was, because I thought it, with all its perils, much fafer than the infide road I had come. My activity, I had reafon to think, was fuperior to the difficulties of the outward way, and if I fhould fall, it would be in the light of heaven, with a human habitation in view, that might afford me fome relief, if I only broke my bones; but, if in defcending the very steep and horrible caverns of the hill, which with the greatest difficulty I climbed up, I fhould happen to get a fall, as in all human probability I would, and break a limb in these most dismal cavities of eternal night, I must have perished in the most miferable manner, without a poffibility of obtaining any relief. Nor is this all, madam. The thing that brought me here among the mountains of Richmondshire, was to find a gentleman of my acquaintance, and when I faw your houfe from the top of the mountain, I did not know but it might be his. I fanfied it was, as the fituation answered my friend's description of the fpot he lived on.

And if it had been his, madam, it would have put an end to all my toils; for I am a wanderer upon the face of the earth, through the cruelty of a mother-in-law; and the unreasonableness of a rich father; who has forfaken me, because I will not fubmit to the declarations and decifions of weak and fallible men, in matters of pure revelation and Bb 3 divine

divine faith, and own the infallibility of the orthodox system. Because the affent of my mind could not go beyond the perception of my understanding, and I would not allow that the popular confeffion is the faith once delivered to the faints, therefore I was thrown off, and obliged to become the pilgrim you fee before you.

This hiftory of a forlorn feemed ftranger to the young lady and her father than even the account of my journey through the infide of a mountain, and down a precipice that a goat would scarce venture. They were both very greatly amazed at my relation, and Mr, Harcourt was going to ask me fome queftions, when one of his fervants came to let him know that dinner was ferving up, and by this put an end to our converfation. The mafter of the house brought me into a fine room, and I faw on the table an elegant dinner: there was likewise a grand fideboard, and fe veral men fervants attending: miss Harcourt fat at the head of the table, and at her right hand two young ladies, vaftly handsome, whom I fhall have occafion to mention hereafter in this journal: two ladies more were on the other fide of her, pretty women, but no beauties; and next them fat three gentlemen; fenfible, well-behaved men; one of them a mafter of mufick, the other a mafter

of.

languages, and the third a great painter; who were kept in the house on large falaries, to teach the young lady these things: Mr. Harcourt placed me by himself, and was not only extremely civil, but manifefted a kind of fondnefs as if he was well pleased with my arri val. He and his daughter took great care of me, and treated me as if I had been a man of distinction rather than the poor pilgrim they faw me, with my ftaff in my hand. The young lady talked to me in a very pleasant manner, and as I saw the whole company were inclined to be very chearful, I clubbed as much as I could to promote good-humour, and encrease the festivity of the table. We laughed the afternoon away in a charming manner, and when we had done, we all went to walk in the gardens. Here the company foon feparated, as the various beauties of the place inclined various minds to different things and parts. Some, pensive roamed in fhady walks; fome fat by playing fountains; and others went to gather fruits and flowers. I had the honour to walk with Mifs Harcourt to a canal at fome distance, and as we went, this young lady told me, fhe did not well understand me as to what I had faid of religion being concerned

in

my becoming a traveller, and defired me to be a little more particular. That I will,

Bb 4

and

A difcourfe

with miss

to my religion.

and immediately proceeded in the following

manner.

of

73. My father, madam, is a man of great Harcourt learning, virtue and knowledge, but orthoin relation dox to the laft degree, and fent me to the univerfity on purpose to make me a theologer, that I might be an able defender of the Creed of St. Athanafius, and convince the poor people of the country he lived in, and in good time (he fondly hoped) the inhabitants many other countries; that notwithstanding the fymbol I have mentioned is what no human apprehenfion can comprehend, and the judgment hath nothing to act on in the confideration of it ;- that there is nothing to be understood in that fymbol, nor can a man form any determination of the matter therein contained; yet they must believe this great and awful myflery: that three perfons and Gods are only one perfon and God; and, on peril of eternal mifery, they muft confefs that, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, tho' three Beings, as diftinct as any three things in the univerfe, yet are only one Being. This mystery I was to preach up in his church, (a church in a field, near his house, to which he had the right of prefenting,) and enflame the people against reafon, that traitor to God and religion, which our adverfaries, the Chriftian deifts, would make Lord and King in oppofition to faith. I

was

was to tell my beloved, that reason is a carnal fenfual devil, and that instead of hearkening to this tempter, they muft affent to thofe heavenly propofitions, which give wifdom without ideas, and certainty without knowledge. You must believe, my beloved, that none is before or after the other.

None is greater or less than another. The infidels call this an unintelligible piece of nonfenfe but it is, my beloved, a very tranfcendent mystery. It does, we must own, flagger and aftonifh us, being a thing beyond our reach to comprehend; but, it must be believed, on peril of eternal misery, as I before obferved: and it is eafy to be believed, for this plain reafon, (given by a very learned and pious bishop of our church) to wit, that it is too high to be by us comprehended. This was the opinion of that great prelate, Dr. Beveridge, in his Private Thoughts, p. 52. to which book I refer you, my beloved, for more of his admirable reafoning on this capital article, and farther obferve to you, that not only this moft pious bishop, and many other most excellent prelates were of this way of thinking; but all the most admirable divines have declared in their fermons, and other matchless writings, that the more incredible the Athanafian creed is, and the fuller of contradictions, the more honour we do to our God in believing it. It is the glory of orthodox Chriftians, that their faith is not only