is proved, and its doct r es afcertained; and have either intirely rejected, or reafoned very imperfectly concerning it. But Dr. Priestley's genius is equal to all fubjects; and remarkable for felecting only the strongest and most suitable arguments upon every one that he handles, and applying and arranging them with exquifite method and fimplicity; fo as to be intelligible to every capacity, and feldom to fail to work conviction in the unprejudiced mind. It may indeed be faid of his writings, as has been said of fome others, that perfons may learn from them to reafon juftly without having recourfe to formal treatifes of logic. I fpeak not this in the way of panegyric. I could name fome of the first mafters of reafoning in this kingdom, and who are allowed to be fo, who attribute this excellency to our author's compofitions. And hence it is, that as his fingular probity, and his difcernment, will never let him undertake a subject which he does not believe himfelf capable of fupporting by juft argument, it has feldom failed but that in moft of his controverfies, he has generally had the voice of all intel

ligent and unbiaffed readers with him. And I cannot fuffer myself to doubt of finding the fame difpofitions in you, with regard to the charges, which Dr. Horne, in your names, advances against him; which we are proceeding to confider.

SECTION IV.

OF THE CHARGES AGAINST DR. PRIESTLEY FOR HAVING NO FIXED CREED.

Important truth not to be concealed. Offence wrongly taken at Dr. Priestley's publication of the progress of his inquiries. Impartial inquirers have no fixed creed. Service of Dr. Priestley's writings to the cause of the gofpel. Reasons of Dr. Horne's not feeing this.

THE famous Burnet of the Charter-house, after having delivered his own sentiments, with great force of argument, from reason and scripture, and in a most affecting strain, against the eternity of future punishnents, clofes the whole with this caution; with which

F 4

which he fays fome of the ancient fathers, who were of the fame fentiment, always accompanied the declaration of it:

(o)" However freely (fays he to his readers) you may thus fee caufe to think concerning hell, and the future punishments of the wicked, in your own breast and in your closet; you must be careful to use the commonly received language concerning them, in public and before the people. For the bulk of mankind are fo • violently

(0) "De inferno, et futuris impiorum fuppliciis, hæc dixiffe fufficiat, modo fubjicias illud monitum, quod a præfatis patribus, ubi hoc tractant argumentum, fæpius adhiberi folet. Nimirum, quicquid apud te ftatuas, intus et in pectore, de his pœnis, eternis vel non: recepta doctrina verbifque utendum eft cum populo, et cum peroratur ad vulgus; præceps nempe in vitium, et fola formidine pœnæ a malis abfterrendum. Præterea, inter bonos etiam funt infantes et adulti, lacte, vel cibo folidiore, pro cujufque viribus, alendi. Horum non minus habenda eft ratio; nec temere mutanda eft parvulorum aut infirmorum diæta, ne intemperies oriatur, et in morbos incidant. Progreffum providențiæ, in mundo fenfim ad perfectionem promovendo, et illuminanda gente humana, femper ante oculos, femper in confiliis habere oportet: atque pari paffu procedendum in ftudiis et conatibus noftris, donec eo perventum fuerit, ut quod in aurem audivimus, in folariis prædicare liceat.”

Burnet de Stat. mort. et refurgent. p. 311. 312.

• violently bent on vice, that they are only

to be restrained and affrighted from it by • a dread of punishment. Even among those that are better characters, you are to attend to their cafe, and feed them with milk, (1 Cor. iii. 2.) or ftrong meat, as may suit, ' and not rafhly alter the diet of weak chrif

tians, left they be hurt by the change. And herein we are to imitate the methods ⚫ of divine providence in enlightening man' kind, and bringing its schemes to perfection; and to manage the fruits of our studies and researches in the fame way, 'till things come to that state, in the which, • what we have heard with the ear, we may " speak on the house-top"

This learned perfon's reafons for caution and filence upon this fubject, however well intended, have fomething unfound in them; and are by no means to be approved. For,

I. You are on no account to declare or to teach any thing, which you do not believe to be true. But this is what he recommends, viz. to hold forth the popular language concerning hell- torments, when you do not believe them to be eternal.

2. On the contrary, when you are led to treat upon the fubject, you should with mildness and good temper, if it be your perfuafion, fhew, that the language of the fcriptures is misunderstood, when men would infer from it the endless duration of the fufferings of wicked men; and also that such a doctrine is wholly incompatible with the ideas we cannot but entertain of the infinite goodness of God: and there you are to leave it, without fear of any harm to the morals of christians resulting from it, and without any doubt but that the most lafting punishments certainly denounced against the evil and impenitent, though they be far from eternal, cannot but have effect upon all that are capable of being deterred from their vicious practices.

3. With refpect to the methods of divine providence, they are no rule to us in fuch things. Our time is fhort, and our business is to make known important truth to others, as it is discovered to us. It has been, owing to a prudence of this kind not always to be commended, that there is ftill fo much darkness and fuperftition among christians, and the scripture fo little understood.

Happily