Cri. — Truly, Alciphron, when I confider where we are got, and how far we are agreed, I conceive it probable we may agree altogether in the end. You have granted that a life of virtue is upon all accounts eligible, as moft con- ducive both to the general and particular good of mankind: And you allow, that the beauty of virtue alone is not a fuf- ficient motive with mankind to the practice of it This led you to acknowledge, that the belief of a God would be very ufeful in the world: And that, confequently, you ihould be difpofed to admit any reafonable proof of his being: Which point hath been proved, and you have ad- mitted the proof. If then we admit a Divinity, why not divine worfliip? and if worfliip, why not religion to teach this worfliip? and if a religion, why not the chriftian, if a better cannot be afligned, and if it be already eftablilhed "i96 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. V> j by the laws of our country, and Landed down to us from our Fore-fathers? fhall we believe a God, and not pray to him for future benefits, nor thank him for the paft? nei- ther truft in his protection, nor love his goodnefs, nor praife his wifdom, nor adore his power? And if thefe things are to be done, can we do them in a way more fuitable to the dignity of God or man, than is prefcribed by the chriftian religion?
Alc. — I am not perhaps altogether fure that religion mud be absolutely bad for the public: But I cannot bear to fee policy and religion walk hand in hand: I do not like to fee human rights attached to the divine: I am for no Pontifex Maximus, fuch as in ancient or in modern Rome: No high pried, as in Judea: No royal prieft, as in Egypt and Sparta: No fuch things as the Dairos of Japan or Lamas of Tar tar y.
III. I knew a little witty gentleman of our feci, who was a great admirer of the ancient Druids. He had a moral antipathy to the prefent eftablifhed religion, but ufed to fay, he fhould like well to fee the Druids and their religion reftored, as it anciently flourifhed in Gaul and Britain; for it would be right enough that there mould be a number of contemplative men fet apart to preferve a knowledge of arts and fciences, to educate youth, and teach men the immortality of the foul, and the moral vir- tues. Such, faid he, were the Druids of old, and I fhould be glad to fee them once more eftablifhed among us.
Cri.~ -How would you like, Alciphron, that priefts (hould have power to decide all controverfies, adjudge property, diftribute rewards and punifhments; that all who did not acquiefce in their decrees fhould be excommu- nicated, held in abhorrence, excluded from all honours and privileges, and deprived of the common benefit of the laws; and that, now and then, a number of l^y-men [Dial. VJ MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. i97 fhould be crammed together in a wicker-idol, and burnt for an offering to their Pagan Gods? How fhould you like living under fuch priefts and fuch a religion?
Alc. — Not at all. Such a fituation would by no means agree with free-thinkers.
Cri. — And yet fuch were the Druids, and fuch their religion, if we may truft Cafars account of them.* Lys. — I am now convinced more than ever, that there ought to be no fuch thing as an eftablifhed religion of any kind. Certainly all the nations of the world have been hitherto out of their wits. Even the Athenians themfelves, the wifeft and freed people upon earth, had, I know not what, foolifh attachment to their eftablifhed church. They offered, it feems, a talent as a reward to whoever fhould kill Diagoras, the Melian, a free-thinker of thofe times, who derided their myfteries: And Protagoras, ano- ther of the fame turn, narrowly efcaped being put to death, for having wrote fomething that feemed to contradict their received notions of the Gods. Such was the treat- ment our generous feci: met with at Athens. And I make no doubt, but thefe Druids would have facrificed many a holocauft of free-thinkers. I would not give a fingle far- thing to exchange one religion for another. Away with all together, root and branch, or you had as good do no- thing. No Druids or priefts, of any fort, for me: I fee no occafion for any of them.
IV. Euph. — What Lyficles faith, puts me in mind of the clofe of our laft conference, wherein it was agreed in the following, to refume the point we were then entered upon: to wit, the ufe or benefit of the chriftian religion, which Alciphron expected Crito fhould make appear.
Cri. — I am the readier to undertake this point, becaufe I conceive it to be no difficult one, and that one great mark * Dc Bello Gallico, 1. 6.
i98 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. V ] of the truth of chriftianity is, in my mind, its tendency to do good, which feems the north-ftar to conduct our judg- ment in moral matters, and in all things of a pra£Hc na- ture; moral or practical truths being ever connected with univerfal benefit. But to judge rightly of this matter, we mould endeavour to ac"fc like Lyficles upon another occafion, taking into our view the fum of things, and considering principles as branched forth into confequences to the ut- moft extent we are able. We are not fo much to regard the humour, or caprice, or imaginary diftreffes, of a few ' idle men, whofe conceit may be offended, though their confcience cannot be wounded; but fairly to confider the true intereft of individuals, as well as of human fociety. Now, the chriftian religion, confidered as a fountain of light, and joy, and peace, as a fource of faith, and hope, and char- ity, (and that it is fo, will be evident to whoever takes his notion of it from the gofpel) muft needs be a principle of happinefs and virtue. And he who fees not, that the de- ftroying the principles of good actions muft deftroy good a£lions, fees nothing: And he who, feeing this, (hall yet perfift to do it, if he be not wicked, who is?
V. To me it feems, the man can fee neither deep nor far, who is not fenfible of his own mifery, (infulnefs and dependence; who doth not perceive, that this prefent world is not defigned or adapted to make rational fouls happy; who would not be glad of getting into a better ft ate; and who would not be overjoyed to find that the road leading thither, was the love of God and man, the pra&ifing every virtue, the living reafonably while we are here upon earth, proportioning our efteem to the value of things, and fo ufing this world as not to abufe it. For this is what chriftianity requires. It neither injoins the naftinefs of the cynic, nor the infenfibility of the ftoic Can there be a higher ambition than to overcome the world, [Dial. V.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. i99 or a wifer, than to fubdue ourfelves, or a more comfort- able doctrine, than the remiffion of fins, or a more joy- ful profpecl:, than that of having our bafe natures renew- ed and aflimilated to the Deity, our being made fellow- citizens with angels and fons of God? Did ever Pytha- goreans, or Platoniflsy or Stoics, even in idea or in wifh, propofe to the" mind of man purer means, or a nobler end? How great a fhare of our happinefs depends upon hope! How totally is this extinguiflied by the Minute > Philofophy! On the other hand, how is it cherifhed and raifed by the gofpel! Let any man, who thinks in ear- neft, but confider thefe things, and then fay, which he thinks deferveth beft of mankind, he who recommends, or he who runs down chriftianity? Which he thinks like- lier to lead a happy life, to be a hopeful fon, an honeft dealer, a worthy patriot, he who fincerely believes the gofpel, or he who believes not one tittle of it? He who aims at being a child of God, or he who is contented to be thought, and to be, one of Epicurus's hogs? And, in fact, do but fcan the characters, and obferve the beha- vior of the common fort of men on both fides; obferve, and fay which live moft agreeably to the dictates of reafon? How things fliould be, the reafon is plain; how they are, I appeal to fa£t.
VI. Alc — It is wonderful to obferve how things change appearance, as they are viewed in different lights, or by different eyes. The picture, Crito, that I form of religion is very unlike yours, when I confider how it un- mans the foul, filling it with abfurd reveries, and flavifh fears: how it extinguishes the gentle pafiions, infpiring a ipirit of malice, and rage, and perfecution: When I behold bitter retentments and unholy wrath in thofe very men, who preach up meeknefs and charity to others.
Cri. — It is very poffibie, that gentlemen of your feci: may think religion a (iibjed beneath their attention \ but too MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. V.]
yet it feems that whoever fets up for oppofing any doc- trine, fhould know what it is he difputes againft. Know then, that religion is the virtuous mean between incredu- lity and fuperftition. We do not, therefore, contend for fuperftitious follies, or for the rage of bigots. What we plead for is, religion againft profanenefs, law againft confufiort, virtue againft vice, the hope of a chriftian againft the defpondency of an atheift. I will not juftify bitter refentments and unholy wrath in any man, much lefs in a chriftian, and leaft of all in a clergyman. But if Tallies of human paffion mould fometimes appear even in the beft, it will not furprife any one who reflects on the farcafms and ill manners with which they are treated by the Minute Philofophers. For, as Cicero fomewhere ob- ferves, Habet quendam aculeuirr contumelia, quern pati pru- denies ac viri boni difficillinie pojfunt. But although you might fometimes obferve particular perfons, profeffing themfelves chriftians, run into faulty extremes of any kind, through paffion and infirmity, while infidels of a more calm and difpaflionate temper fhall perhaps behave better; — -yet thefe natural tendencies, on either fide, prove nothing, either in favor of infidel principles, or againft chriftian. If a believer doth evil, it is owing to the man, not to his belief. And if an infidel doth good, it is owing to the man, and not to his infidelity.
VII. Lys. — To cut this matter fhort, I (hall borrow an allufion to phyfic, which one of you made ufe of againft our feci:. It will not be denied that the clergy pafs for phyficians of the foul, and that religion is a fort of medicine which they deal in and adminifter. If then fouls, in great numbers, are difeafed and loft, how can we think the phyfician fkilful, or his phyfic good I It is a common complaint, that vice increafes, and men grow- daily more and more wicked. If a fhepherd's flock be [Dial. V.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 201 difeafed or unfound, who is to blame but the fhepherd, for neglecting, or not knowing how to cure them? A fig, therefore, for fuch ftiepherds, fuch phyfic, and fuch phyficians, who, like other mountebanks, with great gravity and elaborate harangues, put off their pills to the people, who are never the better for them.
Euph.— Nothing feems more reafonable than this re- mark, that men fhould judge of a phyfician and his phy- fic, by its effects on the fick. But pray, Lyftcles> would you judge of a phyfician, by thofe fick who take his phy- fic and follow his prefcriptions, or by thofe who do not I Lys. — Doubtlefs by thofe who do.
Euph. — What fhall we fay then, if great numbers re- fufe to take the phyfic, or, inftead of it, take poifon of a direct contrary nature, prescribed by others, who make it their bufinefs to difcredit the phyfician and his medi- cines, to hinder men from ufing them, and to deftroy their effect by drugs of their own? Shall the phyfician be blamed for the mifcarriage of thofe people?
Lys. — By no means.,...Euph. — By a parity of reafon, fhould it not follow, that the tendency of religious doctrines ought to be judg- ed of by the effects which they produce, not upon all who hear them, but upon thofe only who receive or be- lieve them?
Lys. — It feems fo.
Euph. — Therefore, to proceed fairly, fhall we not judge of the effects of religion by the religious, of faith by the believers, of chriflianity by chriftians?
VIII. Lys. — But I doubt thefe fincere believers are very few.
Euph.— But will it not fuffice to juftify our principles, if, in proportion to the numbers which receive them, and the degree of faith with which they are received, they B h 1*2 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. V.]
produce good effects? Perhaps the number of believers, are not fo few as you imagine; and if they were, whofe fault is that fo much as of thofe who make it their pro- feffed endeavor to leiTen that number? And who are thofe but the Minute Philofophers?
Lys. — I tell you, it is owing to the clergy themfelves, to the wickednefs and corruption of clergymen.
Eupk.— And who denies that there may be Minute Philofophers even among the clergy?
Cm. — In fo numerous a body, it is to be prefumcd there are men of all forts. But notwithftanding the cru- el reproaches cafl upon that order by their enemies, an equal obferver of men and things will, if I miftake not, be inclined to think thofe reproaches owing as much to other faults, as thofe of the clergy: Efpecially if he con- fiders the declamatory manner of thofe who cenfure them.
Euph. — My knowledge of the world, is too narrow for me to pretend to judge of the virtue, and merit, and liber- al attainments of men, in the feveral profefiions. Befides, I fhotuld not care for the odious work of comparison: But I may venture to fay, the clergy of this country where I Jive, are by no means a difgrace to it: On the contrary, the people feem much the better for their example and doctrine. But fuppofing the clergy to be (what all men certainly are) finners, and faulty; fuppofing you might fpy out here and there among them even great crimes and vices: what can you conclude againft the profeffion itfelf from its unworthy profeflbrs, any more than from the pride, pedantry, and bad lives of fome philofophers againft philofophy, or of lawyers againft law?
IX. Cri.-— It is certainly right to judge of principles from their effe&s, but then we muft know them to be effe£ts of thofe principles. It is the very method I have obferved, with refpecl: to religion and the Minute Philofo- [Dial. V.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 203 phy. And I can honeftly aver, that I never knew any man, or family, grow worfe in proportion as they grew reli- gious: JSut I have often obferved, that Minute Philofophy is the worft thing which can get into a family, the readied way to impoverim, divide, and difgrace it.
Alc. — By the fame method of tracing caufes from their effects, I have made it my obfervation, that the love of truth, virtue, and the happinefs of mankind are fpe- cious pretexts, but not the inward principles that fet di- vines at work: Elfe why mould they affecl to abufe hu- man reafon, to difparage natural religion, to traduce the philofophers, as they univerfally do?
Cri. — Not fo univerfally perhaps as you imagine. A chriftian, indeed, is for confining reafon within its due bounds: And fo is every reafonable man. If we are for- bid meddling with unprofitable queftions, vain philofophy, and fcience, falfly fo called, it cannot be thence inferred, that all inquiries into profitable queftions, ufeful philofo- phy, and true fcience, are unlawful. A Minute Philofo- pher may indeed impute, and perhaps a weak brother may imagine, thofe inferences, but men of fenfe will never make them. God is the common Father of lights: And all knowledge, really fuch, whether natural or revealed, is derived from the fame fource of light and truth. To amafs together authorities upon fo plain a point, would be needlefs. It mud be owned, fome men's attributing too much to human reafon, hath, as is natural, made others attribute too little to it. But thus much is generally ac- knowledged, that there is a natural religion, which may be difcovered and proved by the light of reafon, to thofe who are capable of fuch proofs. But it muft be withal acknowledged, that precepts and oracles from Heaven arc- incomparably better fuited to popular improvement, and the good of fociety, than the reafonings of philofophers: And accordingly we do not find, that natural or rational 2o4 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. V.]
religion, as fuch, ever became the popular national reli- gion of any country.
X. Alc— It cannot be denied, that in all heathen coun- tries, there have been received, under the colour of reli- gion, a world of fables and fuperftitious rites. But I queftion whether they were fo abfurd, and of fo bad influ- ence, as is vulgarly reprefented, fince their refpe&ive le- giflatofs and magiftrates mu ft, without doubt, have thought them ufeful.
Cri. — It were needlefs to inquire into all the rites and notions of the Gentile world. This hath been largely done when it was thought necefTary. And whoever thinks it worth while, may be eafily fatisfied about them. But as to the tendency and ufefulnefs of the heathen religion in general, I beg leave to mention a remark of St. Auguf- tine'sy* who obferves that the heathens, in their religion, had no aflemblies for preaching, wherein the people were to be inftru&ed what duties or virtues the Gods required, no place or means to be taught what Perfius f exhorts them to learn.
Difciteque 6 miferi, & caufas cognofcite rerum, ^uid fumusy & quidnam viBuri gignimur.—* Alc— This is the true fpirit of the party, never to al- low a grain of ufe or goodnefs to any thing out of their own pale: But we have had learned men, who have done juftice to the religion of the Gentiles.
Ce-I. — We do not deny, but there was fomething ufeful in the eld religions of Rome and Greece, and fome other pagan countries. On the contrary, we freely own they produced fome good effects on the people: But then thefe good effects were owing to the truths contained in thofe [Dial. V.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. io5 falfe religions: The truer, therefore, the more ufeful. I believe you will find it a hard matter to produce any ufe- ful truth, any moral precept, any falutary principle, or notion, in any Gentile fyftem, either of religion or philo- fophy, which is not comprehended in the chriftian, and either enforced by ftronger motives, or fupported by bet- ter authority, or carried to a higher point of perfe&ion.
XL Alc. — Confequently you would have us think ourfelves a finer people than the ancient Greeks or Romans.
Cri. — If by finer, you mean better, perhaps we are: And if we are not, it is not owing to the chriftian religion, but to the want of it.
Alc. — You fay perhaps we are. I do not pique my- felf on my reading: But mould be very ignorant to be ca- pable of being impofed on in fo plain a point. What! compare Cicero or Brutus to an EngliJJj patriot, or Seneca to one of our parfons! Then that invincible conflancy and vigour of mind, that difinterefted and noble virtue, that adorable public fpirit you fo much admire, are things in them fo well known, and fo different from our man- ners, that I know not how to excufe your perhaps. Eu- phranor9 indeed, who pafTeth his life in this obfcure cor- ner, may poffibly miflake the characters of our times: But you, who know the worlds how could you be guilty of fuch a miflake?
Cri. — O Alciphron! I would by no means detract from the noble virtue of ancient heroes: But I obferve thofe great men were not the Minute Philofophers of their times: ' And that the beft principles upon which they a£t- cd, are common to them with chriftians, of whom it would be no difficult matter to aflign, if not in our own times, yet within the compafs of our own hiflory, many inftances, in every kind of worth and virtue, public or private, equal to the mofl celebrated of the ancients. Though perhaps their (lory might not have been fo well io6 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. V.]
told, fet off with fuch fine lights and colourings of ftilc, or fo vulgarly known and confidered by every fchool-bdy. But though it fhould be granted, that here and there a Greek or Roman genius, bred up under ftri£t laws, and fevere difcipline, animated to public virtue by ftatues, crowns, triumphal arches, and fuch rewards and monu- ments of great actions, might attain to a character and fame beyond other men; yet this will prove only, that they had more fpirit, and lived under a civil polity more wifely ordered, in certain points, than ours: Which advan- tages of nature and civil inftitution will be no argument for their religion, or againft ours. On the contrary, it feems an invincible proof of the power and excellency of the chriftian religion, that, without the help of thofe ci- vil inftitutions and incentives to glory, it mould be able to infpire a phlegmatic people with the nobleft fentiments, and foften the rugged manners of northern boors into gentlenefs and humanity: And that thefe good qualities fhould become national, and rife and fall in proportion to the purity of our religion, as it approaches to, or recedes" from the plan laid down in the gofpel.
XII. To make a right judgment of the effe&s of the chriftian religion, let us take a furvey of the prevailing notions and manners of this very country where we live, and compare them with thofe of our heathen predeceffors.
Alc. — I have heard much of the glorious light of the gofpel, and mould be glad to fee fome effects of it in my own dear country, which, by the by, is one of the moft corrupt and profligate upon earth, notwithftanding the boafled purity of our religion. But it would look mean and diffident, to affect a comparifon with the barbarous heathen, from whence we drew our original; If you would do honor to your religion, dare to make it with- the moft renowned heathens of antiquity.
CDul. V.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. zoj Cri. — It is a common prejudice, to defpife the pre- fent, and over-rate remote times,and things. Something of this feems to enter into the judgments men make of the Greeks and Romans. For though it muft be allowed, thofe nations produced fome noble fpirits, and great pat- terns of virtue: yet, upon the whole, it feems to me, they were much inferior, in point of real virtue and good mo- rals, even to this corrupt and profligate nation, as you are now pleafed to call it, in difhonor to our religion; however you may think fit to chara&erife it, when you would do honor to the Minute Philofophy. This, I think, will be plain to any one,, who (hall turn off his eyes from a few mining characters, to view the general manners and cuftoms of thofe people. Their infolent treatment of captives, even of the higheft rank and fofter fex, their unnatural expofing of their own children, their bloody gladiatorian fpe&acles, compared with the common no- tions of Etfghjhmetiy are to me a plain proof, that our minds are much foftened by chriftianity. Could any thing be more unjuft, than the condemning a young lady to the moft infamous punifhment, and death, for the guilt of her father, or a whole family of flaves, perhaps fome hundreds, for a crime committed by one? Or more abominable than the bacchanals and unbridled lufts of every kind? which, notwithstanding all that has been done by Minute Philofophers to debauch the nation, and their fuccefsful attempts on fome part of it, have not yet been matched among us, at leaft not in every circum- ftance of impudence and afFrontery. While the Romans were poor, they were temperate; but, as they grew rich, they became luxurious to a degree that is hardly believed or conceived by us. It cannot be benied, the old Roman ipirit was a great one. But it is as certain, there have been numberlefs examples of the moft refolute and clear courage in Britons, and, in general, from a religious caufe.
2o8 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. V.]
Upon the whole, it feems an inftance of the greateft blindnefs and ingratitude, that we do not fee and own the exceeding great benefits of chriftianity, which, to omit higher confiderations, hath fo vifibly foftened^ polifh- ed, and embellifhed our manners.
XIII. Alc— O CritOy we are alarmed at cruelty in a foreign fhape, but overlook it in a familiar one. Elfe how is it poflible that you mould not fee the inhumanity of that barbarous cuftom of duelling, a thing avowed and tolerated, and even reputable among us? Or that, fee- ing this, you mould fuppofe cur Englijhmen of a more gentle difpofition than the old Romans, who were alto- gether ft rangers to it?
Cri.-— I will by no means make an apology for every Goth that walks the ftreets, with a determined purpofe to murder any man who fhall but fpit in his face, or give him the lie. Nor do I think the chriftian religion in the leaft anfwerable, for a practice fo directly oppofite to its precepts, and which obtains only among the idle part of the nation, your men of fafhion; who, inftead of law, reafon, and religion, are governed by fafhion. Be plea- fed to confider, that what may be, and truly is, a moft fcandalous reproach to a chriftian country, may be none at all to the chriftian religion: For the pagan encouraged men in feveral vices, but the chriftian in none.
Alc— -Give me leave to obferve, that what you now fay is foreign to the purpofe. For the queftion, at pre- fent, is not concerning the refpeftive tendencies of the pagan and the chriftian religions, but concerning our man- ners, as actually compared with thofe of ancient heath- ens, who, I aver, had no fuch barbarous cuftom as duel- ing.
Cri.— And I aver that, bad as this is, they had a worfe; and that was poifoning. By which we haveirea- [Dial. V.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 209 fon to think there were many more lives destroyed, than by this Gothic crime of duelling: inafmuch. as it extended to all ages, fexes, and characters, and as its effe&s were more fecret and unavoidable: and as it had more tempt- ations, intereft as well as paffion, to recommend it to wicked men. And for the fact, not to wafte time, I re- fer you to the Roman authors themfelves.
Lys. — It is very true, duelling is not fo general a nufance as poifoning, nor of fo bafe a nature. This crime, if it be a crime, is in a fair way to keep its ground, in fpite of the law and the gofpel. The clergy never preach againft it, becaufe themfelves never fuffer by it; and the man of honor mult never appear againft the means of vindicating honor.