of life. But the subduing prejudices and acquiring true knowledge, that Herculean labor, is the laft, being what demands the most perfect abilities, and to which all other advantages are preparative. Right, faid Euphranor, Alciphron hath touched our true defect. It was always my opinion, that as foon as we had provided fubfiftence for the body, our next care fhould be to improve the mind. But the defire of wealth fteps between and ingroffeth men's thoughts.

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II. ALCIPHRON.-Thought is that which we are told distinguisheth man from beast: and freedom of thought makes as great a difference between man and man. is to the noble afferters of this privilege and perfection of human kind, the free-thinkers I mean, who have sprung up and multiplied of late years, that we are indebted for all those important discoveries, that ocean of light which hath broke in and made its way, in fpite of flavery and fuperftition. Euphranor, who is a fincere enemy to both, testified a great esteem for those worthies who had preferved their country from being ruined by them, having fpread fo much light and knowledge over the land. He added, that he liked the name and character of a freethinker; but in his sense of the word, every honest inquirer after truth in any age or country was intitled to it. He therefore defired to know what this fect was that Alciphron had spoken of as newly fprung up? what were their tenets? what were their difcoveries? and wherein they employed themfelves, for the benefit of mankind? Of all which, he fhould think himself obliged, if Alciphron would inform him. That I fhall, very easily, replied Alciphron, for I profefs myself one of the number, and my most intimate friends are fome of the moft confiderable among them. And perceiving that Euphranor heard him with respect, he proceeded very fluently. You must know, faid he, that the mind of man may be fitly compared to a piece of land. What

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ftubbing, ploughing, digging, and harrowing, is to the one; that thinking, reflecting, examining, is to the other. Each hath its proper culture; and as land that is fuffered to lie waste and wild for a long tract of time, will be overfpread with brufh-wood, brambles, thorns, and fuch vegetables which have neither ufe nor beauty; even fo there will not fail to fprout up in a neglected uncultivated mind, a great number of prejudices and abfurd opinions, which owe their origin partly to the foil itself, the paffions and imperfections of the mind of man; and partly to thofe feeds which chance to be fcattered in it by every wind of doctrine, which the cunnig of ftatefmen, the fingularity of pedants, the fuperftition of fools, or the imposture of priests, fhall raife. Represent to yourself the mind of man, or human nature in general, that for fo many ages had lain obnoxious to the frauds of defigning, and the follies of weak men: How it must be overrun with prejudices and errors: what firm and deep roots they must have taken and consequently how difficult a tafk it must be to extirpate them: And yet this work, no lefs difficult than glorious, is the employment of the modern Free-thinkers. Alciphron having faid this, made a paufe, and looked round on the company. Truly faid I, a very laudable undertaking! We think, faid Euphranor, that it is praife-worthy to clear and fubdue the earth, to tame brute animals, to fashion the outfides of men, provide fuftenance for their bodies, and cure their maladies. But what is all this in comparison of that most excellent and useful undertaking, to free mankind from their errors, and to improve and adorn their minds? For things of lefs merit towards the world, altars have been raifed, and temples built in ancient times. Too many in our days, replied Alciphron, are fuch fools as not to know their best benefactors from their worst enemies: They have a blind refpect for those who inflave them; and look upon their deliverers as a dangerous fort of men, that would undermine received principles and opinions.

EUPHRANOR. It were a great pity fuch worthy ingenious men should meet with any discouragement. For my part I fhould think a man, who spent his time in such a painful impartial search after truth, a better friend to mankind than the greateft ftatefman or hero; the advantage of whose labors is confined to a little part of the world, and a short space of time; whereas a ray of truth may enlighten the whole world, and extend to future ages.

ALC.-It will be some time, I fear, before the common herd think as you do. But the better fort, the men of parts and polite education, pay a due regard to the patrons of light and truth.

III. EUPH.-The clergy, no doubt, are on all occafions ready to forward and applaud your worthy endeavors. Upon hearing this, Lyficles could hardly refrain from laughing. And Alciphron, with an air of pity, told Euphranor, that he perceived he was unacquainted with the real character of those men: For, said he, you must know, that of all men living they are our greatest enemies. If it were poffible, they would extinguish the very light of nature, turn the world into a dungeon, and keep mankind for ever in chains and darkness.

EUPH.-I never imagined any thing like this of our proteftant clergy, particularly those of the established church; whom, if I may be allowed to judge by what I have seen of them and their writings, I fhould have thought lovers of learning and useful knowledge.

ALC.-Take my word for it, priests of all religions are the fame wherever there are priefts, there will be prieftcraft: and wherever there is prieftcraft, there will be a persecuting fpirit, which they never fail to exert to the utmost of their power against all those who have the courage to think for themselves, and will not submit to be hoodwinked and manacled by their reverend leaders. Those great masters of pedantry and jargon have coined several systems, which are all equally true, and of equal importance to the world. The contending fects are each alike fond of their own, and

alike prone to discharge their fury upon all who diffent from them. Cruelty and ambition being the darling vi ces of priefts and churchmen all the world over, they endeavor in all countries to get an ascendant over the rest of mankind; and the magistrate having a joint interest with the priest in fubduing, amusing, and scaring the people, too often lends a hand to the hierarchy; who never think their authority and poffeffions fecure, so long as those who differ from them in opinion are allowed to partake even in the common rights belonging to their birth or fpecies. To represent the matter in a true light, figure to yourselves a monster or spectre made up of superstition and enthusiafm, the joint iffue of ftatecraft and prieftcraft, rattling chains in one hand, and with the other brandishing a flaming sword over the land, and menacing deftruction to all who shall dare to follow the dictates of reafon and common fenfe. Do but confider this, and then say if there was not danger as well as difficulty in our undertaking. Yet, fuch is the generous ardour that truth inspires, our free-thinkers are neither overcome by the one, nor daunted by the other. In fpite of both we have already made fo many profelytes among the better fort, and their numbers increase so fast, that we hope we shall be able to carry all before us, beat down the bulwarks of tyranny, fecular or ecclefiaftical, break the fetters and chains of our countrymen, and reftore the original inherent rights, liberties, and prerogatives of mankind.

Euphranor heard this discourse with his mouth open and his eyes fixed upon Alciphron, who, having uttered it with no small emotion, ftopt to draw breath and recover himfelf: But finding that no body made answer, he resumed the thread of his discourse, and turning to Euphranor spoke in a lower note what follows. The more innocent and honest a man is, the more liable is he to be imposed on by the fpecious pretences of other men. You have probably met with certain writings of our divines that treat of grace, virtue, goodness, and fuch matters, fit to amufe and deceive a fimple honest mind. But believe me when I tell you

they are all at bottom (however they may gild their designs) united by one common principle in the fame intereft. I will not deny there may be here and there a poor half-witted man that means no mischief; but this I will be bold to say, that all the men of sense among them are true at bottom to these three pursuits of ambition, avarice, and revenge.

IV. While Alciphron was speaking, a fervant came to tell him and Lyficles, that fome men who were going to London waited to receive their orders. Whereupon they both rofe and went towards the house. They were no fooner gone, but Euphranor addreffing himself to Crito said, he believed that poor gentleman had been a great sufferer for his free-thinking: for that he seemed to express himfelf with the passion and resentment natural to men who have received very bad ufage. I believe no fuch thing, anfwered Crito, but have often obferved thofe of his fect run into two faults of converfation, declaiming and bantering, juft as the tragic or the comic humor prevails. Sometimes they work themselves into high paffions, and are frightened at spectres of their own raifing. In those fits every country-curate paffes for an inquifitor. At other times they affect a fly facetious manner making use of hints and allufions, expreffing little, infinuating much, and upon the whole feeming to divert themselves with the fubject and their adverfaries. But if you would know their opinions, you must make them speak out and keep close to the point. Perfecution for free-thinking is a topic they are apt to enlarge on, though without any just cause, every one being at full liberty to think what he pleases, there being no fuch thing in England that I know as perfecution for opinion, fentiment, or thought. But in every country, I fuppofe, fome care is taken to restrain petulant speech: and, whatever men's inward thoughts may be, to discourage an outward contempt of what the public esteemeth facred. Whether this care in England hath of late been