VIRG. ÆN. I. VER. 15.

HERE is nothing in which men what the world calls zeal. There are fo many paffions which hide themselves under it, and fo many mifchiefs arifing from it, that fome have gone fo far as to fay it would have been for the benefit of mankind if it had never been reckoned in the catalogue of virtues. It is certain, where it is once laudable and prudential, it is an hundred times criminal and erroneous; nor can it be otherwife, if we confider that it operates with equal violence in all religions, however oppofite they may be to one another, and in all the fub-divifions of each religion in particular.

We are told by fome of the Jewish Rabbins, that the first murder was occafioned by a religious controverfy; and if we had the whole hiftory of zeal from the days of Cain to our own times, we fhould fee it filled with fo many fcenes of flaughter and bloodshed, as would make a wife man very careful how he suffers himself to be actuated by fuch a principle, when it only regards matters of opinion and fpeculation.

I would have every zealous man examine his heart thoroughly, and, I believe, he will often find, that what he calls a zeal for his religion, is either pride, intereft, or ill-nature. A man, who differs from another in opinion, fets himself above him in his own judgment, and in feveral particulars pretends to be the wifer perfon. This is a great proVocation to the proud man, and gives a very keen edge to what he calls his zeal. And that this is the cafe very often, we may obferve from the beha viour of fome of the most zealous for orthodoxy, who have often great friendfhips and intimacies with vicious immoral men, provided they do but agree with them in the fame scheme of belief. The reason is, because the vicious believer gives the precedency to the virtuous man, and allows the good christian to be the worthier perfon, at the fame time that he cannot come up to his per

On the contrary, it is certain, if our zeal were true and genuine, we should be much more angry with a finner than a heretic; fince there are feveral cafes which may excufe the latter before his great Judge, but none which can excufe the former.

Interest is likewife a great inflamer, and fets a man on perfecution under the colour of zeal. For this reason we find none are fo forward to promote the true worship by fire and fword, as those who find their prefent account in it. But I fhall extend the word Intereft to a larger meaning than what is generally given it, as it relates to our fpiritual fatety and welfare, as well as to our temporal. A man is glad to gain numbers on his fide, as they ferve to strengthen him in his private opinions. Every profelyte is like a new argument for the establishment of his faith. It makes him believe that his principles carry conviction with them, and are the more likely to be true, when he finds they are conformable to the reafon of others, as well as to his own. And that this temper of mind deludes a man very often into an opinion of his zeal, may appear from the common behaviour of the Atheift, who maintains and fpreads his opinions with as much heat as thofe who believe they do it only out of a paffion for God's glory.

Ill-nature is another dreadful imitator of zeal. Many a good man may have a natural rancour and malice in his heart, which has been in fome measure quelled and fubdued by religion; but if it finds any pretence of breaking out, which

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which does not seem to him inconfiftent with the duties of a chriftian, it throws off all restraint, and rages in it's full fury. Zeal is therefore a great eafe to a malicious man, by making him believe he does God fervice, whilft he is gratifying the bent of a perverfe revengeful temper. For this reafon we find, that molt of the maffacres and devastations, which have been in the world, have taken their rife from a furious pretended

zeal.

I love to see a man zealous in a good matter, and efpecially when his zeal hews itself for advancing morality, and promoting the happinefs of mankind: but when I find the inftruments he works with, are racks and gibbets, gallies and dungeons; when he imprisons mens perfons, confifcates their estates, ruins their families, and burns the body to fave the foul, I cannot ftick to pronounce of fuch a one, that (whatever he may think of his faith and religion) his faith is vain, and his religion unprofitable.

After having treated of thefe falfe zealots in religion, I cannot forbear mentioning a monftrous fpecies of men, who one would not think had any existence in nature, were they not to be met with in ordinary conversation, I mean the zealots in atheifin. One would fancy that these men, though they fall fhort, in every other refpect, of thofe who make a profeffion of religion, would at least outfhine them in this particular, and be exempt from that fingle fault which icems to grow out of the imprudent fervours of religion: but fo it is, that infidelity is propagated with as much herceness and contention, wrath and indignation, as if the fafety of mankind depended upon it. There is fomething to ridiculous and perverfe in this kind of zealots, that one does not know how to tet them out in their proper colours. They are a fort of gamefters, who are eternally upon the fret, though they play for nothing. They are perpetually

teizing their friends to come over to them, though at the fame time they allow that neither of them shall get any thing by the bargain. In fhort, the zeal of fpreading atheism is, if poffible, more abfurd than atheifm itself."

Since I have mentioned this unaccountable zeal which appears in atheists and infidels, I must farther observe that they are likewife in a moft particular manner poffeffed with the fpirit of bigotry. They are wedded to opinions full of contradiction and impoffibility, and at the fame time look upon the fmallest difficulty in an article of faith as a fufficient reafon for rejecting it. Notions that fall in with the common reason of mankind, that are conformable to the fenfe of all ages and all nations, not to mention their tendency for promoting the happiness of societies, or particular perfons, are exploded as errors and prejudices; and fchemes erected in their ftead that are altogether monftrous and irrational, and require the most extravagant credulity to embrace them. -I, would fain afk one of these bigotted infidels, fuppofing all the great points of atheism, as the casual or eternal formation of the world, the materiality of a thinking fubftance, the mortality of the foul, the fortuitous organization of the body, the motions and gravitation of matter, with the like particulars, were laid together and formed into a kind of creed, according to the opinions of the most celebrated atheists; I fay, fuppofing fuch a creed as this were formed and impofed upon any one people in the world, whether it would not require an infinitely greater meafure of faith, than any fet of articles which they fo violently oppofe? Let me therefore advife this generation of wranglers, for their own and for the public good, to act at least fo confittently with themfelves, as not to burn with zeal for irreligion, and with bigotry for nonfenfe.

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N° CLXXXVI,

PON my return to my lodgings a

worthy friend the clergyman, whom I have given fome account of in my former papers. He tells me in it that he was particularly pleafed with the latter part of my yesterday's fpeculation; and at the fame time inclofed the following effay, which he defires me to publifh as the fequel of that difcourfe. It confists partly of uncommon reflections, and partly of fuch as have been already used, but now fet in a stronger light.

A Believer may be excused by the most hardened atheift for endeavouring to make him a convert, because he does it with an eye to both their interefts. The atheist is inexcufable who tries to gain over a believer, because he does not propofe the doing himself or the believer any good by fuch a converfion.

The profpect of a future ftate is the fecret comfort and refreshment of my foul; it is that which makes nature look gay about me; it doubles all my plea fures, and fupports me under all my affictions. I can look at difappointments and misfortunes, pain and ficknefs, death itself, and, what is worse than death, the lofs of those who are dearest to me, with indifference, fo long as I keep in view the pleasures of eternity, and the ftate of being in which there will be no fears nor apprehenfions, pains nor forrows, fickness nor feparation. Why will any man be fo impertinently officious as to tell me all this is only fancy and delufion? Is there any merit in being the meffenger of ill news? If it is a dream, let me enjoy it, fince it makes me both the happier and better

man.

I must confefs, I do not know how to truft a man who believes neither heaven nor hell, or, in other words, a future ftate of rewards and punishments. Not only natural felf-love, but reafon directs us to promote our own intereft above all things. It can never be for

DRYDEN.

the intereft of a believer to do me a mifchief, because he is fure upon the balance of accounts to find himself a lofer by it. On the contrary, if he confiders his own welfare in his behaviour towards me, it will lead him to do me all the good he can, and at the fame time reftrain him from doing me an injury. An unbeliever does not act like a reafonable creature, if he favours me contrary to his prefent intereft, or does not diftrefs me when it turns to his prefent advantage. Honour and good-nature may indeed tie up his hands; but as thefe would be very much strengthened by reafon and principle, so without them they are only instincts, or wavering unfettled notions, which reft on no foundation.

Infidelity has been attacked with fo good fuccefs of late years, that it is driven out of all it's out-works. The atheist has not found his poft tenable, and is therefore retired into Deifin, and a difbelief of revealed religion only. But the truth of it is, the greatest number of this fet of men, are those who, for want of a virtuous education, or examining the grounds of religion, know fo very little of the matter in question, that their infidelity is but another term for their ig norance.

As folly and inconfideratenefs are the foundations of infidelity, the great pillars and fupports of it are either a vanity of appearing wiser than the rest of mankind, or an oftentation of courage in defpifing the terrors of another world, which have fo great an influence on what they call weaker minds; or an averfion to a belief that muft cut them, off from many of thofe pleasures they' propofe to themselves, and fill them with remorfe for many of thofe they have already tafted.

The great received articles of the Chriftian Religion have been fo clearly proved, from the authority of that divine revelation in which they are delivered, that it is impoflible for thofe who have 2 Za

ears

ears to hear, and eyes to fee, not to be convinced of them. But were it poffible for any thing in the Chriftian Faith to be erroneous, I can find no ill confequences in adhering to it. The great points of the incarnation and fufferings of our Saviour produce naturally fuch habits of virtue in the mind of man, that I fay, fuppofing it were poffible for us to be mistaken in them, the infidel himfelf must at leaft allow that no other fyftem of religion could fo effectually contribute to the heightening of morality. They give us great ideas of the dignity of human nature, and of the love which the Supreme Being bears to his creatures, and confequently engage us in the highest acts of duty towards our Creator, our neighbour, and ourfelves. How many noble arguments has St. Paul raised from the chief articles of our religion, for the advancing of morality in it's three great branches? To give a fingle example in each kind: What can be a stronger motive to a firm truit and reliance on the mercies of our Maker, than the giving his Son to fuffer for us? What can make us love and etcem even the most inconfiderable of mankind more than the thought that Chrift died for him? Or what difpofe us to fet a stricter guard upon the purity of our own hearts, than our being members of Chrift, and a part of the fociety of which that immaculate perfon is the head? But thefe are only a fpecimen of thofe admirable inforcements of morality, which the Apoftle has drawn from the history of our bleffed Saviour.

If our modern infidels confidered thefe matters with that candour and ferioufnefs which they deferve, we should not fee them act with fuch a spirit of bitternefs, arrogance, and malice: they would not be raising fuch infignificant

cavils, doubts, and fcruples, as may be ftarted against every thing that is not capable of mathematical demonstration, in order to unfettle the minds of the ignorant, difturb the public peace, fubvert morality, and throw all things into confufion and diforder. If none of these reflections can have any influence on them, there is one that perhaps may, because it is adapted to their vanity, by which they feem to be guided much more than their reafon. I would therefore have them confider, that the wisest and best of men, in all ages of the world, have been those who lived up to the religion of their country, and to the best lights they had of the divine nature. Pythagoras's first rule directs us to worthip the gods as it is ordained by law,' for that is the most natural interpretation of the precept. Socrates, who was the most renowned among the heathens both for wisdom and virtue, in his last moments defires his friends to offer a cock to Efculapius; doubtless out of a fubmiffive deference to the established worship of his country. Xenophon tells us, that his prince, (whom he sets forth as a pattern of perfection) when he found his death approaching, offered facrifices on the mountains to the Perfian Jupiter, and the fun, according to the

custom of the Perfians;' for those are the words of the hiftorian. Nay, the Epicureans and atomical philofophers fhewed a very remarkable modefty in this particular; for though the being of a God was intirely repugnant to their fchemes of natural philofophy, they contented themselves with the denial of a providence, afferting at the fame time the existence of gods in general; because they would not fhock the common belief of mankind, and the religion of their country.

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INTENTATA NITES

HOR. OD. V. L. I. v. 12.

CREECH..

HE intelligence given by this cor

ful, in order to avoid the perfons he fpeaks of, that I fhall infert his letter at length.

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MR. SPECTATOR,

wo

Do not know that you have ever touched upon a certain fpecies of w men, whom we ordinarily call Jilts. You cannot poffibly go upon a more ufeful

ufeful work, than the confideration of thefe dangerous animals. The Coquette is indeed one degree towards the Jilt; but the heart of the former is bent upon admiring herself, and giving falfe hopes to her lovers; but the latter is not contented to be extremely amiable, but fhe must add to that advantage a certain delight in being a torment to others. Thus when her lover is in the full expectation of fuccefs, the Jilt fhall meet him with a fudden indifference, and admiration in her face at his being furprifed that he is received like a ftranger, and a caft of her head another way with a pleasant fcorn of the fellow's infolence. It is very probable the lover goes home utterly attonished and dejected, fits down to his fcrutoir, fends her word in the moft abject terms, that he knows not what he has done; that all which was defirable in this life is fo fuddenly vanifhed from him, that the charmer of his foul should withdraw the vital heat from the heart which pants for her. He continues a mournful absence for fome time, pining in fecret, and out of humour with all things which he meets with. At length he takes a refolution to try his fate, and explain with her refolutely upon her unaccountable carriage. He walks up to her apartment, with a thousand inquietudes and doubts in what manner he fhall meet the firft caft of her eye; when upon his first appearance the flies towards him, wonders where he has been, accufes him of his abfence, and treats him with a familiarity as furprifing as her former coldnefs. This good correfpondence continues till the lady obferves the lover grows happy in it, and then the interrupts it with fome new inconfiftency of behaviour. For (as I just now faid) the happiness of a Jilt confifts only in the power of making others uneafy. But fuch is the folly of this fect of women, that they carry on this pretty skittish behaviour, until they have no charms left to render it fupportable. Corinna, that used to torment all who converfed with her with falfe glances, and little heedlefs unguarded motions, that were to betray some inclination towards the man she would enfnare, finds at prefent all the attempts that way unregarded; and is obliged to indulge the Jilt in her conftitution, by laying artificial plots, writing perplexing letters from unknown hands, and making all

the young fellows in love with her, until they find out who he is. Thus, as before he gave torment by difguifing her inclination, the now is obliged to do it by hiding her perfon.

As for my own part, Mr. Spectator, it has been my unhappy fate to be jilted from my youth upward; and as my tafte has been very much towards intrigue, and having intelligence with women of wit, my whole life has paffed away in a feries of impofitions. I fhall, for the benefit of the present race of young men, give fome account of my loves. I know not whether you have ever heard of the famous girl about town called Kitty: this creature (for I muft take shame upon myself) was my miftrefs in the days when keeping was in fashion. Kitty, under the appearance of being wild, thoughtless, and irregular in all her words and actions, concealed the most accomplished Jilt of her time. Her negligence had to me a charm in it like that of chastity, and want of defires feemed as great a merit as the conquest of them. The air fhe gave herself was that of a romping girl, and whenever I talked to her with any turn of fondnefs, fhe would immediately fnatch off my periwig, try it upon herfelf in the glafs, clap her arms akimbow, draw my fword, and make paffes on the wall, take off my cravat, and feize it to make fome other use of the lace, or run into fome other unaccountable rompifhnefs, till the time I had appointed to pass away with her was over. I went from her full of pleafure at the reflection that I had the keeping of fo much beauty in a woman, who, as fhe was too heedlefs to pleafe me, was alfo too unattentive to form a defign to wrong me. Long did I divert every hour that hung heavy upon me in the company of this creature, whom I looked upon as neither guilty nor innocent, but could laugh at myself for my unaccountable pleafure in an expence upon her, until in the end it appeared my pretty infenfible was with child by my footman.

This accident roufed me into a difdain against all libertine women, under what appearance foever they hid their infincerity, and I refolved after that time to converfe with none but those who lived within the rules of decency and honour. To this end I formed myself into a more regular turn of be

haviour,