SECTION II. MORALS. 1. When speaking of the opinions of the philosophers, for the purpose of showing how far they were benefited by the light of nature, it was observed that a notice of their morals would be given in the present chapter. The reader will have perceived also, that in commenting upon the religious worship of the heathen world in the preceding section, nothing was said respecting the abominations which constituted a large part of it. The notice of these was reserved likewise for this place, that the morals of pagan philosophy, religion, and jurisprudence, might be thrown into one body, and be judged together, with regard to the light of nature, and the necessity of a revelation. We shall now proceed to the examination. 2. (1.) Philosophy. Many of the philosophers of Greece and Rome approved of suicide. Hegesias declaimed in its support, and acquired such note as to be called the "Orator of death." He exhorted his disciples if they had the least distaste for life, to kill themselves; and so many followed his advice that he was fordidden by Ptolemy king of Egypt, to teach his doctrines. Even the polished *Annales de la Vertu, vol. i. p. 261. "Une foule d'infortunes renoncoit lacement a la vie; qu'un epoux s'arrachoit a son epouse: qu'un pere abandonnoit ses enfans!" Se also De Contemnenda Morte $29. Pliny, speaking of one of his friends who, being hopelessly sick, resolved to commit suicide, exclaims, "A resolution this, in my estimation, truly heroical, and worthy of the highest applause."* Seneca also pleads in its behalf, and points out the several ways in which it may be done.tBrutus, Cassius, Demosthenes, Zeno, Cato, &c, carried this doctrine into practice by killing themselves. The Stoics made all crimes alike; and affirmed that lying was profitable, and that truth was honorable only when advantageous. Socrates taught his countrymen to regard barbarians as natural enemies; while Aristotle affirmed that nature intended them for slaves. Cicero and Aristotle speak of the forgiveness of injuries as weakness and meanness; and Plato mentions it as being opposed to the sentiments of most of the philosophers. Democritus even applauds a spirit of revenge. The Stoics allowed of excessive drinking, and Cato, Zeno, and Crysippus, were addicted to it; the last of whom died in a drunken fit. A community of women was recommended by many of the philosophers. Cato, of Utica, was known to have lent his wife to Hortensius. Cicero speaks of fornication as that which was never condemned. Diogenes taught and practiced the most brutal lusts, and that in the very streets, pretending to live according to nature. Aristippus inculcated nearly the same, as did many of the Alexandrian school, maintaining that "corporeal pleasure was the ultimate end of man." Finally, we have the testi *Letters, lib. i. Letter xxii. + L'Estrange' Abstract of Seneca's morals. Anger ch. xi. Epistle xxiv. Horace, Sat. lib. i. s. iii. To this he justly adds, "sensus mor. esque repugnant"-Common sense and morality are opposed to it. Leland says that Bolingbroke pronounces "their theology and morality alike absurd." § Priestley's Institutes, P. II. c. i. §. 3. mony of Cicero and Quintilian to confirm the whole. Cicero, speaking of the philosophers, says-" Who is there of all the philosophers, whose mind, life, and manners were conformable to right reason? Who ever made his philosophy the law and rule of his life, and not a mere show of his wit and parts? Who observed his own instructions, and lived in obedience to his own precepts ? On the contrary, many of them were slaves to filthy lusts, many to pride, many to covetousness, &c.' Quintilian notices the philosophers of his time as follows-" The most notorious vices are screened under the name; and they do not labor to maintain the character of philosophers by virtue and study, but conceal the most vicious lives under an austere look and singularity of dress."+ Here Quintilian gives us a summary of the whole system, and in this testimony we see the morality of heathen philosophy, the precepts and practices of those who were regarded as the lights of the world! Let us turn now and inquire concerning their laws, that we may know whether the morality of these was of a higher order than that of their philosophy. 3. (2.) Jurisprudence. The Athenians were allowed by law to make slaves of any they thought fit. The laws which Licurgus gave to Sparta allowed a community of women; and encouraged an old man, having a young wife, to introduce respectable young men to her bed, and receive the fruits of this intercourse as his own. They also required the horrible practice of infanticide. When a child was born, it was immediately taken to a kind of committee composed of aged men, for examination. If *Tusc. Quest. 2 Watson's Institutes, P. I. c. iii. +Quoted by Horne, vol. i. p. 16. Lucian cuts up these philosophers finely in his dialogue, "Menippus et Philonides." they pronounced it well formed, and likely to be healthy and vigorous, it was given to a nurse: if otherwise it was thrown into a chasm of a neighboring mountain, or left exposed to wild beasts! Children were regarded as the property of the state, and, if weak and unhealthy, were considered useless. Hence we are informed, mothers were accustomed to bathe their infants in wine; because those who were sickly, or of a feeble constitution, being unable to bear it, would die, and thus only the healthy be left.* The laws of Draco punished all crimes and misdemeanors with death. He that was guilty of murder was put to death, and if his neighbor was guilty of laziness, he shared the same fate. Solon banished these, and was perhaps the wisest lawgiver of ancient times. The abomination of sodomy was countenanced by the laws of several of the states of Greece, and by the Cretans it was directly encouraged to prevent the having too many children. † 4. The Roman law gave the father the power of life and death over his children, and he could imprison, scourge and put them to death, if he thought they deserved it.— The same law required that a slave should be put to the rack before giving testimony; and if a master of a family died suddenly or was killed, his slaves, guilty or innocent, were liable to execution. Tacitus gives as a horrible example of this in the case of one Secundus, a prefect of Rome, who was assassinated by a slave; in consequence of which his slaves, to the number of four hundred, were cruelly put to death! It was the custom, also, to leave their aged and sick slaves to perish, and sometimes, when sick, they killed them, as we would kill a sick dog. Thousands were trained for their gladiatorial shows, and thus made to destroy each other for the amusement of the peo *Plutarch, Lycurgus. Annal. lib. xiv. c. 42-48. +Priestley's Institutes, P. II. c. i. §3. ple. At Sparta, when the Helot slaves became too numerous, they did not hesitate to butcher them until their number was sufficiently reduced; and the boys were applauded for killing them by surprise. By a law of the Babylonians every woman was required, once in her life to present herself before the temple of Mylitta or Venus, and receive the embraces of the first stranger that offered himself; and the price of her prostitution was paid into the treasury of the temple.* Such was the morality of the heathen laws. We proceed next to that of their religion. 5. (3.) Religion At Sparta boys were whipped to death in honor of Diana; and young women in Arcadia, to appease Bacchus. In their divinations they murdered infants for the express purpose of raking their entrails to gain an insight into futurity. This is witnessed by the first writers, as Herodotus, Cicero, Tacitus, &c. Horace in one of his Epodes introduces a boy entreating the gods in a most thrilling manner, that they will deliver him from the power of the hags who are preparing to slay him.† The Cimbri and Celtæ divined from the convulsions and agonies of human victims whom they had ripped open in sacrifice. The Gauls, according to Cæsar, in times of pestilence or danger, made vast images of wicker work, filled them with prisoners and criminals, or if these were wanting, with innocent persons, and set fire to them as sacrifices to their gods, in hopes to appease them.‡ In Scandinavia, now Sweden, they had festivals at which, in time of war, nine captives, in peace nine slaves, were immolated. Hacon, king of Norway, sacrificed his son, that he might be prospered in battle; and Aune, king of Sweden, offered up to Odin, his nine sons, that the god would prolong his life. The Danes every ninth year sacrificed nine * See Beloe's Herodotus, B. i. ch, 199. + Epode v. De Bello Galico, lib. vi. §16. |