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benefit of the waters-The Count Medrosso who had fallen from his horse behind the baggage waggons, a league and a half from the field of battle, had retired also to the same place-The latter had been acquainted

nor is there a man of sense who reads their history, but feels a sentiment of abhorrence, and pronounces the period of their existence, savage, barbarous, and unjust.

If public opinion recovering from its ancient delusion, hast seen in a true point of view, several evils of magnitude which it once supported-If it has labored strenuously to overturn those evils, and has in part succeeded-why may we not expect from its further illumination, further vigorus exertions in the cause of humanity, since none can deny, but that humanity still groans under the relics of ancient barbarity, and under none more deeply than that of war.

If notwithstanding the prejudice in favour of this practice, as it is carrried on by nationsIf in despight of the seeds of war, from which moral communities themselves cannot be wholly purified, some societies have nevertheless arisen, who have abstained for ages from open hostilities; aud with regard to each other, from vexatious suits at law.

If we see the principles of one such society so leavening an empire; as that PEACE, notwithstanding all provocations and counsels to the contrary, continues to characterise its government; why should we despair of reformation in this respect-or why, with the gospel and the wisdom of past ages before us, should we think it impossible, that a foundation for the abolition of war might be laid, in such a public system of education, as would teach us to suspect our passions instead of arming them to cultivate the social and virtuous affections, instead of the proud avaricious and sensual passions of the heart and in a word, to promote the life and happiness of man, instead of studying their demolition.

The entire abolition of war, is perhaps far remote-yet it is certain, that some approaches have been made toward it-Societies have arisen, whose professed principles preclude the possibility of war, as it regards the destruction of life-and some men who have not been prepared for a sacrifice of this extent, have nevertheless introduced such maxims into the conduct of war, as have tended to soften its calamities.

the

Piety and education, to a certain extent are introducing into army, and this is a good omen-Let the moral laborer go forward; he has good encouragement so to do-his," bread cast upon the waters may appear after many days.' For the work of righteousness is PEACE, and the effects of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever.

with the Inquisition, on which account his Lordship entered one day after dinner, into the following conversation with him.

L. Val. And so Count you have been an officer in the Inquisition-you must have been engaged in a most villainous employment?

C. Med. Very true, my Lord, but as I had rather be their officer than their victim, I preferred the misfortune. of burning my neighbor, to that of being roasted myself.

L. Val. What a horrible alternative! your countrymen were a hundred times happier, under the yoke of the Moors, who permitted you to indulge yourselves freely in superstition; and imperious as they were as conquerors, never dreamed of exercising that strange prerogative of enslaving souls.

C. Med. We are not permitted now either to write, speak, or even think-If we speak it is easy to misinterpret our words, and still much more so if we write-and though we canot be condemned at an Auto de fe for our secret thoughts, we are threatend to lye burning at the command of God himself, if we dare to think otherwise than the Dominicans-they have persuaded the government also, that if we had common sense, the state would soon be in a combustion, and the nation become the most unhappy people upon earth.

L. Val.-And do you believe that the English are so unhappy, who cover the ocean with their ships, and come from the other end of Europe to fight your battles for you? Do you find that the Dutch who have stripped you of almost all your discoveries in India, and who are now among your protectors, are really so abandoned by heaven, for giving free liberty to the press, and converting the thoughts of mankind into a profitable species of commerce?-Was the Roman Empire less powerful for permitting Cicero to write his sentiments freely?

C. Med. Cicero, who is he? I never heard of his name before, we hear nothing of your Ciceros, but of our holy father the Pope, and St. Anthony of Paduanay I have hitherto been told, that the Romish religion is demolished, if men once begin to think for themselves.

L. Val. How are you to believe this who are assured, that the church is of divine institution, and that the gates

of hell cannot prevail against it? If this be true, nothing can ever destroy it.

C. Med. That is true, but it may be reduced to almost nothing-thus it is owing to this thinking, that Sweden, Denmark, England, and the greater part of Germany, labor under the terrible misfortune of being no longer subject to the pope-it is even said, that if men thus continue to follow the light of their own mistaken understandings, they will be contented soon with the simple adoration of God; and the mere practice of moral virtue-If the gates of hell should prevail so far as this, what would become of the holy office?

L. Val.-Had the primitive christians been thus prohibited to think, christianity would certainly never have been established,

C. Med. I do not rightly understand what you mean. L. Val.-I mean to say, that if Tiberius and the rest of the emperors, had encouraged Dominicans to prevent the primitive christians, from the use of pen and ink; nay had not the privilege of thinking freely, been long enjoyed in Rome, it had been impossible for the christians to have established their tenets-If then the first establishment of christianity, was owing to this liberty of thinking, how contradictory and absurd is it, to endeavour to destroy that basis, on which your church itself was first founded? If any proposal regarding your worldly interest be made to you, do you not consider some time before you adopt it? And what can be considered more interesting to a man in this world, than that of his eternal happiness or misery in the next.

There are above one hundred different religions upon earth, that condemn you and your tenets, as absurd, impious and damnable-Enter into an examination therefore of those tenets.

C. Med.-How should I be able to examine them-I am no Dominican ?

L. Val.-But you are a man, and that is sufficient.

C. Med. Alas! you are much more a man than I am. L. Val. We have been happy in England, since every man hath been at liberty to speak his own mind.

C. Med. And we are very quiet at Lisbon, where nobody is permitted to say any thing.

L. Val. You are quiet, but you are not happy-your tranquillity is that of galley slaves, who tug the oar and keep time in silence.

C. Med. Do you think then that my soul is in the gallies?

L. Val. Yes, and I would deliver you from your bondage.

C. Med. But what if I feel myself quite at ease in the gallies?

L. Val.-Nay in that case you deserve to continue there.

ATHEISTS.

are

"Atheists for the most part," says Voltaire, men of study, but bold and erroneous in their reasonings and not comprehending the creation, the origin of evil, and other difficulties, have recourse to the hypothesis of the eternity of things, and of necessity-Were I a sovereign," continues he, "I would not have about me any Atheistical courtiers, whose interest it might be to poison me-then I must every day be taking Alexipharmies; so necessary is it, both for princes and people, that their minds be thoroughly imbibed with an idea of a supreme Being, the Creator, Avenger and Rewarder."

Atheists he remarks are "bold and erroneous in their reasonings" and observes they have usually to resort to the eternity of things, and to necessity, as a solution of their difficulties-from hence it would appear, and from his remarks on their dangerous character, either that he was no Atheist himself, or that he was ashamed of their creed; and from hence it is, that I have inferred his rejection of the eternity of matter.

CONSCIENCE.

On the subject of the establishment of christianity by Constantine, and the history of that prince; Voltaire represents as not worthy of credit, "that Constantine being taken up with wars, actuated by ambition, and surrounded with flatterers, could be at leisure for remorses". -The wisest of men do not always remember themselves Voltaire might have known, that in the night season, (for Constantine must have sought repose in sleep) dreadful images of the persons he had murdered, might have presented themselves-Of this, the celebrated Roman patriot appears to have been a miserable witness-for what can we suppose his evil

genius to have been, if not the ghost of Cæsar whom he had vilely murdered-Cæsar to whom he was under many obligations; who reposed in him the most perfect confidence, calling him his son-and who deserved from him in return for his excellent administration, a better fate, than that of falling prematurely by the hands of his children or subjects The conduct of Brutus cannot on this occasion be reconciled to our sentiments of gratitude, humanity or wisdom-The latter, as well as the two former, was evidently violated; for the Romans under Cæsar received justice, and enjoyed tranquillity; and are not these the ends of all good government?

The confusion which followed this ungrateful massacre; the vices of Anthony, who with two others succeeded to the government of Rome; the continuance of that monarchy which the conspirators had in vain endeavoured to destroy and lastly, the disapprobation of heaven, which appeared to fasten upon these men, not one of whom died a natural death; all conspire with many other circumstances in human life, to prove, that it is dan gerous to do evil that good may come- -Brutus I believe pursued the good of his country-but in the chace of liberty, he murdered private virtue We are to remember the age in which he lived, and the motives which actuated him in his public conduct, in order to guess at his character-From it, two lessons of instruction, and two only that I know of, may be derived-the excellence of laboring in our various spheres to promote the good of our country: the inconsistency and danger of attempting to do it, by any act of wickedness On these subjects we are more enlightened than Brutus-may this light be followed by all christian senators; and may the period shortly arrive, when it shall be the established maxim of all christian cabinets" We will not do evil, that good may come."

With regard to Voltaire's apparent idea, that remorse of conscience for the commission of crimes, can be precluded by the pursuits of ambition, a multitude of cares," or the flatteries of self-interested men-may we not reasonably suppose, that the character which we have just quoted from history, had his animal spirits sustained with as much of this nutriment, as fell to the lot of most men in his day-he is also represented as possessing a soul humane, disinterested, and equal to the greatest undertakings-but notwithstanding all these employments