MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



conception of the Adorable Author of the whole 

 can be formed; and it would soon be found that 

 men of common capacities, and without having 

 even been taught to read and write, would be at no 

 loss to understand the clear lectures delivered on 

 this latter subject. I think it would be folly, or 

 worse than folly, to entertain any suspicion that 

 poor men, thus enlightened, would forget the 

 station in which they are placed, and cease to 

 work honestly to maintain themselves, or be- 

 come bad members of society. On the contrary, 

 it is reasonable to conclude that such a universal 

 spread of knowledge as would follow this system 

 of education, and this kind of religious worship, 

 would stamp the character of a whole people as 

 intelligent, good, subjects; and it appears to me 

 certain that, until such a mode of enlightened 

 religion is adopted and acted upon, mankind will 

 continue to be torn asunder, as they have too long 

 been, and that, if it could quickly be spread over 

 the partly civilised world, there would never more 

 be any religious bickerings or animosities on that 

 score, and that then, but not till then, all mankind 

 would become as brethren. 



I am well aware that the pride and the fears of 

 what are called the dignified clergy, might operate 

 powerfully against the purity and simplicity of 

 such a change. If so, they will then thus clearly 

 and decisively show that it is a system of revenue 

 only, and not religion, that they can be fearful of 

 upsetting; but, if none of these are deprived of 

 their present livings (or an equivalent to their 

 value), which they hold only during their lives, 

 what have they to be afraid of? To sell their 

 present enormous revenues, and fund the amount, 



