In the second place, we have reason to believe that the bishops augmented the number of the religious ceremonies and festivals in the Christian worship, by way of accommodating it to the prejudices and infirmities of both Jews and heathens, in order to facilitate their conversion. These people were accustomed to a round of pompous and magnificent ceremonies in their religious service; and, as they deemed these rites an essential part of religion, it was natural for them to regard with indifference, or even with contempt, any service whose forms were divested of all specious and captivating appearances. As their religion allowed to them a multitude of festivals, the bishops supposed, and not without reason, that they persisted in their idolatry on account of the ease, pleasure, and sensual gratifications thereby enjoyed, consequently the rulers of the church adopted certain external ceremonies, and appointed festivities, in order to allure the senses of the vulgar, and to make them more disposed to embrace Christianity. The effect of this course of conduct was most pernicious. It effaced the beautiful simplicity of Christianity, and corrupted its natural purity in order to extend its influence; thus making it lose that practical excellence for which no popular esteem could ever afford compensation. It may be allowable, it may even be commendable, to accommodate ecclesiastical as well as civil institutions, in certain cases, to the infirmities of mankind, and to make some concessions, some prudent instances of compliance to their invincible prejudices, but all these should be of such a nature as not to derogate from the majesty of the divine law, or to substitute for the ordinances of God the observances and institutions of fallible men.