A flimsy hypothesis learnt from Bolingbroke is not improved when overlaid with Pope's conventional ornamentation.

The imaginary history proceeds to relate the growth of superstition, which destroys the primeval innocence; but why or when does not very clearly appear; yet, though the general theory is incoherent, he catches a distinct view of one aspect of the question and expresses a tolerably trite view of the question with singular terseness.

Who, he asks,-- First taught souls enslaved and realms undone, The enormous faith of many made for one?
He replies,-- Force first made conquest and that conquest law; Till Superstition taught the tyrant awe, Then shared the tyranny, then lent it aid, And gods of conquerors, slaves of subjects made; She, 'mid the lightning's blaze and thunder's sound, When rock'd the mountains and when groan'd the ground-- She taught the weak to trust, the proud to pray To Power unseen and mightier far than they; She from the rending earth and bursting skies Saw gods descend and fiends infernal rise; There fix'd the dreadful, there the blest abodes; Fear made her devils, and weak hope her gods; Gods partial, changeful, passionate, unjust, Whose attributes were rage, revenge, or lust; Such as the souls of cowards might conceive, And, framed like tyrants, tyrants would believe.
If the test of poetry were the power of expressing a theory more closely and pointedly than prose, such writing would take a very high place.
Some popular philosophers would make a sounding chapter out of those sixteen lines.
The Essay on Man brought Pope into difficulties.

The central thesis, "whatever is is right," might be understood in various senses, and in some sense it would be accepted by every theist.

But, in Bolingbroke's teaching, it received a heterodox application, and in Pope's imperfect version of Bolingbroke the taint was not removed.