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he would be pleafed to become an accomplice in the crime, and affift in the perpetration.

There are those who by these practices take a great deal in a year out of the public purse, and put the money into their own private pockets. If paffing through a room where public treafure is depofited, a man takes the opportunity of clandeftinely pocketing and carrying off a guinea, is he not truly and properly a thief? And if another evades paying into the treasury a guinea he ought to pay in, and applies it to his own use, when he knows it belongs to the public as much as that which has been paid in; what difference is there in the nature of the crime, or the baseness of committing it?

Some laws make the receiving of stolen goods equally penal with stealing, and upon this principle, that if there were no receivers there would be few thieves. Our proverb too, fays truly, that the receiver is as bad as the thief. By the fame reasoning, as there would be few fmugglers, if there were none who knowingly encouraged them by buying their goods, we may fay that the encouragers of fmuggling are as bad as the smugglers; and that as fmugglers are a kind of thieves, both equally deserve the punishments of thievery.

In this view of wronging the revenue, what must we think of those who can evade paying for their wheels and their plate, in defiance of law and justice, and yet declaim against corruption and peculation, as if their own hands and

hearts

hearts were pure and unfullied? The Americans offend us grievously, when, contrary to our laws, they fmuggle goods into their own country: and yet they had no hand in making those laws. I do not however pretend from thence to justify them. But I think the offence much greater in those who either directly or indirectly have been concerned in making the very laws they break. And when I hear them exclaiming against the Americans, and for every little infringement of the acts of trade, or obftruction given by a petty mob to an officer of our customs in that country, calling for vengeance against the whole people as REBELS and Traitors; I cannot help thinking there are ftill those in the world who can fee a mote in their brother's eye, while they do not difcern a beam in their own; and that the old faying is as true now as ever it was, one man may better fteal a horse, than another look over the hedge.

F. B.

A PARABLE

A PARABLE against Perfecution, in Imitation of Scripture Language *.

A ND it came to pass after these things, that Abraham fat in the door of his tent, about the going down of the fun. And behold a man bent with age, coming from the way of the wildernefs leaning on a staff. And Abraham arose, and met him, and faid unto him, Turn in, I pray thee, and wash thy feet, and tarry all night; and thou shalt arife early in the morning, and go on thy way. And the man faid, Nay; for I will abide under this tree. But Abraham preffed him greatly fo he turned and they went into the tent and Abraham baked unleaven bread, and they did eat. And when Abraham faw that

[I have taken this piece from the Sketches of the Hiftory of Man, written by Lord Kaims, and fhall preface it with his Lordship's own words. See Vol. II. p. 472, 473.

The following Parable againft Perfecution was communicated to me by Dr. Franklin of Philadelphia, a man who makes a great figure in the learned world: and who would still make a greater ⚫ figure for benevolence and candour, were virtue as much regarded in this declining age as knowledge.

* * * * * * *

The hiftorical ftyle of the Old Teftament is here finely imitated; ⚫ and the moral muft ftrike every one who is not funk in stupidity ⚫ and fuperftition. Were it really a chapter of Genefis, one is apt to think, that perfecution could never have shown a bare face among Jews or Chriftians. But alas! that is a vain thought. Such a paffage in the Old Teftament, would avail as little against ⚫ the rancorous paffions of men, as the following paffages in the • New Teftament, though perfecution cannot be condemned in terms more explicit. "Him that is weak in the faith, receive "you, but not to doubtful difputations. For, &c." E.]

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the man bleffed not God, he faid unto him, Wherefore doft thou not worship the most high God, Creator of heaven and earth? And the man answered and faid, I do not worship thy God, neither do I call upon his name; for I have made to myself a god, which abideth always in my houfe, and provideth me with all things. And Abraham's zeal was kindled against the man, and he arofe, and fell upon him, and drove him forth with blows into the wilderness. And God called unto Abraham, faying, Abraham, where is the ftranger? And Abraham anfwered and faid, Lord, he would not worship thee, neither would he call upon thy name; therefore have I driven him out from before my face into the wilderness. And God faid, have I borne with him thefe hundred and ninety and eight years, and nourifhed him, and clothed him, notwithstanding his rebellion against me; and couldft not thou, who art thyfelf a finner, bear with him one night *?

[Dr. Franklin, as I have been told, has often impofed this parable upon his friends and acquaintance, as a part of a chapter of Genefis. E.]

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A LETTER concerning Perfecution in former Ages, the Maintenance of the Clergy, American Bishops, and the State of Toleration in Old England and New England compared*.

SIR,

Understand from the public papers, that in that in the debates on the bill for relieving the Diffenters in the point of subscription to the church articles, fundry reflections were thrown out against the people; importing, that they themfelves are of a perfecuting intolerant fpirit, for that when they had the fuperiority, they perfecuted the church; and ftill perfecute it in America, where they compel its members to pay taxes for maintaining the Prefbyterian or Independent worship, and at the fame time refuse them a toleration in the full exercife of their religion, by the administrations of a bishop.

If we look back into history for the character of the prefent fects in Christianity, we shall find few that have not, in their turns, been perfecutors and complainers of perfecution. The primitive Christians thought perfecution extremely wrong in the Pagans, but practifed it on it on one

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[The above letter firft appeared in one of the public papers on June 3, 1772, and feems to have been addressed to the printer. The fpirited writer of the Two letters to the prelates republished it in an appendix to that pamphlet, without, however, naming Dr. Franklin as the author, but expreffing it to be the production of a gentleman highly refpected in the literary world. E.]

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