man, and am surely not obliged, when labouring for his conviction, to level arguments specifically against another class of persons, viz. those unwise Christians, who, in the opposite extreme of credulity, think, that even in the absurdities of superstition they can read so many original revelations. Yet, while I renounce the impious method of reasoning which they so innocently employ, I am willing to tolerate the conclusions of these imprudent brethren. I disturb them not in their fantastic dreams; but freely congratulate them upon the imaginary advantages of their lofty speculations and reveries, raised from such despicable materials, like the dirt and rust upon the shield of Scriblerus, which were supposed to indicate a precious relic of antiquity, but which, at any rate, must have arisen from peculiar qualities in the substance to which they adhered, and were naturally consequent upon that valuable metal being neglected. To such reasoners I only observe, that, the universal reception and tradition of certain portions of their imaginary revelation, proves them to have corresponding sympathies in the hearts of men. I remind them of the known and common principles of human nature, without which, nothing else could have perpetuated so general a belief in the existence of preternatural beings, after the negligent or wilful corruptions of men had effaced the original and genuine conceptions of the divine nature; or could have rendered so universal the abominable rites of pagan sacrifice, when the object to whom they pointed was forgotten. But to return.

The human mind is so oppressed, and clogged, and its faculties borne downwards, by the early impressions of sense, that, whosoever will consider the state of a rude savage, or even of the generality of mankind, how little qualified they are by any innate force to make scientific discoveries in a subject which is on all sides beset with excruciating doubts and difficulties, will rarely imagine, that, reason had any great share in giving to the mass of mankind a determination to religion. Nor, from the example of the famed sages of Greece or Rome, will human vanity find much comfort in any assurance of the ability of mere reason, however highly cultivated and improved, (a faculty which those philosophers unreasonably extolled,) to introduce even the fundamental doctrines of natural religion,-even those that have the most extensively prevailed over the world. For instance, the doctrines of a Providence, and future state of retribution, which have ever been articles of the general faith; but from which, as the very learned although paradoxical author of the Divine Legation has shewn at great length, the old philosophers departed. If, in the next place, we turn our thoughts upon the result of our own inquiries into theology, it is likely we shall adopt the language with which Mr. Hume's theories terminate, that the whole is "an enigma, a riddle, an explicable mystery." For example, the omnipresence of the Deity, and his existence from eternity, are among the first inferences to which our speculations invariably lead: but if the consistency, or even the meaning of these conclusions, be exa

mined, they will be found to contain little that is satisfactory, or accountable, to an inquisitive mind. Other inferences are of a nature equally difficult and perplexing, yet equally impossible to be evaded. The imagination is thus confounded among the tremendous depths of metaphysical divinity, and reason is overpowered by the magnificence of discoveries, which, while they illuminate all other objects, are themselves too dazzling to be contemplated. In whatever way we consider the subject, it will evidently appear to be an absurd and monstrous supposition, that religious doctrines have, upon account of their conformity to reason, prevailed among all nations, and received admission into every rank and condition of mankind, without exclusion of any sex, or age, or character, and have been maintained with especial eagerness by the vulgar, by women, by the crazy, and the weak, who are always the most zealous in defending their peculiar tenets, and ever feel the strongest conviction. Now, some natural preparation of the mind being necessary, and its existence having been demonstrated, this, since it is not Reason, must be Instinct.

Even the dogmatic Warburton, who has roundly asserted that religion could not exist without the care of the civil magistrate for its conservation, does yet confess, that all endeavours would be vain and ineffectual, were there not a natural susceptibility of the mind to religious impressions. Thus, among the multitude of authorities whom I might have adduced, three of the most opposite characters that could be selected from all literary history, agree, that reli

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a

gion is founded, not in reason, but in instinct. Lord Bacon declares this, as we have seen, in the most unequivocal manner. Mr. Hume, in order to bring religion under the contempt of reason, adopts the same principle, although,-in the excess of his complacency at having arrived at the conclusion of an essay, of which the principal object was "to establish an atheistic naturalism upon the ruins of religion," and little dreaming that even revealed religion has its deep foundations in nature, he did not care to proceed in search of an unpleasant inference, which, for aught he knew, might be but a short distance before him. And the Bishop of Gloucester, who, of course, whenever it was possible, never failed to magnify the care of the legislator, and to exalt the wisdom of the state, is, invito vultu, forced to acknowledge the necessary assistance, and concurrence, of a natural disposition to religion.

It now remains, before we can infer the divine origin of the Christian religion, only to shew, that no other system is competent to supply a defect, which forms a glaring exception to the analogy of universal

nature.

In the celebrated controversies which have been agitated respecting the particular person or assembly with whom the gift of infallibility was deposited, those

a P. 116, ante.

b See "Remarks in a letter to Dr. WARBURTON, by A GENTLEMAN OF CAMBRIDGE,"—and see, also, the second tract of the Appendix at the end of this Volume.

c P. 116-117, ante.

learned divines, among whom it was a principle admitted in common, that that extraordinary power had been conferred somewhere in the Church, were well aware, that it was not necessary for each of them separately, to consider the absolute weight of evidence which was in favour of his opinion, but only to refute the tenets which were maintained by his adversaries. This mode of reasoning being undoubtedly just, their several inferences were of necessity not less true than the premises from which they were deduced. So, likewise, it being intended by our Maker, that we should eat, and drink, and sleep, it is our province to select what sorts of food, and to discover what degrees of rest, are most proper for us; and we would hardly be accounted wise men, if we were to refuse the means of sustenance, until we had argued ourselves into a conviction of the propriety of taking food at all; which could not easily be discovered by any demonstrations, or reasonings, a priori. But, in fact, reasoning upon such a topic is excluded. We eat, or lie down to sleep, when prompted by hunger or fatigue, without regarding the consequences, or the remote effects, of those actions upon our bodies; and we find by experience, that all those natural propensities (without leaving us any room or inclination to doubt, or inquire, whether they should, or should not, be gratified at all) are, not without good reason, implanted in us; to direct us to objects of a certain class, among which it is our business to

* See note (16.)