Thwackum replied, this was arguing with the usual
malice of all the enemies to the true Church.
He said, he doubted not but that all the infidels
and hereticks in the world would, if they could, confine
honour to their own absurd errors and damnable deceptions;
“but honour,” says he, “is not therefore
manifold, because there are many absurd opinions about
it; nor is religion manifold, because there are various
sects and heresies in the world. When I mention
religion, I mean the Christian religion; and not only
the Christian religion, but the Protestant religion;
and not only the Protestant religion, but the Church
of England. And when I mention honour, I mean
that mode of Divine grace which is not only consistent
with, but dependent upon, this religion; and is consistent
with and dependent upon no other. Now to say
that the honour I here mean, and which was, I thought,
all the honour I could be supposed to mean, will uphold,
much less dictate an untruth, is to assert an absurdity
too shocking to be conceived.”
“I purposely avoided,” says Square, “drawing
a conclusion which I thought evident from what I have
said; but if you perceived it, I am sure you have
not attempted to answer it. However, to drop the
article of religion, I think it is plain, from what
you have said, that we have different ideas of honour;
or why do we not agree in the same terms of its explanation?
I have asserted, that true honour and true virtue
are almost synonymous terms, and they are both founded
on the unalterable rule of right, and the eternal
fitness of things; to which an untruth being absolutely
repugnant and contrary, it is certain that true honour
cannot support an untruth. In this, therefore,
I think we are agreed; but that this honour can be
said to be founded on religion, to which it is antecedent,
if by religion be meant any positive law—”
“I agree,” answered Thwackum, with great
warmth, “with a man who asserts honour to be
antecedent to religion! Mr Allworthy, did I agree—?”
He was proceeding when Mr Allworthy interposed, telling
them very coldly, they had both mistaken his meaning;
for that he had said nothing of true honour.—It
is possible, however, he would not have easily quieted
the disputants, who were growing equally warm, had
not another matter now fallen out, which put a final
end to the conversation at present.
Chapter iv.
Containing a necessary apology for the author; and
a childish incident, which perhaps requires an apology
likewise.
Before I proceed farther, I shall beg leave to obviate
some misconstructions into which the zeal of some
few readers may lead them; for I would not willingly
give offence to any, especially to men who are warm
in the cause of virtue or religion.
I hope, therefore, no man will, by the grossest misunderstanding
or perversion of my meaning, misrepresent me, as endeavouring
to cast any ridicule on the greatest perfections of
human nature; and which do, indeed, alone purify and
ennoble the heart of man, and raise him above the
brute creation. This, reader, I will venture to
say (and by how much the better man you are yourself,
by so much the more will you be inclined to believe
me), that I would rather have buried the sentiments
of these two persons in eternal oblivion, than have
done any injury to either of these glorious causes.
