write, and act on political subjects in the fear of God; as if they were forthwith going to stand before His judgment. Even so talking, writing, and acting, they might and would often be in great error; still if ever we are to come to any generally sound knowledge about public matters, it can be only gained by this previous moral improvement in our way of studying them. Error of course will always remain, but it will be thus least prevalent and least mischievous. But when I speak of men's talking and acting about political matters in the fear of God, I do not mean that they should persuade themselves that their own opinions are according to God's will, and that in pushing those opinions vehemently they are doing God service. This does not purify their political conduct, but deeply corrupts themselves; this is fanaticism, the fruitful mother of all falsehood and all cruelty. The fear of God should come in, not as an excuse for violence against our opponents, but in the formation of our own opinions, and in considering our own temper and conduct. Whether such and such an opinion be clearly according to God's will, can never be so certain as that taking up an opinion hastily, talking about it without knowledge, maintaining it or pressing it unfairly or passionately, are against God's will. That our adversaries' opinions are sinful, can never be so sure as that unkindness, sophistry, violence, and uncharitableness in ourselves towards them, are sinful in us. God will judge them; it is our business to judge ourselves. If men approached a newspaper, the political part of it I mean, with such a temper, the effects would be speedily felt both by the publishers of newspapers and by themselves. By the publishers of newspapers, for they would soon find that mere scurrility, gross unfairness, falsehood, and misrepresentation, in all their varieties, would disgust their readers, and injure the sale of their journals; by the readers themselves, because while they were in a better state for arriving at true knowledge, the newspapers would have become more capable and more disposed to communicate it. Now, Sir, if your correspondent Vigil desires systematic instruction for the people, he will at least allow that I have in this letter begun at the beginning. I have also best suited my own capacity; for I am by no means sure that I could inform any one rightly upon the "poorlaw, commerce, corn, or taxation," although I, like others, have my opinions on these points; but I am quite sure, that in advising men to seek for political information by setting about the study of politics in a pure, a lofty, a loving, and a holy temper, I am putting them on the right road to gain it. 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