much. The creed of the inhabitants of Saturn might be established, and theirs that dwelt in the moon only tolerated: in such a case, what a fine field of controversial glory would open to the divines of these two provinces of the kingdom de origine mali? Almighty father, can a blind belief please thee? Can thy creatures believe what they cannot perceive the evidence of? Can all understand the evidence of the same number of truths? Formed with different organs, educated in different prejudices, dost thou require the same services? Art thou indeed the hard master who reapest where thou hast not sowed? Far from all thy subjects be such a thought!

Conclude then, worthy Sir, that if God be a rock, and his work perfect, if VARIETY be the characteristic of all his works, an attempt to establish UNIFORMITY is reversing and destroying all the creator's glory. To attempt an uniformity of colour, sound, taste, smell, would be a fine underta▴ king; but what, pray, will you call an attempt to establish an UNIFORMITY OF THOUGHT?

You will say, christianity is not the religion of nature, but the religion of revelation; what therefore may seem absurd to philosophy may be explained by christianity. Perhaps the founder of our holy religion may have established uniformity. If he has, uniformity may be a christian though not a philosophical idea. Well, this shall be enquired in the next letter. Mean time farewell.

* On the origin of evil.

LETTER III.

ON THE

RIGHT OF PRIVATE JUDGMENT.

Nec imperiale est libertatem dicendi negare, nec sacerdotale, quod sentiat, non dicere.

ST. AMBROSE.

SIR,

LETTER III.

YOU have often admired that dedication to the Pope which is prefixed to a piece of Sir Richard Steele's, intitled, An account of the state of the Roman catholick religion throughout the world, &c.-"Your holiness, says the writer, is not per

66

haps aware, how near the churches of us pro"testants have at length come to those privileges " and perfections, which you boast of as peculiar "to your own. The most sagacious persons have

not been able to discover any other difference. "between us, as to the main PRINCIPLE of all

doctrine, government, worship, and discipline, "but this one, that you CANNOT err in any thing you determine, and we never DO. That is, in "other words, that you are INFALLIBLE, and "we ALWAYS IN THE RIGHT. We cannot but es

"teem the advantage to be exceedingly on our (6 side, in this case, because we have all the benefits of infallibility, without the absurdity of "pretending to it, and without the uneasy task of maintaining a point so shocking to the understanding of mankind." This is not a libel; this is a satire; the worst is, this satyrical stroke is