THE

MINUTE PHILOSOPHER.

FIRST DIALOGUE.

1. Introduction. II. Aim and Endeavors of Freethinkers. III. Oppofed by the Clergy. IV. Liberty of Free-thinking. V. Farther Account of the Views of Free-thinkers. VI. The Progress of a Free-thinker towards Atheism. VII. Joint Impofture of the Priest and Magiftrate. VIII. The Free-thinker's Method in making Converts and Discoveries. IX. The Atheift alone Free. His Senfe of natural Good and Evil. X. Modern Freethinkers more properly named Minute Philofophers. XI. Minute Philofophers, what fort of Men, and how educated. XII. Their Numbers, Progrefs and Tenets. XIII. Compared with other Philofophers. XIV. What Things and Notions to be esteemed natural. XV. Truth the fame, notwithstanding Diverfity of Opinions. XVI. Rule and Measure of moral Truths.

I.

FLATTERED myself, Theages, that before this time I might have been able to have sent you an agreeable account of the fuccefs of the affair, which brought me into this remote corner of the country. But instead of this, I fhould now give you the detail of its miscarriage, if I did not rather choose to entertain with some amufing incidents, which have helped to make me easy under a circumstance I could neither obviate nor foresee. Events

you

are not in our power; but it always is, to make a good ufe even of the worst. and the event of this affair gave opportunity for reflexions, that make me fome amends for a great lofs of time, pains, and expence. A life of action which takes its iffue from the counfels, paffions and views of other men, if it doth not draw a man to imitate, will at leaft teach him to obferve. And a mind at liberty to reflect on its own observations, if it produce nothing useful to the world, feldom fails of entertainment to itself. For several months past I have enjoyed fuch liberty and leisure in this distant retreat, far beyond the verge of that great whirlpool of business, faction, and pleasure, which is called the world. And a retreat in itself agreeable, after a long scene of trouble and disquiet, was made much more fo by the conversation and good qualities of my hoft Euphranor, who unites in his own person the philosopher and the farmer: two characters not so inconfiftent in nature as by cuftom they seem to be. Euphranor, from the time he left the university, hath lived in this fmall town; where he is poffeffed of a convenient house with a hundred acres of land adjoining to it; which being improved by his own labor, yield him a plentiful fubfiftence. He hath a good collection, chiefly of old books, left him by a clergyman his uncle, under whofe care he was brought up. And the business of his farm doth not hinder him from making good use of it. He hath read much, and thought more: his health and ftrength of body enabling him the better to bear fatigue of mind. He is of opinion that he could not carry on his studies with more advantage in the closet than the field, where his mind is feldom idle while he prunes the trees, follows the plough, or looks after his flocks. In the house of this honest friend I became acquainted with Crito, a neighboring gentleman of distinguished merit and estate, who lives in great friendfhip with Euphranor. Laft fummer, Crito, whose parish church is in our town, dining on a Sunday at Euphranor's, I happened to inquire after his guests whom we had seen at church with him the Sunday

And I muft needs own, the courfe

before. They are both well, said Crito, but, having once occafionally conformed, to see what fort of affembly our parish could afford, they had no farther curiosity to gratify at church, and fo chose to stay at home. How, faid Euphrañor, are they then diffenters? No, replied Crito, they are free-thinkers. Euphranor, who had never met with any of this fpecies or fect of men, and but little of their writings, shewed a great defire to know their principles or fyftem. That is more, faid Crito, than I will undertake to tell you. Their writers are of different opinions. Some go farther, and explain themselves more freely than others. But the current general notions of the sect are best learned from converfation with those who profess themselves of it. Your curiofity may now be fatisfied, if you and Dion would spend a week at my house with these gentlemen, who feem very ready to declare and propagate their opinions. Alciphron is above forty, and no stranger either to men or books. I knew him firft at the Temple, which upon an estate's falling to him, he quitted, to travel through the polite parts of Europe. Since his return he hath lived in the amufements of the town, which being grown ftale and taftelefs to his palate, have flung him into a fort of fplenetic indolence. The young gentleman, Lyficles, is a neár kinfman of mine, one of lively parts, and a general infight into letters; who, after having paffed the forms of education and seen a little of the world, fell into an intimacy with men of pleasure and free-thinkers, I am afraid much to the damage of his conftitution and his fortune. But what I moft regret, is the corruption of his mind by a fet of pernicious principles, which, having been observed to survive the paffions of youth, foreftal even the remote hopes of amendment. They are both men of fashion, and would be agreeable enough, if they did not fancy themselves free-thinkers. But this, to speak the truth, has given them a certain air and manner, which a little too vifibly declare they think themselves wifer than the rest of the world. I fhould therefore be not с

at all displeased if my guests met with their match, where they least suspected it, in a country farmer. I fhall not, replied Euphranor, pretend to any more than barely to inform myself of their principles and opinions. For this end I propose to-morrow to set a week's task to my laborers, and accept your invitation, if Dion thinks good. To which I gave confent. Mean while, faid Crito, I fhall prepare my guests, and let them know that an honeft neighbor hath a mind to discourse with them on the subject of their free-thinking. And, if I am not mistaken, they will please themselves with the profpect of leaving a convert behind them, even in a country village. Next morning Euphranor rofe early, and spent the forenoon in ordering his affairs. After dinner we took our walk to Crito's which lay through half a dozen pleasant fields planted round with plane-trees, that are very common in this part of the country. We walked under the delicious fhade of these trees for about an hour before we came to Crito's house, which stands in the middle of a small park, beautified with two fine groves of oak and walnut, and a winding ftream of sweet and clear water. We met a fervant at the door with a small basket of fruit which he was carrying into a grove, where he said his mafter was with the⚫ two strangers. We found them all three fitting under a fhade. And after the usual forms at firft meeting, Euphranor and I fat down by them. Our converfation began upon the beauty of this rural fcene, the fine feafon of the year, and some late improvements which had been made in the adjacent country by new methods of agriculture. Whence Alciphron took occafion to observe, that the most valuable improvements came lateft. I fhould have small temptation, faid he, to live where men have neither polished manners, nor improved minds, though the face of the country were ever fo well improved. But I have long obferved, that there is a gradual progrefs in human affairs. The first care of mankind is to supply the cravings of nature : in the next place they ftudy the conveniencies and comforts