| To start with a
suspicion that the founders and teachers of Religion in any land were skilful Receivers,
interested in some scheme of self-advancement or the advantage of some particular class,
and that the rest of the people were duped to regard these deceivers with unbounded
reverence and affection, is foolish in the extreme. The
mass of the people of ancient days, from whom, indeed, we have inherited all the intellect
we possess were as practical as we are, were as interested in knowing the truth about men
and things as we are, and were, if it may be so put, as suspicious as we are. They
had probably as much intellectual acumen as we have, and had indeed more time to examine
men and things. To believe that they were duped and that among them there were not men
intelligent and bold enough to prevent the mischief is to proceed on a wholly wrong
assumption. |
