164 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



constant charity and goodwill towards each other. 

 Mr. Zouch would sometimes say to me, " Do you 

 know this old man can beat me in argument," and 

 would then regret that he was not orthodox in his 

 religious opinions, but setting that aside, as to his 

 moral conduct, he was one of the best Christians he 

 knew. Poor Goundry was equally warm in his 

 praises of these two good men his neighbours, and 

 with the tear on his cheek would enumerate the 

 charities and liberality of the late Mr. Tunstal, and 

 as a proof of the latter he instanced his being at 

 great expense in privately contributing towards 

 the pewing of Wycliffe Church. One might dwell 

 long with pleasure on such singularly good charac- 

 ters. I wish the world was better stocked with 

 them. 



I have often reflected with pain on the asperity 

 with which one description of Christians has com- 

 monly treated others who differed from them in 

 opinion on religious matters ; or, rather, as to their 

 different modes of faith ; and I have thought that 

 the time would come when that cruel, bloody, and 

 disgusting portion of history would not be believed, 

 which has recorded the fact that one denomination 

 of Christians actually burned others alive, who 

 differed from them in opinion on matters which 

 ought to have been considered beneath contempt. 

 But, judging from the past, it is certain that, when 

 men give up their reason, and substitute faith, or 

 anything else, in lieu thereof, there is nothing 

 however absurd that may not be believed, and no 

 punishments, however cruel, that may not be 

 resorted to, to enforce that belief. Men thus 

 degraded may fairly be called man-tigers, being 

 fitted for any cruel, wicked purpose ; and, under 



