c life, and feasting with a rancorous
rapture upon the sordid catalogue of his distresses. Now let him go back
to his cloister. The Church is a proper retreat for him; in his
principles he is already a bishop. The mention of this man has moved me
from my natural moderation."--Let. 49. Again:

"The priesthood are accused of misinterpreting the scriptures. Mr. Horne
has improved on his profession. He alters the text, and creates a
refutable doctrine of his own."--Let. 53.

The above passages can not be mistaken for Mr. Paine's spirit, style,
and language. These tell us they are his with much more truth than a
name attached to any writing tells us its author.

* * * * *

It seems they both had the same opinion of a _Methodist_:

_Paine._

"But when he [man] multiplies his creed with
imaginary things, he forces his mind, and pretends
to believe what he does not believe. This is, in
general, the case with the _Methodists_--their
religion is all creed and no morals."--Let. to Mr.
Dean.

_Junius._

"You meanly evaded the question, and, instead of
the explicit firmness and decision of a king, gave
us nothing but the misery of a ruined grazier, and
the whining piety of a _Methodist_."--Let. 36.

Now the reader will recall the parallel I gave in regard to never
dishonoring religion by saying any thing against particular forms or
denominations. With the exception of the Catholic Church, this is the
only instance which has fallen under my eye; and it seems they had such
a disliking to Methodism, a sarcasm must be let loose upon it. Trifling
as this instance may seem, there is great force in its being solitary,
and apparently contradictory to what they both before affirmed in
general. Such an instance has, in fact, more weight than a score of
parallels on common characteristics, for it shows a peculiar and strong
bias in a particular direction.

* * * * *

Of the term Christian there is no positive ground for a parallel,
because it is one of no definite meaning. We call ourselves, as a
nation, Christians; yet we are divided into a hundred forms of
{172}religion, and many of them in the articles of faith contradictory and
antagonistic. Yet, in the fundamental principles of morality, we are, in
common with all civilized races, agreed. The Christian religion