to do him that honour, which was much out of the common forms to a person in a private station; those distinctions being ufually made only to chief governors, or perfons in very high employments.

THOUGHTS

THOUGHTS

ON

RELIGIO N.

Aм in all opinions to believe according to my own impartial reafon; which I am bound to inform and improve, as far as my capacity and opportunities will permit.

It may be prudent in me to act fometimes by other mens reafon, but I can think only by my own.

If another man's reafon fully convinceth me, it becomes my own reason.

To say a man is bound to believe, is neither truth nor fenfe.

You may force men, by intereft or punishment, to say or fwear they believe, and to act as if they believed: You can go no further.

Every man, as a member of the commonwealth, ought to be content with the poffeffion of his own opinion in private, without perplexing his neighbour or difturbing the public.

Violent zeal for truth hath an hundred to one odds to be either petulancy, ambition, or pride.

There is a degree of corruption wherein fome nations, as bad as the world is, will proceed to an amendment; till which time particular men fhould be quiet.

To remove opinions fundamental in religion is impoffible, and the attempt wicked, whether those opinions be true or false; unless your avowed defign be to abolifh that religion altogether. So, for instance, in the famous doctrine of Chrift's divinity, which hath been univerfally received by all bodies of Chriftians, fince the condemnation of Arianifm under Conftantine and his fucceffors: Wherefore the proceedings of the Socinians are both vain and unwarrantable; because they will be never able to advance their own opinion, or meet any other fuccefs than breeding doubts and disturbances in the world. Qui ratione fuâ difturbant mania mundi.

The want of belief is a defect that ought to be concealed when it cannot be over

come.

The Christian religion, in the most early times, was proposed to the Jews and Heathens without the article of Chrift's divi

nity; which, I remember, Erafmus accounts for, by its being too ftrong a meat for babes. Perhaps, if it were now foftened by the Chinese miffionaries, the converfion of those infidels would be lefs difficult: And we find by the Alcoran, it is the great ftumbling-block of the Mahometans. But, in a country already Christian, to bring fo fundamental a point of faith into debate, can have no confequences that are not pernicious to morals and public peace.

I have been often offended to find St. Paul's allegories, and other figures of Grecian eloquence, converted by divines into articles of faith.

God's mercy is over all his works, but divines of all forts leffen that mercy too much.

I look upon myself, in the capacity of a clergyman, to be one appointed by providence for defending a poft affigned me, and for gaining over as many enemies as I can. Although I think my cause is juft, yet one great motion is my fubmitting to the pleasure of Providence, and to the laws of my country.

I am not anfwerable to God for the doubts that arife in my own breast, since they are the confequence of that reafon which

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which he hath planted in me, if I take care to conceal thofe doubts from others, if I ufe my beft endeavours to fubdue them, and if they have no influence on the conduct of my life..

I believe that thousands of men would be orthodox enough in certain points, if divines had not been too curious, or too narrow, in reducing orthodoxy within the compafs of fubtleties, niceties, and diftinctions, with little warrant from Scripture, and lefs from reafon or good policy.

I never faw, heard, nor read, that the clergy were beloved in any nation where Christianity was the religion of the country. Nothing can render them popular but fome degree of perfecution.

Those fine gentlemen who affect the humour of railing at the clergy, are, I think, bound in honour to turn parfons themfelves, and shew us better examples.

Miferable mortals! can we contribute to the honour and glory of God? I could wish that expreflion were ftruck out of our Prayer-books.

Liberty of confcience, properly speaking, is no more than the liberty of possessing our own thoughts and opinions, which every man enjoys without fear of the magiftrate: