LET. III. I T may ftill perhaps be asked, Dear Sir, how it should happen, that when Mr. H-'s principles were fo bad, his practices fhould be no worfe? Let me offer the folution given of fuch a phænomenon in the intellectual world, by a very ingenious and fagacious writer, who had not only studied mankind in general, but, as it should feem, had bestowed fome pains upon the very cafe now before us. "This fact hath been regarded as << unaccountable: that fober men, of "morals apparently unblameable, fhould M で III. "fhould madly unhinge the great LET. eafily refolve this feeming paradox. "These writers are generally men of fpeculation and industry; and therefore, though they give themselves up to the dictates of their ruling paffion, yet that ruling paffion com Imonly leads to the tract of abfte"mious manners. That defire of dif"tinction and fuperiority, fo natural " to man, breaks out into a thousand "various and fantastic fhapes; and in "each of thefe, according as it is di"rected, becomes a virtue or a vice. "In times of luxury and diffipation, "therefore, when every tenet of ir"religion is greedily embraced, what C 2 road LET. III. "road to prefent applaufe can lie fo open and secure, as that of difgracing religious belief? Efpecially "if the writer help forward the vices "of the times, by relaxing morals, as "well as destroying principle. Such a "writer can have little else to do, but " to new model the paradoxes of an"cient fcepticism, in order to figure "it in the world, and be regarded, "by the fmatterers in literature, and adepts in folly, as a prodigy of parts and learning. Thus his va nity becomes deeply criminal, and "is execrated by the wife and good; "because it is gratified at the ex"pence of his country's welfare. But "the confolation which degenerate "manners receive from his fatal te nets, is repaid by eager praise: and "vice impatiently drinks in and applauds "plauds his hoarfe and boding voice, LET. "while, like a raven, he fits croak ing universal death, defpair, and " annihilation to the human kind." But taking the account of Mr. H-'s manners as his friends have given it, to say "that few of the "profeffors of Chriftianity ever equal"led him in morality, humanity, and "the government of their paffions," is certainly going a great deal too far. Thousands, in the firft ages of the Gospel, gave all their goods to feed the poor; renounced, in deed as well as word, the world and the flesh, and joyfully met death in it's most horrid forms, for the love of their Redeemer, On the fame principle, unnumbered multitudes, in every fucceding age, have manfully fuftained the heaviest calamities of human life, and with C 3 faith III. LET. faith unfeigned, and hope that makIII. eth not ashamed, yielded up their fouls into the hands of their Creator. Scenes of this kind are daily and hourly paffing in the chambers of the fick and dying, as they, whofe office it is to visit thofe chambers, well know. To others they must remain unknown, for want of biographers to record them. Every Chriftian who lives in piety and charity, does not favour the public with- HIS OWN LIFE. Every Christian, who expires in peace and hope, has not the happiness of a Dr. Smith to pen the story of his death Full many a gem of purest ray ferene, Far |