CHAP. v. the feveral movements, or break in upon the general order. The religious fyftem indeed of the bulk of nominal Chriftians is fatisfied with fome tolerable appearances of virtue and accordingly, while it recommends love and beneficence, it tolerates pride and vanity in many cafes; it even countenances and commends the exceffive valuation of character; and at leaft allows a man's whole foul to be absorbed in the pursuit of the object which he is following, be it what it may of perfonal or profeffional fuccefs. But though these latter qualities may, for the most part, fairly enough consist with a soft exterior and courtly demeanour, they cannot fo well accord with the genuine internal principle of love. Some cause of difcontent, fome ground of jealoufy or of envy will arife, fome fufpicion will corrode, fome disappointment will four, fome flight or calumny will irritate and provoke reprifals. In the higher walks of life, indeed, we learn to disguise our emotions; but fuch will be the real inward feelings of the foul, and they will frequently betray themselves when we are off our guard, or when we are not likely to be difparaged by the difcovery. This state of the higher orders, in which men are fcuffling eagerly V. eagerly for the fame objects, and wearing all CHAP. the while fuch an appearance of sweetness and complacency, has often appeared to me to be not ill illuftrated by the image of a gaming table. There, every man is intent only on his own profit; the good fuccefs of one is the ill fuccefs of another, and therefore the general state of mind of the parties engaged may be pretty well conjectured. All this, however, does not prevent, in wellbred focieties, an exterior of perfect gentlenefs and good humour. But let the fame employment be carried on among the lower orders, who are not fo well fchooled in the art of difguifing their feelings; or in places where, by general connivance, people are allowed to give vent to their real emotions; and every paffion will difplay itself, by which the "human face divine" can be distorted and deformed. For thofe who never have been prefent at fo humiliating a fçene, the pencil of Hogarth has provided a reprefentation of it, which is fcarcely exaggerated; and the horrid name*, by which it is familiarly known among its frequenters, fufficiently attefts the fidelity of its refemblance. *The Hell, fo called, let it be obferved, not by way of reproach, but familiarity, by those who frequent it. BUT СНАР. V. BUT Christianity is not fatisfied with producing merely the fpecious guife of virtue. She requires the fubftantial reality, which may stand the scrutinizing eye of that Being "who fearches the heart." Meaning therefore that the Chriftian fhould live and breathe, in an atmosphere, as it were, of benevolence, the forbids whatever can tend to obftruct its diffufion, or vitiate its purity. It is on this principle that Emulation is forbidden: for, befides that this paffion almost insensibly degenerates into envy, and that it derives its origin chiefly from pride and a defire of felfexaltation; how can we easily love our neighbour as ourselves, if we confider him at the fame time as our rival, and are intent upon furpaffing him in the purfuit of whatever is the fubject of our competition? CHRISTIANITY, again, teaches us not to fet our hearts on earthly poffeffions and earthly honours; and thereby provides for our really loving, or even cordially forgiving, those who have been more fuccefsful than ourselves in the attainment of them, or who have even defignedly thwarted us in the purfuit. "Let the rich," fays the Apostle, re"joice in that he is brought low." How can he who means to attempt, in any degree, & to obey this precept, be irreconcilably hoftile towards any one who may have been inftrumental in his depreffion? CHRISTIANITY alfo teaches us not to prize human eftimation at a very high rate; and thereby provides for the practice of her injunction, to love from the heart those who, justly or unjustly, may have attacked our reputation, and wounded our character. She commands not the fhew, but the reality of meeknefs and gentleness; and by thus taking away the aliment of anger and the fomenters of difcord, the provides for the maintenance of and the reftoration of good temper peace, among men, when it may have fuftained a temporary interruption. CHAP. V. Another excellence of Chrif higher va lue by it fet tianity; on moral than on in. tellectual attain Ir is another capital excellence of Chriftianity, that she values moral attainments at a far higher rate than intellectual acquifitions, and propofes to conduct her followers to the heights of virtue rather than of know ledge. On the contrary, moft of the falfe religious fyftems which have prevailed in ments. the world, have proposed to reward the labour of their votary, by drawing aside the veil which concealed from the vulgar eye their hidden myfteries, and by introducing CHAP. him to the knowledge of their deeper and V. more facred doctrines. THIS is eminently the cafe in the Hindoo, and in the Mahometan Religion, in that of China, and, for the most part, in the various modifications of ancient Paganism. In fyftems which proceed on this principle, it is obvious that the bulk of mankind can never make any great proficiency. There was accordingly, among the nations of antiquity, one fyftem, whatever it was, for the learned, and another for the illiterate. Many of the philofophers spoke out, and professed to keep the lower orders in ignorance for the general good; plainly fuggefting that the bulk of mankind was to be confidered as almost of an inferior fpecies. Ariftotle himself countenanced this opinion. An oppofite mode of proceeding naturally belongs to Chriftianity, which without diftinction profeffes an equal regard for all human beings, and which was characterized by her first Promulgator as the meffenger of "glad tidings to the poor." But her preference of moral to intellectual excellence is not to be praifed, only because it is congenial with her general character, and fuitable to the ends which the profeffes to |