A DEIST. 35 



bond of love, in the common interest, that can make matters 

 so trivial seem important. On the grand and simple purpose 

 of the Bible, from which all Christendom is nursed, he would 

 always avoid to look or argue. 



I had myself always managed to avoid discussion with 

 him, till one night, as he came to me on deck to repeat the 

 good things with which he had successively sent to bed the 

 Episcopalian, the Unitarian, the Calvinist, and the poet, fear 

 ing that he presumed from my silence that I sympathized 

 with his opinions, and would enjoy his triumphs, I thought it 

 not honest to do so longer ; but as I really cared very little 

 for the views one way or the other against which the shafts 

 of his wit had been directed, I desired, if possible, to get him 

 to examine the broad, catholic citadel of which these, at best, 

 were insignificant outworks, in which alone, too, I had suffi 

 cient confidence to be willing to encounter him. I found it 

 almost impossible, however, to draw his attention from them. 

 They had been made to appear to him so much the most 

 important part of Christianity, that he could hardly for an 

 instant raise his eyes above them, or see through their ob 

 struction. This difficulty, common enough perhaps anywhere, 

 is peculiarly characteristic of English. working-men, and is, as 

 I imagine, a direct result of the prevalent views of education 

 among the religious classes of their country. I have seen 

 immense evil, as I think, arising from it, and have a strong 

 conviction of its exceeding folly and danger. I cannot, how 

 ever, presume upon the general interest of my readers in the 

 subject, and will not pursue it ; but as illustrating what I 

 mean, and also as showing what seems to me the best way 

 to meet the difficulties I have referred to, I will endeavour to 

 give, in the Appendix, for those who care to listen to it, a re 

 port of our conversation.* It is, of course, impossible to 



* See Appendix A. 



