18or. | 
God grant that much virtue and truth 
may be difleminated by your means, and 
beitow on you all the bleffings my heart 
wifhes. 
Zurich, 
J.C. Lavarer. 
Auguf? 25,.1769- 
Letter ta Mr. Deacon Lavater, at Zurich, 
from Moafes Mendelfobn.  , 
‘¢ Revered Friend of Man—You have 
thought proper to dedicate to me Bonnet’s 
Enquiry into the Evidences of Chriftianity, 
which you fave tranflated from the French; 
. and in the dedication to conjure me, in the 
moft folemn manner, before the eyes of 
the public, to refute this writing, as far 
as the effential arguments by which the 
fa&ts of Chriftianity are {upported, appear 
to me ill-founded; but, as far as I find 
them jut, to do what prudence, love of 
truth, and integrity, command me to do, 
and what Socrates would have done had 
he read this work, and found it, unan- 
{werable. That is, to abandon the reli- 
gion of my forefathers, and confefs the 
truth. of that which Bonnet, vindicates. 
For, afluredly, could I ever be bafe enough 
to let Prudence hold the balance againtt 
integrity and the love of truth, I thould 
yet, in this cafe, find them ail in the fame 
fcale. 
Tam fully convinced, that this a& of 
yours {prung, from a pure fource, and I 
can impute to you none but amiable and > 
philanthropic motives. I fhould be wor- 
thy of no honeft man’s efteem, if I did 
not anfwer witha grateful heart the friend- 
ly difpofitions you manifelt towards me in 
your dedication. But I cannot deny it, 
that this writing from you ftrongly fur 
prifes me. I could have expeéted any 
thing fooner than a public challenge from 
Lavater. Since you ftill recolle& the con- 
fidential difcourfe I had the pleafure to 
hold with you and your worthy friends, in 
my chamber, you: cannot have forgotten 
how often I fought to turn the converfation 
from religion to more indifferent fubjects ; 
how much you and your friends were forced 
to prefs me, before I could be brought to 
open my mind on a queftion of fuch im- 
portance to the heart. If Ido not miftake, 
aflurances were at the time given, that no 
pudlic ule fhould ever be made: of. any 
thing then faid. Yet I would rather fup- 
_pofe myfelf in an error, than impute toyou 
the violation of a promife. But if in my 
own chamber, and among a fmall number 
of worthy perfons of whofe good inten- 
tions I had reafon to be perfuaded, 1 fo 
feduloufly avoided 2n explanation; it was 
eafy to _guefs that I muft be extremely 
Correfpandence of Lavater and Mendelfohn. 
39 
averfe to a public one, and that I muft 
be exceedingly embarrafled, when the 
voice which demands it cannot be con- 
temptible. What then could induce you, 
thus contrary to my will, which was 
known to you, to force me into the arena, 
which I fo heartily wifhed never to enter ? 
And if you even afcribed my averfion to 
mere timidity or baftfulnefs, does not fuch 
a weaknefs deferve the indulgence and to- 
leration of an amiable mind ? : 
But my fcruple againft entering into 
religious controverfy has been neither 
weaknefs nor timidity. I can fay, that it 
is not of yefterday I began to examine my 
religion. 1 very early felt the duty of 
trying my opinions and aétions ; andif I ~ 
have, fince my early youth, devoted my 
lei{ure hours to: fcience and polite litera~ 
ture, it has been almoft folely as a prepa- 
tion to this neceffary trial. Other motives 
I could not have had. In my fituation I 
could not expect the leaft temporal advan- 
tage from the fciences. I knew too well 
that I could not find profperity in the world 
by fuch means.—and pleafure?—O my ef- 
teemed Philanthropift!—the condition to 
which my brethren in faith are condemned 
in civil-life, is fo far removed from all free 
exercife of the powers of the mind, that I 
certainly could not increale my content- 
ment by learning to know the rights of 
humanity on their true fide. I avoid a 
nearer explanation on this point. He who 
knows our condition and -has an humane 
heart, will feel more than I can ex- 
prefs. 
After the enquiry of many years, if the 
decifion had not been perfeétly in favour 
of my religion, it would have been ne- 
ceffarily known bya public a&. IT cannot 
imagipe what fhould bind me to a religion 
in appearance fo fevere, and fo generally 
defpifed, if I were not in my heart per- 
fuaded of its truth. Whatever the refult 
had been, fo foon as I found that the reli- 
gion of my fathers was not the true onc, [ 
muft have deferted it. Were I in my 
heart convinced of the truth of any other, 
it would be the loweft vilenefs in me, to 
bid defiance to my conviction, and be un- 
willing torccognize the-tru:h. And what 
could teduce me to fuch vilenef:? Ihave 
already faid, that prudence, integvity, and 
love of truth, were on one fide. \ 
Had I been indifferent to both religions, 
and laughed at, or defpifed, all revelation, 
-T knew very well what prudence advifcs 
when confcience is filent—What fhould 
withhold me? Fear of former brethren in 
the faith? Their temporal power is too 
trifling to be feared. Obftinacy? Inco- 
gb 2 lence? 
