heavenly father and creator will fay to the "wife and virtuous Confucius, to the great le"giflator Solon, to Pythagoras, Zaleucus, "Socrates, Plato, the divine Antoninus, the <c good Trajan, to Titus the delight of hu寫: man kind, and to many others who have been "the models of human kind: Depart from << me, wretches! into torments that know "neither alleviation nor end; but are, like himfelf, everlafting. But you, my well-be"loved fervants, John Chatel, Ravaillac, Car"touche, Damiens, &c. who have died accord

ing to the rules prefcribed by the church, "enter thou into the joy of your Lord, and fit for ever at my right-hand in majefty and "glory?"

Methinks I fee you ftart with horror at these words; however, as they have escaped me, let them pafs; I fhall fay nothing more to you.

CHAP.

CHA P. XXIII.

An ADDRESS to the DEITY.

NR

O longer then do I addrefs myself to men, but to thee, God of all beings, of all worlds, and of all ages; if it may be permitted weak creatures, loft in immenfity, and imperceptible to the reft of the univerfe, to presume to petition thee for aught, who hast given plenty of all things, and whofe decrees are immutable as eternal. Deign to look with. an eye of pity upon the errors annexed to our natures! let not these errors prove the fources of mifery to us! Thou haft not given us hearts to hate, nor hands to kill each other; grant then that we may mutually aid and affist each other to fupport the burthen of this painful and tranfitory life! May the trifling differences in the garments that cover our frail bodies, in the mode of expreffing our infignificant thoughts, in our ridiculous cuftoms, and our imperfect laws, in our idle opinions, and in our feveral conditions and fituations, that appear fó difproportionate in our eyes, and all are equal in M.

thine.

thine; in a word, may the flight variations that are found amongst the atoms called men, not be made use of by us as fignals of mutual hatred and perfecution! May, those who worship thee by the light of tapers at noon-day, bear charitably with those who content themselves with the light of that glorious planet thou haft placed in the midst of the heavens! May those who dress themselves in a robe of white linen to teach their hearers that thou art to be loved and feared, not deteft or revile those who teach the fame doctrine in long cloaks of black wool! May it be accounted the fame to adore thee in a dialect formed from an, antient or a modern language! May thofe, who, cloathed in veftments of crimfon or violet colour, rule over a little parcel of that heap of dirt called the world, and are poffeffed of a few round fragments of a certain metal, enjoy without pride or infolence what they call grandeur and riches, and may others look on them without envy; for thou knoweft, O God, that there is nothing in all thefe vanities proper to infpire envy or pride.

May all men remember that they are brethren! may they alike abhor that tyranny which feeks to fubject the freedom of the will, as they do the rapine which tears from the arms of induf

try

try the fruits of its peaceful labours! And if the fcourge of war is not be avoided, let us not mutually hate and destroy each other in the midst of peace; but rather make use of the few moments of our existence to join in praifing, in a thoufand different languages, from one extremity of the world to the other, thy goodness, O all merciful creator, to whom we are indebted for that existence !

CHAP. XXIV.

POSTSCRIPT.

W

HILE I was employed in writing this treatise, purely with a defire to make mankind more benevolent and charitable, another author was ufing his pen to the very contrary purpose; for every one has his particular way of thinking. This writer has publifhed a small code of perfecution, under the title of," The harmony of religion and hu"manity:" but this laft word feems to be an error of the prefs, and should be read "Inhu"manity,"

The author of this holy libel takes St. Augustine for his example and authority, who, after having preached up charity and forbearance, afterwards taught the doctrine of persecution, because he then had the upper hand, and was naturally of a changeable difpofition. He also quotes M. Boffuet, the bishop of Meaux, who perfecuted the famous Fenelon archbishop of Cambray, whom he accused of having faid in print, that God was well worthy to be loved for his own fake.