At the same time I must be permitted to believe, that the more recent writers by profession, do not so greatly excel the venerable Hebrew model, which they had first to study, and afterwards to improve upon, in the succession of ages. The author who for a series of years, has no other occupation than that of gathering the flowers of others thoughts, for the history of some certain fact, may undoubtedly surpass the summary commentaries of an indefatigable legislator, who, if any, had less time to throw away in the recording of what happened to him and to his people, than even a Cæsar or a Frederick. To do, and to record, and both with ability, falls to the lot of few.

LETTER XLIII.

THE style of language of all barbarous nations upon earth, both ancient and modern, for nature is ever uniform, is concise and figurative. It is almost a speaking hieroglyphic.* Hence the scriptures are easily to be explained. "Thunder and tempestuous winds," are put for hostile nations. "Stars falling from the "firmament"-the destruction of the nobles. "Lyons, bears, leopards, goats "-leaders of armies, conquerors, and founders of empire. The Jews, indeed, above all others, conceiving themselves a chosen race, and distinguished by God Almighty, by their descent from Adam, and despising the Gentiles as a species scarcely human, dealt out these figures with a most lavish hand. The sons of men, they called sinners, and beasts. Themselves they honoured with the appellation of the sons of God, and the country wherein they lived, that of the Holy Land. But in fact, there are various things in the scriptures, both moral, theological, cal, and natural, wherein we recede from the letter, when it is manifestly contrary to the dictates of reason. Our Saviour says, "If thy "right eye offend thee, pluck it out. If thy right hand offend thee, cut it off." There is no man who thinks himself obliged to the literal practice of this doctrine. * Again, " if any man will sue thee at law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also." And yet there is no christian so good natured as to practice this; nor any casuist so rigid, as to enjoin it. Other instances may be found in our Saviour's Sermon upon the Mount, in which we do not scruple to lay aside the letter, when it is judged contrary to the light of nature, or impracticable in human society.

These doctrines, particularly of the New Testament, it is evident, were figuratively meant to regulate the duties, not of mankind generally, but of individuals towards each other; they were addressed to men, who were to be dispersed over the earth, and who by their patience, moderation, gentleness, and humility, were to convert men to the christian religion, and to triumph over the malice of their enemies; and so taken, must be acknowledged to be full

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of wisdom and of goodness. To interpret them differently, would be to deviate from the benign intention of the Gospel. Nor can greater injury or injustice be done to sacred history, than to give such representations of things recorded in them, as make them unintelligible and incredible; and on the other hand, we cannot deserve better of religion, than by giving such fair accounts of all things proposed by them, as may silence the cavils of Atheists; satisfy the inquisitive, and recommend them to the belief and acceptance of all reasonable persons. The zealous advocates of true religion would not proscribe all use of reasoning. That would be to confound theology with superstition and barbarism. And yet there are those, who highly valuing themselves for being rational, and by virtue of it, religious; are yet ever contriving how to hinder the free exercise of reason in religious matters; as if reason and religion were irreconcileable; and that the method God has proposed to us for the discovery of all other truths, was the most certain way of confounding religious truth.

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But the right of appealing to reason, right which cannot be denied, being liberally

granted, philosophy will then be found to have for its object, an innocent and highly useful inquiry into the nature and ground of our opinions and principles. True philosophy improves the faculties; and as it increases the activity of our minds, it must be of eminent use in ascertaining and illustrating divine truth, and in preparing us for receiving it. Thus, the savage receives divine truths carelessly, hears them with indifference, apprehends them confusedly, and suffers them soon to be obliterated from his memory. But a Newton listens to them attentively, weighs them deliberately, comprehends them accurately, and keeps them in careful remembrance.* In short, nothing can secure the mind from error and imposture, but the precision arising from a candid philosophical spirit, which admits no terms that are not clear; no premises that are not evident; and no conclusions that do not intuitively follow premises well ascertained.

It has been laid down by Aristotle, as the proper way of reasoning from authority, that what seems true to some wise men, may upon that account be esteemed somewhat probable: what is believed by most wise men, hath a further degree of probability: what most

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