What the word Religion signifies, and how and why such a great number
have been introduced in the world.
I.
Before the word Religion was introduced in the world mankind was only
obliged to follow natural laws and to conform to common sense. This
instinct alone was the tie by which men were united, and so very simple
was this bond of unity, that nothing among them was more rare than
dissensions. But when fear created a suspicion that there were Gods,
and invisible powers, they raised altars to these imaginary beings,
so that in putting off the yoke of Nature and Reason, which are the
sources of true life, they subjected themselves by vain ceremonies
and superstitious worship to frivolous phantoms of the imagination,
and that is whence arose this word Religion which makes so much noise
in the world.
Men having admitted invisible forces which were all-powerful over
them, they worshipped them to appease them, and further imagined
that Nature was a being subordinate to this power, thence they had
the idea that it was a great mace that threatened, or a slave that
acted only by the order that such power gave him. Since this false
idea had broken their will they had only scorn for Nature, and respect
only for those pretended beings that they called their Gods. Thence
came the ignorance in which mankind was plunged, and from which the
well-informed, however deep the abyss, could have rescued them, if
their zeal had not been extinguished by those who led them blindly,
and who lived by imposture. But though there was but little appearance
of success in the enterprise, it was not necessary to abandon the
party of truth, and only in consideration of those who were afflicted
with the symptoms of so great an evil, were generous souls available
to represent matters as they were.
II.
Fear which created Gods, made also Religion, and when men imbibed
the notion that there were invisible agencies which were the cause
of their good and bad fortune, they lost their good sense and reason
substituting for their chimeras so many Divinities who had care of
their conduct.
After having forged these Gods they were curious to know of what
matter they consisted, and finally imagined that they should be of
the same substance as the soul. Then being persuaded that the latter
resembled the shadows which appear in a mirror, or during sleep, they
believed that some Gods were real substances but so thin and subtile
that to distinguish them from bodies they called them Spirits. So
that bodies and spirits were in effect the same thing, and differed
neither more nor less, and to be both corporeal and incorporeal is
a most incomprehensible thing. The reason given is that each spirit
has a proper form, and is included within some limit, that is to say
that it has some boundaries, and consequently must be a body however
thin and subtile it might be. [27]
III.
The ignorant, that is, the greater part of mankind having settled in
this manner the substance of their Gods, tried also to determine by
what methods these invisible powers produced their effects. Not being
able to do this definitely by reason of their ignorance, they put
faith in their conjectures, blindly judging the future by the past,
while seeing neither cohesion nor dependence.
In all that they undertook they saw but the past, and foretold
good or evil for the future according as the same enterprise had at
another time turned out either good or bad. Phormion having defeated
the Lacedaemonians at the battle of Naupacte, the Athenians, after
his death, chose another general of the same name: Hannibal having
succumbed to the arms of Scipio Africanus, the Romans, remembering this
great success, sent another Scipio to the same country against Cesar,
which acts gained nothing for either the Athenians or the Romans. So
after two or three experiences, good or bad fortune is made synonymous
with certain names or places; others make use of certain words called
enchantments, which they believe to be efficacious; some cause trees
to speak, create man from a morsel of bread, and transform anything
that may appear before them. (Hobbes' Leviathan de homine. Cap. 12,
p. 56-57.)
IV.
Invisible powers being established in this way, straightway men
revere them only as they do their rulers, that is to say, by tokens
of submission and respect, as witness offerings, prayers, and similar
things, I say at first, for nature has not yet learned to use on
such occasions sacrifices of blood, which have only been instituted
for the benefit of the sacrificers and the ministers called to the
service of these beautiful Gods.
V.
These causes of Religion, that is, Hope and Fear, leaving out the
passions, judgments and various resolutions of mankind, have produced
the great number of extravagant beliefs which have caused so much evil,
and the many revolutions which have convulsed the nations.
The honor and revenue which attaches to the priesthood, and which
has since been accorded to the ministry of the Gods, and those
having ecclesiastical charges, inflame the ambition and the avarice
of cunning individuals who profit by the stupidity of the people,
who readily submit in their weakness, and we know how insensibly is
caused the easy habit of encouraging falsehood and hating truth.
VI.
The empire of falsehood being established, and the ambitious ones
encouraged by the advantage of being above their fellows, the
latter endeavor to gain repute by a pretense of being friendly with
the invisible Gods whom the vulgar fear. For better success, each
schemes in his own way, and multiplies deities so that they are met
at every turn.
VII.
The formless matter of the world they term the god Chaos, and the same
honor is accorded to heaven, earth, the sea, the wind, and the planets,
and they are made both male and female. Further on we find birds,
reptiles, the crocodile, the calf, the dog, the lamb, the serpent,
the hog, and in fact all kinds of animals and plants constitute
the better part. Each river and fountain bears the name of a God,
each house had its own, each man his genius; in fact all space above
and beneath the earth was occupied by spirits, shades and demons. It
was not sufficient to maintain a Divinity in all imaginable places,
but they feared to offend time, day, night, concord, love, peace,
victory, contention, mildew, honor, virtue, fever, and health, or to
insult these charming divinities whom they always imagined ready to
discharge lightning on the heads of men, provided temples and altars
were not erected to them.
As a sequel, man commenced to fear his own special genius, whom
some invoked under the name of Muses, and others under the name
of Fortune adored their own ignorance. The latter sanctified their
debauches in the name of Cupid, their rage in the name of Furies,
and their natural parts under the name of Priapus, in a word, there
was nothing which did not bear the name of a God or a Demon. (Hobbes'
de homine, Chap. 12, p. 58.)
VIII.
The founders of Religion having based their impostures on the
ignorance of the people, took great care to maintain them by the
adoration of images which they pretended were inhabited by the Gods,
and this caused a flood of gold and benefactions called holy things,
to pour into the coffers of the priests. These gifts were regarded as
sacred, and designed for the use of these holy ministers, and none
were so audacious as to pretend to their office, or even to touch
them. To allure the people more successfully, these priests made
prophecies and pretended to penetrate the future by the commerce which
they boasted of having with the Gods. There is nothing so natural as
to know destiny. These impostors were too well informed to omit any
circumstance so advantageous for their designs. Some were established
at Delos, others at Delphos and elsewhere, where by ambiguous oracles
they replied to the demands made of them. Women even were engaged in
these impostures, and the Romans in their great Calamities had recourse
to the Sybilline books; fools and lunatics passed for enthusiasts, and
those who pretended to converse with the dead were called necromancers.
Others read the future by the flight of birds, or by the entrails
of beasts. Indeed the eyes, the hands, the face, or an extraordinary
object, all seemed to them to possess a good or bad omen, so it is true
that the ignorant will receive any desired impression when the secret
of their wish is found. (Hobbes' de homine, Chap. 12, pp. 58-59.)