CHAP. XXII.

Of UNIVERSAL TOLERATION.

T does not require any great art or studied

IT

elocution, to prove that Chriftians ought to tolerate each other. Nay, I fhall go ftill farther, and say, that we ought to look upon all men as our brethren. How! call a Turk, a Jew, and a Siamefe, my brother? Yes, doubtlefs; for are we not all children of the fame parent, and the creatures of the fame creator?

But these people hold us in contempt, and call us idolators! Well then, I fhould tell them that they were to blame. And I fancy that I. could ftagger the headftrong pride of an Iman, or a Talapoin, was I too addrefs them in the following manner.

"This little globe, which is no more than a "point, rolls together with many other globes, "in that immenfity of space in which we are ', all alike confounded. Man, who is an ani

mal, about five feet high, is certainly a very

❝ in

"inconfiderable part of the creation; but one of "thofe hardly visible beings, fays to others of "the fame kind inhabiting another spot of the "globe, hearken to me, for the God of all thefe "worlds has enlightened me: there are about "nine hundred millions of us little infects who "inhabit the earth, but my ant-hill is alone "cherished by God, who holds all the reft in "horrer and deteftation; thofe who live with "me upon my fpot will alone be happy, and "all the reft eternally wretched."

They would here ftop me fhort and afk, What madman could have made fo ridiculous a fpeech? I should then be obliged to answer them, It is yourselves. After which, I should endeavour to pacify them, but perhaps that would not be very easy.

I might next addrefs myself to the Chriftians, and venture to fay, for example, to a Dominican, one of the judges of the inquifition, "Brother, you know that every province in "Italy has a jargon of its own, and that they "do not speak at Venice and Bergamo as they "do at Florence. The academy de la Crusca "has fixed the ftandard of the Italian language; "its dictionary is an unerring rule, and Buon

"Matei's

"Matei's grammer is an infallible guide, from "neither of which we ought to depart; but do 66 you think that the prefident of the academy, "or in his abfence Buon Matei, could in "confcience order the tongues of all the Vene"tians and Bergamefe, who perfifted in their 66 own country dialect, to be cut out?"

The inquifitor would perhaps make me this reply; "There is a very wide difference; "here the falvation of your foul is concerned ;. " and it is entirely for your good that the di "rectory of the inquifition ordains that you "fhall be feized, upon the depofition of a "fingle perfon, though of the most infamous "character; that you fhall have no perfon to

66

σε

plead for you, nor even be acquainted with "the name of your accufer; that the inquifitor "fhall promife you favour, and afterwards " condemn you; that he fhall make you un"dergo five different kinds of torture, and. "that at length you shall be either whipt, fent "to the gallies, or burnt at the stake ; father "Ivouet, and the doctors Chaucalon, Zanchi

See that excellent book, intitled, The Manual? of the Inquifition.

nus, Campegius, Royas, Felinus, Gomarus, Diarbarus, and Gemelinus are exactly of this 6 opinion, confequently this pious practice will "not admit of contradiction."

To all which I fhould take the liberty of making the following reply: "Dear brother, "you may perhaps be in the right, and I am perfectly well convinced of the great benefit "you intend me; but may I not be faved without all this?"

It is true that these horrible absurdities do not every day deform the face of the earth; but they have been very frequent, and one might eafily collect inftances enough to make a volume much larger than that of the holy gospels, which condemns fuch practices. It is not only very cruel to perfecute in this short life, thofe who do not think in the fame manner as we do, but I very much doubt if there is not an impious boldness in pronouncing them eternally damned. In my opinion, it little befits fuch infects of a fummer's day, as we are, thus to anticipate the decrees of Providence. I am very far from oppofing that maxim of the church, that "out of her pale there is no falvation :" on the contrary, I refpect that and every other

part

part of her doctrine; but, after all, can we be fuppofed to be intimately acquainted with the ways of God, or to fathom the whole depth of his mercy? Is it not permitted us to hope in him, as well as to fear him? Is it not fufficient if we are faithful fons of the church, without every individual prefuming to wreft the power out of the hand of God, and determine, before him, the future destiny of our fellow creatures?

When we wear mourning for a king of England, Denmark, Sweden, or Pruffia, do we say that we are in mourning for a damned foul that is burning in hell? There are about forty millions of inhabitants in Europe who are not members of the church of Rome; should we say to every one of them, "Sir, as I look upon you "to be infallibly damned, I fhall neither eat, "drink, converfe, nor have any connections " with you?"

Is there an ambaffador of France, who when he is presented to the Grand Seignior for an audience, will seriously say to himself, his fublime highness will infallibly burn to all eternity, for having submitted to be circumcifed? If he really thought that the Grand Seignior was a mortal