man catholics can enjoy any of these, either in England or in any other proteftant country. In this cafe, therefore, there is no occafion for granting great privileges, or delivering ftrong holds into the hands of a faction, but only to fuffer a quiet set of people to breathe their native air; to foften the rigour of fome edicts, which in former times might perhaps have been neceffary, but at present are no longer fo. It is not for us to direct the ministry what it has to do; it is fufficient, if we prefume to plead the cause of an unfortunate and diftreffed people.

Many and easy are the methods to render these people useful to the ftate, and to prevent them from ever becoming dangerous: the wifdom of the legislature, fupported by the military force, will certainly find out these methods, which other nations have employed with fo much fuccefs.

It is certain, that there is ftill a number of enthufiafts among the lower kind of Calvinifts; but, on the other hand, it is no lefs certain, that there is ftill a greater number among the lower kind of bigotted Roman catholics. The dregs of the madmen of St. Medard are pafled

over unnoticed in the nation, while the greatest pains is taken to exterminate the Calvinift prophets. The most certain means to leffen the number of the mad of both forts, if any still remain, is to leave them entirely to the care of reafon, which will infallibly enlighten the underftanding in the long run, though he may be flow in her operations. Reafon goes mildly to work, fhe perfuades with humanity, the infpires mutual indulgence and forbearance; fhe ftifles the voice of difcord, eftablishes the rule of virtue and fobriety, and difpofes those to pay a ready obedience to the laws, who might start from the hand of power when exerted to enforce them. Befides, are we to hold for nothing that contempt and ridicule which enthufiafm every where meets with in the present enlightened age, from perfons of rank and education? This very contempt is the most powerful barrier that can be opposed to the extravagancies of all fectaries. Paft times are as though they never had been. We fhould always direct our views from the point where we ourselves at prefent are, and from that to which other nations have attained.

There has been a time, in which it was thought a duty to iffue edicts against all such who

who taught a doctrine contrary to the cathegories of Ariftotle, or who oppofed the abhorrence of a vacuum, quiddities, or the whole of the part of a thing. There are above an hundred volumes in Europe, containing the writings of civilians against magic, and the manner of diftinguishing real forcerers from pretended ones.. The excommunication of grafhoppers and other infects hurtful to the fruits of the earth, was formerly much in use, and is still to be found. in feveral rituals; that cuffom is now laid afide, and Ariftotle, with his forcerers and the grafhoppers, are left to themfelves. Innumerable are the examples of thefe grave follies, which formerly were deemed of great importance; others have fucceeded from time to time, but as foon. as they have had their effect, and people begin to grow weary of them, they pass away and are no more heard of. If any one was, at prefent, to take it into their head to turn Eutichean, Neftorian, or Manichean, what would be the confequence? We fhould laugh at him in the fame manner as at a perfon who fhould appear dreffed after the antient fashion, with a great ruff and flashed sleeves.

The first thing that opened the eyes of our: nation was, when the Jefuits Le Tellier and D 5. Doucin

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Doucin drew up the bull Unigenitus, and fent it to the court of Rome, imagining they lived still in thofe times of ignorance, in which people adopted, without examination, the most abfurd affertions. They even dared to profcribe a propofition, which is univerfally true in all cases and in all times, viz. "That the dread of an "unjuft excommunication ought not to hinder any one from doing his duty." This was, in fact, profcribing reafon, the liberties of the Gallican church, and the very foundation of all morality; it was faying to mankind, "God commands you never to da your duty, "when you are apprehenfive of suffering any injustice." Never fure was fo gross an infult offered to common fenfe, and yet this never occurred to thefe correspondents of the church of Rome. Nay, they even perfuaded that court, that this bull was neceflary, that the nation defired it. Accordingly it was figned, fealed, and fent back to France; and every one knows the confequences: affuredly, had they been forefeen, this bull would have been mitigated. Very warm difputes enfued upon it; but however, by the great prudence and goodness of the king, they were at length appeased.

It is much the fame with regard to most of thofe points, in which the proteftants and us at prefent differ; fome of them are of little or no confequence, others again are more serious; but even in these latter, the rage of difputation is fo far fubfided, that the proteftants now-a-days, no longer preach upon controverfial points in any of their churches.

Let us then feize this period of disgust or fatiety for fuch matters, or rather, indeed, of the prevalence of reason, as an epocha for reftoring the public tranquility, of which it feems. to be a pleafing earnest. Controversy, that epidemical malady is now in its decline, and requires nothing more than a gentle regimen. In a word, it is the intereft of the ftate, that thefe wandering fects, who have fo long lived as aliens to their father's houfe, on their returning ina fubmiffive and peaceable manner, should meet with a favourable reception; humanity feems. to demand this, reafon advises it, and good policy can have nothing to apprehend from it.