Thus much as to his negative merits. But, we have seen enough of him, to see one great positive one. When, from the inexhaustible source of inflammation, a flame was kindled,--he did not fan the flame,--he quenched it. The religion of Diana having thus come upon the carpet, a reflection which could not be put by, is--spite of all efforts of the church silversmiths, in how many essential points, negative as they are, the religion of Diana had, on the ground of usefulness, the advantage of that, which _is_ the religion of Paul, and _is called_ the religion of Jesus. Diana drove no men out of their senses, by pictures or preachments of never-ending torments. On pretence of saving men from future sufferings, no men were consigned by it to present ones. No mischievous, no pain-producing, no real vice, was promoted by it. It compelled no perjury, no hypocrisy: it rewarded none. It committed, it supported, it blessed, it lauded, no depredation, no oppression in any shape: it plundered no man of the fruits of his industry, under the name of _tithes_. For the enrichment of the sacred shrines,--money, in any quantity, we may venture to say, received: received, yes: but in no quantity extorted. One temple was sufficient for _that_ goddess. Believing, or not believing in her divinity,--no men were compelled to pay money, for more temples, more priests, or more shrines. _As to the religion of Jesus, true it is, that so long as it continued the religion of Jesus, all was good government, all was equality, all was harmony: free church, the whole; established church, none: monarchy, none; constitution, democratical. Constitutive authority, the whole community: legislative, the Apostles of Jesus_; executive, the Commissioners of the Treasury: not Lords Commissioners, appointed by a King Herod, but trustees or _stewards_; for such should have been the word, and not _deacons_,--_agents elected by universal suffrage_. In this felicitous state, how long it continued--we know not. What we do know, is--that, _in the fourth century_, _despotism_ took possession of it, and made an instrument of it. Becoming _established_, it became noxious,--preponderantly noxious. For, where _established_ is the adjunct to it, what does _religion_ mean? what but _depredation_, corruption, oppression, hypocrisy? _depredation_, _corruption_, _oppression_, _hypocrisy_--these four: with delusion, in all its forms and trappings, for support.