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Untitled Article
No . XXII , On the Bigotry of one of his Op *
ponents . Though I am resolved not to be much afflicted for the loss of that which is not in my power to keep , yet I cannot deny , but the loss of a friend goes very near unto my
heartrand by this name of a fnend , I did presume till of late , that I might have called you , because , though perhaps for want of power
and opportunity , I have done you no good office , yet I have been always willing and ready to do you the best service I could ; and therefore I cannot but admire at
that affected strangeness which , in your last letter to me , you seem to take upon you , renouncing in a manner all relation to me , and tacitly excommunicating me from
all interest in you : the super , scription of your letter is , To Mr . William Chillingworth , and your subscription , John Lewgar , as if you either disdained or made a
conscience of stiling me your friend , or yourself mine . If this proceed from passion and weakness , I pray mend it ; if from reason I pray shew it : If you think me one of those to whom Saint
John forbids you to say God save you , then you are to think and prove me one of those deceivers which deny Christ Jesus to be come in the flesh . If you think me an heretick and therefore to be
avoided , you must prove me dvfoxxTctKpiroVy condemned by my own judgment ^ which I know I cannot , and therefore I think you cannot : if you say I do not hear the church , and therefore am to be
* Mr . Lewgar , a formerfriewd of Chillingworth ' s .
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Chillingworth * 63 S
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esteeemed an heathen or publican ; you are to prove that by the church there is meant the church of Rome : and yet when you have done so , I hope Christians are not forbidden to shew humanity and civility , even to Pagans : for God ' s sake ,
Mr . Lewgar , free yourself from this blind zeal , at least for a little space ; and consider with reason and moderation what strange crime you can charge me with , that
should deserve this strange usage , especially from you : Is it a crime to endeavour with all my understanding to find your religion true , and to make my self a believer of it , and not be able to do so ? Is
it a crime to imploy all rny reason upon the justification of the infallibility of the Roman church , and to find it impossible to be justified ? I will call God to witness , who knows rny heart better than
you , that I have evened the scale of my judgment as much as possibly I could , and have not willingly allowed any one grain of worldly motives on either side ; but have weighed the reasons for
your religion and against with such indifference , as if there were nothing in the world but God and my self ; and is it my fault that that scale goes down which hath the most weight in it ? that that building falls , which has a false
foundation ? have you such power over your understanding , that you can believe what you please , though you see no reason , or that you can suspend your belief when you do see reason ? If you have , I pray for our olcFff iendship ' s sake teach me that trick ; but until I
have learnt it , I pray blame me not for going the ordinary way ; I mean for believing or not believ ing as I see reason : If you fc can
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1814, page 633, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2445/page/45/
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