It is to be numbered among the many misfortunes and miseries of human life, that men differ so widely in their judgments, and upon such slight grounds; but you must have patience to see this, without being corrupted or perplexed their example is rather to be lamented than imitated; and their opinions afford no argument against the truth. They judge according to the circumstances of their birth, parentage, and education: men always have done so, and always will to the end of the world. If a monkey could write, and give his judgment of the constitution of the world, and the Histoire Generale of the animal creation, he would produce something to the following effect. He would begin with informing you, that the monkey is the original man, and man a clumsy imitation of the monkey. Then he would describe the monkey-nature by all its perfections; the human by its wants and weaknesses. He would appeal to the order of nature itself; which has ordained that men shall plough the ground, and plant maize, for monkies to come and eat it; which proves, by the plainest of all arguments, an undeniable fact, a stubborn sort of evidence, that nature intended man for a labourer, and a monkey for a gentleman; for nature never sent monkies to to plough. His native freedom would demonstrate a farther superiority; for while men are gathered into societies within walls, like a fold of sheep, to be governed by laws and driven by authority, and loaded with taxes, like beasts of burthen, every monkey is his own master, and takes possession of the woods without going to the lawyers for a title. Thus would the private judgment of a monkey argue, in opposition to the better knowledge of the human species. By monkies he would be heard with applause; and when his reputation was established as a writer, his name would be a compendious proof of his doctrine. Some things unfavourable to his system would of course be concealed: he would never tell you, that while monkies take themselves for gentlemen, mankind shoot them for thieves, and chain them to a post for a shew, amongst the other free-holders of the desert. THE THE CHURCHMAN'S CATECHISM, OR ELEMENTS OF INSTRUCTION ON THE NATURE AND CONSTITUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH; BRIEFLY SHEWING, 1. What the Church is, and how it is called. 11. The Signs or Marks by which the Church is known. III. The Duties taught by the Church. IV. The Discipline of the Church. v. The Authority of the Church in Matters of Faith and Doc trine. VI. The Nature and Sinfulness of Schism. VII. The false Principles on which Schism defends itself. Extracted chiefly from Bishop BEVERIDGE; Archbishop POTTER; Bishop HORNE'S CHARGE; and a late ESSAY on the CHURCH. Intended for the Use of SUNDAY SCHOOLS, and such adult Persons as are yet uninstructed in the Subject. |