how cruel a manner, his noble disciple apostrophizes him on this occasion: 66 Philosopher! let me hear "concerning life, what the right notion is, and what I am to stand to upon occasion; that I may not, "when life seems retiring, or has run itself out to the very dregs*, cry VANITY! condemn the WORLD, "and at the same time complain that LIFE IS SHORT " AND PASSING. For why so short indeed, if not "found sweet? Why do I complain both ways? "Is vanity, mere vanity, a happiness; or can misery

pass away too soon†?" Here the polite author had the noble pleasure of ridiculing the philosopher and the Psalmist together. But I will leave the strange reflexions, that naturally arise from hence, to the reader; who, I am sure, will be beforehand with me in judging, that Mr. Locke had reason to condemn a world that cast him upon such a friend and pupil.

Mr. Locke was then in his 73d year. + Characteristics, vol. i. p. 302. 3d ed.

But

Man is like to vanity: His days are as a shadow that passeth away. PSAL. cxliv. 4.

The noble writer did not disdain to take up with those vulgar calumnies which Mr. Locke had again and again confuted. "Some even (says he, Charact. vol. i. p. 80. 3d ed.) of our most "admired modern philosophers had fairly told us, that virtue "and vice had, after all, no other law or measure than mere "fashion and vogue." The case was this: When Mr. Locke reasoned against innate ideas, he brought it as one argument against them, that virtue and vice, in many places, were not regulated by the nature of things, which they must have been, were there such innate ideas; but by mere fashion and vogue. Is this then fairly told of our admired modern philosopher? But it was crime enough that he laboured to overthrow innute ideas; things that the noble author understood to be the foundation of his moral

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But to go on, and consider the nature of this abuse of the Clergy: It is not only an affront to Religion, which, by your practice, you seem to regard as one of the essential branches of literary liberty; but likewise, an insult on civil Society. For while there is such a thing as a Church established by law, its Ministers must needs bear a sacred, that is, a public character even on your own principles. To abuse them, therefore, as a body, is insulting the State which protects them. It is highly injurious likewise, because a Body-politic cannot preserve the reverence necessary for the support of government, longer than its public officers, whether civil or religious, are treated with the regard due to their respective stations ↑.

And

moral sense. (See vol. iii. p. 214.) In vain did Mr. Locke incessantly repeat, that "the divine law is the only true touchstone of

moral rectitude." This did but increase his pupil's resentment, who had all his faculties possessed with the MORAL SENSE, as "the only true touchstone of moral rectitude," But the whole Essay itself, one of the noblest, and most original books in the world, could not escape his ridicule: "In reality (says he, vol. i. p. 299.) how specious a study, how solemn an amusement, is raised from what we call philosophical speculations! The "formation of ideas! their compositions, comparisons, agreement "and disagreement!-Why do I concern myself in speculations "about my ideas? What is it to me, for instance, to know what "kind of idea I can form of space? Divide a solid body, etc." and so he goes on in Mr. Locke's own words: And lest the reader should not take the satire, a note at the bottom of the page informs us, that "these are the words of the particular author "cited." But the invidious Remark on this quotation surpasses all credit. Thus the atomist, or EPICUREAN.

"They also that have authority to teach, etc. are public ministers." Leviathan, p. 124, London, 1651. 4to.

† Αρχεσιν ἡ ὀφειλομένη αἰδῶς, καὶ τιμὴ φυλασσομένη, κόσμον σώζει καπόλεως, καὶ διατηρέει. Ant. Scrip. apud Stob. de rep. Serm. 41, p. 270. Tiguri, 1559, fol. circa finem,

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And here, your apology, when accused of using holy Writ irreverently, is out of doors. You pretend that the Charge is disingenuous, because it takes for granted the thing in dispute. But in the case before us, it is agreed, that the Ministers of the established worship have a sacred, that is, a public character.

Out of your own mouths likewise, are you condemned. A few instances there are in the first ages of Christianity, of something resembling this misconduct; where the intemperance of private zeal now and then gave the affront to the national religion. But who are they that so severely censure this disorder*? that raise such tragic outcries against the factious spirit of primitive Christianity? Who, Gentlemen, but Yourselves! The very men who, out of spite and wantonness, daily persist in doing what a misguided devotion, now and then, though rarely, betrayed a martyr to commit†,

But would you read Christian antiquity with equal minds, you would not want examples of a better conduct. For in general the Apologists for the Christian faith observed a decency and moderation becoming the truth and importance of the cause they had to sup

"The list of Martyrs consisted, I believe, of those who "suffered for breaking the Peace. The primitive clergy were, "under pretence of Religion, a very Lawless Tribe," L. Boling: broke, vol. iv. p. 434.

+ In the LXth canon of the council of Eliberis, held about twenty years before the council of Nice, it is decreed, that they who were slain by the Gentiles for breaking down their idols, should not be received by the church into the number of Martyrs, since neither the precepts of the Gospel nor the practice of the Apostles gave any countenance to such licentious behaviour.

port.

port. We need only look into Lactantius for the modesty of their conduct in this respect.

This eloquent Apologist, who wrote in an age which would have indulged greater liberties, giving in his divine institutions, the last stroke to expiring paganism; where he confutes the national Religion, spares as much as possible the Priests; but in exposing their Philosophy, is not so tender of their Sophists : For these last having no public character, the State was not concerned to have them managed. Such, I say, was the general behaviour of the first Christians.

Nor can you plead, in your excuse, any other necessity, than that inseparable from a weak cause, of committing this violence. The discovery of truth is so far from being advanced by it, that, on the contrary, it carries all the marks of design to retard the search, when you so industriously draw off the reader's attention from the Cause, by diverting him at the expence of the Advocate.

It is true, that at what time the Clergy so far forgot the nature of their office, and of the cause they were appointed to defend, as to call in the secular arm to support their arguments against wrong opinions, we saw, without much surprise or resentment, You, Gentlemen, in like delusion, that any means were lawful in support of truth, falling without scruple to affront the Public (then little disposed to give you an equal hearing) by the abuse of a Body, whose private interests the State had indiscreetly espoused. For where

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where was the wonder, when Government had assumed too much, for those who were oppressed by it, to allow it too little? You thought this a fair return; and your candid enemies confessed, that some indulgence was to be given to the passions of men, raised and enflamed by so unequal a treatment. But now, that the State hath withdrawn its power, and confined the Administration within its proper office; and that this learned Body hath publicly disclaimed its assistance; it will surely be expected, that You, likewise, should return to a better mind, and forsake a practice insolently continued, without any reasonable pretence of fresh provocation.

Your last abuse, Gentlemen, of the liberty of the press, is a certain dissolute habit of mind, regardless both of truth and falsehood, which you betray in all your attacks on Revelation. Who that had not heard of your solemn professions of the love of liberty, of truth, of virtue, of your aim at the honour of God, and good of men, could ever believe you had any thing of this at heart, when they see that spirit of levity and dissipation which runs through all your writings?

That you may not say I slander you, I will produce those marks in your works, on which I have formed my accusation of this illiberal temper.

1. The first is an unlimited buffoonry; which suffers no test or criterion to your ridicule, to shew us, when you are in jest, and when in earnest.