thou, who art thyfelf a finner, bear "with him one night?" The historical ftyle of the Old Testament is here finely imitated; and the moral must strike every one who is not funk in ftupidity and fuperstition. Were it really a chapter of Genefis, one is apt to think, that persecution could never have shown a bare face among Jews or Chriftians. But alas! that is a vain thought. Such a paffage in the Old Testament, would avail as little against the rancorous paffions of men, as the following paffages in the New Testament, tho' perfecution cannot be condemned in terms more explicit. "Him "that is weak in the faith, receive you, but not to doubtful difputations. For

one believeth that he may eat all things: "another, who is weak, eateth herbs. "Let not him that eateth, despise him "that eateth not; and let not him which

t

eateth not, judge him that eateth. Who

art thou that judgest another man's fer"vant? to his own mafter he ftandeth or "falleth. One man efteemeth one day a"bove another: another esteemeth every

day alike. Let every man be fully per"fuaded in his own mind. But why " doft

"doft thou judge thy brother? or why "doth thou fet at nought thy brother? "for we shall all stand before the judge"ment-feat of Chrift, every one to give

an account of himself to God. I know, "that there is nothing unclean of itself: "but to him that esteemeth any thing "unclean, to him it is unclean. The "kingdom of God is not meat and drink, "but righteousness, and peace, and joy "in the Holy Ghost. Let us therefore "follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another (a)." felf declared against

Our Saviour himperfecution in the moft exprefs terms. The Jews and Samaritans were of the fame religion; but fome trivial differences in the ceremonial part of worship, rendered them odious to each other. Our Saviour being refused lodging in a village of Samaria, because he was travelling to Jerufalem, his difciples James and John faid, "Lord, wilt "thou that we command fire to come "down from heaven, and confume them, even as Elias did?" But he rebuked

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(a) Epifle of Paul to the Romans, chap. 14.

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them, and faid, "The Son of man is not come to deftroy men's lives, but to "fave them (a).” *

It gives me real concern, that even the hot fire of perfecution, did not altogether purify our Reformed clergy from that fatanical fpirit. No fooner were the Diffenters fettled in New England, where they fled to avoid perfecution, than they fet on foot a perfecution against the Quakers, no lefs furious than what they themselves had fuffered at home. Nor did the Reformed clergy in Scotland lofe fight of the fame magifterial authority that had been affumed by their predeceffors of the Romish church, on the ridiculous pretext of being ambassadors to men from Jefus Christ. Upon a reprefentation, ann. 1646, from the commiffion of the kirk of Scot

* Toleration in religion, tho' obvious to common understanding, was not however the production of reafon, but of commerce. The advantage of toleration for promoting commerce, was early discovered by the Portuguese. They were too zealous Catholics to think of fo bold a measure in Portugal; but it was permitted in Goa, and the inquifition in that town was confined to Roman Catholics.

(a) Luke. ix. 54.

land,

land, James Bell and Colin Campbell, bailies of Glasgow, were committed to prifon by the parliament, merely for having faid, that kirkmen meddled too much in civil matters. Could a defpotic prince have exerted a more arbitrary act? but the church was all-powerful in those days *.

* The Christian religion is eminent for a spirit of meekness, toleration, and brotherly love; and yet perfecution never raged fo furioufly in any other: religion. Such oppofition between practice and principle, is a fingular phenomenon in the history of man. Let us try to account for it. In the Pagan religion I difcover few traces of perfecution. Tutelar deities were univerfal; and, far from impofing these deities on others, every nation valued itfelf on being the only favourite of its own deity. Priests by profeffion have ever been ambitious of impofing on the laity peculiar forms of worship and peculiar religious tenets; but the Greeks and Romans had none fuch. The Jews had priests by profeffion; and they were befide a gloomy people naturally inclined to perfecution: they hated their neighbours and were hated by them. The Mahometan religion was fown in a fertile foil. The Arabians were warlike; but ignorant and eafily deluded by a warm imagination. The Koran is finely contrived to impofe upon fuch a people. The ambition of Mahomet correfponded to the warlike genius of his countrymen; who were taught to convert all

men

I

I would do juftice to every church, not excepting that of Rome; and it is doing that

men to his religion, by the fimple but effectual argument of fire and fword. This fpirit of perfecution accompanied that of conqueft. The latter is now extinguished by luxury and fenfuality; and there scarce remains any veftige of the former.

Among an illiterate and credulous people, directed by the light of nature to worship the Deity, but without any established form, every innovation is peaceably and cordially admitted. When Chriftianity was introduced into Britain, the Druids, as appears from Offian, had loft all authority. The people were prepared for the new religion; and there could be no perfecution where there was none to oppofe. Upon that plain people, the Chriftian religion had its genuine effect it foftened their manners, and produced a spirit of meeknefs and brotherly love. Never was practice more concordant with principle. The fcene is very different where a new religion is introduced in oppofition to one long established. Zeal for a new religion inflames its converts; and as violent paffions are infectious, thofe who adhere to the eftablished worfhip are by degrees equally inflamed. Mutual hatred and perfecution are the never-failing confequences. This was the cafe in the countries where the Chriftian religion was first promulgated.

When that religion began to make a figure, the Roman empire was finely prepared for its reception. The fables of Paganifin, which pafs current as important truths in days of ignorance, were now ex

ploded