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Abfolute infidelity, or fettled fcepticifm in religion, we acknowledge, is no proof of want of understanding, or a vicious difpofition, but is certainly a very strong prefumption of the want of imagination and fenfibility of heart, and of a perverted understanding. Some philofophers have been infidels; few, men of tafte and fentiment. Yet the examples of Lord Bacon, Mr. Locke, and Sir Ifaac Newton, among many other first names in philofophy, are a fufficient evidence, that religious belief is perfectly compatible with the clearest and most enlarged understanding.

Ibid.

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Several of those who have furmounted Several of those who have furmounted what they call religious prejudices themfelves, affect to treat fuch as are not afhamed to avow their regard to religion, as men of weak understandings and feeble

minds: but this fhews either want of candour, or great ignorance of human nature. The fundamental articles of religion have been very generally believed by men the moft distinguished for acutenefs and accuracy of judgment. Nay, it is unjust to infer the weakness of a perfon's head on other fubjects, from his attachment even to the fooleries of fuperftition. Experience thews, that when the imagination is heated, and the affections deeply interested, they level all diftinctions of understanding; yet this affords no prefumption of a fhallow judgment in fubjects where the imagination and paffions have no influence.

Ibid.

ding defiance to God Almighty: it confifts in an active, refolute spirit; in a spirit that enables a man to act his part in the world with propriety; and to bear the misfortunes of life with uniform fortitude and dignity. This is a ftrength of mind, which neither atheism nor univerfal fcepticism will ever be able to infpire. On the contrary, their tendency will be found to chill all the powers of imagination; to deprefs fpirit as well as genius; to four the temper and contract the heart. highest religious fpirit, and veneration for Providence, breathes in the writings of the ancient ftoics; a fect diftinguished for producing the most active, intrepid, virtuous men, that ever did honour to human na

ture.

The

Do

Can it be pretended, that atheism or univerfal fcepticism have any tendency to form fuch characters? Do they tend to infpire that magnanimity and elevation of mind, that fuperiority to selfish and sensual gratifications, that contempt of danger and of death, when the caufe of virtue, of liberty, or their country, require it, which diftinguish the characters of patriots and heroes? Or is their influence more favourable on the humbler and gentler virtues of private and domeftic life? they foften the heart, and render it more delicately fenfible of the thousand nameless duties and endearments of a husband, a father, or a friend? Do they produce that habitual ferenity and chearfulness of temper, that gaiety of heart, which makes a man beloved as a companion? or do they dilate the heart with the liberal and generous fentiments, and that love of human kind, which would render him revered and bleffed as the patron of depreffed merit, the friend of the widow and orphan, the refuge and fupport of the poor and the unhappy?

The general opinion of mankind, that there is a strong connection between a religious difpofition and a feeling heart, appears from the univerfal diflike which

$72. Effects of Religion, Scepticism, and all men have to infidelity in the fair fex.

Infidelity.

Feebleness of mind is a reproach frequently thrown, not only upon fuch as have á fenfe of religion, but upon all who poffefs warm, open, chearful tempers, and hearts peculiarly difpofed to love and friendship. But the reproach is ill founded. Strength of mind does not confift in a peevish temper, in a hard inflexible heart, and in bid

We not only look on it as removing the principal fecurity we have for their virtue, but as the strongest proof of their want of that foftnefs and delicate fenfibility of heart, which peculiarly endears them to us, and more effectually fecures their empire over us, than any quality they can poffers.

There are, indeed, fome men who can perfuade themfelves, that there is no fupreme intelligence who directs the courfe

of

nature; who can fee thofe they have been connected with by the strongest bonds of nature and friendship gradually difappearing; who are perfuaded, that this feparation is final and eternal; and who expect, that they themselves shall foon fink down after them into nothing; and yet fuch men appear easy and contented. But to a fenfible heart, and particularly to a heart foftened by paft endearments of love or friendship, fuch opinions are attended with gloom inexpreffible; they ftrike a damp into all the pleafures and enjoyments of life, and cut off those profpects which alone can comfort the foul under certain ditreffes, where all other aid is feeble and ineffectual.

Scepticism, or fufpence of judgment, as to the truth of the great articles of religion, is attended with the fame fatal effects. Wherever the affections are deeply interefted, a ftate of fufpence is more intolerable, and more diftracting to the mind, than the fad assurance of the evil which is mct dreaded. Gregory.

$73. Comforts of Religion. There are many who have paft the age of youth and beauty, who have refigned the pleafures of that fmiling feafon, who begin to decline into the vale of years, impaired in their health, depreffed in their fortunes, ftript of their friends, their children, and perhaps ftill more tender connections. What refource can this world afford them? It prefents a dark and dreary walle through which there does Lot iffue a fingle ray of comfort. Every delufive profpect of ambition is now at an end; long experience of mankind, an experience very different from what the open and generous foul of youth had fondly dreamt of, has rendered the heart aimoit inacceffible to new friendships. The principal fources of activity are taken away, when thofe for whom we labour are cat off from us, those who animated, and thofe who fweetened all the toils of life. Where then can the foul find refuge, but in the bofom of religion? There he is admitted to thofe profpects of Providence and futurity, which alone can warm and fill the heart, I speak here of such as retain the feelings of humanity, whom misfortunes have foftened, and perhaps rendered more delicately fenfible; not of fuch as poffefs that ftupid infenfibility, which fome are pleased to dignify with the Tame of philofophy.

It should therefore be expected that thofe philofophers, who ftand in no need themfelves of the affiftance of religion to fupport their virtue, and who never feel the want of its confolations, would yet have the humanity to confider the very different fituation of the rest of mankind, and not endeavour to deprive them of what habit, at least, if they will not allow it to be nature, has made necessary to their morals, and to their happiness.It might be expected, that humanity would prevent them from breaking into the laft retreat of the unfortunate, who can no longer be objects of their envy or refentment, and tearing from them their only remaining comfort. The attempt to ridicule religion may be agreeable to fome, by relieving them from reftraint upon their pleafures, and may render others very miferable, by making them doubt those truths, in which they were most deeply interested; but it can convey real good and happiness to no one individual.

Ibid.

$74. Caufe of Zeal to propagate Infidelity.

To fupport openly and avowedly the caufe of infidelity, may be owing, in fome, to the vanity of appearing wifer than the reft of mankind; to vanity, that amphibious paffion that feeks for food, not only in the affectation of every beauty and every virtue that adorn humanity, but of every vice and perverfion of the understanding that difgrace it. The zeal of making profelytes to it, may often be attributed to a like vanity of poffeffing a direction and afcendency over the minds of men; which is a very flattering fpecies of fuperiority. But there feems to be fome other cause that fecretly influences the conduct of fome that reject all religion, who, from the rest of their character, cannot be fufpected of vanity, in any ambition of fuch fuperiority, This we fhall attempt to explain.

The very differing in opinion, upon any interefting fubject, from all around us, gives a difagreeable fenfation. This must be greatly increased in the prefent cafe, as the feeling which attends infidelity or fcepticism in religion is certainly a comfortless one, where there is the leaft degree of fenfibility. Sympathy is much more fought after by an unhappy mind, than by one chearful and at eafe. We require a fupport in the one cafe, which in the other is not neceflary. A perfon, therefore, void of religion, feels himfelf as it were alone

in the midft of fociety; and though, for prudential reasons, he chooses, on fome occafions, to disguife his fentiments, and join in fome form of religious worship, yet this, to a candid and ingenuous mind, must always be very painful; nor does it abate the difagreeable feeling which a focial fpirit has in finding itself alone, and without any friend to footh and participate its uneafinefs. This feems to have a confiderable share in that anxiety which FreeThinkers generally discover to make profelytes to their opinions; an anxiety much greater than what is fhewn by thofe whofe minds are at eafe in the enjoyment of happier profpects. Gregery.

$75.

Zeal in the Propagation of Infidelity inexcufable.

The excufe which infidel writers plead for their conduct, is a regard for the caufe of truth. But this is a very infufficient one. None of them act upon this principle, in its largeft extent and application, in common life; nor could any man live in the world, and pretend fo to do. In the purfuit of happiness, our being's end and aim, the difcovery of truth is far from being the most important object. It is truc, the mind receives a high pleasure from the investigation and difcovery of truth, in the abstract fciences, in the works of nature and art; but in all fubjects, where the imagination and affections are deeply concerned, we regard it only fo far as it is fubfervient to them.One of the firft principles of fociety, of decency, and of good manners, is, that no man is entitled to fay every thing he thinks true, when it would be injurious or offenfive to his neighbour. If it was not for this principle, all mankind would be in a fate of hoftility.

Suppose a perfon to lofe an only child, the fole comfort and happiness of his life: When the firft overflowings of nature are paft, he recollects the infinite goodness and impenetrable wifdom of the Difpofer of all events; he is perfuaded, that the revolution of a few years will again unite him to his child, never more to be feparated. With thefe fentiments he acquiefces, with a melancholy yet pleafing refignation, to the Divine will. Now, fuppofing all this to be a deception, a pleafing dream, would not the general fenfe of mankind condemn the philofopher, as barbarous and inhuman, who fhould attempt to wake him cut

Pope.

of it?-Yet fo far does vanity prevail over good-nature, that we frequently fee men, on other occafions of the most benevolent tempers, labouring to cut off that hope which can alone chear the heart under all the preffures and afflictions of human life, and enable us to refign it with chearfulness and dignity!

Religion may be confidered in three different views. First, As containing doctrines relating to the being and perfections of God, his moral administration of the world, a future ftate of existence, and particular communications to mankind, by an immediate fupernatural revelation.-Secondly, As a rule of life and manners.Thirdly, As the fource of certain peculiar affections of the mind, which either give pleasure or pain, according to the particular genius and fpirit of the religion that infpires them.

Ibid.

§ 76. Religion confidered as a Science.

In the first of thefe views, which gives a foundation to all religious belief, and on which the other two depend, Reafon is principally concerned. On this fubject, the greatest efforts of human genius and application have been exerted, and with the most defirable fuccefs, in those great and important articles that feem moft immediately to affect the interest and happinefs of mankind. But when our enquiries here are pushed to a certain length, we find that Providence has fet bounds to our reafon, and even to our capacities of apprehenfion. This is particularly the cafe with refpect to infinity and the moral economy of the Deity. The objects are here, in a great meafure, beyond the reach of our conception; and induction, from experience, on which all our other reafon. ings are founded, cannot be applied to a fubject altogether diffimilar to any thing we are acquainted with.Many of the fundamental articles of religion are fuch, that the mind may have the fulleft conviction of their truth, but they must be viewed at a distance, and are rather the objects of filent and religious veneration, than of metaphyfical difquifition. If the mind attempts to bring them to a nearer view, it is confounded with their strangenefs and immenfity.

When we purfue our enquiries into any part of nature beyond certain bounds, we find ourselves involved in perplexity and darkness. But there is this remarkable difference between thefe and religious en

quiries:

quiries: in the investigation of nature, we n always make a progrefs in knowlege, and approximate to the truth by the proper exertion of genius and obfervation. But our enquiries into religious fubjects, are confined within very narrow bounds ; nor can any force of reafon or application lead the mind one step beyond that impeBerable gulf, which feparates the vifible and invisible world.

Though the articles of religious belief, which fall within the comprehenfion of mankind, and feem effential to their happiness, are few and fimple, yet ingenious men have contrived to erect them into moft tremendous fyftems of metaphyfical fub. lety, which will long remain monuments both of the extent and the weakness of human understanding. The pernicious conSequences of fuch fyftems, have been varous. By attempting to establish too much, they have hurt the foundation of the most interesting principles of religion. -Most men are educated in a belief of the peculiar and distinguishing opinions of fome one religious fect or other. They are taught, that all thefe are equally found ed on Divine authority, or the cleareft deductions of reason; by which means their sytes of religion hangs fo much together, that one part cannot be fhaken without endangering the whole. But wherever any freedom of enquiry is allowed, the abfurdity of fome of these opinions, and the uncertain foundation of others, cannot be concealed. This naturally begets a general distrust of the whole, with that fatal lukewarmness in religion, which is its neceffary confequence.

The very habit of frequent reafoning and difputing upon religious fubjects, diminishes that reverence with which the mind would otherwife confider them. This feems particularly to be the cafe, when men prefume to enter into a minute fcrutiny of the views and economy of Providence, in the administration of the world; why the Supreme Being made it as it is; the freedom of his actions; and many other fuch questions, infinitely beyond our reach. The natural tendency of this, is to kien that awful veneration with which we ught always to contemplate the Divinity, but which can never be preserved, when men canvass his ways with fuch unwarrantable freedom. Accordingly we find, amongst thofe fectaries where fuch difquifitions have principally prevailed, that he has been mentioned and even addreffed

with the most indecent and fhocking familiarity. The truly devotional fpirit, whofe chief foundation and characteristic is genuine and profound humility, is not to be looked for among fuch perfons.

Another bad effect of this fpeculative theology has been to withdraw people's attention from its practical duties.-We usually find, that thefe who are most diftinguished by their exceffive zeal for opinions in religion fhew great moderation and coolness as to its precepts; and their great feverity in this refpect, is commonly exerted against a few vices where the heart is but little concerned, and to which their own difpofitions preferved them from any temptations.

But the worst effects of fpeculative and controverfial theology, are those which it produces on the temper and affections.When the mind is kept conftantly embarraffed in a perplexed and thorny path, where it can find no fteady light to fhew the way, nor foundation to reft on, the temper lofes its native chearfulness, and contracts a gloom and feverity, partly from the chagrin of difappointment, and partly from the focial and kind affections being extinguished for want of exercise. When this evil is exafperated by oppofition and difpute, the confequences prove very fatal to the peace of fociety; efpecially when men are perfuaded, that their holding cer tain opinions entitles them to the divine favour; and that thofe who differ from them, are devoted to eternal deftruction. This perfuafion breaks at once all the ties of fociety. The toleration of men who hold erroneous opinions, is confidered as conniving at their deftroying not only themfelves, but all others who come within the reach of their influence. This produces that cruel and implacable fpirit, which has fo often difgraced the caufe of religion, and difhonoured humanity.

Yet the effects of religious controverfy have fometimes proved beneficial to mankind. That fpirit of free enquiry, which incited the first Reformers to shake off the yoke of ecclefiaftical tyranny, naturally begot just fentiments of civil liberty, especially when irritated by perfecution. When fuch fentiments came to be united with that bold enthufiafm, that severity of tem per and manners that diftinguished fome of the reformed fects, they produced those refolute and inflexible men, who alone were able to affert the caufe of liberty, in an age when the Chriftian world was ener

vated by luxury or fuperftition; and to fuch men we owe that freedom and happy conftitution which we at prefent enjoy. But thefe advantages of religious enthufiafm have been but accidental.

In general it would appear, that religion, confidered as a fcience, in the manner it has been usually treated, is but little beneficial to mankind, neither tending to enlarge the understanding, fweeten the temper, or mend the heart. At the fame time, the labours of ingenious men, in explaining obfcure and difficult paffages of facred writ, have been highly ufeful and neceffary. And though it is natural for men to carry their fpeculations, on a fubject that fo nearly concerns their present and eternal happiness, farther than reafon extends, or than is clearly and exprefsly revealed; yet thefe can be followed by no bad confequences, if they are carried on with that modefty and reverence which the fubject requires. They become pernicious only when they are formed into fyftems, to which the fame credit and fubmiffion is required as to Holy Writ itself. Gregory.

77. Religion confidered as a Rule of Life

and Manners.

We fhall now proceed to confider religion as a rule of life and manners. In this refpect, its influence is very extenfive and beneficial, even when disfigured by the wildeft fuperftition; as it is able to check and conquer thofe paflions, which reafon and philofophy are too weak to encounter. But it is much to be regretted, that the application of religion to this end, hath not been attended to with that care which the importance of the fubject required. The fpeculative part of religion feems generally to have engrofled the attention of men of genius. This has been the fate of all the ufeful and practical arts of life; and the application of religion, to the regulation of life and manners, must be confidered entirely as a practical art.-The caufes of this neglect, feem to be thefe: Men of a philofophical genius have an averfion to all application, where the active powers of their own minds are not immediately employed. But in acquiring any practical art, a philofopher is obliged to spend most of his time in employments where his genius and understanding have no exercise. The fate of the practical arts of medicine and religion have been pretty fimilar: the object of the one is, to cure the diseases of the body; of the other, to

cure the difeafes of the mind. The pro grefs and degrees of perfection of both thefe arts, ought to be estimated by no other ftandard, than their fuccefs in the cure of the diseases to which they are feverally applied. In medicine, the facts on which the art depends, are fo numerous and complicated, fo mifreprefented by fraud, credulity, or a heated imagination, that there has hardly ever been found a truly philofophical genius who has attempted the practical part of it. There are, indeed, many obstacles of different kinds, which occur to render any improvement in the practice of phyfic a matter of the utmost difficulty, at least whilst the profeffion refts on its prefent narrow foundation. Almost all phyficians who have been men of ingenuity, have amufed themselves in forming theories, which gave exercife to their invention, and at the fame time contributed to their reputation. Instead of being at the trouble of making obfervations themfelves, they culled, out of the promifcuous multitude already made, fuch as beft fuited their purpofe, and dreffed them up in the way their fyftem required. In confequence of this, the hiftory of me

dicine does not fo much exhibit the hiftory of a progreffive art, as a history of opinions which prevailed perhaps for twen ty or thirty years, and then funk into contempt and oblivion. The cafe has been nearly fimilar in practical divinity: but this is attended with much greater difficulties than the practical part of medicine; in this laft, nothing is required but affiduous and accurate obfervation, and a good underftanding to direct the proper application of fuch obfervation.

$78.

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Ibid.

Hov Religion is to be applied to cure the Dijeafes of the Mind.

To cure the diseases of the mind, there is required that intimate knowledge of the human heart, which must be drawn from life itself, and which books can never teach; of the various disguifes under which vice recommends herself to the imagination; of the artful affociation of ideas which the forms there; and of the many nameless circumftances that foften the heart and render it acceffible. It is likewife neceffary to have a knowledge of the arts of infinuation and perfuafion, of the art of breaking falfe and unnatural affociations of ideas, or inducing counter-affociations, and oppofing one paffion to another; and after all this knowledge is ac

quiredy

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