"For believing that there are three persons in the Godhead; or only one person.
"For believing that there are children in hell not a span long; or for not believing it.
"For believing that every body will be saved; or for believing that scarcely any body will be saved.
"For baptizing in mill ponds; or only out of china bowls.
"For taking the sacrament in both elements; or only in the bread.
"For praying in Latin; or for praying only in English.
"For praying with a book; or for praying without a book.
"For praying standing; or for praying kneeling.
"For reading the Bible by themselves; or for reading it only with a priest.
"For wearing long beards; or for shaving their beards.
"For preaching up predestination; or for preaching up free will.
"Now," continues our writer, "barely to _hate_ one's neighbours for such notions as these, were enough, one would think, to make any common d----l blush; but these christians, as if to out-d----l Satan himself, can not only hate, but actually murder one another for these contradictory notions! yes; and oh, horrible to think! not only murder, but even glory in it: at every shower of cruel bullets on their flying victims; or at every plunge of the reeking spear into the bodies of shrieking mothers and infants, they can cheer each other to _the glorious spot_ with animating huzzas! and even when the infernal tragedy is closed, they can write congratulatory letters, and sing _Te Deums_, giving glory to God that the MONSTERS--the BEASTS--the HERETICS, are rooted out."
Such was the prince of infidels. And it was the very argument to stagger Ben, even the dangerous argument of example, which young as he was, he had learned to consider as a short way of coming at men's real principles.
"Example is a living law, whose sway Men more than all the living laws obey."
"Men oft prove it by their _practice_: No argument like matter of _fact_ is. And we are, best of all, led to Men's principles, by what they do."
'Tis true, that to tax the gospel with these accursed deeds of mad papists and protestants, is just about as good logic as to accuse our excellent civil code with all the crimes of gamblers and horse thieves--the very rascals it aims to hang. Or like charging the sun as the cause of _darkness_, which indeed it was given to dispel.