CHARITY IN RELIGION.

BY THE REV, MARK NOBLE, F. A. S. OF L. AND E.

MR. EDITOR,

A FIRM believer in revelation without superstition, fanaticism, or enthusiasm, I can make great allowances for many who constantly find stumbling blocks for want of knowledge. I have spent my life in searching for truth. When a young man, I carefully read over the scriptures with a sincere wish to discover whether they were the real revealed will of God, or only what their enemies declare, impositions. I went through the Testament twice; I was convinced. Some things I could not comprehend; but, as I was persuaded that the great bulk of these writings was true, I firmly believed, and hoped in time that what I did not know, I should. I kept this to myself, yet gay as I was, and not designed for my present profession, I suffered no one to speak scoffingly, without some kind of reproof, though it was never with severity, generally with some sprightly sally. A Christian from conviction, I determined to judge for myself as to what church I should adhere. I read much of controversial divinity, and I attended at times to every place of divine worship from Romish chapels, to the Quaker's meeting-house: I did not even omit going to a Jewish synagogue, to see their mode of worshipping God. As I behaved with that gravity which becomes all who go to places of divine worship, every one treated me with a becoming civility. I was an enemy to no body of men, nor individual. Nothing here can be perfect. The church of England I was, and I am convinced, is superior to all who oppose her, often with acrimony. To this church I determined to adhere. I never have, nor ever shall, I humbly hope, dislike any one out of her pale, because we differ in sentiments. I could esteem a Jew, a Mahometan, an Heathen, and serve them to the utmost of my power, and if I could not, I should not think myself a Christian.

As I advanced in life my religious sentiments made me strive to act up to its precepts. I soon left companions that were profligate, but retained such as were innocently cheerful, being naturally of a mirthful disposition, and I am thankful I sti llremain so. I have ever been far more religious than I have

U-VOL. IV.*

appeared, from my detestation of hypocrisy, of which I have witnessed so much.

Amongst those books I loved most to read, were histories, voyages, and travels, particularly those to the Eastern countries. There are few of these but what I have read. Such books more expand the mind than others. These made me read the scriptures with greater delight. Numbers of passages were now cleared up. I was convinced that ignorance leads to incredulity. I may safely declare that I have never known a well informed mind an unbelieving one: when I say well-informed, I mean to confine myself to what relates to religion; many study every thing but religion; that they leave to the ignorant as beneath their attention, and too often they suppose that the clergy are only the agents of the government to keep the people in subjec tion, not reflecting that all the sectaries have preachers who teach their followers the great mysteries of christianity, though often they are by no means fond of the government, either civil or religious; but what should far more sink into their minds, the first men we had distinguishing themselves as philosophers and moralists, have been champions of revelation, men of all descriptions, men in all professions, and men of no profession, but living upon their property. Such too, sometimes, men who were in the most elevated rank, the most virtuous characters we have had, have been Christians; these were silent streams that glided into the ocean of futurity, without wanting to gain the applause of the multitude; millions of such retire from the world thus, whilst a few, who love singularity, are loud and restless; these by their clamour appear, as it were, a great body of men; some of both sexes, who never have taken the least pains to convince their reason, have been led astray by such, but vanity is the cause; they think, as infidels, they are most observed, and appear lifted up abově vulgar prejudice.

I hope I shall be believed when I assure you, sir, that I have spoken of myself only to shew that I think I am somewhat competent to judge of the truth, the validity of the scriptures, and that what I have said of the disbelief of many, is not so much to blame as to pity them; but my great end in writing this is to apologize for many who disbelieve, because they are ignorant, and to excuse many who partially believe, yet from not knowing history, the customs and manners of former ages, and distant countries, nor their productions, think they see improbabilities, even

impossibilities. For such, well-informed men do not often make suitable allowances. I shall here exemplify what I mean by shewing the utmost degree of ignorance, to prove that it must be the farthest degree from faith.

I will suppose an Englishman well grounded in christianity, fond of, and a diligent reader of the scriptures; one who had a love for science, and had made some progress in natural philosophy and mechanics, who taking to navigation had seen most of the conspicuous, countries of Europe, Asia, and America, and well knew as much of Africa as is to be found in our books of geography. With all these improvements of the mind, he shall have a pretty general idea of the great outlines of history. We may suppose that all this might be obtained by a man at the time he had reached thirty-six years of age.

If such a man in a European ship was cast away in the Great Southern Ocean, and was enabled alone of all his companions to survive the wreck, without any cloaths whatever, all which he might have put off the better to enable him to swim, and that as a serious Christian, he might only retain about him a bible, well secured by an oil case covering, and in this condition be picked up by a boat belonging to an island in those seas, whither a ship from any country had never touched, and the natives had never known of any other people, but those belonging to a cluster of islands of which their own was one. This man might try how far he could convert the people to christianity, but in this pious work he would find innumerable obstacles.

We shall see him a stranger on an unknown shore. The people may be hospitable. There food is of little value, and cloath ing of less. Compassion might afford both. The chieftain who presided in the boat might be his friend. In gratitude wé will see him inventing some trivial ornament to adorn his pa tron. This would inspire a mutual regard. Sensible of his des titute condition, and forlorn for want of understanding the language of the country, he would study hard to acquire it. New pleasures would break in upon him, and he in return would communicate pleasure to an inquisitive people. A few would be sen sible, observant, and believing, but most would be ignorant, careless, and incredulous.

The European might argue I am here an individual, saved for some wise purpose. If I can convert this people from many defilements to christianity, I shall even rejoice in my misfortunes.

In the first place I will gain their confidence by the innocence of my life, and the willingness to serve and oblige all. The ornaments which he had made for the king were superseded by some useful inventions for the general good, and these were universally allowed to be such.

Taking advantage of times, he would begin to tell of all the wonders to which they were strangers. The general chart of the world he would describe, and how far his own country lay from thence. The sailing house he came in; its dimensions; the population of the different countries, and their productions, he would mention.

What would be the ideas of these people, who had never seen a house, but one made of a few branches of trees; knew of no vessel, but an open canoe; of any cloathing but a piece of bark of a tree, or leaves put round them; had no weapons but stones, clubs, and bows and arrows. Had no grain. Knew of no quadruped larger than a rat, nor bird greater than a duck. Their form of government as simple as it was possible; their laws only some general principles of right, mixed with many idle and some wicked customs. Their idolatry, gross, cruel, and absurd. The arts almost totally unknown?

How would such a people listen with patience? Every word would seem worse than a fable. Animals and birds larger than men. An infinity of what they might call worlds, scattered over the vast circumference they inhabited. Mountains high as the clouds, some smoking with fire inextinguishable. Seas and rivers congealed into a substance cold beyond their ideas of a state, the most opposite to their burning heat. Of men of various colours and features, from white to black, from brown to red; of hair, long like silk, thick like their fishing lines, and short and curley. These too black, brown, red, yellow, fair. Of cities more numerous in their inhabitants than their whole nation, residing in houses, set, as it were, one upon another, with innumerable other seemingly improbabilities.

Most would brand the stranger as only striving to impose upon them, for facts, idle tales, such as appear the Tales of the Genii. Some few, perhaps, might give credence to him, and request him to instruct them in what related to the religion he professed, as they perceived it was different from theirs, by the contempt he would shew their idols, uncouth, hideous monsters, If he had so well acquired their language as to talk it fluently,

and had such abilities as to give a summary of the Old and New Testament, what difficulties must every where present themselves to meet their comprehension, and how few could reasonably be supposed to give credit to his relations. Ridicule, and perhaps abhorrence, would be obvious in most. We will, however, believe that a chosen few might even here believe much that they could never comprehend.

[To be concluded in our next.]

MEDICAL ADVICE..

A FRAGMENT.

DOCTOR CAMOMILE had given his last circular directions to his coachman, and had placed his foot on the iron step to mount the vehicle of death, when it occurred to him that he had not desired Jehu to stop at the lodgings of Mr. Addle, in St. Martin's Lane. The omission was accordingly rectified, and the carriage proceeded. Mr. Addle (the reader will never know if I let slip this opportunity of informing him) was also a disciple of Apollo, but practised in a different court. He wrote farces, composed songs, and manufactured pantomimes, at the shortest notice, and on the most reasonable terms. Homer's chariot wheels kindled as they rolled; so did the ambition of Mr. Addle. He determined to write a comedy! "I can prove mathematically," said he, one evening at the Wrekin in Broad Court, "that a comedy is in quantity only equal to two farces and a half-Egad, I'll set about it." Addle was a man of his word, and a man of business. In six weeks the comedy was written, rehearsed, acted, and-damned! This you will say was no favour to him-yes it was it made a clear stage for his future farces, of which his Muse produced seven in two years-a sort of two act anomalies. One knows not what to cali,

Their generation's so equivocal.

Addle was now striking a bold stroke with his pen on the back of a washer woman's bill, when Doctor Camomile having scaled three stories, interrupted his reverie-" Doctor, wish me joy," cried the enraptured bard-" Joy," sir, answered the descendant of Galen, smoothing his ruffles, "what! joy of being sick?"