ther he be a conformist to a certain ceremonial: and this too, when we have, as the late Lord Chatham energetically expressed it," Calvinistical articles, an Arminian clergy, and a popish liturgy."

All incapacities, which are complained of, it is said, originate with the dissenters, and rest with them. But this is an assertion which cannot easily obtain credit. Those who have hastily, dropped the expression, should reconsider it. It no more belongs to good sense, than the contrary assertion would, that the Episcopalians are afraid of the superior abilities of the dissenters; or that they have an irrevocable law, like that made by the Ephesians against the philosopher Hermodorus, which declared, "No citizen should eclipse the rest by his superior merit." Draw the line fairly, and confess that talents and ability, honesty and fidelity, are not confined either to the one, or to the other.

There are no natural claims to political employments. And, therefore, it is neither wise nor liberal, to cut off eligibility to civil offices. He who is the best fitted, should unquestionably be the first selected. Nor, whatever the ad

Parliamentary Debates, 1772.

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verse party may say, can it be readily believed, that the numerous bodies of English Protestant dissenters, of Roman Catholic dissenters, and of no less than two millions of Scots dissenters, can all so essentially merit exclusion, as to be for ever debarred from those honourable and active situations, in which the best minds delight to be placed.

LET

LETTER CVI.

AND now, I fancy, you will think it time for me to draw to a conclusion. We have gone over much ground together; and we have had something more stubborn than phantoms to encounter. You will, however, I am sure, agree with me in one point, that it is at length sufficiently evident, that men should learn to tolerate nothing ancient, which reason does not respect, and not to shrink from any novelty, to which reason may conduct. There is, in truth, no bulwark existing now, between the general body of mankind, and the reflecting few. The case is not as it was formerly, when like two distinct nations inhabiting the same country, the opinions of philosophers had but little influence upon the opinions of the multitude. people cannot speculate profoundly; but the truths which regulate the moral and political actions of man, are obvious to every understanding. The advantages of learning are no longer circumscribed

The

circumscribed within definite limits. The voice of truth is the oracle of God. That which is right and fit in human intercourse, is no longer problematical.

Now whether common sense be innate, and all evidence intuitive; or whether it be not innate, and all judgment be not the consequence of interior principle, is a question of very little importance to the generality of the world. Common sense there is, and it is the best and most uniform sense we are possessed of. And whatever may be the metaphysician's abstraction about first causes, the mathematician's reasoning, from point, line, and surface; the mechanician's deduction from elasticity, weight, form, or proportion; or whether, in short, men be supposed to walk forward or to walk backward; seeing or not seeing; the sun will rise to-morrow, according to the conclusions of the honest farmer a posteriori or a priori, it will lead him with light to his daily labour; and with its beneficial influence will at last conduct him to his ultimate reward. This in short, whether you call it common sense, or innate sense, or impressed sense, is a sense which guides without perplexing.

Again, while the most subtile arguments are straining for the erection of mystery on metaphysics, of revelation on philosophy, and of matter of fact on occult and speculative reasoning, the unpresuming multitude think of nothing more, than that, if they do well, they shall have a right to hope for reward; or, if they do amiss, that they shall have reason to apprehend punishment. Unlettered, and not knowing, for the extension of the boundaries of human understanding, how to prove that matter is eternal; or, for enlarging the stock of earthly happiness, to demonstrate the extinction of spirit,—they humbly believe," heaven and earth shall pass away, but that God's word shall not pass away;" and that, though they may be unable to criticise the creed, they shall be no losers by keeping the. commandinents.

But these are the vulgar who go to church, and who would make one suppose, that they part with their passions and depravities on saying their prayers. They are, indeed, the vulgar; for they have been told, and they believe, that they shall be forgiven, if they repent and amend their lives; and nothing appears to them more equitable or natural. When their children are faulty,.

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they