Let. 1. Lord HERBERT of Cherbury. 9

and accordingly he ſets himſelf to prove, with a great ſhew of learning in his book de Keligione Gentilium, that theſe principles were univerfally believed and acknowleged by the people in all ages, countries, and religians. But any man that carefully exa- mines his book will find, that all that he really proves is no more than this; that there were ſome imperfect veſtiges of theſe im- portant truths preſerved among the Gentiles, and that the know- lege of them was never abſolutely and totally extinguiſhed, which will be eaſily allowed. But he has not proved, that the people, or even all thoſe that paſſed for wiſe and learned, had a diſtinct knowlege and aſſurance of thoſe principles, eſpeci- ally if taken in their juſt extent. The teſtimonies he hath pro- duced by no means prove ſuch an univerſal agreement: what he ſeemeth principally to rely upon is the reaſonableneſs and evidence of the principles themſelves, which he ſuppoſeth to be ſo plain, that no rational man can be ignorant of them. Thus he declares, that be wonld ſooner doubt whether the beams of the ſun ſhone upon thoſe regions, than ſuppoſe that the knowlege of God, the evidences of whoſe exiſtence and perfections are ſo obvious from his works, did not enlighten their mindsm. And he cannot be perſuaded, that any of them worſhipped the ſun as the chief Deity, becauſe of the incredible abſurdity of ſuch a practice, which he well expoſes n. But when we are enquiring what men do in fact believe and prac- tiſe, we are not to judge of it from what we apprehend it is reaſonable for them to believe and practiſe.

If this were a proper place to take a diſtinct view of the proofs he hatk offered, in relation to his famous five articles, it would be no hard matter to ſhew, that according to his own repre- ſentation of the caſe, they were not ſo univerſally acknowleged and clearly known among the Gentiles, as to make a farther reve- lation and inforcement of them to be of no uſe or advantage. This might be particularly ſfnewn with regard to the firſt and ſecond of theſe articles, viz. That there is one ſupreme God, and that this God is to be worſhipped; which are principles of the greateſt importance, and which lie at the foundation of allthe reſt. Notwithſtanding the pains he hath taken to excuſe and palliate the pagan ſuperſtition and idolatry, and to prove that they worſhipped the one true God, the ſame that we adore, under various names, and by various attributes; yet he owns, that what were at firſt only different names, came in proceſs of time, as ſuperſtition increaſed, to be regarded and worſhipped

De Relig. Gentil, p. 225. n Ibid. p. 27, 247.