a paufe, and looked round on the company. Truly faid I, a very laudable undertaking! We think, faid Euphranor, that it is praife-worthy to clear and fubdue the earth, to tame brute animals, to fafhion the outrides of men, pro- vide fuflenance for their bodies, and cure their maladies. But what is all this in comparifon of that moft excellent and ufeful undertaking, to free mankind from their errors, and to improve and adorn their minds? For things of lefs merit towards the world, altars have been raifed, and temples built in ancient times. Too many in our days, replied Alciphron, are fuch focis as not to know their bed benefactors from their worft enemies: They have a blind refpeel for thofe. who inflave them -, and leok u^on their deliverers as a dangerous fort of men, that would under- mine received principles and opinions.
[Dial. I.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 21 Euphranor. — It were a great pity fuch worthy ingeni- ous men mould meet with any difcouragement. For my part I mould think a man, who fpent his time in fuch a painful impartial fearch after truth, a better friend to man- kind than the greateft ftatefman or hero; the advantage of whofe labors is confined to a little part of the world, and a ftiort fpace of time; whereas a ray of truth may enlighten the whole world, and extend to future ages.
Alc. — It will be fome time, I fear, before the common herd think as you do. But the better fort, the men of parts and polite education, pay a due regard to the patrons of light and truth.
III. Euph. — The clergy, no doubt, are on all occafions ready to forward and applaud your worthy endeavors. Upon hearing this, Lyficles could hardly refrain from laughing. And Alclphron, with an air of pity, told Eu- phrancr, that he perceived he was unacquainted with the real character of thofe men: For, faid he, you mud know, that of all men living they are our greateft enemies. If it were poflible, they would extinguifh the very light of nature, turn the world into a dungeon, and keep mankind for ever in chains and darknefs.
Euph. — I never imagined any thing like this of our proteftant clergy, particularly thofe of the eftablifhed church; whom, if I may be allowed to judge by what I have feen of them and their writings, I ihould have thought lovers of learning and ufeful knowledge.
Alc — Take my word for it, prieftsof all religions are the fame: wherever there are priefts, there will be prieft craft: and wherever there is priefberaft, there will be a perfec- ting fpirit, which they never fail to exert to the utmoft of their power againft all thofe who have the courage to think for themielves, and will not fubmit to be hoodwinked and manacled by their reverend leaders. Thofe great mafters of pedantry and jargon have coined feveral fyitems, which are all equally true, and of equal importance to the world. The contending feels are each alike fond cf their own, and 2Z MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. L] alike prone to difcharge their fury upon all who diffent from them. Cruelty and ambition being the darling vi- ces of priefts and churchmen all the world over, they en- deavor in all countries to get an afcendant over the reft of mankind; and the magiftrate having a joint intereft with the prieft in fubduing, amufing, and fearing the people, too often lends a hand to the hierarchy; who never think their authority and pofleflions fee ure, fo long as thofe who differ from them in opinion are allowed to partake even in the common rights belonging to their birth or fpecies. To reprefent the matter in a true light, figure to yourfelves a monfter or fpe&re made up of fuperftition and enthufi- afm, the joint iflue of flatecraft and prieftcraft, rattling chains in one hand, and with the other brandifhing a flaming fword over the land, and menacing definition to all whofhalldare to follow the dictates of reafon and common fenfe. Do but confider this, and then fay if there was not danger as well as difficulty in our undertaking. Yet, fuch is the gener- ous ardour that truth infpires, our free-thinkers are neither overcome by the one, nor daunted by the other. In fpite of both we have already made fo many profelytes among the better fort, and their numbers increafe fo faft, that we hope we fhall be able to carry all before us, beat down the bulwarks of tyranny, fecular or ecclefiaftical, break the fet- ters and chains of our countrymen, and reflore the origi- nal inherent rights, liberties, and prerogatives of mankind. Euphmnor heard this difcourfe with his mouth open and his eyes fixed upon Alciphron> who, having uttered it with no fmall emotion, flopt to draw breath and recover him- felf: But finding that no body made anfwer, he returned the thread of his difcourfe, and turning to Euphranor fpoke in a lower note what follows. The more innocent and honeft a man is, the more liable is he to be impofed on by the fpecious pretences of other men. You have probably met with certain writings of our divines that treat of grace, virtue, goodnefs, and fuch matters, fit to amufe and deceive a fimple honeft mind. But believe me when I tell you [Dial. I] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 23 they are all at bottom (however they may gild their defigns) united by one common principle in the fame intereft. I will not deny there may be here and there a poor half-wit- ted man that means no raifchief; but this I will be bold to fay, that all the men of fenfe among them are true at bottom to thcfe three purfuits of ambition, avarice, and revenge.
IV. While Akiphroti was fpeaking, a fervant came to tell him and Lyficles> that fome men who were going to London waited to receive their orders. Whereupon they both rofe and went towards the houfe. They were no fooner gone, but Euphranor addreiling himfelf to Crito faid, he believed that poor gentleman had been a great fufFerer for his free-thinking: for that he feemed to exprefs him- felf with the paflion and refentment natural to men who have received very bad ufage. I believe no fuch thing, anfwered Crito9 but have often obferved thofe of his feci: run into two faults of converfation, declaiming and banter- ing, juft as the tragic or the comic humor prevails. Some- times they work themfelves into high paffions, and are frightened at ipe6tres of their own raifing. In thofe fits every country-curate pafies for an inquifitor. At other times they affect a fly facetious manner making ufe of hints and allufions, expreffing little, infinuating much, and upon the whole feeming to divert themfelves with the fub- je£r, and their adverfaries. But if you would know their opinions, you muft make them fpeak out and keep clofe to the point. Perfecution for free-thinking is a topic they are apt to enlarge on, though without any juft caufe, every one being at full liberty to think what he pleafes, there being no fuch thing in England that I know as perfecution for opinion, fentiment, or thought. But in every country, I fuppofc, fome care is taken to reftrain petulant fpeech: and, whatever men's inward thoughts may be, to difcour- age an outward contempt of what the public clleemeth facred. Whether this care in E>;gL>id hath of late been 24 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. I.]
fo excefTive, as to diilrefs the fubjecls of this once free and eafy government: whether the free-thinkers can truly complain of any hafdfhip upon the fcore of confeience or opinion: you will better be able to judge, when you hear from themfelves an account of the numbers, progrefs, and notions of their feci: which I doubt not they will commu- nicate fully and freely, provided no body prefent feems fhocked or offended. For in that cafe it is pofTible good manners may put them upon fome referve. Oh! faid Euphranor, I am never angry with any man for his opin- ion: whether he be Jew, Turk, or Idolater, he may fpeak his mind freely to me without fear of offending. I mould even be glad to hear what he hath to fay, provided he faith it in an ingenuous candid manner. Whoever digs in the mine of truth, I look on as my fellow-laborer: but if, while I am taking true pains, he diverts himfelf with teiz- ing me and flinging dull in mine eyes, I (hall foon be tired of him.
V. In the mean time Aldphron and Lyficles having dif- patched what they went about, returned to us. Lyficles fat down where he had been before. But Alciphron flood over-againfl us, with his arms folded acrofs, and his head reclined on the left moulder in the poflure of a man medi- tating. We fat filent not to diilurb his thoughts; and after two or three minutes he uttered thofe words, Oh truth! Oh liberty! after which he remained mufmg as before. Upon this Euphranor took the freedom to inter- rupt him. Alciphron, faid he, it is not fair to fpend your time in foliloquies. The cenverfation of learned and knowing men is rarely to be met with in this corner, and the opportunity you have put into my hands I value too much, not to make the beft ufe of it.
Alc— Are you then in earned a votary of truth, and is it pollible that you mould be:u* the liberty of a fair in- quiry?
Euph. — It is what I defire of ail things, [Dial. I] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 25 Alc. — What! upon every fubjeft? upon the notions which you firft fucked in with your milk, and which have been ever fince nurfed by parents, paftors, tutors, religious aflemblies, books of devotion, and fuch methods of pre- poiTefiing men's minds?
Euph. — I love information upon all fubjects that come in my way, and efpecially upon thofe that are moil im- portant.
Alc. — If then you are in earneft, hold fair and (land firm, while I probe your prejudices and extirpate your principles.
Dum veteres avias tibi de pulmoiie revello.
Having faid thus, Alciphron knit his brows and made a fhort paufe, after which he proceeded in the following manner. If we are at the pains to dive and penetrate into the bottom of things, and analyfe opinions into their firft principles, we fhall find that thofe opinions, which are thought of greateft confequence, have the flighted origi- nal, being derived either from the cafual cuftoms of the country where we live, or from early inftru£tion inftlMed into our tender minds, before we are able to difcern be- tween right and wrong, true and falfe. The vulgar (by whom I underfland all thofe who do not make a free ufe of their reafon) are apt to take thefe prejudices for things facred and unqueftionable, believing them to be imprinted on the hearts of men by God himfelf, or conveyed by rev- elation from heaven, or to carry with them fo great light and evidence as muft force an allent without any inquiry or examination. Thus the fhallow vulgar have their heads furnifhed with fundry conceits, principles, and doctrines, religious, moral, and political, all which they maintain with a zeal proportionable to their want of reafon. On the other hand, thofe who duly employ their faculties in the fearch of truth, take efpecial care to weed out of their minds and extirpate all fuch notions or prejudices as were planted in them, before they arrived at the free and intire ufe of reafon. This difficult talk hath been fuccefsfu!'
D 26 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. I.]
performed by our modern free-thinkers, who have not only difiecled with great fagacity the received fyftems, and tra- ced every eftabliihed prejudice to the fountain head, the true and genuine motives of aflent: But alfo, being able to embrace in one comprehenfive view the feveral parts and ages of the world, they have obferved a wonderful variety of cuftoms and rites, of inftitutions, religious and civil, of notions and opinions very unlike and even contrary one to another: A certain fign they cannot all be true. And yet they are all maintained by their feveral partizans with the fame pofitive air and warm zeal; and if examined will be found to bottom on one and the fame foundation, the flrength of prejudice. By the help of thefe remarks and difcoveries, they have broke through the bands of popular euftom, and having freed themfelves from impofture, do now generoufly lend a hand to their fellow-fubjecl:s, to lead them into the fame paths of light and liberty. Thus, gen- tlemen, I have given you a fummary account of the views and endeavors of thofe men who are called free-thinkers. If <tn the courfe of what I have faid or mall fay hereafter, there be fome things contrary to your pre-conceived opinions, and therefore (hocking and difagreeable, you will pardon the freedom and plainnefs of a philofopher; and confider that, whatever difpleafure I give you of that kind, I do it in flri£t regard to truth and obedience to your own commands. I am very fenfible, that eyes long kept in the dark, cannot bear a fudden view of noon day light, but mull be brought to it by degrees. It is for this rea- fon, the ingenious gentlemen of our profeffion are accuf- tonied to proceed gradually, beginning with thofe preju- dices to which men have the lead attachment, and thence proceeding to undermine the reft by flow and infenfibie degrees, till they have demolifhed the whole fabric of hu- man folly and fuperftition. But the little time I can pro- pofe to fpend here obligeth me to take a fhorter courfe, and be more direcl: and plain than poffibiy maybe thought to fuit with prudence and good manners. Upon this, we [Dial. L] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 27 affured him he was at full liberty to fpeak his mind of things, perfons, and opinions without the leaft referve. It is a liberty, replied Alciphron, that we free-thinkers are equally willing to give and take. We love to call things by their right names, and cannot endure that truth mould fuffer through complaifance. Let us therefore lay it down for a preliminary, that no offence be taken at any thing, whatfoever (hall be faid on either fide. To which we all agreed.
VI. In order then, faid Alciphron, to find out the truth, we will fuppofe that I am bred up, for inilance, in the Church of England: When I come to maturity of judgment, and reflecl: on the particular worfhip and opinions of this Church, I do not remember when or by what means they firft took pofleflion of my mind, but there I find them from time immemorial. Then calling an eye on the education of children, from whence I can make a judgment of my own, I obferve they are inftru£t- ed in religious matters before they can reafon about them, and confequently that all fuch inftru£tion is nothing elfe but filling the tender mind of a child with prejudices. — I do therefore reject all thofe religious notions, which I confider as the other follies of my childhood. I am con- firmed in this way of thinking, when I look abroad into the world, where I obferve Papifts and feveral fe&s of diffenters, which do all agree in a general profeffion of belief in Chrift, but differ vaftly one from another in the particulars of faith and worfhip. I then enlarge my view fo as to take in Jews and Mahometans, between whom and the Chriftians I perceive indeed fome fmall agreement in the belief of one God; but then they have each their diftincl: laws and revelations, for which they exprefs the fame regard. But extending my view ftill farther to hea- thenifh and idolatrous nations, I difcover an endlefs vari- ety, not only in particular opinions and modes of worfhip, but even in the very notion of a Deity, wherein they 28 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. 1.1 widely differ one from another, and from all the foremen- tioned fe&s. Upon the whole, inftead of truth fimple and uniform, I perceive nothing but difcord, opposition, and wild pretenfions, all fpringing from the fame fource, to wit, the prejudice of education. From fuch reafon- ings and reflexions as thefe, thinking men have concluded that all religions are alike falfe and fabulous. One is a Chriftian, another a Jew, • a third a Mahometan, a fourth an idolatrous Gentile, but ail from one and the fame rea- fon, becaufe they happen to be bred up each in his refpec- tive feci:. In the fame manner, therefore, as each of thefe contending parties condemns the reft, fo an unpre- judiced ftander-by will condemn and rejecl: them all to- gether, obferving that they all draw their origin from the fame fallacious principle, and are carried on by the fame artifice, to anfwer the fame ends of the prieft and the ma- giftrate.
VII. EttPH.*— You hold then that the magiftrate con- curs with the prieft in impofing on the people?
Alc. — I do, and fo mult every one who considers things in a true light. For you muft know, the magif- trate's principal aim is to keep the people under him in awe. Now the public eye reftrains men from open of- fences againft the laws and government. But to prevent fecret tranfgreffions, a magiftrate finds it expedient that men fhould believe there is an eye of Providence watching over their private actions and defigns. And, to intimi- date thofe who might other wife be drawn into crimes by the profpe£t. of pleafure and profit, he gives them to un- derftand, that whoever efcapes punifhment in this life will be fure to find it in the next -, and that fo heavy and lafi> ing as infinitely to over-balance the pleafure and profit ac- cruing from his crimes. Hence the belief of a God, the immortality of the foul, and a future ftate of rewards and punifhments, have been efteemed ufeful engines of govern- ment. And to the end that thefe notional airy doctrines Pial. L] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 29 might make a fenfible impreffion, and be retained on the minds of men, fkillful rulers have in the feveral civilized nations of the earth devifed temples, facrifices, churches, rites, ceremonies, habits, mufic, prayer, preaching, and the like fpiritual trumpery, whereby the prieft maketh temporal gains, and the magiftrate findeth his account in frightening and fubduing the people. This is the original of the combination between church and date, of religion by law eftablifhed, of rights, immunities, and incomes of priefts all over the world: There being no govern- ment but would have you fear God, that you may honor the king or civil power. And you will ever obferve that politic princes keep up a good underftanding with their clergy, to the end that they in return, by inculcating re- ligion and loyalty in the minds of the people, may ren- der them tame, timorous and flavifh.
Crito and I heard this difcourfe of Alc'iphron with the ut- moft attention, though without any appearance of fur- prife, there being indeed nothing in it to us new and un- expected. But Euphranor who had never before been prefent at fuch converfation, could not help mewing fome aftonifhment \ which Lyficles obferving, afked him with a lively air, how he liked Alciphroiis lecture. It is, faid he, the firft I believe that you ever heard of the kind, and requireft a flrong ftomach to digeft it.
Euph. — I will own to you, that my digeftion is none of the quickeft; but it hath fometimes, by degrees, been able to mailer things which at firft appeared indigeftible. At prefent I admire the free fpirit and eloquence of Alciphron *, but, to fpeak the truth, I am rather aftonilhed, than con- vinced of the truth of his opinions. How, (faid he, turn- ing to Alciphron) is it then poflible you mould not believe the being of a God?
Alc — To be plain with you, I do not.
VIII. But this is what I forefaw, a flood of light let in at once upon the mind being apt to dazzle and diforder* 3<5 MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. I.]
rather than enlighten it. Was I not pinched in time, the regular way would be to have begun with the circumftan- tials of religion, next to have attacked the myfteries of chriftianity, after that proceeded to the practical doctrines, and in the laft place to have extirpated that which of all other religious prejudices, being the firft taught, and bafis of the reft, hath taken the deepeft root in our minds, I mean, the belief of a God. I do not wonder it flicks with you, having known feveral very ingenious men who found it difficult to free themfelves from this prejudice., Euph. — All men have not the fame alacrity and vigor in thinking: For my own part, I find it a hard matter to keep pace with you.
Alc. — To help you, I will go a little way back, and re- fume the thread of my reafoning. Firft I muft acquaint you, that having applied my mind to contemplate the idea of truth, I difcovered it to be of a ftable permanent, and uniform nature; not various and changeable, like modes or fafhions, and things depending on fancy. In the next place, having obferved feveral fe£ts, and fubdivifions of fe&s, efpoufing very different and contrary opinions, and yet all profeffing chriftianity, I rejected thofe points where- in they differed, retaining only that which was agreed to by all, and fo became a Latitudinarian. Having after- wards, upon a more enlarged view of things, perceived that chriftians, Jews, and Mahometans had each their dif- ferent fyftems of faith, agreeing only in the belief of one God, I became a Deifi. Laftly, extending my view to all the various nations which inhabit this globe, and finding they agreed in no one point of faith, but differed one from an- other, as well as from the forementioned feels, even in the notion of a God, in which there is as great diverfity as in the methods of worfhip, I thereupon became an Atheijl; it being my opinion, that a man of courage and fenfe mould follow. his argument wherever it leads him, and that nothing is more ridiculous than to be a free-thinker by halves. I approve the man who makes thorough work, and, not [Dial. I.] MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. 31 content with lopping off the branches, extirpates the very root from which they fprung.
IX. Atheifm therefore, that bugbear of women and fools, is the very top and perfection of free-thinking. It is the grand Arcanum to which a true genius naturally rif- eth, by a certain climax or gradation of thought, and with- out which he can never poffefs his foul in abfolute liberty and repofe. For your thorough conviction in this main article, do but examine the notion of a God with the fame freedom that you would other prejudices. Trace it to the fountain-head, and you {hall not find that you had it by any of your fenfes, the only true means of difcover- ing what is real and fubftantial in nature. You will find it lying amongft other old lumber in fome obfcure corner of the imagination, the proper receptacle of vifions, fancies, and prejudices of all kinds: And if you are more attached to this than the reft, it is only becaufe it is the oldefl. This is all, take my word for it, and not mine only, but that or many more the moft ingenious men of the age, who, I can affure you, think as I do on the fubje£r. of a Deity. Though fome of them hold it proper to proceed with more referve in declaring to the world their opinion in this particular, than in moft others. And it muft be owned, there are flill too many in England who retain a foolifh prejudice againft the name of Atheift. But it lefTens every day among the better fort; and when it is quite worn out, our free-thinkers may then, (and not till then) be faid to have given the finifhing ftroke to religion; it being evident that fo long as the exiftence of God is believed, religion muft fubfift in fome fhape or other. But the root being once plucked up, the fcions which fhot from it will of courfe wither and decay. Such are all thofe whimfical notions of confcience, duty, principle, and the like, which fill a man's head with fcruples, awe him with fears, and make him a more thorough Have than the horfe he rides. A man had better a thoufand times be hunted by bailiffs or 3* MINUTE PHILOSOPHER. [Dial. I.]
meflengers than haunted by thefe fpectres, which embar- afs arid embitter all his pleafures, creating the moll real and fore fervitude upon earth. But the free-thinker, with a vigorous flight of thought breaks through thofe airyfpring- es, and afTerts his original independency. Others indeed may talk, and write, and fight about liberty, and make an outward pretence to it, but the free-thinker alone is truly free.
Alciphron having ended this difcourfe with an air of triumph, Euphranor fpoke to him in the following manner. You make clear work. The gentlemen of your profeiTion are, it feems, admirable weeders. You have rooted up a world of notions, I mould be glad to fee what fine things you have planted in their (lead.