CHAPTER XVIII. 139 that a beginner in the mathematics might be tempted to doubt, whether his theorems were true or no, and to imagine they could never be useful. So weaker minds might be easily prejudiced against the noblest principles of truth and goodness and the younger part of mankind might be beat off from the belief of the most serious, the most rational and important pointseven of natural religion, by the impudent jests of a profane wit. The moral duties of the civil life, as well as the articles of christianity, may be painted over with the colours of folly, and exposed upon a stage, to as to ruin all social and personal virtue among the gay and thoughtless part of the world. XVII. It should be observed also, that these very mess cry out loudly against the use of all severe railing and reproach in debates, and all penalties and persecutions of the state, in order to convince the minds and consciences of men and determine points of truth and error. Now I renounce these penal and smarting methods of conviction as much as they do, and yet I think still these are every whit as wise, as just, and as good for this purpose, as banter and ridicule. Why should public mockery in print, or a merry joke upon a stage, be a better test of truth, than severe railing sarcasms and public persecutions and penalties ? Why should more light be derived to the under- standing by a song of scurrilous mirth or a witty ballad, than there is by a rude cudgel ? When a professor of any religion is set up to be laughed at, I cannot see how this should help us to judge of the truth of his faith, any better than if he were scourged. The jeers of a theatre, the pillory, and the whip- ping-post, are very near akin. When the person or his opinion is made the jest of the mob, or his back the shambles of the executioner, I think there is no snore conviction in the one than in the other. XVIII. Besides, supposing it is but barely possible that the great God should reveal his mind and will to men by miracle, vision or inspiration, it is a piece of contempt and profane inso- lence, to treat any tolerable or rational appearance of such a re- velation with jest and laughter, in order to find whether it be divine or not. And yet if this be a proper test of revelation, it may be properly applied to the true as well as the false, in order - to distinguish it. Suppose a royal proclamation were sent to a distant part of the kingdom, and some of the subjectsshould doubt whether it came from the king or no ; is it possible that wit and ridicule should ever decide the point ? or would the prince ever think himself treated with just honour, to have his procla- mation canvassed in this manner on a public stage, and become the sport of buffoons, in order to determine the question, Whe- ther it is the word of a king or tno Let such sort of writers p en at their dearest peril, and 1
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