60 



And now permit me. Sir, as an ardent ad- 

 mirer of your genius and acquirements, to re- 

 commend to the attention of your leisure hours, 

 a serious enquiry into the Evidences of Natural 

 and Revealed Theology. Surely, it is not pro- 

 bable, that a Religion which combines amongst 

 its adherents, the learning, talents, and virtues 

 of this country, should be founded on impostures 

 which Ignorance may detect, or vulgarity ex- 

 pose. Let me beg you, as a man of science, to 

 prosecute this enquiry without prejudice or par- 

 tiality divest yourself of sneers and sarcasms 

 against priests and monks, and consider that 

 whether Christianity be true or false, its claims 

 are, at all events, deserving of a fair, candid, and 

 philosophic investigation. 



Should you still unhappily persevere in your 

 opinions of its falsity, you will not deem it ne- 

 cessary to spread these opinions, nor attempt 

 directly or indirectly to diffuse your sentiments 

 amongst your pupils. This will be a great 

 point gained for the interests of religion and 

 morality; nor do I assert that the Public have 

 any right to interfere with your private opinions. 

 Yet would it give me the highest pleasure, as a 

 firm believer in Christianity, to learn hereafter 

 the positive change of your principles; and to 

 know that one who had been ic a blasphemer, 

 " a persecutor, and injurious/' had at length 

 enrolled his name, not only in scientific cele- 

 brity, but in religious belief, with the great phi- 



