4 : The Enquirer. No. I. 
felfifh averfion to innovation? Or are 
there, in reality, fome ferious inconve- 
miences and mifchiefs to be dreaded 
from an unlimited laticude of enquiry ? 
Let the point be fairly and candidly 
examined. 
—— “ Remove all reftri€étion and 
difcouragement from enquiry ;—fet the 
door of the {chool of knowledge wide 
open, and invite people of all claffes to 
enter ;—confider what wonld be the 
confequence, with refpeét to the lower 
orders of fociety. They would be di- 
verted from thofe neceffary labours, on 
which their own fupport and the wealth 
ef the nation depends: they would be- 
come conceited poffeflors of that § little 
knowledge, which ‘¢ is a dangerous 
thing :’ they would, learn to look upon 
the neceflary fubordination of fociety as 
a grievous evil; would become reftlefs 
under the unavoidable burdens and re- 
ftraints of civilized life; and, in their 
violent efforts to throw them off, would 
involve their country in confufion, and 
introduce ali the horrors of anarchy,”’— 
Thefe phantoms, conjured up by the 
Alarmift’s wand, it will require no in- 
cantation ‘to difperfe. ‘The poor man, 
though, doubtiefs, born to. Jabour— 
which, by the way, ought in one form 
or another to be the lot of every man— 
is alfo born to enjoy his exiftence as a 
rational being, and ought not to be de- 
nied leifure and opportunity to. partake 
of the pleafures of intellect. He would 
not be the lefs able, or inclined, to fill up 
his proper ftation in fociety, for know- 
ing his rights and his duties. It is ig- 
norance, not knowledge, which makes 
men difcontented and troublefeme. The 
abjeét {pirit which is produced by reli- 
gious and political fuperftition, may be 
convenient in a ftate of oppreffion ; but 
a government which purfues, by direé 
means, the honeft end of the public 
good, will, unqueftionably, condué its 
operations with greater facility and ef- 
fect over an enlightened, than an igno- 
rant people. Nothing would {o certain- 
ly prevent the miferies attending fudden 
pelitical concuffions, as the general dif- 
Tufion of knowledge. The necetlity of 
violent commotions would be fuperceded 
by the gradual and peaceable, but fure, 
progrefs of reformation: for, ‘ when 
the moft conrfiderable part of a nation, 
either for number or influence, become 
convinced of the flagrant abfurdity of 
any of its inftitutions, the whole will 
foon be prepared, tranquilly, and by a 
[ Feb, 
fort. of common confent, to fupercede 
Een or 
he queftion cannot be fully deter- 
mined by an appeal to faét: for the ex- 
periments have been hitherto almoft all 
on the fide of reftri€tion ; fcarcely any * 
country having adopted the liberal poli- 
cy of allowing free cnquiry and difcuf- 
fion without any exceptions or embar- 
raffments. But it hes always been 
found, as was to be expected, that the. 
more the freedom of refearch has in 
any country been encouraged, the 
greater progrefs has that country made 
in civilization and proiperity. On the 
contrary. wherever the ruling powers 
have thought it expedient to clog the 
human underftanding in its natural en- 
deavour to free itfelf from error and 
prejudice, the minds of the peuple have 
become enfeebled by indclence, enflaved 
by fuperftition, and corrupted by vice; 
till long and fad experience of the mif- 
chiefs arifing from blind credulity and 
tame fubmifiion, has rouzed to aétion 
their dormant faculties, and produced 
energetic exertions, beneficial, doubtlefs, 
in their confequences, but in their firft 
efforts fcarcely lefs tremendous, than - 
the unexpeéted expilofion of a long filent, 
and almoft forgotten volcano. 
Inftead of thus giving a preternatural 
vigour to the cefpairing firuggles of the 
free-born mind, by forcibly compreifiing 
irs natural elafticity, had the leaders of 
the world encouraged and aided the pro- 
grefs of knowledge ;---had the Grecian 
philofophers, inftead of making the aca- 
demy, the porch, and the Lyceum, re- 
found with the clamour of their barren 
difputes, imitated the wife Socrates in 
bringing philofopny into the common 
walks of lite ;---had the early fathers of 
the Chriftian Church, inftead of per- 
plexing the world with abftrufe quef- 
tions and incomprehenfible myfteries, 
employed themfelves in teaching the 
fimple principles and rules of Chriftian 
morals; had the moft /ubile, profound, 
wrefragable, angelic, and ferapoic doctors 
of the fcholaftic age, inftead of amufing 
themielves with raifing phantoms of 
abftraction, like elvés and fairies, in the 
field of truth, ftudied nature, and com- 
municated ufeful information to the 
common people :---in fine, on the re- 
vival of letters, had our public i{chools 
been formed with lefs attention to the 
parade of learning. and the oftentation 

* Godwin, 
of 
