that, in some cases, the habit fhall continue, though the original motive have no force at all; and yet it may be impoffible to fay, in what part of this progrefs the influence. of one motive ceafed, and that of another began; the change of character being infenfible, and altogether imperceptible.

For my own part, I have no doubt, but that the leading men among the Methodists were influenced, originally, by none but the best of all motives, a generous concern for the fouls of men. Nothing elfe, I think, can account for their conduct, as they were then circumftanced. But finding themselves, by degrees, at the head of a large body of people, and in the poffeffion of confiderable power and influence, they must not have been men, if they had not felt the natural love of power gratified in fuch a fituation; and they must have been more than men, if their fubfequent conduct had not been, more or lefs, influenced by it; and if they had not acted in many cafes, juft as the heads of any other party would have acted. I am far from meaning to infinuate by this, that their original motive is become extinct. I hope it is fill the leading one with them; but it becomes every man to distrust himself, and carefully to examine his own heart. Otherwife, as I believe may have been the cafe with many perfecutors, we may begin with the love of God, or a regard to his glory, and end with the moft diabolical difpofitions.

Thefe obfervations may throw fome light on the feemingly different accounts that Paul gives of his own character and conduct, before he was converted to christianity. Before the chief priests and council of the Jews, he declared, Ats xxiii. 1. that he had lived in all good confcience before Gol until that day, and before Agrippa, Acts xxvi. 5, that be thought with himself he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth; whereas, writing to Timothy, he says (1 Tim. i. 14, 15,) that he had been a biafphemer, a perfecutor, injurious, and the chief of finners, though, at the fame time, he adds, he had acted ignorantly, in unbelief.

belief. They may also serve to illustrate the following paffage in the prophet Jeremiah (and as the words are those of God himself, they ought to command a general and very serious attention; and more especially fhould they alarm every man, who imagines himself to be actuated by religious motives, when he is inftigated to any act of violence against another; whether it be to the injury of his perfon, his fortune, his reputation, or his intereft.) Jer. xvii. 9, 10. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? I, the Lord, fearch the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

The application of this doctrine may be made both by those who seem enraged at others, for holding opinions which they think damnable; and by those who infult and laugh at others, for opinions which they think to be merely ridiculous and abfurd. In many cafes, I am fatisfied, that the pure love of truth is, on both fides, abforbed in paffions of a very different nature. I could overlook every thing in a man, who, I thought, meant nothing but my everlasting welfare; or to inform me of any thing that I was ignorant of, and defirous of knowing; but those perfons who have these pretences in their mouths only, when they are far from their hearts (though they may deceive themfelves, as well as others) are by no means intitled to fo favourable a reception.

It behoves us, however, carefully to distinguish between this latent infincerity, under the influence of which men deceive themselves, and that direct prevarication, with which those who are engaged in debate, are too ready to charge one another; as if their adversaries knowingly concealed, or opposed the truth. This is a crime of fo heinous a nature, that I should be very unwilling to impute it to any perfon whatever. It is poffible, indeed, that, in the heat of controversy, when the eyes of the public are upon a perfon, and he is afraid of appearing in a difadvantageous light, he may use a little sophistry, in order to seem to have the better of

an

an argument; but for a man voluntarily to undertake the defence of error, and knowingly to pervert the fcriptures, in order to make them favour his purpofe; and especially to perfit through life in avowing fentiments which he really believes to be falfe, argues the heart to be fo void of all principle of rectitude; it is fuch an infult upon the God of truth, and fuch a contempt of his judgments, that I think human nature could never become fo depraved as to be capable of it; and that no fituation in human life could fupply a fufficient temptation for fuch conduct.

If a man do but fufpect that he is engaged in a cause that will not bear examination, he is naturally difpofed to be filent; or if, confiding in his skill in difputation, he should be tempted to challenge another to oppugn it, it would be in converfation only; and it must manifeft a degree of temerity, equal to madness, to proceed to write in such a cafe, when he could take no advantage either of his own presence of mind, or of the weakness and embarrassment of his adverfary. There are fuch well known inftances of the force of prejudice, that I had rather afcribe any opinion, how abfurd foever, or any defence, how weak foever, in a man how fenfible and intelligent foever, in other refpects, to wrong judgment, than to a bad heart. I can hardly imagine any cafe, in which, exclufive of all confideration of candour and charity, the chance would not be in favour of the former.

If this remark be juft, with what caution and tenderness should we cenfure any perfon, with refpect to a point of mere fpeculation. To abufe any one because he does not fee things fo clearly as I may think I do myself, is cruel with respect to him, and has a much worse aspect with regard to God, who made us both, and who has placed us in our different fituations for feeing, judging, and acting. How should I be affected at the great day of judgment, to be convinced of the integrity, and perhaps the right judgment, alfo, of an adverfary, whom I fhould have treated in fo illiberal and infulting a manner.

SECTION II.

Of the Source of Bigotry, and Perfecution.

IT T is unhappy, in some respects, that chriftians are divided into so many sects and parties. This circumftance, however, was certainly forefeen, and therefore wifely permitted by that great and good being who governs all things; and it will, I doubt not, notwithstanding several intermediate ill effects, contribute, at laft, to the firmer establishment, and the greater efficacy of the christian scheme. In the mean time, let it be our joint care to obviate and leffen those neceffary intermediate and temporary evils, which result from our differences of opinion.

Let every question in debate be proposed to the freest examination; and, without indecent paffion, or personal animofity (which are equally a disgrace to us as men, or as christians) let us weigh the merits of every cause; and, without concealment or referve, advance every thing that occurs to us in support of our respective opinions. If the pure love of truth influence us, we fhall, in this way, much fooner find it. And, especially, being each of us conscious of the uprightness of our own intentions, let us not easily admit a doubt of the fincerity of others.

Let those who maintain that the mere holding of any opinions (without regard to the motives and state of mind through which men may have been led to form them) will neceflàrily exclude them from the favour of God, be particularly careful, with respect to the premises from which they draw fo alarming a conclufion. Of all the tenets that can be the subject of debate, this has the moft dreadful practical confequences. This belief lays fuch hold on the mind, and is apt to excite such a horror of the reprobated opinions, as, in the frail state of humanity, is with difficulty brought to be consistent with any efteem or love of the perfons who

hold

ħold them; and, from the affinity of our paffions, it is, in too many minds, capable of degenerating into abfolute hatred, rancour, and the diabolical fpirit of perfecution. Such perfons are apt to be so transported with zeal, that they will even do evil that good may come, and deftroy the bodies of fome, to promote, as they fancy, the good of the fouls of others. Indeed, no other opinions than fuch as these can, with the least plaufibility, be alleged in favour of persecution; and we find, in fact, that those have ever been the moft violent perfecutors, who have thought falvation and the favour of God appropriated to themselves. Where, therefore, fuch an opinion as this has unhappily been formed, we muft guard ourselves against the effects of it, as we would against those of abfolute infanity in the persons we conversed with; and we should use every method we can think of to bring them from fo fatal a turn of thinking, to a fober ftate of mind.

On the contrary, if we can be so happy as to believe, that there are no errors, but what men may be fo circumstanced, as to be innocently betrayed into; that any mistake of the head is very confiftent with rectitude of heart; and that all differences in modes of worship may be only the different methods, by which different men (who are equally the offSpring of God) are endeavouring to honour and obey their common parent; our differences of opinion would have no tendency to leffen our mutual love and esteem. In this state of mind, most of our differences would be in a fair way of being terminated; and all that could remain would do no more than furnish an easy and agreeable exercise for the christian virtues of candour and moderation. Different parties in religion would then only afford room for a generous and friendly emulation, which of them should most advance the cause of truth, and recommend their feveral profeffions, by the most benevolent and exemplary conduct. Every man would speak or write with more or lefs warmth, in proportion to the apprehended importance of his fubject; but this could never be fo great, as to afford the least colour or pretence for the violence of those, who imagine that

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they

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