If he ask his own judgment, it condemns him.What then shall he do? Perjury, were it only for the shame of it, is no light matter: if his education have been ever so loose, he has frequently heard it condemned; if strict and virtuous, he has never heard it mentioned without abhorrence.But, when he thinks of the guilt of it, hell yawns under his feet.What then shall he do? Whither then shall he betake himself? He flies to his reverend instructors in a state of desperation.``These men are older than myself'', says he; ``they are more learned, they are therefore wiser: on them rests the charge of my education.My own judgment, indeed, condemns me; but my own judgment is weak and uninformed.Why may not I trust to others? See, their hands are outstretched to comfort me! Where can he the blame in listening to them? in being guided by them? in short, in surrendering my judgment into their hands? Are not they my rulers, my instructors? the very persons whom my parents have appointed to take charge of me to check my presumption, and to inform my ignorance? What obligation am I under, nay, what liberty have I to oppose my feeble lights to theirs? Do they not stand charged with the direction of my conscience?---charged by whatsoever I ought to hold most sacred? Are they not the ministers of God's word? the depositaries of our holy religion? the very persons, to whose guidance I vowed, in the person of my godfathers and godmothers, to submit myself, under the name of my spiritual pastors and masters? And are they not able and willing to direct me? In all matters of conscience then, let me lay down to myself the following as inviolable rules:---not to be governed by my own reason;not to endeavour at the presumptuous and unattainable merit of consistency not to consider whether a thing is right or wrong in itself, but what {it they} think of it.On all points, then, let me receive my religion at their hands: what to them is sacred, let it to me be sacred; what to them is wickedness, let it to me be wickedness; what to them is truth, let it to me be truth; let me see as they see, believe as they believe, think as they think, feel as they feel, love as they love, fear as they fear, hate as they hate, esteem as they esteem, perform as they perform, subscribe as they subscribe, and swear as they swear.With them is honour, peace, and safety; without them, is ignominy, contention and despair.'' Such course must every young man, who is brought up under the rod of a technical religion, distinct from morality, and bestrewed with doubts and dangers, take on a thousand occasions, or run mad.To whom else should he resort for counsel?---to whom else should he repair? To the companions of his own age They will laugh at him, and call him methodist: for many a one who dreads even hobgoblins alone laughs at them in company.To their friends and relations who are advanced in life, and who live in the world? The answer they get from them, if they are fortunate enough to get a serious one, is---that in all human establishments there are imperfections; but that innovation is dangerous, and reformation can only come from above: that young men are apt to be hurried away by the warmth of their temper, led astray by partial views of things, of which they are unable to see the whole: that these effusions of self-sufficiency are much better repressed than given way to: that what it is not in our power to correct it were better to submit to without notice, that prudence commands what custom authorizes---to swim quietly with the stream: that to bring matters of religion upon the carpet, is a ready way to excite either aversion or contempt: that humanity forbids the raising of scruples in the breast of the weak,---good humour, the bringing up of topics that are austere,---good manners topics that are disgusting: that policy forbids our offending the incurious with the display of our sagacity, the ignorant with the ostentation of our knowledge, the loose with the example of our integrity, and the powerful with the noise of our complaints:
that, with regard to the point in question, oaths, like other obligations, are to be held for sacred or insignificant, according to the fashion: that perjury is no disgrace, except when it happens to be punished: and that, as a general rule, it concerns every man to know and to remember, as he tenders his peace of mind and his hopes of fortune, that there are institutions, which though mischievous are not to be abolished, and though indefensible are not to be condemned.
A sort of tacit convention is established: ``Give our soul up into my hands---I ensure it from perdition.Surely the terms, on your part, are easy enough: exertion there needs none: all that is demanded of you is---to shut your eyes, ears, lips, and to sit quiet.The topic of religion is surely forbidding enough, as well as a forbidden topic:
all that you have to do then, is to think nothing about the matter; look not into, touch not the ark of the Lord, and you are safe.''
