors: and yet to show how little was to be expected from the heathen philosophy in its utmost refinement, they made no attempts to recover the people from their idolatry and polytheism, but rather used all their credit and efforts to uphold declining Paganism, and devised the most plausible colours to defend it. With this view they endeavoured to accommodate their philosophical schemes to the Pagan religion, and to support the one by the other. He that would form a just idea of the new philosophy which they wanted to introduce, may consult the learned Fabricius in his Prolegomena to the life of Proclus, by Marinus. I shall conclude what relates to the Pagan philosophers, with observing that, though undoubtedly they had a high opinion of their own wisdom, yet the most eminent of them were sensible of the darkness, the ignorance, and uncertainty, they were under, especially in divine matters, and the great need mankind stood in of a divine revelation and instruction, to lead them into a right knowledge of God and religion. Something was offered concerning this before, p. 203, and p. 212. to which I refer the reader. I shall here subjoin some other passages to the same purpose. Plato, at the latter end * * See the learned Dr. Clarke's Discourse on Natural and Revealed Religion, under the seventh proposition, p. 306. et seq. edit. 7th. Lord Bolingbroke, in his animadversions on this part of Dr. Clarke's book, owns that Plato insinuates, in many places, the want or necessity of a Divine revelation: but he will not allow that the opinion of Socrates, Plato, and other philosophers, is any proof that the want was real. His exceptions to this have been elsewhere considered. View of the Deistical Writers, Vol. II. p. 63. edit. 3d. At present, I shall only observe, that by his own acknowledgment those great philosophers were themselves sensible of the need of Divine revelation, in the present state of mankind. Bolingbroke's Works, vol. V. p. 214, 215, 216. 4to. of his sixth Republic, observes that "the same respect which "the sun in the visible world has to sight, and the things ❝ which are seen, the very same has the rò dyadov, that which " is good (that is God) in the intellectual world to intellect and "things which are understood: that as the eyes, when look"ing at things in the night, are almost blind, and as if they "had no sight at all, but when turned to objects which the "sun shines upon, see them clearly, so it is with regard to the "mind. When it adheres to the rò v, the Being which really ❝is or exists, it understands and knows, and appears to have "intellect: but when it turns to that which is mixed with "darkness, and which is generated and corruptible, it is car"ried about with various opinions, and seems as if it had no "understanding." Plat. Opera, p. 478, 479. Ficin. In the dialogue called Theages, Plato introduces Socrates instructing a young man, Theages, whom his father brought to him to be taught wisdom: and, in the conclusion of that dialogue, he intimates to him, that if his attempt to learn wisdom were pleasing to God, he would make a great proficiency in it in a short time; if otherwise, not: and that he should therefore apply to him by prayers and sacrifices. Socrates seems there to have had the Delphian Apollo particularly in view, whom he elsewhere recommends: it appears, however, from what he here says, how sensible he was of the need men stood in of a divine assistance and instruction, in order to the obtaining true wisdom. The same thing appears from that noted passage in Plato's second Alcibiad, which is quoted at large by the learned Dr. Clarke.* The purport of it is this: Socrates meets Alcibiades going to the temple to pray, and takes that occasion to convince him, that he knew not what to pray for in a right manner; and that it was not safe for him to pray in the temple, till God should dispel the darkness of his mind, so that he might be in a capacity of discerning between good and evil. And when Alcibiades upon this said, I think I must defer my sacrifices to that time, Socrates an * Ubi supra, p. 307. swers, You have reason; it is more safe to do so, than to run so great a hazard. Socrates did not question the propriety or necessity of worshipping the Deity, as he shows on several occasions; but he thought that a divine instruction and assistance was necessary to enable men to perform it in a proper manner.* And, therefore, there is reason to conclude that he would have accounted a well-attested revelation, in which God should declare his will concerning the worship to be rendered to him, an inestimable blessing. That great philosopher Plutarch begins his tract de Isid, et Osirid. with saying that" it becomes all persons who have any understanding to "ask all good things of the gods: but that especially we should pray to obtain from them the knowledge of the gods, as far ❝ as men are capable of attaining to it; since neither man can "receive, nor God bestow, any thing greater and more vene❝rable than truth." Where, allowing for the polytheistical manner of expression, he plainly shows the sense he had both of the importance of the knowledge of divine things, and that this knowledge must come to us from God. Jamblichus, in his life of Pythagoras, speaking of the principles of divine worship, saith "It is manifest that those things are to be done "which are pleasing to God: but what they are it is not easy "to know, except a man were taught them by God himself, "or by some person who had received them from God, or "obtained the knowledge of them by some divine means."+ Indeed all the latter Platonists and Pythagoreans, Porphyry, Jamblichus, Hierocles, Proclus, &c. though enemies to Christianity, owned the necessity of divine illumination, or a revelation from God, to lead men into the knowledge of divine * I shall here quote a passage from a very ingenious writer, and who is no way inclined to superstition, concerning the necessity of revelation for instructing men how to worship God in a right manner. "Il faut necessairement que Dieu ait “ordonné un culte à l'homme.—Quel chaos affreux ne s'ensuivroit il pas, si chacun "avoit une pensée differente sur le culte, qu'on doit à la divinité. L'esprit de « l'homme sujet à s'egarer retomberoit bientot dans les erreurs de l'idolatrie." Lettres Juives, lettre 23. † Jambl. in Vit. Pythag. cap. 28. truth, and an acceptable way of worshipping the Deity. But they did not make a right use of this principle. Instead of embracing the revelation which God had really given, and which was confirmed by the most illustrious divine attestations, they sought to be initiated into the mysteries of the gods in several parts of the world, and applied themselves to what they called theurgy, which had in it a mixture of magical ceremonies, and by which they proposed to obtain an intimate intercourse and communication with the gods. But, in a little time, the vanity of their pretensions became manifest to all, and the world heard of them no more. CHAP. XXII. The fifth and last general reflection. The Christian revelation suited to the necessities of mankind. The glorious change it wrought in the face of things, and in the state of religion in the world; yet accomplished by the seemingly meanest instruments, in opposition to the greatest difficulties. It was given in the fittest season, and attended with the most convincing evidences of a divine original. How thankful should we be for the salutary light it brings, and how careful to improve it! What an advantage it is to have the holy Scriptures in our hands, and the necessity there is of keeping close to the sacred rule there set before us, in order to the preserving the Christian religion in its purity and simplicity. THE state of religion in the Pagan world being in that deplorable condition which hath been described, and it having appeared from experience, after a long trial, that human wisdom and reason, if left to itself, was insufficient to recover and reform mankind, it pleased God in his great goodness to grant a revelation from heaven, which was designed to be published to the heathen nations, and confirmed by the most convincing evidences of a divine authority. It was by a revelation from God that religion in its principal fundamental articles was at first communicated to the human race; and when they had almost universally fallen from it, there was need of a new divine revelation, all other methods having been found ineffectual. It is true, that the revelation contained in the writings of Moses and the Prophets, was excellently fitted to set those to whom it was made known right, in what related to the knowledge and adoration of the one living and true God, the great creator and governor of the universe, in opposition to all idolatry and polytheism: and it has been shown that in this respect it was of great advantage not only to the Jews, but to many of the Gentiles among whom they were dispersed, and who thereby had an opportunity given them of being convinced of the impiety and absurdity of the common idolatry. But then it must be considered that the Jewish revelation was immediately promulgated to one particular nation, and fitted in a special manner for their use; and that nation was by many peculiar rites |