138 THE IMPROVEMENT' O1r THE MIND. tant point of faith or practice, and is either an evident dictate of the light of nature, or an assured article of revelation. Zeal must, not reign over the powers of our understanding, but obey them: God is the God of light and truth, a God of reason and order, and he never requires mankind to use their natural facul- ties amiss for the support of his cause. Even the most mysteri- ous and sublime doctrines of revelation, are not to be believed without a just reason for it; nor should our pious affections be engaged in the defence of them, till we have plain and convin- cing proof that they are certainly revealed, though perhaps we may never in this world attain to such clear and distinct ideas of them as we desire. XVI. As a warm zeal ought never to be employed in the defence of any revealed truth, till our reason be well convinced of the revelation ; so neither should wit and banter, jest and ridi- cule, ever be indulged to oppose or assault any doctrines of pro- fessed revelation, till reason has proved they are not really re- vealed. And even then, these methods should be used very seldom, and with the utmost caution and prudence. htailery and suit were never made to answer our enquiries after truth, and to determine a question of rational controversy ; though they may sometimes be serviceable to expose to contempt those inconsist- ent follies which have been first abundantly refuted byargument; they serve indeed only to cover nonsense with shame, when rea- son has first proved it to be mere nonsense. It is therefore a silly and most unreasonable test which some of our deists have introduced to judge of divine revelation, viz. to try if it will bear ridicule and laughter. They are effectually beaten in all their combats at the weapons of men, that is, rea- son and argument ; and it would not be unjust (though it is a lit- tle uncourtly) to say that they would now attack our religion with the talents of a vile animal, that is, grin and grimace. I cannot think that a jester or a monkey, a droll or a pup- pet, can be proper judges or deciders of controversy. That whieh dresses up all things in disguise, is not likely to lead, us into any just sentiments about them. Plato or Socrates, Cesar or Alexander, might have a fool's coat cltspt upon any of them, and perhaps in this disguise, neither the wisdom of the one, nor the majesty of the other, would secure them from a sneer ; this treatment would never inform us whether they were kings or slaves, whether they were fools or philosophers. The strongest reasoning, the best sense, and the politest thoughts, may be set in a most ridiculous light by this grinning faculty : the most ob- vious axioms of eternal truth may be drest in a very foolish form, and wrapt up in artful absurdities by this talent ; but they are truth and reason, and good sense still. Euclid with all his de- monstrations might be so covered and overwhelmed with banter,
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