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THE GUARDIAN.

No 83.

mankind. Even the selfish man has fome share of love, which he bestows on his family and his friends. A nobler mind hath at heart the common interest of the fociety or country of which he makes a part. And there is ftill a more diffufive fpirit, whofe being or intentions reach the whole mafs of mankind, and are continued beyond the present age, to a fucceffion of future generations.

The advantage arifing to him who hath a tincture of this generofity on his foul, is, that he is affected with a fublimer joy than can be comprehended by one who is deftitute of that noble relish. The happiness of the rest of mankind hath a natural connection with that of a reafonable mind. And in proportion, as the actions of each individual contribute to this end, he must be thought to deferve well or ill, both of the world, and of himself. I have, in a late paper, obferved, that men who have no reach of thought do often misplace their affections on the means, without refpect to the end; and by a prepofterous defire of things in themselves indifferent, forego the enjoyment of that happiness which thofe things are inftrumental to obtain. obfervation has been confidered with regard to critics and mifers; I fhall now apply it to freethinkers.

This

Liberty and truth are the main points which these gentlemen pretend to have in view; to proceed therefore methodically, I will endeavour to fhew in the first place that liberty and truth

b See Guard. N° 77.

are not in themselves desirable, but only as they relate to a farther end. And fecondly, that the fort of liberty and truth (allowing them those names) which our free-thinkers use all their induftry to promote, is deftructive to that end, viz. human happiness: and confequently that species, as fuch, instead of being encouraged or esteemed, merit the deteftation and abhorrence of all honest men. In the last place, I defign to fhew, that under the pretence of advancing liberty and truth, they do in reality promote the two contrary evils.

As to the first point, it has been observed that it is the duty of each particular person to aim at the happiness of his fellow-creatures; and that as this view is of a wider or narrower extent, it argues a mind more or lefs virtuous. Hence it follows, that a liberty of doing good actions which conduce to the felicity of mankind, and a knowledge of fuch truths as might either give us pleafure in the contemplation of them, or direct our conduct to the great ends of life, are valuable perfections. But fhall a good man, therefore, prefer a liberty to commit murder or adultery, before the wholesome restraint of divine and human laws? Or fshall a wife man prefer the knowledge of a troublesome and afflicting truth, before a pleasant error that would chear his foul with joy and comfort, and be attended with no ill confequences? Surely no man of common sense would thank him, who had put it in his power to execute the fudden fuggeftions of a fit of paf-. fion or madness, or imagine himself obliged to a perfon, who by forwardly informing him of ill

news, had caused his foul to anticipate that forrow which she would never have felt, fo long as the ungrateful truth lay concealed.

Let us then refpect the happiness of our fpecies, and in this light examine the proceedings of the free-thinkers. From what giants and monfters would thefe knight-errants undertake to free the world? From the ties that religion impofeth on our minds, from the expectation of a future judgment, and from the terrors of a troubled confcience, not by reforming men's lives, but by giving encouragement to their vices. What are those important truths of which they would convince mankind? That there is no fuch thing as a wife and juft Providence; that the mind of man is corporeal; that religion is a statetrick, contrived to make men honeft and virtuous, and to procure a fubfiftence to others for teaching and exhorting them to be fo; that the good tidings of life and immortality, brought to light by the gofpel, are fables and impoftures; from believing that we are made in the image of God, they would degrade us to an opinion that we are on a level with the beasts that perish. What pleasure or what advantage do these notions bring to mankind? Is it of any ufe to the public that good men should lose the comfortable profpect of a reward to their virtue; or the wicked be encouraged to perfift in their impiety, from an affurance that they fhall not be punished for it hereafter?

Allowing therefore, these men to be patrons of liberty and truth, yet it is of fuch truths and that fort of liberty which make them justly be looked

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THE GUARDIAN.

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upon as enemies to the peace and happiness of the world. But upon a thorough and impartial view it will be found, that their endeavours, inftead of advancing the cause of liberty and truth, tend only to introduce flavery and error among men. There are two parts in our nature; the bafer which confifts of our fenfes and paffions, and the more noble and rational, which is properly the human part, the other being common to us with brutes. The inferior part is generally much ftronger, and has always the start of reafon, which if in the perpetual struggle between them, it were not aided from heaven by religion, would almost univerfally be vanquished, and man become a flave to his paffions, which as it is the moft grievous and fhameful flavery, so it is the genuine refult of that liberty which is proposed by overturning religion. Nor is the other part of their design better executed. Look into their pretended truths: are they not fo many wretched abfurdities, maintained in oppofition to the light of nature and divine revelation by fly inuendoes and cold jefts, by fuch pitiful fophifms and fuch confufed and indigefted notions, that one would vehemently fufpect those men ufurped the name of free-thinkers, with the fame' view that hypocrites do that of godliness, that it may ferve for a cloak to cover the contrary defect?

I fhall clofe this difcourfe with a parallel reflection on these three species, who seem to be allied by a certain agreement in mediocrity of understanding. A critic is entirely given up to the pursuit of learning; when he has got it, is

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THE GUARDIAN. NO 83.

his judgment clearer, his imagination livelier, or his manners more polite, than those of other men? Is it observed that a miser, when he has acquired his fuperfluous eftate, eats, drinks, or fleeps with more fatisfaction, that he has a chearfuller mind, or relishes any of the enjoyments of life better than his neighbours? The free-thinkers plead hard for a licence to think freely; they have it: but what ufe do they make of it? Are they eminent for any fublime difcoveries in any of the arts and fciences? Have they been authors of any inventions that conduce to the well-being of mankind? Do their writings fhow a greater depth of defign, a clearer method, or more just and correct reasoning than those of other men?

There is a great resemblance in their genius; but the critic and mifer are only ridiculousrand contemptible creatures, while the free-thinker is alfo a pernicious one.

c This paper, N° 83, is ascribed to bishop Berkeley, with fome degree of confidence, though it is not mentioned in the lift of the bishop's papers communicated by his fon, the Rev. George Berkeley, formerly ftudent of Chrift-church, and vicar of Bray in Oxfordshire.