1801. ] 
cuftams, we leave to their own conf{ciences. 
So long as we do not feek to convince 
others of our opinions, all conteft is to no 
purpote. 
Ifa Confucius or Solon lived among my 
contemporaries, I could, according to the 
principles of my religion, love and admire 
the great man, without having the ridicu- 
lous thought of converting a Solow or Con- 
fucius.—Convert? For what? As he 
dees not belong to the tribe of Jacob, my 
religion’s laws do not bind him ; and on 
doétrines we fhould underftand each other. 
Do I believe he could be faved? O,I believe 
truly, that he who in this lite has led men 
to virtue cannot be condemned in the other. 
And 1 ftand in fear of no reverend college, 
which, like the Sorbonz toward the up- 
right Marmontel, can cenfure me for this 
opinion. 
T have the happinefs to poffefs many excel - 
jent men, friends, who are not of my faith. 
We love each other heartily and honeftly, 
thouch we ijuppofe, and take for granted, 
that in matters of faith we are of different 
a gh I enjoy the luxury of their fo- 
ety,which improvesanddelightsme. My 
he art has never fecretly cried out to me— 
Woe to the excellent foul! Wewho believes 
that out of his church there is no faivation, 
muft have this figh often weighing upon 
his breaft. It is doubrtlefs the natural 
duty of every man to fpread knowledge 
and virtue among his brother men, and to 
root out prejudices and errors according 
to his power: hence it might be believed 
to be the duty of every man openly to op- 
pole religious opinions which he efteems 
falie. But all prejudices are not equally 
injurious, and therefore we ought not to 
treat in the fame way all the prejudices 
which we believe we fee in our fellow- men. 
Some are immediately. hoitile to the happi- 
nefs of the human race; their influence on 
morals is clearly-ruinous, and we cannot 
ex ect from them even accidental benefit. 
Thefe muft be directly attacked by every 
friend to man; and the more direét the 
affault the better, all delays, by circuitous 
means are unjultifiable. Of this nature 
are all the errors.and prejudices which des 
firoy their own and their neighbours con- 
tentment and peace, and root out the feed 
ot truth and virtue in men betore jt can 
thoot. On the one fide fanaticifm, hatred, 
and the fpirit of perfecution; on tne other 
fide, vanity, debauchery, and immoral li- 
bertinitm. But fometimes the opinions of 
my fellow-men, which I hold to be errors, 
refer to the higher theoretical principles, 
and are too far removed from practice to be 
immediately injurious; but they contti- 
Correfpondente of Lavater ana Mendelfobn. 
aa 
ftute from their very generality the foun- 
dation out of which the people who adopt 
them has drawn its fyftem of morals and 
focial life; and hence to this portion of 
the human race are accidentally become of 
great importance. Openly to contelt fuch 
principles because they appear to uS preju- 
dices, is, without {uppor ting the ftructure, 
to dig a pit under it, in order to examine 
whether it be firm and fecure. He who 
cares more for the happinefs of men than his 
own fame, will withhold his opinion con- 
cerning prejudices of this defcription, be- 
ware ot attacking them direétly, and with- 
out the greateft caution, that he may not 
dettroy a doubtful principle of morals, 
before his fellows are fit to receive a true 
one. 
I can therefore, confiftently with my 
principles, believe I perceive national pre- 
judices and falfe religious notions, and yet 
teel myfelf ound to be filent, when thefe 
errors do not zmmediately deftroy natural 
religion, nor the natural law, and much 
more when they are Hes at connected 
with the promotion of what is good. It 
is true, the morality of our a&tions fcarce- 
ly def.rves that name, when it is grounded 
on error; and the good can always be 
more fecurely and better prefumed by 
truth, when 7 is recognifed, than by preju- 
dice. But fo long as itis not recogniled, 
fo long as it is not become national, fo 
that it cannot operate on the multitude fo 
powerfully as deeply-rooted prejudice, fo 
long muit even prejudice, to every friend 
of virtue, be almoft facred. 
This modefty is ftill more incumbent on 
me, when the nation, which one believes to 
be in fuch errors, has, m other points, 
made itfelf venerable by wifdom and vir- 
tue, and counts among it a number of 
great men, who deferve to be contidered as 
benefactors of the fpecies. So noble a 
portion of the human race muft, when 
met by any one himfelf human, be in- 
dulged. Who fhould be fo rafh as to lofe 
fight of the excellencies of fuch a nation, 
and to attack it where he believes he has 
found a weaknels? \ 
Thefe are the motives which my reli- 
gion and my ‘philofophy furnifh, and in- 
duce me carefully to avoid religious dif- 
putes: add the domettic fituation in which 
I live among my tellow-men, and you will 
think me fully juftified. Iam the member 
of an oppreffed people, who muft implore 
fhelter and protection from the ruling na- 
tion, and even this it obtains not every 
where, and. no where without limitation. 
My brethren in taith are willing to re- 
nounce liberties which are granted to all 
other 
