Herethereforeisakindofcontradictionbetweenthedifferentprinciplesofhumannature，whichenterintoreligion。Ournaturalterrorspresentthenotionofadevilishandmaliciousdeity:Ourpropensitytoadulationleadsustoacknowledgeanexcellentanddivine。Andtheinfluenceoftheseoppositeprinciplesarevarious，accordingtothedifferentsituationofthehumanunderstanding。
Inverybarbarousandignorantnations，suchastheAFRICANSandINDIANS，nayeventheJAPONESE，whocanformnoextensiveideasofpowerandknowledge，worshipmaybepaidtoabeing，whomtheyconfesstobewickedanddetestable；thoughtheymaybecautious，perhaps，ofpronouncingthisjudgmentofhiminpublic，orinhistemple，wherehemaybesupposedtoheartheirreproaches。
Suchrude，imperfectideasoftheDivinityadherelongtoallidolaters；anditmaysafelybeaffirmed，thattheGREEKSthemselvesnevergotentirelyridofthem。ItisremarkedbyXENOPHON，87inpraiseofSOCRATES，thatthisphilosopherassentednottothevulgaropinion，whichsupposedthegodstoknowsomethings，andbeignorantofothers:Hemaintained，thattheykneweverything；whatwasdone，said，oreventhought。Butasthiswasastrainofphilosophy88muchabovetheconceptionofhiscountrymen，weneednotbesurprised，ifveryfrankly，intheirbooksandconversation，theyblamedthedeities，whomtheyworshippedintheirtemples。Itisobservable，thatHERODOTUSinparticularscruplesnot，inmanypassages，toascribeenvytothegods；asentiment，ofallothers，themostsuitabletoameananddevilishnature。Thepaganhymns，however，sunginpublicworship，containednothingbutepithetsofpraise；evenwhiletheactionsascribedtothegodswerethemostbarbarousanddetestable。WhenTIMOTHEUS，thepoet，recitedahymntoDIANA，inwhichheenumerated，withthegreatesteulogies，alltheactionsandattributesofthatcruel，capriciousgoddess:Mayyourdaughter，saidonepresent，becomesuchasthedeitywhomyoucelebrate。89
Butasmenfartherexalttheirideaoftheirdivinity；itistheirnotionofhispowerandknowledgeonly，notofhisgoodness，whichisimproved。Onthecontrary，inproportiontothesupposedextentofhisscienceandauthority，theirterrorsnaturallyaugment；whiletheybelieve，thatnosecrecycanconcealthemfromhisscrutiny，andthateventheinmostrecessesoftheirbreastlieopenbeforehim。Theymustthenbecarefulnottoformexpresslyanysentimentofblameanddisapprobation。Allmustbeapplause，ravishment，extacy。Andwhiletheirgloomyapprehensionsmakethemascribetohimmeasuresofconduct，which，inhumancreatures，wouldbehighlyblamed，theymuststillaffecttopraiseandadmirethatconductintheobjectoftheirdevotionaladdresses。Thusitmaysafelybeaffirmed，thatpopularreligionsarereally，intheconceptionoftheirmorevulgarvotaries，aspeciesofdaemonism；andthehigherthedeityisexaltedinpowerandknowledge，thelowerofcourseishedepressedingoodnessandbenevolence；whateverepithetsofpraisemaybebestowedonhimbyhisamazedadorers。Amongidolaters，thewordsmaybefalse，andbeliethesecretopinion:Butamongmoreexaltedreligionists，theopinionitselfcontractsakindoffalsehood，andbeliestheinwardsentiment。
Theheartsecretlydefectssuchmeasuresofcruelandimplacablevengeance；butthejudgmentdaresnotbutpronouncethemperfectandadorable。Andtheadditionalmiseryofthisinwardstruggleaggravatesalltheotherterrors，bywhichtheseunhappyvictimstosuperstitionareforeverhaunted。