This, however, is the juft Reverie of that Character, which we own to be mod divinely Good, when we fee it, as we fometimcs do, in Men of higher! Power among us. If they pafs for truly Good, we dare treat them freely, and Vol. I. C are 24 A LETTER are fare they will not be difpleas'd with this Liberty. They are doubly Gainers by this Goodnefs of theirs. For the more they are fearch'd into, and familiarly examin'd, the more their Worth appears, and the Difcoverer, charm'd with his Succefs, efteems and loves more than ever, when he has prov'd this ad- ditional Bounty in his Superior, and reflects on that Candor and Generofity he has expc- rienc'd- Your Lordfhip knows more perhaps of this Myfiery than any-one. How elfe fhou'd you have been fo belov'd in Power, and out of Power fo adher'd to, and ftill more belov'd?
Thank Heaven! there are even in our own Age fome fuch Examples. In former Ages there have been many fuch. We have known mighty Princes, and even Emperors of the World, who cou'd bear unconcernedly, not only the free Cenfure of their Aclions, but the mod fpiteful Reproaches and Calumnys, even to their faces. Some perhaps may wifli there had never been fuch Examples found in Hea- thens: but more efpecially, that the occafion had never been given by Chriftians. 'Twas more the Misfortune indeed of Mankind in general, than of Chriftians in particular, that fome of the earlier Roman Emperors were fuch Monrlers of Tyranny, and began a Perfecution, not on religious Men merely, but on all who were were fufpe&ed of Worth or Virtue. What cou'd have been a higher Honour or Advan- tage to Chriftianity, than to be perfecuted by a Nero? But better Princes, who came after, were perfuaded to remit thefe fevere Courfes. 'Tis true, the Magiftrate might poffibly have been furpriz'd with the newnefs of a Notion, which he might pretend, perhaps, did not on- ly deftroy the Sacrednefs of his Power, but treated him and all Men as profane, impious, and damn'd, who enter'd not into certain par- ticular Modes ofWorfhip; of which there had been formerly fo many thoufand inflituted, all of 'em compatible and fociable till that time. However, fuch was the Wifdom of fome fuc- ceeding Miniftrys, that the edge of Perfecu- tion was much abated; and even that * Prince, who was efteem'd the greatefl Enemy of the Chriftian Seel, and who himfelf had been edu- cated in it, was a great Reftrainer of Perfecu- tion, and wou'd allow of nothing further than a Refumption of Church-Lands and publick Schools, without any attempt on the Goods or Perfons even ofthofewho branded the State- Religion, and made a Merit of affronting the publick Worfhip.
'Tis well we have the Authority of a facred Author in our Religion, to affure us, that the * See VOL. 111. p. 87, SS, 89. in the Notes.
C 2 Spirit Spirit of* Love and Humanity is above that of Martyrs. Otherwife, one might be a little fcandaliz'd, perhaps, at theHiftory of many of our primitive Confeffors and Martyrs, even according to our own accounts. There is hardly now in the World fo good a Chriflian (if this be indeed the Mark of a good one) who, if he happen'd to live at Conjlantinople, or elfe- where under the Protection of theTiuks, wou'd think it fitting or decent to give any Diftur- bance to their Mofque-\V or [hip. And as good Proteftants, my Lord, as you and I are, we fhou'd confider him as little better than a rank Enthufiaft, who, out of hatred to the Romifli Idolatry, fhou'd, in time of high Mafs (where Mafs perhaps was by Laweftablifh d) interrupt the Prieft with Clamours, or fall foul on his Images and Relicks.
. There are fome, it feems, of our good Brethren, the French Proteflants, lately come among us, who are mightily taken with this Primitive way. They have fet a-foot the Spi- rit of Martyrdom to a wonder in their own Country; and they long to be trying it here, if we will give 'em leave, and afford em the Occafion: that is to fay, if we will only do em the favour to hang or imprifon 'em; if I Cor. ch. xiii, ycr. 3.
we Concerning E NTH US IAS M. 2 7 we will only be fo obliging as to break their Bones for 'em, after their Country-fafhion, blow up their Zeal, and flir a-frefh the Coals of Perfecution. But no fuch Grace can they hitherto obtain of us. So hard-hearted we are, that notwithftanding their own Mob are willing to bellow kind Blows upon 'em, and fairly flone 'em now and then in the open Street; tho the Priefls of their own Nation wou'd gladly give 'em their defir'd Discipline, and are earned to light their probationary Fires for 'em; we EngUJh Men, who are Mailers in our own Country, will not fuffer the Enthu- fiafts to be thus us'cl. Nor can we be fuppos'd to acl; thus in envy to their Pkenix-Sed., which it feems has rifen out of the Flames, and wou'd willingly grow to be a new Church by the fame manner of Propagation as the old one, whofe Seed was truly faid to be from the Blood of the Martyrs.
But how barbarous (till, and more than heathenifhly cruel, are we tolerating Englijh Men! For, not contented to deny thefe pro- phefying Enthufiafts the Honour of a Perfecu- tion, we have deliver'd 'em over to the cruelieft Contempt in the World. I am told, for cer- tain, that they are at * this very time the Sub- (vol. i) c,3 jeel jecl of a choice Droll or Puppet-Show at Bar tie- tfzj-Fair. There, doubtlefs, their ftrange Voices and involuntary Agitations are admirably well acled by the Motion of Wires, and Infpiration of Pipes. For the Bodys of the Prophets, in their State of Prophecy, being not in their own power, but (as they fay themfelves) mere pafTive Organs, actuated by an exterior Force, have nothing natural, or refembling real Life, in any of their Sounds or Motions: fo that how aukardly foever a Puppet-Showmay imi- tate other Aclions, it mufl needs reprefent this Paflion to the Life. And whilfl Bartlemy- Fair is in poffelTion of this Privilege, I dare Hand Security to our National Church, that no Seclof Enthuftafts, no new Venders of Pro- phecy or Miracles, (hall ever get the (tart, or put her to the trouble of trying her Strength with 'em, in any Cafe.
Happy it was for us, that when Prophecy- had got poffeflion, Smithjicld was us'd in a more tragical way. Many of our firft Reformers, 'tis fear'd, were little better than Enthufiafls: and God knows whether a Warmth of this kind did not confiderably help us in throw- ing off that fpiritual Tyranny. So that had not the Priefts, as is ufual, prefer'd the love of Blood to all other Pafllons, they might in a merrier way, perhaps, have evaded the great- eft Concerning ENTHUSIASM. 29 eft Force of our reforming Spirit. I never heard that the antient Heathens were fo well advis'd in their ill Purpofe of Supprefling the Chriftian Religion in its firfl Rife, as to make ufe, at any time, of this Barf lemy-Y a.iv Method. But this I am perfuaded of, that had the Truth of the Gofpel been any way furmountable, they wou'd have bid much fairer for the fi- lencing it, if they had chofen to bring our primitive Founders upon the Stage in a plea- fanter way than that of Bear-Skins and Pitch- Barrels.
The Jews were naturally a very * cloudy People, and wou'd endure little Raillery in any thing; much lefs in what belong'd to any re- ligious Doctrines or Opinions. Religion was look'd upon with a fullen Eye; and Hanging was the only Remedy they cou'd prefcribe for any thing which look'd like fetting up a new Revelation. The fovereign Argument was, Crucify, Crucify. But with all their Malice and Inveteracy to our Saviour, and his Apoftles after him, had they but taken the Fancy to acl: fuch Puppet-Shows in his Contempt, as at this hour the Papifts are acling in his Honour; I am apt to think they might poflibly have done * Our Author having been cenfur'd for this and fome following Paf- fages concerning the Jews, the Reader is refer'd to the Notes and Cita- tions in VOL. 111. p. 53, 4,5,6. And, ibid. 115, 116, 3cc. See C 4 our our Religion more harm, than by all their other ways of Severity.
I believe our great and learned Apoftle found lefs * Advantage from the eafy Treat- ment of his Athenian Antagonifts, than from the furly and curft Spirit of the mod persecu- ting Jewifri Citys. He made lefs Improvement of the Candor and Civility of his Roman Judges, than of the Zeal of the Synagogue, and Vehe- mence of his National Priefts. Tho when I confider this Apoftle as appearing either before the witty Athenians, or before a Roman Court of Judicature, in the Prefence of their great Men and Ladys, and fee how handfomly he accom- modates himfelf to the Apprehenfions and Temper of thofe politer People: I do not find that he declines the way of Wit or good Humour; but, without fufpicion of his Caufe, is willing generoufly to commit it to this Proof, and try it againftthe Sharpnefs of any Ridicule which might be offer'd.
But tho the Jews were never pleas'd to try their Wit or Malice this way againft our * What Advantage he made of his Sufferings, and how pathetically his Bo'ids and Stripes were fet to view, and often pleaded by him, to raife his Character, and advance the Interefi of Chriftianity, any one who reads his Epiftles, and. is well acquainted with his Manner and Style, may cafilyobferve.
Saviour Concerning ENTHUSIASM. 31 Saviour or his Apoflles; the irreligious part of the Heathens had try'd it long before againfl the befl Doctrines and belt Characters of Men which had ever arifen amongft 'em. Nor did this prove in the end any Injury, but on the contrary the higheft Advantage to thofe very Characters and Doclrines, which, having flood the Proof, were found fo folid and juft. The divineft Man who had ever appeard in the Heathen World, was in the height of witty Times, and by the wittiefl of all Poets, moll abominably ridiculd, in a whole Comedy writ and acled on purpofe. But fo far was this from finking his Reputation, or fuppreffing his Philofophy, that they each increasd the more for it; and he apparently grew to be more the Envy of other Teachers. He was not only contented to be ridiculd; but, that he might help the Poet as much as poffible, he prefented himfelf openly in the Theater; that his real Figure (which was no advanta- geous one) might be compar'd with that which the witty Poet had brought as his Reprefenta- tive on the Stage. Such was his good Humour! Nor cou'd there be in the World a greater Teflimony of the invincible Goodnefs of the Man, or a greater Demonflration, that there was no Impofture either in his Character or Opinions. For that Impofture fhou'd dare fuftain the Encounter of a grave Enemy, is no wonder wonder. A folemn Attack, fhe knows, is not of fuch danger to her. There is nothing fhe abhors or dreads like Pleafantnefs and good Humour.
IN short, my Lord, the melancholy way of treating Religion is that which, accord- ing to my apprehenfion, renders it fo tragical, and is the occafion of its acling in reality fuch difmal Tragedys in the World. And my No- tion is, that provided we treat Religion with good Manners, we can never ufe too much good Humour, or examine it with too much Freedom and Familiarity. For, if it be genuine and fincere, it will not only ftand the Proof, but thrive and gain advantage from hence: if it be fpurious, or mix'd with any Impofture, it will be detected and exposd.
The melancholy way in which we have been taught Religion, makes us unapt to think of it in good Humour. 'Tis in Adverfity chief- ly, or in ill Health, under Affliction, or Dif- turbance of Mind, or Difcompofure of Tem- per, that we have recourfe to it. Tho in re- ality we are never fo unfit to think of it as at fuch a heavy and dark Hour. We can never be fit to contemplate any thing above us, when we Concerning ENTHUSIASM. 33 we are in no condition to look into our-felves, and calmly examine the Temper of our own Mind and PafiTions. For then it is we fee Wrath, and Fury, and Revenge, and Terrors in the Deity; when we are full of Disturbances and Fears within, and have, by Sufferance and Anxiety, loft fo much of the natural Calm and Eafinefs of our Temper.
We mud not only be in ordinary good Humour, but in the ben of Humours, and in the fweeteft, kindeft Difpofition of our Lives, to underfland well what true Goodnefs is, and what thofe Attributes imply, which we afcribe with fuch Applaufe and Honour to the Deity. We mail then be able to fee beft, whether thofe Forms of Juftice, thofe Degrees of Punifh- ment, that Temper of Refentment, and thofe Meafures of Offence and Indignation, which we vulgarly fuppofe in God, are futable to thofe original Ideas of Goodnefs, which the fame Di- vine Being, or Nature under him, has im- planted in us, and which we mud neceffarily prefuppofe, in order to give him Praife or Ho- nour in any kind. This, my Lord, is the Se-. curity againfl all Superftition: To remember, that there is nothing in God but what is Godtike; and that He is either not at all, or truly and perfectly Good. But when we are afraid to life our Reafon freely, even on that very Queftion, Queftion, tc Whether He really be, or not;' we then actually prefume him bad, and flatly contradict that pretended Character of Good- nefs and Greatnefs; whilfl we difcover this Mif- flrufl of his Temper, and fear his Anger and Refentment, in the cafe of this Freedom o/Tn- We have a notable Inftance of this Free- dom in one of our facred Authors. As patient as Job is faid to be, it cannot be denied that he makes bold enough with God, and takes his Providence roundly to tafk. His Friends, indeed, plead hard with him, and ufe all Ar- guments, right or wrong, to patch up Objec- tions, and fet the Affairs of Providence upon an equal Foot. They make a merit of faying all the Good they can of God, at the very ftretch of their Reafon, and fometimes quite beyond it. But this, in Job's Opinion, is * flat- tering God, accepting of God's Per/on, and even mocking him. And no wonder. For, what merit can there be in believing God, or his Pi evidence, upon frivolous and weak grounds? What Virtue in affuming an Opinion contrary to the appearance of Things, and refolving to hear nothing wrhich may be faid againfl it? Excellent Character of the God of Truth! that he fhou'd be offended at us, for having refus'd to Concerning ENTHUSIASM. 35 to put the lye upon our Underftandings, as much as in us lay, and be fatisfy'd with us for having believ'd at a venture, and againft our Reafon, what might have been the greateft Falfhood in the world, for any thing we cou'd bring as a Proof or Evidence to the contrary!
It is impomble that any befides an ill-na- tur'd Man can wifh againft the Being of a God: for this is wifhing againft the Publick, and even againft one's private Good too, if rightly un- derftood. But if a Man has not any fuch Ill- will to ftifle his Belief, he muft have furely an unhappy Opinion of G o d, and believe him not fo good by far as he knows Himfelf to be, if he imagines that an impartial Ufe of his Reafon, in any matter of Speculation whatfoever, can make him run any rifle Hereafter; and that a mean Denial of his Reafon, and an Affedlation of Belief in any Point too hard for his Underftand- ing, can intitle him to any Favour in another World. This is being Sycophants in Religion, mere Parqfites of Devotion. Tis ufing God as the crafty * Beggars ufe thofe they addrefs to, when they are ignorant of their Quality. The Novices amongft em may innocently come out, perhaps, with a GoodSir, or a Good Forfooth! But with the old Stagers, no matter whom they meet in in a Coach, 'tis always Good your Honour1, or Good your Lordfhip! or your Lady/Iiip! For if there fhou'd be really a Lord in the cafe, we fhou'd be undone (fay they) for want of giving the Title: but if the Party fhou'd be no Lord, there wou'd be no Offence; it wou'd not be ill taken.
And thus it is in Religion. We are high- ly concern'd how to beg right; and think all de- pends upon hitting the Title, and making a good Guefs. 'Tis the mod beggarly Refuge imagi- nable, which is fo mightily cry'd up, and (lands as a great Maxim with many able Men; tl That 4t they fhou'd ftrive to have Faith, and believe V to the utmoft: becaufe if, after all, there be " nothing in the matter, there will be no harm " in being thus deceiv'd; but if there be any " thing, it will be fatal for them not to have tc believ'd to the full." But they are fo far miftaken, that whilfl they have this Thought, 'tis certain they can never believe either to their Satisfaction and Happinefs in this World, or with any advantage of Recommendation to another. For befides that our Reafon, which knows the Cheat, will never reft thorowly fa- tisfy'd on fuch a Bottom, but turn us often a- drift, and tofs us in a Sea of Doubt and Per- plexity; we cannot but actually grow tuorfe in our Religion, and entertain a worfe Opinion ft ill Concerning ENTHUSIASM. 37 ftill of a Supreme Deity, whilft our Belief is founded on fo injurious a Thought of him.
To love thePublick, to ftudy univerfal Good, and to promote the Intereft of the whole World, as far as lies within our power, is furely the Height of Goodnefs, and makes that Temper which we call Divine. In this Temper, my Lord, (for furely you fhou d know it well) 'tis natural for us to wifh that others fliou'd par- take with us, by being convinc'd of the Sin- cerity of our Example. Tis natural for us to wifh our Merit, fhou'd be known; particular- ly, if it be our fortune to have ferv'd a Nation as a good Minifter; or as fome Prince, or Father of a Country, to have render'd happy a confi- derable Part of Mankind under our Care. But if it happend, that of this number there fhou'd be fome fo ignorantly bred, and of fo remote a Province, as to have lain out of the hearing of our Name and Aclions; or hearing of 'em, fhou'd be fo puzzld with odd and contrary Sto- rys told up and down concerning us, that they knew not what to think, whether there were really in the World any fuch Perfon as our- felf: Shou'd we not, in good truth, be ridicu- lous to take offence at this? And fliou'd we not pafs for extravagantly morofe and ill-hu- mour'd, if inftead of treating the matter in Rail- lery, we fliou'd think in earneft of revenging our- Jdves Jdves Jelves on the offending Partys, who, out of their ruftick Ignorance, ill Judgment, or Increduli- ty, had detracted from our Renown?
How fhall we fay then? Does it really de- ferve Praife to be thus concern'd about it? Is the doing Good for Glory s fake, fo divine a thing? or, Is it not diviner, to do Good even where it may be thought inglorious, even to the Ingrate- ful, and to thofe who are wholly infenfible of the Good they receive? How comes it then, that what is fo divine in us, ftiou'd lofe its Cha- racter in the Divine Being? And that according as the Deity is reprefented to us, he fhou'd more refemble the weak, * womanifh, and im- potent part of our Nature, than the generous, manly, and divine?
ON E wou'd think, my Lord, it were in rea- lity no hard thing to know our own Weak- neffes at firft fight, and diftinguifh the Features of human Frailty, with which we are fo well acquainted. One wou'd think it were eafy to underfland, that Provocation and Offence, An- ger, Revenge, Jealoufy in point of Honour or Power, Love of Fame, Glory and the like, be- long only to limited Beings, and are neceffarib Concerning ENTHUSIASM. 39 rily excluded a Being which is perfecl and univerfal. But if we have never fettled with our-felves any ' Notion of what is morally excellent; or if we cannot truft to that Reafon which tells us, that nothing befide what is Jo, can have place in the Deity; we can neither truft to any thing which others relate of him, or which he him-felf reveals to us. We muft be fatisfy'd before-hand, that he is good, and cannot deceive us. Without this, there can be no real religious Faith, or Confidence. Now, if there be really fomething previous to Revelation, fome antecedent Demonftra- tion of Reafon, to afTure us that God is, and withal, that he is Jo good as not to deceive us; the fame Reafon, if we will truft to it, will demonftrate to us, that God is y^ good as to exceed the very bed of us in Goodnejs. And after this manner we can have no Dread or Sufpicion to render us uneafy: for it is Malice only, and not Goodnejs, which can make us afraid. ~ There is an odd way of reafoning, but in certain Diftempers of Mind very fovereign to thofe who can apply it; and it is this: " There can be no Malice but where Inte- 41 refts are oppos'd. A univerfal Being can "have no Intereft oppoiite; and therefore Vol. I. D " can lt can have no Malice." If there be a general Mind, it can have no particular Intereft: But the general Good, or Good of the Whole, and its own private Good, mufl of neceffity be one and the fame. It can intend nothing befides, nor aim at any thing beyond, nor be provok'd to any thing contrary. So that we have only to confider, whether there be really fuch a thing as a Mind ivliich has relation to the Whole, or not. For if unhappily there be no Mind, we may comfort our felves, however, that Nature has no Malice: If there be really a Mind, we may reft fatisfy'd, that it is the befi natter d one in the World. The lafl Cafe7 one wou'd imagine, fhou'd be the mod com- fortable: and the Notion of a common Parent lefs frightful than that of forlorn Nature, and a fatherlefs World. Tho, as Religion flands amongft us, there are many good People who wou'd have lefs Fear in being thus expos'd; and wou'd be eafier, perhaps, in their Minds, if they were affur'd they had only mere Chance to trull to. For no body trembles to think there fhou'd be no God; but rather that there Jlioud be one. This however wou'd be otherwife, if Deity were thought as kindly of as Humanity; and we cou'd be perfuaded to believe, that if there really was a God, the higheft Goodnefs rauft of neceffity belong to him, without any Concerning ENTHUSIASM. 41 any of thofe * Defecls of Paffion, thofe Mean- nefles and Imperfections which we acknow- ledge fuch in our-felves, which as good Men we endeavour all we can to be fuperior to, and which we find we every day conquer as we grow better.
Met h inks, my Lord, it wou'd be well for us, if before f we afcended into the higher Re- gions of Divinity, we wou'd vouchfafe to de- fcend a little into our-felves, and bellow lb me poorThoughts upon plain honeit Morals. When we had once look'd into our-felves, and diftin- guifli'd well the nature of our own Affections, we fhou'd probably be fitter Judges of the Di- vinenefs of a Character, and difcern better what Affections were futable or unfutable to a per fed Being. We might then underfland how to love and praife, when we had acquird fome confif- tent Notion of what was laudable or lovely. Otherwife we might chance to do God little Honour, when we intended him the mofl. For 'tis hard to imagine what Honour can arife to the Deity from the Praifes of Creatures, who * For my own part, fays honefi Plutapch, I had rather Men fhou'd fav of me, " That there neither is, nor ever was fuch a one as " Plutarch;" than they fhou'd fay, " There was a Plutarch, " an imneaddy, changeable, eafiiy provokable, and revengeful Man-; '* "Av^anr©- alos&M©*, ev/aet«£>A©-, b;#giQS vagls qjFw, [mx%q vir^, 8cc. " Plutarch, de Superftitione. See V O L. III. p, 127.
f VOL. III. p. 37. and 202, 203. in the Notes.
D 2 are are unable to difcern what is praife-worthy or excellent in their own kind.
If a Mufician were cry'd up to the Skys by a certain Set of People who had no Ear in Mu- fick, he wou'd furely be put to the blufh; and cou'd hardly, with a good Countenance, accept the Benevolence of his Auditors, till they had acquir'd a more competent Apprehenfion of him, and cou'd by their own Senfes find out fomething really good in his Performance. Till this were brought about, there wou'd be little Glory in the cafe; and the Mufician, tho ever fo vain, wou'd have little reafon to be content- ed.
They who affect Praife the mod, had rather not be taken notice of, than be impertinently applauded. I know not how it comes about, that He who is ever faid to do Good the moft difmterefledly, fhou'd be thought defirous of being prais'd fo lavifhly, and be fuppos'd to fet fo high a Rate upon fo cheap and low a Thing, as ignorant Commendation and fore' d Ap~ plaufe.
'Ti s not the fame with Goodnefs as with other Qualitys, which we may underfland very well, and yet not poffefs. We may have an excel- lent Ear in Mufick without being able to per- form Concerning ENTHUSIASM. 43 form in any kind. We may judge well of Poetry, without being Poets, or poffefTirig the leaf! of a Poetick Vein: But we can have no tolerable Notion of Goodnefs, without being tolerably good. So that if the Praife of a Di- vine Being be fo great a part of his Worfhip, we fhou d, methinks, learn Goodnefs, were it for nothing elfe than that we might learn, in fome tolerable manner, how to praife. For the praife of Goodnefs from an unfound hollow Heart, mull certainly make the greateft Diffo- nance in the world.
• • OTHER Reafons, my Lord, there are, why this plain home-fpun Philofophy, of looking into our-felves, may do us wondrous fervice, in rectifying our Errors in Religion. For there is a fort of *Enthufiafm of fecond hand. And when Men find no original Com- motions in them-felves, no preporTeffing Panick which bewitches 'em; they are apt full, by the Teftimony of others, to be impos'd on, and led creduloufly into the Belief of many falfe Miracles. And this Habit may make 'em variable, and of a very inconftant Faith, eafy to be carry d away with every Wind of Doc- trine, and addicted to every up-ftart Sect or Superftition. But the knowledge of our Paf- D 3 fions hobs in their very Seeds, the meafuring well the Growth and Progrefs of Enthufiafm, and the judging rightly of its natural Force, and what command it has over our very * Senfes, may teach us to oppofe more fuccefsfully thofe Delufions which come arm'd with the fpecious Pretext of moral Certainty, and Mat- ter of Fact.