schools can do to teach the vulgar to read English, and other schools to give boys a little Latin, or at most a little Greek, is called education; while the most useful part of knowledge is laid aside, and young folks are expected to instruct themselves by reading. But, alas! how impossible is it for them to do it? We are born ignorant; therefore, certainly, God intended us means of instruction. Had reading been the best method, he would have discovered it sooner to mankind, and, when discovered, would have given us sooner the means of making it more general, and not have subjected us to so many wants which make study impossible to the greater part of mankind: or if only a few truths are necessary, they would have been plain to all. Whereas, experience shows there is no truth men will not deny; and the smallest acquaintance with the Scriptures shows that many duties are required. In short, instruction is the method appointed by God from the beginning, practised not only by the Hebrews, but by the Greeks and Romans, among whom the greatest men thought it an honour to teach their children; and were it regularly pursued, the advantages of it would be seen in all ranks. You see it in your sisters; you are sensible of it in yourself, though going from home at twelve years old has been a disadvantage. I see it here in low life and I am satisfied that were the people taught as they should be, you would find poor labouring men, without any knowledge of books, preferring, at their return from labour, the company of their wives and children to the ale-house, hearing them repeat stories out of the Scripture, and teaching them what themselves remembered: and if such a method had been regularly pursued, instead of the world growing worse, every generation would have grown wiser."

F

" November 20th, 1768.

"The Arian book pretends to examine all texts concerning the point, yet says nothing of John viii. 58, in which our blessed Saviour takes to himself the incommunicable name I AM, and is going to be stoned by the Jews on that account as a blasphemer. Pray observe the epistle of this day, in which Jehovah promises a king of the house of David to reign on earth, whose name shall be called (that is, according to the Hebrew, who shall be) Jehovah our Righteousness; and prefers the restoring of Israel by Jehovah, to the bringing out of Egypt by Jehovah. Does not this and many such texts show, that the Messiah expected by the Jews was to be God and man; and justify our Saviour's words, ' O fools, and slow of heart!"

"Bath, March 20th, 1767.

"Do you know that by Ferguson's account of the transit of Venus, the Earth is found to be above 95 millions of miles from the Sun, which is 14 millions more than it used to be reckoned; and Saturn almost 908 millions of miles from it? Think you of the light which goes there, and returns almost as far, reflected from his satellites; and think of the folly of those who, instead of the humble adoration this knowledge should inspire us with, stand cavilling at the Mosaic account of creation, because light, say they, could not come from the stars, nay, not from the sun, under twenty years. As if the Almighty could not produce his work perfect at one instant."

"Bath, March 29th.

"What is prejudice? a word hunted down like a poor strange dog, when the cry is against him that he is mad. But let us give it fair play. Prejudice is a fault wherever

evidence may be obtained, and leisure to attend to it is not wanting. The judge that pronounces sentence without hearing the cause is highly criminal; but if you saw a man beating a boy very severely, you would try to stop him, without listening to a bystander who should want to prove to you that the man did right: you would act according to the prejudice, that the boy should not be so cruelly used. Such is the state of the human species. We are sent into this world not for speculation, but to act: wants press us on all sides, time flies fast away, and life requires dispatch; therefore, he who made us as we are, say some; who suffered us to exist after the fall, say others, designed us for instruction; subjected us, by our birth, to be influenced by authority; in short, made us liable to prejudice, from a necessity of nature; for whatever we are taught we are prejudiced for; but whatever we never heard of we are, by that circumstance alone, really prejudiced against. We are called to act every moment, and must act upon prejudice, and are rational agents in so doing, for we act upon the best evidence we can get. The child eats the food and rejects the poison on the authority of his teacher; he takes the poison when grown up on the authority of the physician. Geometrical truths are capable of demonstration, and the philosopher that sits at ease in his closet, is in the right not to proceed a step without proof; but the mechanic that has his bread to get, takes a shorter method, and makes use of the same principles on the authority of his master. signifies nothing to say, why are we thus made? the fact is so: and the rule I gave you when I explained to you the catechism, will be found the only rational method of proceeding. Do not say, I will believe, and do as I am taught, when I know it is right; but say, I will believe, and do as I am taught, till I know I am wrong. It does not, there

It

fore, follow, that whoever is misled, must go on to do wrong: a man has eyes to see, and we have reason to guide us; and he that has bad eyes, must set the object in a favourable light, must take time to consider it, must use glasses if need be; but if he cannot have all these helps, what can he do but trust to those that have better eyes, as to any case where he is obliged to take a resolution? So, let every one make use of his reason, and neglect none of those helps his state of life will admit of; but in things which will not allow of delay, such as the daily duties towards God and towards man, let him follow those rules of faith and practice which he has been taught. Believe me, my dear, it is the heart, not the head, which is wrong, for the most part, in our modern unbelievers. Instead of a generous love towards God, which should prompt us to do our utmost to please him; instead of the humble confidence of a child, which would make us with simplicity believe whatever our Creator has revealed concerning himself, we treat religion like a worldly purchase; we would fain know at how cheap a rate we may go to heaven, and do just as much as will exempt us from punishment, and no more. You say, and say very right, if the Scriptures were so plain that every one must understand and believe them, faith would be no virtue. The creatures, both animate and inanimate, obey the will of their Creator in a regular manner; but from man he requires a rational obedience; and, therefore, gave him freedom of will, and placed him in a state of trial. Voluntary obedience seems alone worthy of God, and seems to be required of every creature capable of knowing and loving him. How far the mind of man is influenced by prejudice or affection, we know not: How should we? we know not what performs those motions that support life; and when we move a finger, though it is done at the command of our

will, we know not what does it. The fatalist, though not, perhaps, to be confuted by argument, confutes himself every moment: if he acted rationally (which, however, is a contradiction in terms), he should sit still, and not so much as open his mouth to receive food. But do we not see these men as eager after pleasure, and the things of this world, as others are? If their desires after eternal happiness, and their love for their Creator were as great, we should see their endeavour as great also towards virtue and knowledge. Consider the case of the Jews; those who by a righteous behaviour, a desire of a better life, confidence in God, and love for him, were prepared to follow a suffering Messiah, embraced his doctrine; but those who were attached to the glories of this world, or thought an outward performance of God's commands sufficient, went away sorrowful, because they had great possessions, or tempting pleasures to lose. Christ should come out of Bethlehem; this man is of Nazareth, says one, and enquires no further. We know this man, a carpenter's son, says another. He keeps not the Sabbath day, he is not, therefore, of God, says the Pharisee. But would not any of these have enquired farther, if they had been willing to be informed? Now such as these are our freethinkers: they lay hold of some pretended objection; that is enough; they cannot believe, they say, and so they give themselves up to indulge their passions, amongst which vanity is not the least powerful; and they soon render themselves incapable of embracing the doctrines of Christianity, because they cannot obey its precepts, nor have any regard for its promises. I am glad you like Skelton's Sermons: they are a fine body of divinity. I wish, when Dr. made you the discourse you mention, you had looked him in the face, and asked him which of the Fathers he objected to; it is probable he never read one of them.