nister, who officiates occasionally when the principal is employed in a distant part of his parish. But he said that, for himself, though he used the Common Prayer-book of the Church of England, he took only what he liked, and made what alterations he pleased; and in the pulpit used his own prayers. He has a great degree of knowledge of natural philosophy as well as theology. To-day I am to dine with him, along with Dr. Andrews,* a clergyman and professor of morals, &c., in the University, but an avowed Unitarian; and notwithstanding the bigotry of the generality, Unitarianism and rational Christianity are silently gaining ground in this country.

I am hardly able to speak loud enough for a large audience, or I am persuaded I should now have many hearers in this place. Last night I preached to a very crowded room, and the next Lord's-day I am to administer the Lord's Supper in another house, where some Unitarians regularly meet every Sunday morning. They are the remains of the society of lay-unitarians, and I am not without hopes that it may revive. But I see that a professed minister would be more useful, as making the cause more respectable, by giving it a head. I was not so fully sensible of this before.

While I have been here, I have printed a pamphlet, entitled Socrates and Jesus compared, and I dedicate it to Dr. Toulmin,† who had written on the same subject. If I do not greatly flatter myself, you and Mr. Belsham will like it, though you may not agree with me in every thing. The comparison of these two men throws great light on the evidence of Christianity, and tends to make us sensible of the great value of it.

As soon as my Church History is out of the press, at Northumberland, I shall begin to print the Notes on the Scriptures, and hope to finish them in about a year, perhaps less. Though I now look to very little in this world, I shall be thankful if you live to see this work. But my prospects, as well as yours, must now be directed to another state, in which I hope we

See supra, pp. 342, 453.

+ See W. XVII. 400. In 1785, "on the Character of Christ, compared with that of some other Founders of Religion and Philosophy." See M. R. X. 672.

may look back with satisfaction on what we have done, or attempted to do in this.*

TO THE SAME.

DEAR FRIEND,

Philadelphia, March 5, 1803. PRESENTLY after I had written my last, I was made happy by the receipt of yours of Dec. 7, written almost wholly with your own hand. This gives me hope that you may be continued to us longer than I had lately presumed to think; and for this I shall be very thankful, though, our times being in the hand of God, we have reason to be satisfied and thankful, whatever events take place. But till any event actually take place, we are, no doubt, authorized to indulge our hopes and fears according to our limited views, though with less anxiety than is natural to those who have no respect to a Providence.

We stay a week longer in this place; but I now wish to be at home. Little improvements always occur in the course of printing, which only the author can see or make.‡

DEAR SIR,

To REV. T. BELSHAM.§

Northumberland, April 2, 1803. I AM now returned from Philadelphia, and though I had a long relapse into a state of very indifferent health, after I informed Mr. Lindsey that I was perfectly recovered, I am again much better than I lately expected I ever should be.

In the first part of the Notes on the Scriptures, one of my principal objects is to vindicate the divine origin of the laws of Moses; and I think to close the whole with a Dissertation, in which I have brought into one view all the principal arguments. This I wrote in my late journey, and have transcribed it since my return.||

I cannot help being anxious to hear frequently of Mr. Lindsey's health. His life is valuable to the last.¶

* Orig. MS.

+ Yet see Dr. Priestley's general rule, supra, p. 448, note.

Orig. MS.

See W. XI. 15.

§ Hackney.
¶ Orig. MS.

FROM PRESIDENT JEFFERSON.

DEAR SIR, Washington, April 9, 1803. WHILE on a short visit lately to Monticello, I received from you a copy of your Comparative View of Socrates and Jesus, and I avail myself of the first moment of leisure, after my return, to acknowledge the pleasure I had in the perusal, and the desire it excited to see you take up the subject on a more extensive scale.

*

In consequence of some conversations with Dr. Rush, in the years 1798-99, I had promised some day to write him a letter, giving him my view of the Christian system. I have reflected often on it since, and even sketched the outlines in my own mind. I should first take a general view of the moral doctrines of the most remarkable of the ancient philosophers, of whose ethics we have sufficient information to make an estimate: say of Pythagoras, Epicurus, Epictetus, Socrates, Cicero, Seneca, Antoninus. I should do justice to the branches of morality they have treated well, but point out the importance of those in which they are deficient. I should then take a view of the deism and ethics of the Jews, and shew in what a degraded state they were, and the necessity they presented of a reformation. I should proceed to a view of the life, character, and doctrines of Jesus, who, sensible of the incorrectness of their ideas of the Deity and of morality, endeavoured to bring them to the principles of a pure deism, and juster notions of the attributes of God, to reform their moral doctrines to the standard of reason, justice, and philanthropy, and to inculcate the

See the President's letters to Dr. Rush, from " Monticello, Sep. 23, 1800," and from "Washington, April 21, 1803." In the latter he says, "In the moment of my late departure from Monticello, I received from Dr. Priestley his little treatise of 'Socrates and Jesus compared.' This being a section of the general view I had taken of the field, it became a subject of reflection while on the road and unoccupied otherwise. The result was, to arrange in my mind a syllabus, or outline of such an estimate of the comparative merits of Christianity as I wished to see executed by some one of more leisure and information for the task." - Mem. and Cor. &c. III. 449, 514.

belief of a future state. This view would purposely omit the question of his divinity and even of his inspiration.

To do him justice, it would be necessary to remark the disadvantages his doctrines have to encounter, not having been committed to writing by himself, but by the most unlettered of men, by memory long after they had heard them from him, when much was forgotten, much misunderstood, and presented in very paradoxical shapes. Yet such are the fragments remaining as to shew a master-workman, and that his system of morality was the most benevolent and sublime, probably, that has been ever taught, and more perfect than those of any of the ancient philosophers. His character and doctrines have received still greater injury from those who pretend to be his special disciples, and who have disfigured and sophisticated his actions and precepts from views of personal interest, so as to induce the unthinking part of mankind to throw off the whole system in disgust, and to pass sentence, as an impostor, on the most innocent, the most benevolent, the most eloquent and sublime character that ever has been exhibited to man.'

This is the outline; but I have not the time and still less the information which the subject needs. It will therefore rest with me in contemplation only. You are the person who, of all others, would do it best, and most promptly. You have all the materials at hand, and you put together with ease. I wish you could be induced to extend your late work to the whole subject.

I have not heard particularly what is the state of your health, but as it has been equal to the journey to Philadelphia, perhaps it might encourage the curiosity you must feel to see for once this place, which nature has formed on a beautiful scale, and circumstances destine for a great one. As yet, we are but a cluster of villages.† We cannot offer you the learned society of Philadelphia, but you will have that of a few characters whom you esteem, and a bed and hearty welcome with one who will rejoice in every opportunity of testifying to you his high veneration and affectionate attachment.‡

• See Mem and Cor. &c. III. 516.

MS. copy to Mr. Lindsey, " April 23."

+ See supra, p. 452, note *.

TO REV. T. LINDSEY.*

DEAR FRIEND,

Northumberland, April 15, 1803. I AM happy to hear by Mr. Belsham, that your health is still good; and as his letter is dated the 1st of February, I hope you have got well over the winter. There is hardly any thing that I wish for, or think of more, than the continuance of your life and health, that you may see the last of my labours, and I may hear your opinion of them.

As to philosophy, I do not now give much attention to it, though I do not wholly neglect it. With the good Dr. Heberden, Sir John Pringle, and many others, who, in early life, engaged in philosophical pursuits, but were real Christians, I think it natural, as we draw nearer to a future and better world, to think more of it, and to have our reading and pursuits directed more than ever towards it.

For the same reason, I think more of my departed friends, as my good aunt, Mrs. Rayner, Dr. Price, Dr. Jebb, and others, who have been my chief friends and benefactors, than before; forming conjectures (wild ones, no doubt) concerning our meeting and employment hereafter. Such speculations as these have, at least, the effect to make the thoughts of leaving the world, and our friends in it, less unpleasant; indeed, sometimes almost desirable. If the disciples of Jesus rejoiced so much at his resurrection, what will they do at his second coming, in his proper kingdom, and when all their friends will rise again, never to be separated any more? And the firm faith that you and I have, that even the wicked, after a state of wholesome discipline, (and that not more severe than will be necessary,) will be raised in due time to a state of happiness, greatly diminishes our concern on their account.†

Such reflections as these occur to me more particularly when I am not well, and my thoughts are less occupied with my pursuits. But though I had a pretty long relapse of bad health after my last to you, when I thought myself quite well,

• Essex Street.

+ This passage I had occasion to quote, W. II. 64, note.