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rows and difafters. The firft object which he faw, was a goat tearing in pieces his laboured manufcript. The mifchievous animal had taken refuge, in the night, under the fame tottering roof which fheltered him; and whilst he lay asleep, had picked the papers out of his pocket. Eudoxus flew to ftop the ravages of this barbarous Goth; and collecting his fcattered fragments, more precious than the leaves of the Sybils, he endeavoured to put them again into order. But it was impoffible; fo mangled were the sheets, and the writing fo much effaced by the rain. He had no other copy of his work; and he bewailed aloud his own disappointment, and the irreparable lofs which the world had fuf- · tained. His plaintive and elevated voice drew to the fide of the hovel a fhepherd, who was going at this early hour to unfold the flocks which he tended. Eudoxus, in an agony of paffion, cried out to him, Your goat has undone me; he has destroyed my vindication of our Saviour's defcent into Hades.---The honeft fhepherd was a ftranger

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ftranger to the fubject; but he saw a Gentleman in diftrefs, whofe apparel bespoke him to be of a profeffion, which he had been justly taught to respect. With a generous hofpitality, he offered him a share of the homely provifions which his wallet contained; and he conducted him, feveral miles over the foreft, into the great road which leads to Northwich. In this place Eudoxus ftaid awhile to recruit his ftrength and fpirits, and then fet out on his return home; where he long indulged, in fecret, his vexation and sorrow.

The fpeculative doctrines of religion, as they have no influence on the moral conduct of mankind, are comparatively of little importance. They cannot be understood by the generality even of Christians; and the wife, the learned, and the good have in all ages differed, and will ever continue to differ about them. An intemperate zeal, therefore, for such points of faith, betrays a weak understanding, and contracted heart: And that zeal may juftly

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be deemed intemperate, which exceeds the value of its object; and which abates our benevolence towards those who do not adopt the fame opinions with ourselves. The religion of Chrift breathes the most generous and charitable spirit, bringing with it peace on earth, and good will to men. And at the folemn day of judgment, our Saviour describes himself as demanding of the trembling finner, not of what church are you a member? or what creeds have you acknowledged? But have you fed the hungry? have you cloathed the naked? have you visited the fick? have you improved those talents which the Deity has bestowed upon you to increase your own felicity, by promoting that of your fellowcreatures?

For modes of faith let angry zealots fight,
His can't be damn'd whofe life is in the right.

Eudoxus is an example of the folly and odiousness of pride. The pride of wealth is contemptible; the pride of learning is pitiable; the pride of dignity and rank is

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ridiculous;

ridiculous; but the pride of bigotry is infupportable. No man of common spirit will fuffer another to arrogate to himself dominion over his faith and confcience.

The bigot is generally a man of warm and violent paffions. He is therefore likely to be visionary in his schemes, and fanguine in his pursuits. And when the mind is occupied by one great object, a thousand leffer circumstances, which are neceffary to the attainment of it, are overlooked and neglected. Hence arise the frequent disappointments which occur in the world; especially to men of afpiring views, or of great ardour in business.

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PERSECUTIO N.

ORD Herbert of Cherbury relates, that when he was at Paris, father Segnerand, confeffor to the king of France, preached a fermon before his majesty, on the Christian duty of forgiving our enemies.

But

But he made a distinction in the objects of forgiveness, afferting that we are bound only to forgive our perfonal enemies, not the enemies of God: Such are heretics, and particularly the profeffors of the Proteftant religion. These he urged his majefty, as the moft Chriftian king, to extirpate, wherever they were to be found.

FALSE NOTIONS OF PROVIDENCE.

"H How

ow providential is the rain!" cried the exulting farmer, who had gathered into his barns a large crop of hay, whilft his neighbours were yet in the midst of that harvest. "The change of weather will foon fill my meadows with grass; and my cattle may now riot in the plenty of autumnal and winter food, which Heaven, with peculiar indulgence, has provided for them."

Similar to this is the language of the selfish and contracted mind, on every profperous

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