ON MATTERS OF BELIEF. I07 



thodox — that Conftantine, to the difgrace of the 

 Chriftian name, called the Great, knew lb little of his 

 duties and his rights, as, infread of ftifling thefe bane^ 

 ful enormities in the birth, fupported them by the me- 

 thods he took, and even blew up the flames — all 

 thefe fcandalous diffentions, with the abominations 

 which arofe out of them, and the fenfelefs behaviour 

 of the magiftrate in them — what are they to us pro- 

 tectants in the eighteenth century ? ' And what mali- 

 cious daemon incites at prefent — in circumflances fo 

 infinitely altered — at a time which, in illumination 

 and even in morality, is fo far fuperior to the times of 

 the Conftantines and the Theodofiufes, fuch numbers 

 of blind zealots, to endeavour at renewing thefe hor- 

 rors, and even, as far as poilible, to draw the great 

 ones of the earth to their party, and to make them the 

 inftruments of perfecution and oppreffion ? 



The magiftrate is pitiable, whofe eyes are not clear 

 enough to fee what he may enjoin and what he may 

 not ! who knows not, that he cannot decide upon the 

 moil indifferent phrafe of language, not even upon a 

 little diiputed queflion in fyntax, to fay nothing of 

 matters of faith, and affairs of conference — knows 

 not, that he is appointed to govern men and not ma- 

 chines ; that religion, faith, conviclion, in their very 

 nature, endure no violence ; that illumination by 

 means of fcience and reafon, can never be hurtful ; 

 that indulgence is due from him to the poor in fpirit, 

 to the minds whofe knowledge and reafon are clouded 

 with darknefs, nay even to all kinds of dreamers, en- 

 thuliafts, and fanatics — fo long as they do not difturb 

 the public order and peace; but that it is, not only 

 1 pr ife- 



