ment; or, in compliance with the prevailing Mode, they might adopt Cuftoms, and affent to Notions, which they did not thoroughly approve.. Afp. A poor Compliment this to their Integrity! . Had I been their Advocate, methinks, I would have given yet he foon départs from this found Speech, and relapfes into the Language of Idolatry. A learned and ingenious Friend, would fain have So-crates exempted from this Charge.I wifh, I could gratify his benevolent Temper, and fpare that amiable Philofopher. But, however juftly he may exprefs himself on fome Occafions; at other Times he wavers; he evidently revolts; and is moft pitiably inconfiftent with himself. Even in his excellent Conference with Ariftodemus, where he argues admirably well for the Exiflence,. he cannot fteadily adhere to the Unity of the GODHEAD. Nay; in his laft folemn Apology before his Judges, he publickly renounces the Truth; declares, that. he worshipped thofe Gods, which were acknowledged by his Countrymen; worshipped them, and no other; on the fame Festivals, at the fame Altars, and in the fame (idolatrous) Manner-No other these are his Words,, Ούτε γαρ εδω δε αντί Δια, και Ηρας, και των συν τόλοις Θεών, εις θύων τισι καινοις Δαίμοσιν, ότε όμνυς, είτε ονομαζων αλλάς Θεός avateqnva. SOCRAT. Memor. Lib. I. c. i. Sect. 11, ́24. Let none conclude, from this or any other Paffage, That we would confign over all the Heathens to Damnation. This is as far from our Intention, as it is foreign to the Argument. We are only like Witnesses, fummoned to give in our Evidence. From which it appears, that the very best among the Gentiles, were ignorant of the true GOD; or, if they knew him, in any Degree, they glorified him not as GOD; but became vain in their Imagination, and vile in their Worfhip.-Whether they fhall obtain Mercy, or which of them fhall be Objects of divine Clemency, is left folely to the Determination of their fupreme, unerring, righteous JUDGE: ·Non Noftrum eft tantas componere Lites. given up the Sagacity of my Clients, rather than their Fidelity to the Caufe of GOD and Truth. With reference to the fupreme GOOD, they were equally at a lofs.-There's not one among all the inferior Creatures; not even the crawling Worm, or the buzzing Fly; but perceives what is beneficial, and purfues it; difcerns what is pernicious, and avoids it. Yonder Caterpillar, whofe Nourishment is from one particular Species of Vegetables, never makes a wrong Application to another: never is allured by the Fragrance of the Auricula, or dazzled by the Splendor of the Tulip; but conftantly diftinguishes, and as conftantly adheres to the Leaf, which affords her the proper Food. So fagacious are the meaneft Animals, with relation to their refpective Happinefs! While the most celebrated of the Heathen Sages were, on a Subject of the very fame Import, mere Dotards.-Varro reckons up no less than two hundred and eighty-eight different Opinions, concerning the true Good; and not one of them derives it from the true Source. I mean a Conformity to the everbleffed GOD, and an Enjoyment of his infinite Perfections. If, on thefe leading Points, they were fo erroneous; no Wonder, that they were bewildered in their other Researches. Ther. We are not inquiring into the Circumstances of this or that particular Nation; but into the State of Mankind in general. Afp. Caft your Eye, Theron, upon thofe Swallows. They fhoot themselves, with furprifing Rapidity, through the Air. I fhould take them for fo many living Arrows, were it not for their fhifting, winding, wanton Motions. Are not these what you call Birds of Paffage ? Ther. Thefe, and fome other of the feathered Race, are our conftant Vifitants in Summer; but th leave us, at the Approach of Winter. As foon as h the Weather becomes cold, they affemble themselves e in a Body; and concert Measures, for their Departure. Who convenes the Affembly-What Debates arife-Or how they communicate the Refolution taken-I do not prefume to fay. This is certain, that not one of them diflodges, till the Affair is fettled, and the Proclamation has been published. Not a fingle Loiterer is to be feen, when the Troops are preparing for their Decampment; nor a fingle Straggler to be found, when they have once begun their March. -Having finished their Journey through the Land, their Wings become a fort of Sails; and they launch, not into, but over the Ocean. Without any Compafs, to regulate their Courfe; or any Chart, to I make Obfervations in their Voyage; they arrive fafely at the defired Shore. And what is ftill more extroardinary, they always find the readiest Way, and the shortest Cut. Afp. The Stork in the Heavens knoweth her appointed Times: and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow, obferve the Time of their Coming: but my People know not the Judgment of their GOD +. The young ones of thofe Birds perceive, how abfolutely neceflary it is, to forfake the Land of their Nativity, and travel in queft of milder Climes.-But our Off fpring, even when their Minds begin to open, are brutish in their Knowledge ‡. Born they are, and too long continue, like the wild Afs's Colt. Not only quite deftitute of heavenly Wisdom, but ftupid to apprehend * Remigio Alarum. VIRG. Job xi. 12. How keenly is this Comparison pointed! —Like the Ass's, an Animal remarkable for its Stupidity, even to a Proverb.-Like the Afs's Colt, which must be still more egregiously stupid than the Dam. Like the wild Ass's apprehend it, and averfe to receive it. As foot-5 they are born, they go aftray, and Ther. Go aftray-To what is this owing, but to the bad Examples they behold? They catch the way-ward Habit, from the irregular Converfation of others. Afp. Is not this a Confirmation of my Point? Why are they yielding Clay to each bad Impreffion! Cafe-hardened Steel to every edifying Application?— From imitating unworthy Examples, you can hardly with-hold them, by the tighteft Rein. But, if you would affect them with a Senfe of divine Things, or bring them acquainted with GOD) their Maker, Line must be upon Line, Line upon Line: Precept must be upon Precept. Precept upon Precept: Here a little, and there a little *.-What farther corrobo rates my Sentiment, is, That all these tender Toils of Erudition, are generally unwelcome; are too often Afs's Colt, which is not only blockish, but stubborn and refractory; neither poffeffes valuable Qualities by Nature, nor will eafily receive them by Difcipline.-The Image, in the Original, is yet more strongly touched. The com parative Particle like is not in the Hebrew; born a wild Afs's Colt; or, as we would say in English, a mere wild, &c. * A great Critic has laid down the following Rule, to be obferved in fine Writing; 'Tis not enough no Harfhnefs gives Offence, The Sound must be an Echo to the Senfe.. POPE's Efay on Criticism. Never was this delicate Maxim more nicely exemplified, than in the above-cited Paffage of Ifaiah. Chap. xxviii. 13. Another Inftance of the fame kind occurs in the feventh Verfe. Where the Language feems to mimic the reeling, firaggling, giddy Motions of a Drunkard; while it iterates and reiterates the Idea; expreffes the fame Thing, in a different and still different Manner; with an apparent, and, in this Cafe, a fignificant Circumretatios of Words. often unfuccefsful; nay, will always be ineffectual, without the Concurrence of Almighty Grace. 0: Befides, Theron, if this Propenfity to Evil be ob fervable in all Children, it feems more than probable, hat the unhappy Bias is derived from their Parents, rather than catched from their Neighbours; and owang, not to the Influence of external Examples, but to a Principle of internal Corruption *.-Neglect the Education of Children, and you are fure to have their Manners evil, their Lives unprofitable. Nay, only remit your Endeavours, and they lofe what has been gained: they ftart afide, like a broken Bow. And wherefore this? Why do they not, without the Rules of Difcipline or Leffons of Inftruction, Spontaneously addict themselves to the Exercise of every Virtue? Juft as the Cygnets, in yonder Canal, fpontaneously take to the Element of Water, and the Act of Swimming. That Bed, in the Garden before us, will fuggeft the Reafon. It has been digged and dreffed this very Day. It now lies fmooth and clean. Not a fingle Weed appears on its Surface. Yet, how certainly will it, in a very little Time, produce a plenteous. Growth of thofe vegetable Nuifances? Whence can this proceed? No Hand will fow them. No With will invite them. But the Seeds, though unperceived by an Eye, are already there. Diffeminated by the Winds, they have mixed themselves with the Mold, and are funk into the Soil. So, juft fo, it is with our Children. The Seeds of Iniquity are within + them; and, unless proper Diligence be exerted by us, un lefs *St. Paul confeffes, that he and his Fellow-faints vere, in their unconverted State, depraved: and this, hot die anv sživ, by Cuftom or Habit, but ours, by Naure, Eph. ii. 3. Whoever choofes to examine the Seeds, the poifon ous |