1 66 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



face of no man. The little, strutting authorities 

 of despotism he will despise, and the virtuous 

 magistrate will ever be his friend. He will break 

 no good laws that have been made for the 

 guidance of man in society ; and, as to his reli- 

 gion, that is an affair between himself and his 

 Maker only. With the Author of his Being he 

 will, with unentangled mind, commune freely, at 

 all times, when his spirit moves him to do so ; and 

 no man ever did, or ever will, feel himself happy 

 that does not pursue this course through life. 



Ever since I habituated myself to think, I have 

 always seen, as clearly as I could see anything, 

 that, it is the intention of the Deity that mankind 

 should live in a state of civilised society, and that 

 no period of human existence can be comfortable 

 without the pleasures and endearments of social 

 intercourse. Every object in nature that can be 

 contemplated shews this ; and the full and exact 

 fitness of all its component parts clearly prove 

 that man, from his social' nature, is destined to 

 live in this state. He has been endowed with 

 reason, as his guide, for the purpose of regulating 

 and conducting the whole ; but, when that guide 

 is neglected, and he u suffers his selfish propensities 

 and bad passions to w/!ylead him from the path 

 of rectitude, from that moment, everything, so far 

 as this reaches, goes wrong. For reasons of this 

 kind, it is necessary that equitable and just laws 

 should be made and enforced, to restrain vice from 

 breaking down the barriers that are erected to 

 protect virtue and patriotism. To break through 

 these laws is sin. But, in the present wretched 

 state of society, it may be difficult to bring about 

 such a reformation of manners as will ensure the 



