DOGOOD PAPERS, NO. VII

To Mrs.Dogood.Madam,My Design in troubling you with this Letter is, to desire you would begin with your own Sex first: Let the first Volley ofyour Resentments be directed againstFemaleVice; let Female Idleness, Ignorance and Folly, (which are Vices more peculiar to your Sex than to our's,) be the Subject of your Satyrs, but more especially Female Pride, which I think is intollerable. Here is a large Field that wants Cultivation, and which I believe you are able (if willing) to improve with Advantage; and when you have once reformed the Women, you will find it a much easier Task to reform the Men, because Women are the prime Causes of a great many Male Enormities. This is all at present fromYour Friendly Wellwisher,Ephraim Censorious.

To Mrs.Dogood.

Madam,

My Design in troubling you with this Letter is, to desire you would begin with your own Sex first: Let the first Volley ofyour Resentments be directed againstFemaleVice; let Female Idleness, Ignorance and Folly, (which are Vices more peculiar to your Sex than to our's,) be the Subject of your Satyrs, but more especially Female Pride, which I think is intollerable. Here is a large Field that wants Cultivation, and which I believe you are able (if willing) to improve with Advantage; and when you have once reformed the Women, you will find it a much easier Task to reform the Men, because Women are the prime Causes of a great many Male Enormities. This is all at present from

Your Friendly Wellwisher,Ephraim Censorious.

After Thanks to my Correspondent for his Kindness in cutting out Work for me, I must assure him, that I find it a very difficult Matter to reprove Women separate from the Men; for what Vice is there in which the Men have not as great a Share as the Women? and in some have they not a far greater, as in Drunkenness, Swearing, &c.? And if they have, then it follows, that when a Vice is to be reproved, Men, who are most culpable, deserve the most Reprehension, and certainly therefore, ought to have it. But we will wave this point at present, and proceed to a particular Consideration of what my Correspondent callsFemale Vice.

As for Idleness, if I shouldQuære, Where are the greatest Number of its Votaries to be found, with us or the Men? it might I believe be easily and truly answer'd,With the latter. For, notwithstanding the Men are commonly complaining how hard they are forc'd to labour, only to maintain their Wives in Pomp and Idleness, yet if you go among the Women, you will learn, thatthey have always more Work upon their Hands than they are able to do, and thata Woman's Work is never done, &c. But however, Suppose we should grant for once, that we are generally more idle than the Men, (without making any Allowance for theWeakness of the Sex,) I desire to know whose Fault it is? Are not the Men to blame for their Folly in maintaining us in Idleness? Who is there that can be handsomely supported in Affluence, Ease and Pleasure by another, that will chuserather to earn his Bread by the Sweat of his own Brows? And if a Man will be so fond and so foolish, as to labour hard himself for a Livelihood, and suffer his Wife in the mean Time to sit in Ease and Idleness, let him not blame her if she does so, for it is in a great Measure his own Fault.

And now for the Ignorance and Folly which he reproaches us with, let us see (if we are Fools and Ignoramus's) whose is the Fault, the Men's or our's. An ingenious Writer, having this Subject in Hand, has the following Words, wherein he lays the Fault wholly on the Men, for not allowing Women the Advantages of Education.

"I have (says he) often thought of it as one of the most barbarous Customs in the World, considering us as a civiliz'd and Christian Country, that we deny the Advantages of Learning to Women. We reproach the Sex every Day with Folly and Impertinence, while I am confident, had they the Advantages of Education equal to us, they would be guilty of less than our selves. One would wonder indeed how it should happen that Women are conversible at all, since they are only beholding to natural Parts for all their Knowledge. Their Youth is spent to teach them to stitch and sow, or make Baubles. They are taught to read indeed, and perhaps to write their Names, or so; and that is the Heigth of a Womans Education. And I would but ask any who slight the Sex for their Understanding, What is a Man (a Gentleman, I mean) good for that is taught no more? If Knowledge and Understanding had been useless Additions to the Sex, God Almighty would never have given them Capacities, for he made nothing Needless. What has the Woman done to forfeit the Priviledge of being taught? Does she plague us with her Pride and Impertinence? Why did we not let her learn, that she might have had more Wit? Shall we upraid Women with Folly, when 'tis only the Error of this inhumane Custom that hindred them being made wiser."

So much for Female Ignorance and Folly; and now let us a little consider the Pride which my Correspondent thinks isintolerable. By this Expression of his, one would think he is some dejected Swain, tyranniz'd over by some cruel haughtyNymph, who (perhaps he thinks) has no more Reason to be proud than himself.Alas-a-day!What shall we say in this Case! Why truly, if Women are proud, it is certainly owing to the Men still; for if they will be suchSimpletonsas to humble themselves at their Feet, and fill their credulous Ears with extravagant Praises of their Wit, Beauty, and other Accomplishments (perhaps where there are none too,) and when Women are by this Means perswaded that they are Something more than humane, what Wonder is it, if they carry themselves haughtily, and live extravagantly. Notwithstanding, I believe there are more Instances of extravagant Pride to be found among Men than among Women, and this Fault is certainly more hainous in the former than in the latter.

Upon the whole, I conclude, that it will be impossible to lash any Vice, of which the Men, are not equally guilty with the Women, and consequently deserve an equal (if not a greater), Share in the Censure. However, I exhort both to amend, where both are culpable, otherwise they may expect to be severely handled by

Sir,Your Humble Servant,Silence Dogood.

N. B.Mrs.Dogoodhas lately left her Seat in the Country, and come to Boston, where she intends to tarry for the Summer Season, in order to compleat her Observations of the present reigning Vices of the Town.

(From Monday June 18. to Monday June 25. 1722.)

Give me the Muse, whose generous Force,Impatient of the Reins,Pursues an unattempted Course,Breaks all the Criticks Iron Chains.Watts.

To the Author of theNew-England Courant.

Sir,

It has been the Complaint of many Ingenious Foreigners,who have travell'd amongst us,That good Poetry is not to be expected inNew-England. I am apt to Fancy, the Reason is, not because our Countrymen are altogether void of a Poetical Genius, nor yet because we have not those Advantages of Education which other Countries have, but purely because we do not afford that Praise and Encouragement which is merited, when any thing extraordinary of this Kind is produc'd among us: Upon which Consideration I have determined, when I meet with a Good Piece ofNew-EnglandPoetry, to give it a suitable Encomium, and thereby endeavour to discover to the World some of its Beautys, in order to encourage the Author to go on, and bless the World with more, and more Excellent Productions.

There has lately appear'd among us a most Excellent Piece of Poetry, entituled,An Elegy upon the much Lamented Death of Mrs.Mehitebell Kitel,Wife of Mr.John KitelofSalem,Etc.It may justly be said in its Praise, without Flattery to the Author, that it is the mostExtraordinaryPiece that was ever wrote inNew-England. The Language is so soft and Easy, the Expression so moving and pathetick, but above all, the Verse and Numbers so Charming and Natural, that it is almost beyond Comparison.

The Musedisdains[F]Those Links and Chains,Measures and Rules of Vulgar Strains,And o'er the Laws of Harmony a Sovereign Queen she reigns.

I find no English Author, Ancient or Modern, whose Elegies may be compar'd with this, in respect to the Elegance of Stile, or Smoothness of Rhime; and for the affecting Part, I will leave your Readers to judge, if ever they read any Lines, that would sooner make themdraw their Breathand Sigh, if not shed Tears, than these following.

Come let us mourn, for we have lost aWife, a Daughter, and a Sister,Who has lately taken Flight, andgreatly we have mist her.

[F]Watts. [Franklin's note.]

In another place,

Some little Timebefore she yielded up her Breath,She said, I ne'er shall hear one Sermon more on Earth.She kist her Husbandsome little Timebefore she expir'd,Then lean'd her Head the Pillow on, just out of Breath and tir'd.

But the Threefold Appellation in the first Line

—a Wife, a Daughter, and a Sister,

must not pass unobserved. That Line in the celebratedWatts,

Gunston,the Just, the Generous, and the Young,

is nothing Comparable to it. The latter only mentions three Qualifications ofonePerson who was deceased, which therefore could raise Grief and Compassion but forOne. Whereas the former, (our most excellent Poet) gives his Reader a Sort of an Idea of the Death ofThree Persons, viz.

—a Wife, a Daughter, and a Sister,

which isThree Timesas great a Loss as the Death ofOne, and consequently must raiseThree Timesas much Grief and Compassion in the Reader.

I should be very much straitened for Room, if I should attempt to discover even half the Excellencies of this Elegy which are obvious to me. Yet I cannot omit one Observation, which is, that the Author has (to his Honour) invented a new Species of Poetry, which wants a Name, and was never before known. His muse scorns to be confin'd to the old Measures and Limits, or to observe the dull Rules of Criticks;

NorRapingives her Rules to fly, norPurcellNotes to Sing.Watts.

Now 'tis Pity that such an Excellent Piece should not be dignify'd with a particular Name; and seeing it cannot justly be called, eitherEpic,Sapphic,Lyric, orPindaric, nor any other Name yet invented, I presume it may, (in Honour and Remembrance of the Dead) be called theKitelic. Thus much in the Praise ofKitelic Poetry.

It is certain, that those Elegies which are of our own Growth, (and our Soil seldom produces any other sort of Poetry) are by far the greatest part, wretchedly Dull and Ridiculous. Now since it is imagin'd by many, that our Poets are honest, well-meaning Fellows, who do their best, and that if they had but some Instructions how to govern Fancy with Judgment, they would make indifferent good Elegies; I shall here subjoin a Receipt for that purpose, which was left me as a Legacy, (among other valuable Rarities) by my Reverend Husband. It is as follows,

AReceiptto makea New-EnglandFuneralElegy.For the Title of your Elegy.Of these you may have enough ready made to your Hands, but if you should chuse to make it your self, you must be sure not to omit the wordsÆtatis Suæ,which will Beautify it exceedingly.For the Subject of your Elegy.Take one of your Neighbours who has lately departed this Life; it is no great matter at what Age the Party dy'd, but it will be best if he went away suddenly, beingKill'd, Drown'd,orFrose to Death.Having chose the Person, take all his Virtues, Excellencies, &c. and if he have not enough, you may borrow some to make up a sufficient Quantity: To these add his last Words, dying Expressions, &c. if they are to be had; mix all these together, and be sure you strain them well. Then season all with a Handful or two of Melancholly Expressions, such as, Dreadful, Deadly, cruel cold Death, unhappy Fate, weeping Eyes, &c.Have mixed all these Ingredients well, put them into the empty Scull of someyoung Harvard; (but in Case you have ne'er a One at Hand, you may use your own,)there let them Ferment for the Space of a Fortnight, and by that Time they will be incorporated into a Body, which take out, and having prepared a sufficient Quantity of double Rhimes, such asPower, Flower; Quiver, Shiver; Grieve us, Leave us; tell you, excel you; Expeditions, Physicians; Fatigue him, Intrigue him; &c.you must spread all upon Paper, and if you can procure a Scrap of Latin to put at the End, it will garnish itmightily, then having affixed your Name at the Bottom, with aMœstus Composuit,you will have an Excellent Elegy.N. B.This Receipt will serve when a Female is the Subject of your Elegy, provided you borrow a greater Quantity of Virtues, Excellencies, &c.

AReceiptto makea New-EnglandFuneralElegy.

For the Title of your Elegy.Of these you may have enough ready made to your Hands, but if you should chuse to make it your self, you must be sure not to omit the wordsÆtatis Suæ,which will Beautify it exceedingly.

For the Subject of your Elegy.Take one of your Neighbours who has lately departed this Life; it is no great matter at what Age the Party dy'd, but it will be best if he went away suddenly, beingKill'd, Drown'd,orFrose to Death.

Having chose the Person, take all his Virtues, Excellencies, &c. and if he have not enough, you may borrow some to make up a sufficient Quantity: To these add his last Words, dying Expressions, &c. if they are to be had; mix all these together, and be sure you strain them well. Then season all with a Handful or two of Melancholly Expressions, such as, Dreadful, Deadly, cruel cold Death, unhappy Fate, weeping Eyes, &c.Have mixed all these Ingredients well, put them into the empty Scull of someyoung Harvard; (but in Case you have ne'er a One at Hand, you may use your own,)there let them Ferment for the Space of a Fortnight, and by that Time they will be incorporated into a Body, which take out, and having prepared a sufficient Quantity of double Rhimes, such asPower, Flower; Quiver, Shiver; Grieve us, Leave us; tell you, excel you; Expeditions, Physicians; Fatigue him, Intrigue him; &c.you must spread all upon Paper, and if you can procure a Scrap of Latin to put at the End, it will garnish itmightily, then having affixed your Name at the Bottom, with aMœstus Composuit,you will have an Excellent Elegy.

N. B.This Receipt will serve when a Female is the Subject of your Elegy, provided you borrow a greater Quantity of Virtues, Excellencies, &c.

Sir,Your Servant,Silence Dogood.

P.S.I shall make no other Answer toHypercarpus'sCriticism on my last Letter than this,Mater me genuit, peperit mox filia matrem.

(From Monday September 3. to Monday September 10. 1722.)

Quod est in corde sobrii, est in ore ebrii.

To the Author of theNew-England Courant.

Sir,

It is no unprofitable tho' unpleasant Pursuit, diligently to inspect and consider the Manners & Conversation of Men, who, insensible of the greatest Enjoyments of humane Life, abandon themselves to Vice from a false Notion ofPleasureandgood Fellowship. A true and natural Representation of any Enormity, is often the best Argument against it and Means of removing it, when the most severe Reprehensions alone, are found ineffectual.

I would in this Letter improve the little Observation I have made on the Vice ofDrunkeness, the better to reclaim thegood Fellowswho usually pay the Devotions of the Evening toBacchus.

I doubt not butmoderate Drinkinghas been improv'd for the Diffusion of Knowledge among the ingenious Part of Mankind, who want the Talent of a ready Utterance, in order to discover the Conceptions of their Minds in an entertaining and intelligible Manner. 'Tis true, drinking does notimproveour Faculties, butit enables us to use them; and therefore I conclude, that much Study and Experience, and a little Liquor, are of absolute Necessity for some Tempers, in order to make them accomplish'd Orators.Dic. Ponderdiscovers an excellent Judgment when he is inspir'd with a Glass or two ofClaret, but he passes for a Fool among those of small Observation, who never saw him the better for Drink. And here it will not be improper to observe, That the moderate Use of Liquor, and a well plac'd and well regulated Anger, often produce this same Effect; and some who cannot ordinarily talk but in broken Sentences and false Grammar, do in the Heat of Passion express themselves with as much Eloquence as Warmth. Hence it is that my own Sex are generally the most eloquent, because the most passionate. "It has been said in the Praise of some Men," (says an ingenious Author,) "that they could talk whole Hours together upon any thing; but it must be owned to the Honour of the other Sex, that there are many among them who can talk whole Hours together upon Nothing. I have known a Woman branch out into a long extempore Dissertation on the Edging of a Petticoat, and chide her Servant for breaking a China Cup, in all the Figures of Rhetorick."

But after all it must be consider'd, that no Pleasure can give Satisfaction or prove advantageous to areasonable Mind, which is not attended with theRestraints of Reason. Enjoyment is not to be found by Excess in any sensual Gratification; but on the contrary, the immoderate Cravings of the Voluptuary, are always succeeded with Loathing and a palled Apetite. What Pleasure can the Drunkard have in the Reflection, that, while in his Cups, he retain'd only the Shape of a Man, and acted the Part of a Beast; or that from reasonable Discourse a few Minutes before, he descended to Impertinence and Nonsense?

I cannot pretend to account for the different Effects of Liquor on Persons of different Dispositions, who are guilty of Excess in the Use of it. 'Tis strange to see Men of a regular Conversation become rakish and profane when intoxicated with Drink, and yet more surprizing to observe, that some who appear to be the most profligate Wretches when sober, become mightyreligious in their Cups, and will then, and at no other Time address their Maker, but when they are destitute of Reason, and actually affronting him. Some shrink in the Wetting, and others swell to such an unusual Bulk in their Imaginations, that they can in an Instant understand all Arts and Sciences, by the liberal Education of a little vivyfyingPunch, or a sufficient Quantity of other exhilerating Liquor.

And as the Effects of Liquor are various, so are the Characters given to its Devourers. It argues some Shame in the Drunkards themselves, in that they have invented numberless Words and Phrases to cover their Folly, whose proper Significations are harmless, or have no Signification at all. They are seldom known to bedrunk, tho they are very oftenboozey,cogey,tipsey,fox'd,merry,mellow,fuddl'd,groatable,Confoundedly cut,See two Moons, areAmong the Philistines,In a very good Humour,See the Sun, or,The Sun has shone upon them; theyClip the King's English, areAlmost froze,Feavourish,In their Altitudes,Pretty well enter'd, &c.[18]In short, every Day produces some new Word or Phrase which might be added to the Vocabulary of theTiplers: But I have chose to mention these few, because if at any Time a Man of Sobriety and Temperance happens tocut himself confoundedly, or isalmoss froze, orfeavourish, or accidentallysees the Sun, &c. he may escape the Imputation of beingdrunk, when his Misfortune comes to be related.

I amSir,Your Humble Servant,Silence Dogood.

(From Monday, February 4, to Monday, February 11, 1723)

The late Publisher of this Paper,[19]finding so many Inconveniences would arise by his carrying the Manuscripts and publick News to be supervis'd by the Secretary, as to render his carrying it on unprofitable, has intirely dropt the Undertaking.The present Publisher having receiv'd the following Piece, desires the Readers to accept of it as a Preface to what they may hereafter meet with in this Paper.

Non ego mordaci distrinxi Carmine quenquamNulla vonenato Litera onista Joco est.

Long has the Press groaned in bringing forth an hateful, but numerous Brood of Party Pamphlets, malicious Scribbles, and Billinsgate Ribaldry. The Rancour and bitterness it has unhappily infused into Men's minds, and to what a Degree it has sowred and leaven'd the Tempers of Persons formerly esteemed some of the most sweet and affable, is too well known here, to need any further Proof or Representation of the Matter.

No generous and impartial Person then can blame the present Undertaking, which is designed purely for the Diversion and Merriment of the Reader. Pieces of Pleasancy and Mirth have a secret Charm in them to allay the Heats and Tumours of our Spirits, and to make a Man forget his restless Resentments. They have a strange Power to tune the harsh Disorders of the Soul, and reduce us to a serene and placid State of Mind.

The main Design of this Weekly Paper will be to entertain the Town with the most comical and diverting Incidents of Humane Life, which in so large a Place asBostonwill not fail of a universal Exemplification: Nor shall we be wanting to fill up these Papers with a grateful Interspersion of more serious Morals which may be drawn from the most ludicrous and odd Parts of Life.

As for the Author, that is the next Question. But tho' we profess ourselves ready to oblige the ingenious and courteous Reader with most Sorts of Intelligence, yet here we beg a Reserve. Nor will it be of any Manner of Advantage either to them or to the Writers, that their names should be published; and therefore in this Matter we desire the Favour of you to suffer us to hold our Tongues: Which tho' at this Time of Day it may sound like a very uncommon Request, yet it proceeds from the very Hearts of your Humble Servants.

By this Time the Reader perceives that more than one are engaged in the present Undertaking. Yet is there one Person, an Inhabitant of this Town ofBoston, whom we honour as a Doctor in the Chair, or a perpetual Dictator.

The Society had design'd to present the Publick with his Effigies, but that the Limner, to whom he was presented for a Draught of his Countenance, descryed (and this he is ready to offer upon Oath) Nineteen Features in his Face, more than ever he beheld in any Humane Visage before; which so raised the Price of his Picture, that our Master himself forbid the Extravagance of coming up to it. And then besides, the Limner objected a Schism in his face, which splits it from his Forehead in a strait Line down to his chin, in such sort, that Mr. Painter protests it is a double Face, and he'll haveFour Poundsfor the Pourtraiture. However, tho' this double Face has spoilt us of a pretty Picture, yet we all rejoiced to see oldJanusin our Company.

There is no Man inBostonbetter qualified than oldJanusfor aCouranteer, or if you please, anObservator, being a Man of such remarkableOpticks, as to look two ways at once.

As for his Morals, he is a chearly Christian, as the Country Phrase expresses it. A Man of good Temper, courteous Deportment, sound Judgment; a mortal Hater of Nonsense, Foppery, Formality, and endless Ceremony.

As for his club, they aim at no greater Happiness or Honour, than the Publick be made to know, that it is the utmost of their Ambition to attend upon and do all imaginable good Offices to good oldJanusthe Couranteer, who is and always will be the Readers humble Servant.

P.S. Gentle Readers, we design never to let a Paper pass without a Latin Motto if we can possibly pick one up, which carries a Charm in it to the Vulgar, and the learned admire the pleasure of Construing. We should have obliged the World with a Greek scrap or two, but the Printer has no Types, and therefore we intreat the candid Reader not to impute the defect to our Ignorance, for our Doctor can say all theGreekLetters by heart.

To Mr. J. R.[London, 1725]

Sir,

I have here, according to your Request, given you mypresentThoughts of thegeneral State of Thingsin the Universe. Such as they are, you have them, and are welcome to 'em; and if they yield you any Pleasure or Satisfaction, I shall think my Trouble sufficiently compensated. I know my Scheme will be liable to many Objections from a less discerning Reader than your self; but it is not design'd for those who can't understand it. I need not give you any Caution to distinguish the hypothetical Parts of the Argument from the conclusive: You will easily perceive what I design for Demonstration, and what for Probability only. The whole I leave entirely to you, and shall value my self more or less on this account, in proportion to your Esteem and Approbation.

Sect. I.OfLibertyandNecessity

I.There is said to be aFirst Mover,who is calledGod,Maker of the Universe.

II.He is said to be all-wise, all-good, all powerful.

These two Propositions being allow'd and asserted by People of almost every Sect and Opinion; I have here suppos'd them granted, and laid them down as the Foundation of my Argument; What follows then, being a Chain of Consequences truly drawn from them, will stand or fall as they are true or false.

III.If He is all-good, whatsoever He doth must be good.

IV.If He is all-wise, whatsoever He doth must be wise.

The Truth of these Propositions, with relation to the two first, I think may be justly call'd evident; since, either that infinite Goodness will act what is ill, or infinite Wisdom what is, not wise, is too glaring a Contradiction not to be perceiv'd byany Man of common Sense, and deny'd as soon as understood.

V.If He is all-powerful, there can be nothing either existing or acting in the Universeagainstorwithouthis Consent, and what He consents to must be good, because He is good, thereforeEvildoth not exist.

Unde Malum?has been long a Question, and many of the Learned have perplex'd themselves and Readers to little Purpose in Answer to it. That there are both Things and Actions to which we give the Name ofEvil, is not here deny'd, asPain,Sickness,Want,Theft,Murder, &c. but that these and the like are not in realityEvils,Ills, orDefectsin the Order of the Universe, is demonstrated in the next Section, as well as by this and the following Proposition. Indeed, to suppose any Thing to exist or be done,contraryto the Will of the Almighty, is to suppose him not almighty; or that Something (the Cause ofEvil) is more mighty than the Almighty; an Inconsistence that I think no One will defend: And to deny any Thing or Action, which he consents to the existence of, to be good, is entirely to destroy his two Attributes ofWisdomandGoodness.

There is nothing done in the Universe, say the Philosophers,but what God either does, orpermitsto be done. This, as He is Almighty, is certainly true: But what need of this Distinction betweendoingandpermitting? Why, first they take it for granted that many Things in the Universe exist in such a Manner as is not for the best, and that many Actions are done which ought not to be done, or would be better undone; these Things or Actions they cannot ascribe to God as His, because they have already attributed to Him infinite Wisdom and Goodness; Here then is the Use of the WordPermit; Hepermitsthem to be done,say they. But we will reason thus: If God permits an Action to be done, it is because he wants eitherPowerorInclinationto hinder it; in saying he wantsPower, we deny Him to bealmighty; and if we say He wantsInclinationorWill, it must be, either because He is not Good, or the Action is notevil, (for all Evil is contrary to the Essence ofInfinite Goodness.) The former is inconsistent with his before-given Attribute of Goodness, therefore the latter must be true.

It will be said, perhaps, thatGod permits evil Actions to be done, forwiseEnds and Purposes. But this Objection destroys itself; for whatever an infinitely good God hath wise Ends in suffering tobe, must be good, is thereby made good, and cannot be otherwise.

VI.If a Creature is made by God, it must depend upon God, and receive all its Power from Him, with which Power the Creature can do nothing contrary to the Will of God, because God is Almighty; what is not contrary to His Will, must be agreeable to it; what is agreeable to it, must be good, because He is Good; therefore a Creature can do nothing but what is good.

This Proposition is much to the same Purpose with the former, but more particular; and its Conclusion is as just and evident. Tho' a Creature may do many Actions which by his Fellow Creatures will be nam'dEvil, and which will naturally and necessarily cause or bring upon the Doer, certainPains(which will likewise be call'dPunishments;) yet this Proposition proves, that he cannot act what will be in itself really Ill, or displeasing to God. And that the painful Consequences of his evil Actions (so call'd) are not, as indeed they ought not to be,Punishmentsor Unhappinesses, will be shewn hereafter.

Nevertheless, the late learned Author ofThe Religion of Nature, (which I send you herewith) has given us a Rule or Scheme, whereby to discover which of our Actions ought to be esteem'd and denominatedgood, and whichevil; It is in short this, "Every Action which is done according toTruth, is good; and every Action contrary to Truth, is evil: To act according to Truth is to use and esteem every Thing as what it is, &c. Thus ifAsteals a Horse fromB, and rides away upon him, he uses him not as what he is in Truth,viz.the Property of another, but as his own, which is contrary to Truth, and thereforeevil." But, as this Gentleman himself says, (Sect. I. Prop. VI.) "In order to judge rightly what any Thing is, it must be consider'd, not only what it is in one Respect, but also what it may be in any other Respect; and the whole Description of the Thing ought to be taken in: So in this Case it ought to be consider'd, thatAis naturally acovetousBeing, feeling an Uneasiness in thewant ofB'sHorse, which produces an Inclination for stealing him, stronger than his Fear of Punishment for so doing. This isTruthlikewise, andAacts according to it when he steals the Horse. Besides, if it is prov'd to be aTruth, thatAhas not Power over his own Actions, it will be indisputable that he acts according to Truth, and impossible he should do otherwise.

I would not be understood by this to encourage or defend Theft; 'tis only for the sake of the Argument, and will certainly have noill Effect. The Order and Course of Things will not be affected by Reasoning of this Kind; and 'tis as just and necessary, and as much according to Truth, forBto dislike and punish the Theft of his Horse, as it is forAto steal him.

VII.If the Creature is thus limited in his Actions, being able to do only such Things as God would have him to do, and not being able to refuse doing what God would have done; then he can have no such Thing as Liberty, Free-will or Power to do or refrain an Action.

ByLibertyis sometimes understood the Absence of Opposition; and in this Sense, indeed, all our Actions may be said to be the Effects of our Liberty: But it is a Liberty of the same Nature with the Fall of a heavy Body to the Ground; it has Liberty to fall, that is, it meets with nothing to hinder its Fall, but at the same Time it is necessitated to fall, and has no Power or Liberty to remain suspended.

But let us take the Argument in another View, and suppose ourselves to be, in the common sense of the Word,Free Agents. As Man is a Part of this great Machine, the Universe, his regular Acting is requisite to the regular moving of the whole. Among the many Things which lie before him to be done, he may, as he is at Liberty and his Choice influenc'd by nothing, (for so it must be, or he is not at Liberty) chuse any one, and refuse the rest. Now there is every Moment somethingbestto be done, which is alone thengood, and with respect to which, every Thing else is at that Timeevil. In order to know which is best to be done, and which not, it is requisite that we should have at one View all the intricate Consequences of every Action with respect to the general Order and Scheme of the Universe, both presentand future; but they are innumerable and incomprehensible by any Thing but Omniscience. As we cannot know these, we have but as one Chance to ten thousand, to hit on the right Action; we should then be perpetually blundering about in the Dark, and putting the Scheme in Disorder; for every wrong Action of a Part, is a Defect or Blemish in the Order of the Whole. Is it not necessary then, that our Actions should be over-rul'd and govern'd by an all-wise Providence?—How exact and regular is every Thing in thenaturalWorld! How wisely in every Part contriv'd! We cannot here find the least Defect! Those who have study'd the mere animal and vegetable Creation, demonstrate that nothing can be more harmonious and beautiful! All the heavenly Bodies, the Stars and Planets, are regulated with the utmost Wisdom! And can we suppose less Care to be taken in the Order of themoralthan in thenaturalSystem? It is as if an ingenious Artificer, having fram'd a curious Machine or Clock, and put its many intricate Wheels and Powers in such a Dependance on one another, that the whole might move in the most exact Order and Regularity, had nevertheless plac'd in it several other Wheels endu'd with an independentSelf-Motion, but ignorant of the general Interest of the Clock; and these would every now and then be moving wrong, disordering the true Movement, and making continual Work for the Mender: which might better be prevented, by depriving them of that Power of Self-Motion, and placing them in a Dependance on the regular Part of the Clock.

VIII.If there is no such Thing as Free-Will in Creatures, there can be neither Merit nor Demerit in Creatures.

IX.And therefore every Creature must be equally esteem'd by the Creator.

These Propositions appear to be the necessary Consequences of the former. And certainly no Reason can be given, why the Creator should prefer in his Esteem one Part of His Works to another, if with equal Wisdom and Goodness he design'd and created them all, since all Ill or Defect, as contrary to his Nature, is excluded by his Power. We will sum up the Argument thus, When the Creator first design'd the Universe, either it was HisWill and Intention that all Things should exist and be in the Manner they are at this Time; or it was his Will they shouldbeotherwise,i.e.in a different Manner: To say it was His Will Things should be otherwise than they are, is to say Somewhat hath contradicted His Will, and broken His Measures, which is impossible because inconsistent with his Power; therefore we must allow that all Things exist now in a Manner agreeable to His Will, and in consequence of that are all equally Good, and therefore equally esteem'd by Him.

I proceed now to shew, that as all the Works of the Creator are equally esteem'd by Him, so they are, as in Justice they ought to be, equally us'd.

Sect. II.OfPleasureandPain.

I.When a Creature is form'd and endu'd with Life, 'tis suppos'd to receive a Capacity of the Sensation ofUneasinessorPain.

It is this distinguishes Life and Consciousness from unactive unconscious Matter. To know or be sensible of Suffering or being acted upon isto live; and whatsoever is not so, among created Things, is properly and trulydead.

AllPainandUneasinessproceeds at first from and is caus'd by Somewhat without and distinct from the Mind itself. The Soul must first be acted upon before it can re-act. In the Beginning of Infancy it is as if it were not; it is not conscious of its own Existence, till it has receiv'd the first Sensation ofPain; then, and not before, it begins to feel itself, is rous'd, and put into Action; then it discovers its Powers and Faculties, and exerts them to expel the Uneasiness. Thus is the Machine set on work; this is Life. We are first mov'd byPain, and the whole succeeding Course of our Lives is but one continu'd Series of Action with a View to be freed from it. As fast as we have excluded one Uneasiness another appears, otherwise the Motion would cease. If a continual Weight is not apply'd, the Clock will stop. And as soon as the Avenues of Uneasiness to the Soul are choak'd up or cut off, we are dead, we think and act no more.

II.This Uneasiness, whenever felt, producesDesireto be freed from it, great in exact proportion to the Uneasiness.

Thus isUneasinessthe first Spring and Cause of all Action; for till we are uneasy in Rest, we can have no Desire to move, and without Desire of moving there can be no voluntary Motion. The Experience of every Man who has observ'd his own Actions will evince the Truth of this; and I think nothing need be said to prove that theDesirewill be equal to theUneasiness, for the very Thing implies as much: It is notUneasinessunless we desire to be freed from it, nor a greatUneasinessunless the consequent Desire is great.

I might here observe, how necessary a Thing in the Order and Design of the Universe thisPainorUneasinessis, and how beautiful in its Place! Let us but suppose it just now banish'd the World entirely, and consider the Consequence of it: All the Animal Creation would immediately stand stock still, exactly in the Posture they were in the Moment Uneasiness departed; not a Limb, not a Finger would henceforth move; we should all be reduc'd to the Condition of Statues, dull and unactive: Here I should continue to sit motionless with the Pen in my Hand thus———and neither leave my Seat nor write one Letter more. This may appear odd at first View, but a little Consideration will make it evident; for 'tis impossible to assign any other Cause for the voluntary Motion of an Animal than itsuneasinessin Rest. What a different Appearance then would the Face of Nature make, without it! How necessary is it! And how unlikely that the Inhabitants of the World ever were, or that the Creator ever design'd they should be, exempt from it!

I would likewise observe here, that the VIIIth Proposition in the preceding Section, viz.That there is neither Merit nor Demerit, &c. is here again demonstrated, as infallibly, tho' in another manner: For sinceFreedom from Uneasinessis the End of all our Actions, how is it possible for us to do any Thing disinterested?—How can any Action be meritorious of Praise or Dispraise, Reward or Punishment, when the natural Principle ofSelf-Loveis the only and the irresistible Motive to it?

III.ThisDesireis always fulfill'd or satisfy'd,

In theDesignorEndof it, tho' not in theManner: The first is requisite, the latter not. To exemplify this, let us make a Supposition; A Person is confin'd in a House which appears to be in imminent Danger of Falling, this, as soon as perceiv'd, creates a violentUneasiness, and that instantly produces an equal strongDesire, theEndof which isfreedom from the Uneasiness, and theManneror Way propos'd to gain thisEnd, isto get out of the House. Now if he is convinc'd by any Means, that he is mistaken, and the House is not likely to fall, he is immediately freed from hisUneasiness, and theEndof his Desire is attain'd as well as if it had been in theMannerdesir'd, viz.leaving the House.

All our different Desires and Passions proceed from and are reducible to this one Point,Uneasiness, tho' the Means we propose to ourselves for expelling of it are infinite. One proposesFame, anotherWealth, a thirdPower, &c. as the Means to gain thisEnd; but tho' these are never attain'd, if the Uneasiness be remov'd by some other Means, theDesireis satisfy'd. Now during the Course of Life we are ourselves continually removing successive Uneasinesses as they arise, and thelastwe suffer is remov'd by thesweet Sleepof Death.

IV.The fulfilling or Satisfaction of thisDesire,produces the Sensation ofPleasure,great or small in exact proportion to theDesire.

Pleasureis that Satisfaction which arises in the Mind upon, and is caus'd by, the accomplishment of ourDesires, and by no other Means at all; and those Desires being above shewn to be caus'd by ourPainsorUneasinesses, it follows thatPleasureis wholly caus'd byPain, and by no other Thing at all.

V.Therefore the Sensation ofPleasureis equal, or in exact proportion to the Sensation ofPain.

As theDesireof being freed from Uneasiness is equal to theUneasiness, and thePleasureof satisfying that Desire equal to theDesire, thePleasurethereby produc'd must necessarily be equal to theUneasinessorPainwhich produces it: of three Lines,A,B, andC, ifAis equal toB, andBtoC,Cmust be equal toA. And as ourUneasinessesare always remov'd bysome Means or other, it follows thatPleasureandPainare in their Nature inseparable: So many Degrees as one Scale of the Ballance descends, so many exactly the other ascends; and one cannot rise or fall without the Fall or Rise of the other: 'Tis impossible to taste ofPleasure, without feeling its preceding proportionatePain; or to be sensible ofPain, without having its necessary ConsequentPleasure: Thehighest Pleasureis only Consciousness of Freedom from thedeepest Pain, and Pain is not Pain to us unless we ourselves are sensible of it. They go Hand in Hand; they cannot be divided.

You have a View of the whole Argument in a few familiar Examples: ThePainof Abstinence from Food, as it is greater or less, produces a greater or lessDesireof Eating, the Accomplishment of thisDesireproduces a greater or lessPleasureproportionate to it. ThePainof Confinement causes theDesireof Liberty, which accomplish'd, yields aPleasureequal to thatPainof Confinement. ThePainof Labour and Fatigue causes thePleasureof Rest, equal to thatPain. ThePainof Absence from Friends, produces thePleasureof Meeting in exact proportion.&c.

This is thefixt Natureof Pleasure and Pain, and will always be found to be so by those who examine it.

One of the most common Arguments for the future Existence of the Soul, is taken from the generally suppos'd Inequality of Pain and Pleasure in the present; and this, notwithstanding the Difficulty by outward Appearances to make a Judgment of another's Happiness, has been look'd upon as almost unanswerable: but sincePainnaturally and infallibly produces aPleasurein proportion to it, every individual Creature must, in any State ofLife, have an equal Quantity of each, so that there is not, on that Account, any Occasion for a future Adjustment.

Thus are all the Works of the Creatorequallyus'd by him; And no Condition of Life or Being is in itself better or preferable to another: The Monarch is not more happy than the Slave, nor the Beggar more miserable thanCrœsus. SupposeA,B, andC, three distinct Beings;AandB, animate, capable ofPleasureandPain,Can inanimate Piece of Matter, insensibleof either.Areceives ten Degrees ofPain, which are necessarily succeeded by ten Degrees ofPleasure:Breceives fifteen ofPain, and the consequent equal Number ofPleasure:Call the while lies unconcern'd, and as he has not suffer'd the former, has no right to the latter. What can be more equal and just than this? When the Accounts come to be adjusted,Ahas no Reason to complain that his Portion ofPleasurewas five Degrees less than that ofB, for his Portion ofPainwas five Degrees less likewise: Nor hasBany Reason to boast that hisPleasurewas five Degrees greater than that ofA, for hisPainwas proportionate: They are then both on the same Foot withC, that is, they are neither Gainers nor Losers.

It will possibly be objected here, that even common Experience shews us, there is not in Fact this Equality: "Some we see hearty, brisk and chearful perpetually, while others are constantly burden'd with a heavy Load of Maladies and Misfortunes, remaining for Years perhaps in Poverty, Disgrace, or Pain, and die at last without any Appearance of Recompence." Now tho' 'tis not necessary, when a Proposition is demonstrated to be a general Truth, to shew in what manner it agrees with the particular Circumstances of Persons, and indeed ought not to be requir'd; yet, as this is a common Objection, some Notice may be taken of it: And here let it be observ'd, that we cannot be proper Judges of the good or bad Fortune of Others; we are apt to imagine, that what would give us a great Uneasiness or a great Satisfaction, has the same Effect upon others: we think, for Instance, those unhappy, who must depend upon Charity for a mean Subsistence, who go in Rags, fare hardly, and are despis'd and scorn'd by all; not considering that Custom renders all these Things easy, familiar, and even pleasant. When we see Riches, Grandeur and a chearful Countenance, we easily imagine Happiness accompanies them, when oftentimes 'tis quite otherwise: Nor is a constantly sorrowful Look, attended with continual Complaints, an infallible Indication of Unhappiness. In short, we can judge by nothing but Appearances, and they are very apt to deceive us. Some put on a gay chearful Outside, and appear to the World perfectly at Ease, tho' eventhen, some inward Sting, some secret Pain imbitters all their Joys, and makes the Ballance even: Others appear continually dejected and full of Sorrow; but even Grief itself is sometimespleasant, and Tears are not always without their Sweetness: Besides, Some take a Satisfaction in being thought unhappy, (as others take a Pride in being thought humble,) these will paint their Misfortunes to others in the strongest Colours, and leave no Means unus'd to make you think them throughly miserable; so great a Pleasure it is to themto be pitied. Others retain the Form and outside Shew of Sorrow, long after the Thing itself, with its Cause, is remov'd from the Mind; it is a Habit they have acquir'd and cannot leave. These, with many others that might be given, are Reasons why we cannot make a true Estimate of theEqualityof the Happiness and Unhappiness of others; and unless we could, Matter of Fact cannot be opposed to this Hypothesis. Indeed, we are sometimes apt to think, that the Uneasinesses we ourselves have had, outweigh our Pleasures; but the Reason is this, the Mind takes no Account of the latter, they flip away un-remark'd, when the former leave more lasting Impressions on the Memory. But suppose we pass the greatest part of Life in Pain and Sorrow, suppose we die by Torments andthink no more, 'tis no Diminution to the Truth of what is here advanc'd; for thePain, tho' exquisite, is not so to thelastMoments of Life, the Senses are soon benumm'd, and render'd incapable of transmitting it so sharply to the Soul as at first; She perceives it cannot hold long, and 'tis anexquisite Pleasureto behold the immediate Approaches of Rest. This makes an Equivalent tho' Annihilation should follow: For the Quantity ofPleasureandPainis not to be measur'd by its Duration, any more than the Quantity of Matter by its Extension; and as one cubic Inch may be made to contain, by Condensation, as much Matter as would fill ten thousand cubic Feet, being more expanded, so one single Moment ofPleasuremay outweigh and compensate an Age ofPain.

It was owing to their Ignorance of the Nature of Pleasure and Pain that the Antient Heathens believ'd the idle Fable of theirElizium, that State of uninterrupted Ease and Happiness!The Thing is intirely impossible in Nature! Are not the Pleasures of the Spring made such by the Disagreeableness of the Winter? Is not the Pleasure of fair Weather owing to the Unpleasantness of foul? Certainly. Were it then always Spring, were the Fields always green and nourishing, and the Weather constantly serene and fair, the Pleasure would pall and die upon our Hands; it would cease to be Pleasure to us, when it is not usher'd in by Uneasiness. Could the Philosopher visit, in reality, every Star and Planet with as much Ease and Swiftness as he can now visit their Ideas, and pass from one to another of them in the Imagination; it would be aPleasureI grant; but it would be only in proportion to theDesireof accomplishing it, and that would be no greater than theUneasinesssuffer'd in the Want of it. The Accomplishment of a long and difficult Journey yields a greatPleasure; but if we could take a Trip to the Moon and back again, as frequently and with as much Ease as we can go and come from Market, the Satisfaction would be just the same.

TheImmaterialityof the Soul has been frequently made use of as an Argument for itsImmortality; but let us consider, that tho' it should be allow'd to be immaterial, and consequently its Parts incapable of Separation or Destruction by any Thing material, yet by Experience we find, that it is not incapable of Cessation ofThought, which is its Action. When the Body is but a little indispos'd it has an evident Effect upon the Mind; and a right Disposition of the Organs is requisite to a right Manner of Thinking. In a sound Sleep sometimes, or in a Swoon, we cease to think at all; tho' the Soul is not therefore then annihilated, butexistsall the while tho' it does notact; and may not this probably be the Case after Death? All our Ideas are first admitted by the Senses and imprinted on the Brain, increasing in Number by Observation and Experience; there they become the Subjects of the Soul's Action. The Soul is a mere Power or Faculty ofcontemplatingon, andcomparingthose Ideas when it has them; hence springs Reason: But as it canthinkon nothing but Ideas, it must have them before it canthinkat all. Therefore as it may exist before it has receiv'd any Ideas, it may exist beforeitthinks. To remember a Thing, is to have the Idea of it still plainly imprinted on the Brain, which the Soul can turn to and contemplate on Occasion. To forget a Thing, is to have the Idea of it defac'd and destroy'd by some Accident, or the crouding in and imprinting of great variety of other Ideas upon it, so that the Soul cannot find out its Traces and distinguish it. When we have thus lost the Idea of any one Thing, we canthinkno more, orcease to think, on that Thing; and as we can lose the Idea of one Thing, so we may of ten, twenty, a hundred, &c. and even of all Things, because they are not in their Nature permanent; and often during Life we see that some Men, (by an Accident or Distemper affecting the Brain,) lose the greatest Part of their Ideas, and remember very little of their past Actions and Circumstances. Now uponDeath, and the Destruction of the Body, the Ideas contain'd in the Brain, (which are alone the Subjects of the Soul's Action) being then likewise necessarily destroy'd, the Soul, tho' incapable of Destruction itself, must then necessarilycease to thinkoract, having nothing left to think or act upon. It is reduc'd to its first unconscious State before it receiv'd any Ideas. And to cease tothinkis but little different fromceasing to be.

Nevertheless, 'tis not impossible that this sameFacultyof contemplating Ideas may be hereafter united to a new Body, and receive a new Set of Ideas; but that will no way concern us who are now living; for the Identity will be lost, it is no longer that sameSelfbut a new Being.

I shall here subjoin a short Recapitulation of the Whole, that it may with all its Parts be comprehended at one View.

1.It is suppos'd that God the Maker and Governour of the Universe, is infinitely wise, good, and powerful.

2.In consequence of His Infinite Wisdom and Goodness, it is asserted, that whatever He doth must be infinitely wise and good;

3.Unless He be interrupted, and His Measures broken by some other Being, which is impossible because He is Almighty.

4.In consequence of His infinite Power, it is asserted, that nothing can exist or be done in the Universe which is not agreeable to His Will, and therefore good.

5.Evil is hereby excluded, with all Merit and Demerit; and likewise all preference in the Esteem of God, of one Part of the Creation to another.This is the Summary of the first Part.

Now our common Notions of Justice will tell us, that if all created Things are equally esteem'd by the Creator, they ought to be equally us'd by Him; and that they are therefore equally us'd, we might embrace for Truth upon the Credit, and as the true Consequence of the foregoing Argument. Nevertheless we proceed to confirm it, by shewinghowthey are equally us'd, and that in the following Manner.

1.A Creature when endu'd with Life or Consciousness, is made capable of Uneasiness or Pain.

2.This Pain produces Desire to be freed from it, in exact proportion to itself.

3.The Accomplishment of this Desire produces an equal Pleasure.

4.Pleasure is consequently equal to Pain.

From these Propositions it is observ'd,

1.That every Creature hath as much Pleasure as Pain.

2.That Life is not preferable to Insensibility; for Pleasure and Pain destroy one another: That Being which has ten Degrees of Pain subtracted from ten of Pleasure, has nothing remaining, and is upon an equality with that Being which is insensible of both.

3.As the first Part proves that all Things must be equally us'd by the Creator because equally esteem'd; so this second Part demonstrates that they are equally esteem'd because equally us'd.

4.Since every Action is the Effect of Self-Uneasiness, the Distinction of Virtue and Vice is excluded; andProp. VIII.inSect. I.again demonstrated.

5.No State of Life can be happier than the present, because Pleasure and Pain are inseparable.

Thus both Parts of this Argument agree with and confirm one another, and the Demonstration is reciprocal.

I am sensible that the Doctrine here advanc'd, if it were to be publish'd, would meet with but an indifferent Reception. Mankind naturally and generally love to be flatter'd: Whatever sooths our Pride, and tends to exalt our Species above the restof the Creation, we are pleas'd with and easily believe, when ungrateful Truths shall be with the utmost Indignation rejected. "What! bring ourselves down to an Equality with the Beasts of the Field! with themeanestpart of the Creation! 'Tis insufferable!" But, (to use a Piece ofcommonSense) ourGeeseare butGeesetho' we may think 'emSwans, and Truth will be Truth tho' it sometimes prove mortifying and distasteful.

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Previous Question, To Be Answered At Every Meeting

Have you read over these queries this morning, in order to consider what you might have to offer the Junto touching any one of them? viz.

1. Have you met with any thing in the author you last read, remarkable, or suitable to be communicated to the Junto? particularly in history, morality, poetry, physic, travels, mechanic arts, or other parts of knowledge.

2. What new story have you lately heard agreeable for telling in conversation?

3. Hath any citizen in your knowledge failed in his business lately, and what have you heard of the cause?

4. Have you lately heard of any citizen's thriving well, and by what means?

5. Have you lately heard how any present rich man, here or elsewhere, got his estate?

6. Do you know of a fellow citizen, who has lately done a worthy action, deserving praise and imitation; or who has lately committed an error, proper for us to be warned against and avoid?

7. What unhappy effects of intemperance have you lately observed or heard; of imprudence, of passion, or of any other vice or folly?

8. What happy effects of temperance, of prudence, of moderation, or of any other virtue?

9. Have you or any of your acquaintance been lately sick or wounded? If so, what remedies were used, and what were their effects?

10. Whom do you know that are shortly going voyages or journeys, if one should have occasion to send by them?

11. Do you think of any thing at present, in which the Junto may be serviceable tomankind, to their country, to their friends, or to themselves?

12. Hath any deserving stranger arrived in town since last meeting, that you have heard of? And what have you heard or observed of his character or merits? And whether, think you, it lies in the power of the Junto to oblige him, or encourage him as he deserves?

13. Do you know of any deserving young beginner lately set up, whom it lies in the power of the Junto any way to encourage?

14. Have you lately observed any defect in the laws of yourcountry, of which it would be proper to move the legislature for an amendment? Or do you know of any beneficial law that is wanting?

15. Have you lately observed any encroachment on the just liberties of the people?

16. Hath any body attacked your reputation lately? And what can the Junto do towards securing it?

17. Is there any man whose friendship you want, and which the Junto, or any of them, can procure for you?

18. Have you lately heard any member's character attacked, and how have you defended it?

19. Hath any man injured you, from whom it is in the power of the Junto to procure redress?

20. In what manner can the Junto, or any of them, assist you in any of your honourable designs?

21. Have you any weighty affair on hand, in which you think the advice of the Junto may be of service?

22. What benefits have you lately received from any man not present?

23. Is there any difficulty in matters of opinion, of justice,and injustice, which you would gladly have discussed at this time?

24. Do you see any thing amiss in the present customs or proceedings of the Junto, which might be amended?

Any person to be qualified [as a member of the Junto], to stand up, and lay his hand upon his breast, and be asked these questions, viz.

1. Have you any particular disrespect to any present members?Answer.I have not.

2. Do you sincerely declare, that you love mankind in general, of what profession or religion soever?Answer.I do.

3. Do you think any person ought to be harmed in his body, name, or goods, for mere speculative opinions, or his external way of worship?Answer.No.

4. Do you love truth for truth's sake, and will you endeavour impartially to find and receive it yourself, and communicate it to others?Answer.Yes.

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