tions of the most Wealthy to those of the humbleft De gree. It is an A&t of great Refolution to pafs by a Croud of polite Footmen, who can rally, make love, ridicule, and obferve upon all the Paffengers who are oblig'd_to go by the Places where they wait. This Licence makes different Characters among them, and there are Beaux, Partymen and Free-thinkers in Livery. I take it for a Rule, that there is no bad Man but makes a bad Woman, and the Contagion of Vice is what fhould make People cautious of their Behaviour. Juvenal fays, there is the greatest reverence to be had to the presence of Children; it may be as well faid of the Prefence of Şervants, and it would be fome kind of Virtue if we kept our Vices to Our felves. It is a feeble Authority which has not the fupport of Perfonal Refpect, and the Dependence founded only upon their Receiving their Maintenance of us, is not of force enough to fupport us against an habitual Behaviour, for which they contemn and deride us. No Man can be well ferved, but by those who have an Opiion of his Merit, and that Opinion cannot be kept up but by an Exemption from thote Faults which we would reftrain in our Dependents.

THOUGH our Fopperies imitated are Subjects of Laughter, our Vices transferred to our Servants give matter of Lamentation. But there is nothing in which our Families are fo docile, as in the Imitation of our Delights. It is therefore but common Prudence to take care that our Inferiors know of none but our Innocent ones. It is, methinks, a very arrogant thing to expect that the fingle Confideration of not offending us fhould curb our Servants from Vice, when much higher Motives cannot moderate our own Inclinations. But I began this Paper with an Obfervation that the lower World is got into fashionable Vices, and above all to the understanding the Language of the Eye. There is nothing but writing Songs which the Footmen do not practife as well as their Maßters. Spurious Races of Mankind, which pine in Want, and perish in their first Months of Being, come into the World from this Degeneracy. The Poffeffion of Wealth and Affluence feems to carry fome faint Extenuation of his Guilt who is funk by it into Luxury; but Poverty and Servitude

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accompanied with the Vices of Wealth and Licentioufnets, is, I believe, a Circumstance of Ill peculiar to our Age. This may, perhaps, be matter of Jeit, or is overlooked by thofe who do not turn their Thoughts upon the Actions of others. But from that one Particular, of the Immorality of our Servants arifing from the Negligence of Mafters of Families in their Care of them, flows that irrefiftible Torrent of Difafters which spreads it felf through all Human Life. Old Age oppreffed with Beggary, Youth drawn into the Commiffion of Murders and Robberies, both owe their Difatter to this Evil. If we confider the Happiness which grows out of a fatherly Conduct towards Servants, it would encourage a Man to that fort of Care, as much as the Effects of a· Libertine Behaviour to them would affright us.

LYCURGUS is a Man of that noble Difpofition, that his Domefticks, in a Nation of the greatest Liberty, enjoy a Freedom known only to themselves, who live under his Roof. He is the Banker, the Council, the Parent of all his numerous Dependents. Kindness is the Law of his House, and the way to his Favour is being gentle and well natured to their Fellow-Servants. Every one recommends himself, by appearing officious to let their Patron know the Merit of others under his Care. Many little Fortunes have ftreamed out of his Favour, and his Prudence is fuch, that the Fountain is not exhausted by the Channels from it, but its way cleared to run new Meanders. He bestows with to much Judgment, that his Bounty is the Increase of his Wealth; all who share his Favour are enabled to enjoy it by his Example, and he has not only made, but qualified many a Man to be Rich.

N° 88. Monday, June 22.

Mens agitat molem·

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Virg.

O one who regards things with a Philofophical Eye, and hath a Soul capable of being delighted with the Senfe that Truth and Knowledge prevail among Men, it must be a grateful Reflexion to think that the fublimeft Truths, which among the Heathens only here and there one of brighter Parts and more Lei fure than ordinary could attain to, are now grown familiar to the meaneft Inhabitants of thefe Nations.

WHENCE came this furprifing Change, that Regions formerly inhabited by ignorant and favage People Thould now outfhine Ancient Greece, and the other Eaftern Countries, fo renowned of old, in the moft elevated Notions of Theology and Morality? Is it the Effect of cur own Parts and Induftry? Have our common Mechanicks more refined Understandings than the Ancient Philofophers? It is owing to the God of Truth, who came down from Heaven, and condefcended to be himself our Teacher. It is as we are Chriftians, that we profefs more excellent and divine Truths than the reft of Mankind.

IF there be any of the Free-thinkers who are not direct Atheists, Charity would incline one to believe them ignorant of what is here advanced. And it is for their Information that I write this Paper, the defign of which is to compare the Ideas that Chriftians entertain of the Being and Attributes of a God, with the grofs Notions of the Heathen World. Is it poffible for the Mind of Man to conceive a more auguft Idea of the Deity than is fet forth in the Holy Scriptures? I fhall throw together fome Paffages relating to this Subject, which I propofe only as Philofophical Sentiments, to be confidered by a Free-thinker.

THO' there be that are called Gods, yet to us there is but one God. He made the Heaven, and Heaven of < Heavens, with all their Hoft; the Earth and all things

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⚫ that are therein; the Seas and all that is therein; He faid, Let them be, and it was fo. He hath ftretched ⚫ forth the Heavens. He hath founded the Earth, and hung it upon nothing. He hath fhut up the Sea with Doors, and faid, Hitherto fhalt thou come and no 'farther, and here fhall thy proud Waves be ftaid. The • Lord is an invifible Spirit, in whom we live, and move, ' and have our Being. He is the Fountain of Life. He preferveth Man and Beaft. He giveth Food to all Flesh.In his Hand is the Soul of every living thing, and the Breath of all Mankind. The Lord maketh poor and 'maketh rich. He bringeth low and lifteth up. He "killeth and maketh alive. He woundeth and he healeth. By him Kings Reign, and Princes Decree Juftice, and not a Sparrow falleth to the Ground without him. All Angels, Authorities and Powers are fubject to him. He appointeth the Moon for Seasons, and the Sun knoweth 'his going down. He thundereth with his Voice, and ⚫ directeth it under the whole Heaven, and his Lightning unto the ends of the Earth. Fire and Hail, Snow and Vapour, Wind and Storm, fulfil his Word. The Lord is King for ever and ever, and his Dominion is an everlafting Dominion. The Earth and the Heavens fhall perish, but thou, O Lord, remaineft. They all fhall wax old, as doth a Garment, and as a Vefture fhalt thou fold ⚫ them up, and they fhall be changed; but thou art the ⚫ fame, and thy Years fhall have no end. God is perfect in Knowledge; his Understanding is infinite. He is the Father of Lights. He looketh to the ends of the Earth, and feeth under the whole Heaven. The Lord behold. eth all the Children of Men from the place of his Habi'tation, and confidereth all their Works. He knoweth our down-fitting and up-rifing. He compaffeth our Path, ⚫ and counteth our Steps. He is acquainted with all our ways; and when we enter our Closet, and shut our Door, he feeth us. He knoweth the things that come into our Mind, every one of them: And no Thought can be withholden from him. The Lord is good to all, and his tender Mercies are over all his Works. He is a Father of the Fatherlefs, and a Judge of the Widow. "He is the God of Peace, the Father of Mercies, and the • God of all Comfort and Confolation. The Lord is great,

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⚫ and we know him not; His Greatness is unfearchable. Who but he hath measured the Waters in the hollow of his Hand, and meted out the Heavens with a Span? Thine, O Lord, is the Greatnefs, and the Power, and the Glory, and the Victory, and the Majefty. Thou art very Great, thou art clothed with Honour. Heaven is thy Throne and Earth is thy Footstool.

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CAN the Mind of a Philofopher rife to a more juft and magnificent, and at the fame time a more amiable Idea of the Deity than is here fet forth in the ftrongeft Images and moit emphatical Language? And yet this is the Language of Shepherds and Fishermen. The illiterate Jews and poor perfecuted Chriftians retain'd these noble Sentiments, while the polite and powerful Nations of the Earth were gven up to that fottifh fort of Worship of which the following elegant Defcription is extracted from ene of the infpired Writers.

WHO hath formed a God, or molten an Image that is profitable for nothing? The Smith with the Tongs both worketh in the Coals and fashioneth it with Hammers, and worketh it with the Strength of his Arms Yea he is hungry and his Strength faileth. He drinketh no Water and is faint. A Man planteth an Afh, and the Rain doth nourish it. He burneth part thereof in the Fire. He rofleth Roft. He warmeth ⚫ himself. And the Refidue thereof he maketh a God. He falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it and faith, Deliver me, for thou art my God. ⚫ None confidereth in his Heart, I have burnt part of it in the Fire, yea alfo, I have baked Bread upon the Coals thereof: I have rofted Flesh and eaten it; and fhall I make the Refidue thereof an Abomination? • Shall I fall down to the Stock of a Tree?

IN fuch Circumftances as thefe, for a Man to declare for Free-thinking, and difengage himself from the Yoke of Idolatry, were doing Honour to Human Nature, and a Work well becoming the great Afferters of Reafon. But in a Church, where our Adoration is directed to the Supreme Being, and (to fay the leaf) where is nothing either in the Object or Manner of Worship that contradicts the Light of Nature, there, under the Pretence of Freethinking, to rail at the Religious Institutions of their

Country,