would not be circumscribed in their means of persuasion. Voltaire and Rousseau would then deserve reprehension; but how much more would modern teachers, who have seen the consequences of their dogmas; and who have not the talents to render fame an equal advantage to them, or to interest us in making exceptions in their favour. But though a man may command his pen, and his tongue, he cannot command his thoughts; and may be so weak in some respects, as be unequal to faith. He may indeed always return to the examination of a question on which the wisest and most numerous part of mankind differ from him, and try the effect of new arguments, and subsequent knowledge, But the presumption of abstaining from this, and the unavoidable, necessity of entertaining his opinion, are not the same thing; and ought to be as much distinguished from each other, in speaking of them, as accidental death, and suicide. Thinking persons too, not, avowedly engrossed by the pleasures of the world, would perhaps rightly be left to themselves by moralists, as supposed in that pursuit of truth, which is their duty; from the suspicion of their integrity, as well as understanding, and the conceitedness, it might betray to mark them out as

proselytes, to be made, otherwise than by calmly. proposing arguments to the world. The divine, it is certain, cannot too forcibly urge the neces-. sity of caution in exercising our judgment by philosophical speculations; for where judgment is feebler than other mental qualities, it is so prone both to belief and disbelief, that its liberty injures science, as well as religion. Thus he possesses many fair and effectual means of concurring with others to perpetuate the blessings, of Christianity; in using none of which he founds the empire of religion upon delusion, and only shews it captivating with the smile of native benignity. For that there can be any thing insincere in the tolerating character of this conduct, is what it is not just to suppose. The heathen philosophers might insincerely contemn, the mythology of which they countenanced the belief; but not only may the divine cleave to religion in respecting conscientious error, but the very unbeliever must venerate, as rivalling his own, and perhaps envy, tenets, which have been supported by such victorious arguments in all times. His co-operation with us, therefore, ought as little to be discouraged as hypocritical, by all persons really attached to the present

system of things, who indeed will naturally defend him from aspersions. It being totally abhorrent from the spirit of justice and brotherly love, which is the character of Christianity, that men should look upon each other with an evil eye for the utmost difference of mere opinion, and at the same time inconsistently profess themselves unable to judge of the guilt or innocence of erring persons, as known only to the searcher of hearts, it is perhaps surprising that some of the excellent writers of the present day have not ascertained, how far . they deserve to be tolerated, even after the failure of attempts to recover their faith. Uncharitable bigotry does not only produce pain, but dishonesty, in false boasts of faith; and therefore, to guard against both, I cannot see a surer plan, than to have the generality convinced, that it is the growth and prevalence, but not the bare existence of false speculative opinions, which can be 'put an end to; and that, as there have always been many, in spite of every endeavour, so there will always be some who cannot be converted to the truth. We are unable to say, whether such false opinions may not have been providentially serviceable to mankind, by preventing the abuse of genuine

*

ones, to which they were secretly opposed; but when I suggested, that a degree of good might result from any concealment of our opinions on religion, it was only as far as it checked the spirit of intolerance, by not entitling it to consider silence in regard to them, as a signal for persecution. I was far from wishing, that Christians in general should not contribute to propagate the opinions they held, by acknowledging their faith in them. I did not either suppose, that the sin of disbelief should not be displayed by any one in the unerring language of scripture, however cautiously he might allude to it in his own; for the original sin renders him imperfect as well as those he condemns, and therefore their actions, if the result of their best judgment, may possibly, on a general principle, be thought as little false and spurious in their nature, as his own. Faith is compared to the root of a tree, and works to the tree itself; but though it is not commonly to be expected, a tree may vegetate when the root is decayed, and even be esteemed the pride of the garden. I think then the educated

*This reasoning is countenanced, in a pamphlet published within this year or two, by a sensible and loyal clergyman of the church of England.

ought not to declaim on the general inutility of trees without a root, lest the vulgar make a mistake and, undistinguishably, level all. If I am wrong in judging so, I trust it will be conceived that I write sincerely from an opinion, not that we should scruple to avow the utmost nullity of innocence and merit, considered absolutely, but that we should oppose the tyranny of unenlightened and intemperate persons, who distinguish between themselves and others, by denying them, considered relatively.*

I shall also explain the extent of the approbation I expressed of ridicule. During the life of that witty Frenchman, who could employ its arms with the greatest dexterity, his opponent, Warburton, did not act unwisely in inveighing

It might be well that the divine, whose judgment is so nearly proportionate to his sensibility as to render him an authority, would watch over that amiable platonic warmth of sentiment which through devotion is sometimes involuntary oppressive, and direct it to the best end. It has been said, that it is " the part of wisdom," supposing no motive for good actions were derived from religion, to deviate from the path of virtue. Virtue is not its own reward, and therefore I should confess it was not the part of interest; but I think it dangerous to hold, that it is not the part of wisdom. Suppose A a virtuous, and B a very profligate and