of raillery and ridicule. For whatever may be pretended by those who fometimes difpute against Religion, that they do it to excite others to the more vigorous defence of it, and to clear up any arguments that may be doubtful or obfcure: Nothing of this kind can be alledged in favour of jefting upon it or ridiculing it; because this is treating it as not fit to be seriously confidered. For no man of fenfe ever treats that with ridicule which he does not either think contemptible, or defign to make fo. Wherever the life or eftate, or very great intereft of any man is concerned, a man of an ordinary capacity will naturally, fay, fuch a thing is no jefting matter. Now certainly, the Being of a God and a future Judgment, and the like, are things of vaftly more moment to those who believe them, than the greatest worldly intereft can be, and this even they, that pretend not to believe them cannot but know; and therefore if they had no other reason to reftrain them, yet even decency and refpect to the common fentiments of mankind fhould make them forbear fuch unfeafonable jefting. I know there are some that think it a plaufible plea which is offered in excufe of this Practice, when it faid that m "Ridicule is the proper teft of what is ferious, because a subt ject that will not bear raillery is fufpicious, juft as a jeft that will not bear a serious exa"mination is falfe wit; and that which can be ❝ fhewn only in a certain light, is questionable. "Truth 'tis fuppofed may bear all lights, and "one of those principal lights or natural Mediums, by which things are to be viewed, in "order to a thorough recognition, is ridicule it "self, or that manner of proof by which we "difcern whatever is liable to juft raillery in any "fubject. From hence they would infinuate, "that true Religion can never fuffer by this "method, though imposture may. That ridi"cule, if it be wrong placed, will recoil upon "itself, and be its own Corrector in the end, and "fo it may without any harm be freely left to "take its courfe." And as an inftance of this it is alledged, that's the divineft man that had appeared ever in the heathen world was, in the height of witty times and by the wittiest of all Poets, most abominably ridiculed in a whole Comedy writ and acted on purpose. Vid. Effay on the Freedom of wit and humour, p. 61, &c. But fo far was this from finking his reputation, or fuppreffing his Philofophy, that they both increafed the more for it; and he apparently grew to be more the envy of other Teachers. He was not only contented to be ridiculed, but, that he might help the Poet as much as poffible, be prefented himself openly in the Theatre, that his real figure (which was no advantageous one) might be compared with that which the witty Poet had brought as his reprefentative on the Stage. Such was his good humour. Nor could there be in the world a greater teftimony of the invincible goodness of the man, or a greater demonftration that there was no impofture either in his character or opinions. This is thought a fpecious plea for the freedom of this kind of wit upon all fubjects. But now granting, that Truth itself cannot fuffer by fuch ufage, for what is true cannot be made false by being ridicul'd, yet certainly it may lose very much of that good effect which it might otherwise have upon the minds of men, by being thus treated. Those with whom we are now arguing will readily allow, that all Men are not competent Judges of wit, nor can at the first appearance, without examination, distinguish between what is ridiculed and what really deserves to be fo. And therefore, though a man by unseasonable jesting upon a wrong fubject, may in the end make himself truly ridiculous, yet to those who cannot presently discern the false wit, the subject itself in the mean time appears contemptible, and much mischief may be done before the proper cure can be applied. And of this the cafe of Socrates, now alledged, and the pernicious effect this kind of wit had, in bringing him unjustly to death, is a very plain instance. For when those who defigned his ruin durft not attempt it in the way of a publick accufation, because of the great esteem which men of virtue and understanding had for him, till they had first prepared the populace to bear it, they hired • Aristophanes to use all his wit to expose him upon the Stage in a Comedy, after the most ludicrous manner; which he was the more eafily induced to do, because Socrates (though a perfon of as much true wit and good humour as any man of his age, yet) had always expreffed a great averfion to that fcurrilous and illiberal fort of wit, for which Ariftophanes valued himfelf. And thus when they had, by means of the E 3 • Vid. Eliani Var. Hift. 1.2. cap. 133. the Poet, made the Philofopher and his doctrine the object of scorn and contempt, among the deluded people, they could then fuccessfully profecute their villainous intentions against him. I grant indeed, that afterwards, when the people came to themselves, they dearly repented of this delufion: and that this ufage in P the end proved the highest advantage to that character and doctrine, which having food the proof were found fo folid and juft. But what is this to the purpofe? Is this practice the more commendable, because Truth and fincerity will be able to ftand the fhock of it? Is a malicious piece of wit, or a falfe accufation, ever the more innocent, because the integrity and reputation of him who is thus attack'd will after trial shine the brighter? What fome of those who look upon themselves as the only polite writers may think, I cannot tell; but a man of plain and ordinary understanding muft needs take this for a very odd way of defending what they call the Freedom of wit and humour upon all fubjects; especially by one who had before told us, a He never heard that the antient Heathens were So well advised in their ill purpose of Sup preffing P Letter concerning Enthusiasm, p. 32. a 16. p. 29. |