uate a defense of an unsound
foundation upon the principle of pious frauds, viz. because it is
supposed by its defenders to be useful, you will no doubt agree with me
is both absurd, and immoral. For in the long run truth is more useful
than error, "nothing (says Lord Bacon) is so pernicious as deified
error." And it must not be supposed, or insinuated, that the good God
has made it necessary, that the morals, comfort, and consolation of his
rational creatures should be founded on, or be supported by a mistake
and a delusion; for it would be virtually to deny his Providence. In
fine, Christianity come to us as from God, and says to us, "He that
believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not, shall be damned."
Therefore, he that receives such extraordinary claims without
examination, is "in my opinion, a wittol; and he who suffers himself to
be compelled to swallow such pretensions without the severest scrutiny,
according to my notions of things, has no claims to be considered as a
man of common sense.

Before I close my letter, it occurs to me to observe, that you appear
to me to have misconceived the state of the case, in representing in
your sermons, that if you give up Christianity you will have no
religion left. Christianity, if I understand it, is properly contained
and taught in the New Testament alone. I am not aware, my dear sir,
that if you were to give up the New Testament you would be without a
religion, or even what you acknowledge as divine revelation. It appears
to me, that a Christian might, if he chose, give up the New Testament
and place himself on the footing of the devout Gentiles mentioned in
the Acts, who worshipped the one God, and kept the moral law of the Old
Testament. You will recollect, that I have not attempted to affect the
authority of the Old Testament which you acknowledge to contain a
Divine revelation. I never shall because, I would never quarrel with
any thing merely for the sake of disputing. Whether the Old Testament
contains a revelation from God, or not, its moral precepts are, as far
as I know unexceptionable; there is not, I believe, any thing
extravagant or impracticable in them, they are such as promote the good
order of society. Its religion in fact is merely Theism garnished, and
guarded by a splendid ritual, and gorgeous ceremonies; the belief of it
can produce no oppression and wretchedness to any portion of mankind,
and for these reasons I for one will never attempt