MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 287 



nor dogmas and creeds, which seemed to me to 

 have been invented by interested men to bewilder 

 the understanding. With these, preached up Sun- 

 day after Sunday to arrest the solemn attention 

 of their hearers, I felt annoyed, and wondered 

 how any rational being could listen to such absur- 

 dities. 



When very young I read the Bible through and 

 through, but I, at that time, minded it no more than 

 other histories with which my scanty library was 

 furnished. I could not then judge of it, nor properly 

 estimate the sublime precepts it contains. I felt, 

 indeed, much pleased and excited by the numerous 

 battles therein described. Sober reflection, how- 

 ever, respecting- them quite altered the bent of my 

 inclination that way, and I began and continued to 

 consider the political history of the Israelites as 

 very wicked; for they are so described as under the 

 direction of Moses, who, it is said, always obtained 

 the command or sanction of the Lord to set the 

 people at work in the business of war, at which 

 they appear to have been very ready and very 

 expert. It is, however, evident that in the nation 

 of the Israelites there were men of great intellectual 

 powers, and inspired with an ardent desire to trace 

 the Author of Nature through His works, as well 

 as having a foresight of their future destiny. It 

 being clear to them that it was the intention of 

 Omnipotence that men should live in a state of 

 civilised society, under this impression they set 

 to work, as well as they could with an uncivilised 

 people, to bring about such a desirable order of 

 things, but in which they must have felt great 

 difficulties ; the first of which was to abolish 

 Paganism, and to establish the pure religion of 



