the ratio of the good secured, as the evil allowed to exist becomes greater.

Now, my dear sir, there is no one but the Atheist who escapes the difficulties supposed to be involved by the existence of evil in the government of a benevolent and almighty being; and those who deny revelation, or the eternity of future punishments, have as much difficulty on this ground as those who allow them.

For myself, as soon as I grant that there is a Creator of perfect benevolence, I am satisfied that there is, and will be, as little evil and as much good as is possible in the nature of things, and what that nature of things is, that makes it impossible to have a better system than the one existing, I leave to the wisdom of any theologians who can see farther into these matters than I can, and who more realize their importance than I ever could do. I am sure it would be better to have all the good that ever has or ever will exist, and none of the evil, than to have the same amount of good with such dreadful evils intermixed. Why it cannot be, I do not believe any one in this world will ever discover, nor do I suppose any great good will come from contending about who has a theory the nearest right, on this subject, for it is what can never be settled.

One thing, however, I will allow, and that is, that though we may never give up revelation, because we cannot see how certain doctrines can be made consistent, we should be justified in giving it up, could we show that it did contain doctrines that

were inconsistent, or were contrary to reason and common sense, or contrary to that moral feeling that makes us hate injustice, and duplicity, and deceit. If any person could prove that God professed to desire the salvation of all his creatures, and yet in fact really wished that some should sin, as the means of promoting the greatest good, it would be a case where infidels would have a right to reject the Bible as a book teaching sentiments contradictory to the moral nature God has given us. For it would teach that God pretended to wish the holiness and happiness of all his creatures, when in fact he did not desire it, and this is falsehood and deceit. You can easily perceive the difference between seeing that a certain doctrine is wrong, and opposed to our implanted moral feelings, and a doctrine which is so far beyond our reach, that though we cannot explain the consistency of it, we are as much unable to prove its inconsistency.

If we cannot show how the existence of evil is consistent with perfect benevolence and almighty power, no one can show that it is inconsistent. But we can perceive how it is deceitful and wrong to pretend to desire the salvation of all, when in fact it is desired that a part shall sin and suffer forever.

If God may with propriety and rectitude deceive us in one thing, he may be deceiving us in all, and allowing this, destroys all confidence in his revelation.

If any person, therefore, charges me with holding doctrines that make it necessary to adopt any

such theory as this, to make them consistent, I say prove it, and I relinquish them. I do not believe the Bible teaches any doctrines that can be shown as consistent, only by allowing that our Creator declares what is false to be true, and if you can find any such doctrines in the Bible, or show any case where the Bible teaches that God declares any thing to be true which is false, according to the fair and correct interpretation of language, you destroy my respect for the Bible, and my faith in its doctrines. But I claim that neither you or any man is able to do this, and that every infidel that has tried it, has found that it was his own ignorance, and not the Bible that was at fault.

Here I will leave the whole matter, with the sincere desire and prayer that you may use your reason and common sense in matters of religion, the same as you do in all other matters; for then I am sure you will be happier in this world, and safe and happy forever.

Your friend, &c.

LETTER VIII.

(TO ANOTHER PERSON.)

MY DEAR SIR,

In conversing with you on religious topics, it seems to me, we make very little progress in enlightening each other, for want of some method of avoiding those incessant episodes of conversation, that are caused by misconceptions, as to the terms used, or by the introduction of incidental matters, that divert from the main topic of debate. I am now going to try my pen, relying on your oft repeated assurance, that the subject is one deeply interesting to you, and on your permission to communicate with you upon it, as frequently, and as freely as I choose.

Will you have patience with me, when I tell you, that, so far as your best interests are concerned, it seems to me you hold a position, not a whit in advance of the avowed infidel, while in some respects, it is more disadvantageous.

You profess to be a believer in christianity, to reverence its ordinances; you give your influence, and your money, to support its institutions, and

you regularly attend upon its ministrations. By this course, you do indeed gain some advantage over the infidel. Your influence and example in society are better, you are not committed against religion, you listen to its instructions, and you have fewer repellencies to be overcome, than the avowed opposer, who avoids its services, and oppugns its doctrines.

But when I approach you as a believer in the Bible, and urge the duty of your becoming immediately, a decidedly religious man; when I present, as a motive, the danger of eternal ruin in your present course, you begin to talk about narrow views, that confine all hope of salvation, to a certain track; and then, when I appeal for authority, to the Bible, you evade by such sort of remarks as these; that you doubt if the passages I cite, have exactly the meaning I give them, that others put a different construction upon them, that my views seem unreasonable to you, and you doubt if the Bible sanctions them, that there is a great variety of opinions about these matters, and that while good men of equal talents, learning, and piety, differ as to what the Bible teaches, no one is at liberty to say that he is right, and that all who differ from him are wrong; that you believe that charity in judging of others, is the prime Christian virtue; and that you think I shall find many people in heaven, whom my present exclusive way of thinking would shut out.

There is no

The amount seems to be this. knowing what the Bible teaches one is as likely