cast a cloud of deception before their narrow judgments. But the generality of mankind greedily swallow romantic relations and dreaming stories; because, being awful in their circumstances, they fear to examine them; and being pleasing withal to ignorant minds, they rather wish them to be true than otherwise; therefore do not care to enquire. Again, when it becomes customary and fashionable to believe, people love to be sociable and to conform to the fashion: moreover they are generally compelled to come in, that the house may be full. Hence it is, there are more misbelievers than disbelievers.

He

Pharaoh is to be diverted with tricks and slight of hand, until a fit opportunity to execute the plot appears. And God is made to play with Pharaoh, to divert himself, as it were, with tormenting him, before he kills him; as a cat does with a mouse. orders him to let his people go, threatens if he does not, and brings plagues upon him according to his threatenings, yet every time professes to harden his heart that he might not let them go, until he had plagued him as long as he pleased! nay until he had done all the wonderful things he could do, to shew himself worthy of such a people! and at last, that the people might be worthy of such a God; every woman was to borrow of her neighbour and of her lodger jewels of silver and of gold, and raiments, to make off with them, and chouse those who confided in their honesty. What is it the profession of religion cannot sanctify? What better cloak to cover any scheme, and what more powerful pretence than that of supernatural revelation, which bears down and subverts the laws of moral good and evil, by stopping the mouth of contradiction?

Exod. iii. 20

No. 6.]

THE

FREE ENQUIRER.

SATURDAY.

[Nov. 21, 1761.

The prosecution of the Review of the Life and Doctrines of Moses is postponed to our next Paper, to allow the publication of the following Epistles, with which we have been favoured; and which we are solicitous to show our ingenious Correspondents we do not neglect.

REFLECTIONS ON THE RIGHT OF PRIVATE JUDGMENT.

YEA, "and why even of yourselves judge ye not that which is right?" Luke xii. 57. Why must you be told every thing? You are all taught of God, the nature and reason of things is the voice of God. Honestly use the sense he has given you; he requires no more of you, but the improvement of your own abilities; they are the talents he has given you, the interest you gain will be your own. But by wrapping your talent up in a napkin, and laying it by from a principle of fear! you insult your maker in the act, and ruin youreslf in the event.

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Wherefore then judge ye not of yourselves that which is right?" Why are not those who fancy themselves to be free-willers, and free-actors, free to judge aright of principles that are proposed to their judgment? but because they are bred up in, and habituated to, the belief of what they venerate as sacred truths, or fear to disbelieve because of invisible bugbears, and of feeling the most exquisite sensible torments, when they have lost all feeling, and every other sense. Are these men free? Are not these fetters that enslave them? And these tyrannical ter

rors always will remain until men assume their natural right to think and judge of things as it becomes men, emancipated from vain fears, and hypochondriac imaginations? begot and brought forth by poets and prophets, nursed and propagated by jugglers and priests.

The knowledge of all truth, so far as man can know, is obtained by careful observation and enquiry into the nature of things, or laws of nature, which being established by God himself, is the light which directs our understanding, and is the basis of all truth. By the propriety and fitness of man's conduct in different circumstances, all man's reasonable service, and whole duty to God and man is discoverable. This is God's revelation of man's duty, who speaks not by words, but things; not by sounds, but sense; not by supernatural pretences, but by natural evidence, by reason and demonstration.

From this propriety of conduct and duty, laws are deduced for the government of commonwealths, rules to unite and regulate societies, religious and civil, prudence for the economy of families, and the behaviour of all persons in public and private life; which knowledge is natural and necessary to the being and well being of mankind. This foundation is laid by God in the nature of things. What stupidity and ignorance then do they expose, who say, if you take away our traditional rule in which we have been educated, what do you give us in its stead? This best rule must naturally and necessarily succeed. As error sinks, truth rises in its place. God's revelation of himself and of man's duty, is the same invariable rule at all times; because God is invariable; and this one is the truest and the best beyond all others, for man to form his judgment and direct his actions by. And this rule is given us for the exercise of our mental faculties. "Wherefore then judge ye not of yourselves that which is right?"

Until we begin to enquire, we do not open the

mental eye: we do not know what is light and understanding in ourselves, while we blindly follow any other guide, and believe without evidence on the credit of those we confide in. It is no wonder when we attempt to reason on such things, that we do not know our own darkness, being not accustomed to enquiry, which is the dawn of light. When a man sets himself about philosophising, then is the beginning of the spiritual creation, the real new birth in him; then the rude chaos of his ideas begin to be distinguished, separated, and disposed into order by the voice of reason: then is the light separated from the darkness, and rest and satisfaction appears in the end. If the advice of Christ, "Wherefore judge ye not of yourselves that which is right," be followed, we should judge whether what he says be right, as freely as we judge of others? If Christ's words will not bear examination, they ought, for that reason, to be examined, and rejected by the authority of reason. If they will bear examining, we ought to examine them, that they may with reason be received.

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Why then, even of your ownselves judge ye not that which is right?" Why indeed? but because you are prejudiced in that which is wrong: if you were not, you would do it; nothing but prejudice then prevents your doing it, and it may be, interest confirms that prejudice. This blinds men's eyes, misleads their reason, and intoxicates their understandings. This prevents their enquiry, lest they should find themselves wrong. This makes them countenance what they suspect to be wrong, and to argue for it, and defend it. Thus they daub and build with untempered mortar; and teach, for doctrines, the commandments of men.

He that searches, and cannot find reason to believe, is justified in not believing; or else he ought to believe contrary to his judgment, which is a contradiction, and an impossibility. If this be true, as cer

tainly it is, then there is less reason to condemn him who has searched, and believes not, than him who believes, and searches not. Examination is a duty, because necessary to distinguish right from wrong. But believing, without examining is not a duty, because believing is only a duty, when the reason of the thing shews it to be true, or at least probable. And it is our duty to promote the truth when we find it; because promoting truth, is promoting virtue and happiness. Faith, therefore, is not a duty, but may be the consequence of a duty; it is not righteousness, but may be the effect of righteous enquiry. Or if unbelief be the consequence of it, that unbelief justifies the enquirer, as much as faith does those who obtain it by the same means.

If men are really to be blamed for not judging in themselves what is right, it is as reasonable to examine the principles, precepts, and actions of Moses and Jesus, as those of Mahomet, Fohi, or any other man: and him whose principles, precepts, and actions appear, upon examination, to be most reasonable, it will be most reasonable to adhere to; otherwise it will be best to relinquish reason, and follow any leaders, right or wrong. If these things are true, then the words and life of Jesus are to be scanned with the same freedom we should use towards the words and life of any other man. But who among you can bear it? And yet otherwise, are we not led and governed by arbitrary power in these things? for we cannot say we are led by reason, if we must not exercise it.

If we ought to try all things, we should first, and principally, try what is affirmed to be the chiefest and most essential thing. If we should hold fast that which is good, we should be very careful to know what is good before we hold it fast; but without seeing into, and trying by just rules, there can be no true knowledge.

It will be thought by some that Christ's words are