66 66 66 The observation alluded to is as follows: "All my experience, from my first entrance into "life to the present hour, is in favour of the warning maxim, that the man who opposes in "toto the political or religious zealots of his age, is safer from their obloquy than he who differs from "them but in one or two points only IN DEGREE." This is a truth too important to pass lightly over, as in this consisted much of that feeling which prevented his being popular, (for unless an individual goes the whole length of the party who may choose to adopt him, he is discarded, and it is well for him if he is not persecuted and held up to public ridicule).* Zealots are usually superficial, but in herds they are found to support each other, and by their numbers assume an imposing air.-One weak man cannot stand, but three may. By this mode of congregating, they are more easily managed by their leaders, whose impulses they obey, and to whom they become willing slaves. Men who The " * Tale and novel writing of second-rate order, somewhat spiced and stimulating, are sure to succeed, and carry' of course' popularity with their success, by advertising the writer. Of this there is an instance in Coleridge's own works. Zapoyla," entitled a "Christmas Tale," (and which he never sat down to write, but dictated it while walking up and down the room,) became so immediately popular that 2000 copies were sold in six weeks, while it required two years for the sale of 1000 copies of the " Aids to Reflection," which cost him much labour, and was the fruit of many years' reflection. sacrifice the many to the few, have been held out by almost every writer, where moral and political subjects have been introduced, as warnings to those liable to fall into their snares, but which have seemingly been put forth to little purpose. The necessity, therefore, for a continuation of instruction on such important moral truths, is still required; for, in the contending currents, so much mischief is often produced, that to divert these conflicting opinions, and to try to bring them into unity, Coleridge thought it a duty to employ his strength of intellect; he hoped to preserve a principle which he deemed so useful to mankind. The foot of Quantock was to Coleridge a memorable spot; here his studies were serious and deep; protected by one of the kindest of friends, and stimulated by the society also of a brother poet, whose lays seemed to have inspired his song, and also to have chimed in with it; for although it has been shewn that his poetic genius first dawned in his 16th year, yet after he left College, and during his residence at this place,* it seemed suddenly to have arrived at poetic manhood, and to have reached this developement as early as his 25th year. In his more serious studies he had greatly advanced, and had already planned and stored up much for his future life. It will * i. e. Nether Stowey, at the foot of the Quantock Hills. often be repeated, but not too often for a society so full of sciolists and disbelievers,-men who are so self-satisfied as not to require teaching,— that Coleridge never was an idle man; and that, if nothing else remained, the progress he made in intellectual acquirements during his residence at Stowey and his short stay in Germany, might be instanced. Before he quitted this country to embark in fresh studies we have his own statement: "I became convinced, that religion, as both the corner-stone and the key-stone of morality, must have a moral origin; so far, at least, that the evidence of its doctrines could not, like the truths of abstract science, be wholly independent of the will. 66 66 66 "It was therefore to be expected, that its "fundamental truth would be such as MIGHT be "denied, though only by the fool, and even by the fool from madness of heart alone! "The question then concerning our faith in "the existence of a God, not only as the ground "of the universe by his essence, but by his "wisdom and holy will as its maker and judge, appeared to stand thus: the sciential reason, "the objects of wit are purely theoretical, remains neutral, as long as its name and semblance are "not usurped by the opponents of the doctrine; "but it then becomes an effective ally by exposing the false shew of demonstration, or by evincing the equal demonstrability of the con 66 trary from premises equally logical. The understanding meantime suggests, the analogy "of experience facilitates, the belief. Nature "excites and recalls it, as by a perpetual reve"lation. Our feelings almost necessitate it; and "the law of conscience peremptorily commands "it. The arguments that all apply to, are in its favor; and there is nothing against it, but its own sublimity. 66 66 "It could not be intellectually more evident " without becoming morally less effective; with"out counteracting its own end by sacrificing "the life of faith to the cold mechanism of a worthless, because compulsory assent. The "belief of a God and a future state (if a passive acquiescence may be flattered with the name of belief) does not, indeed, always beget a good heart; but a good heart so naturally begets the belief, that the very few exceptions "must be regarded as strange anomalies from "strange and unfortunate circumstances. 66 66 "From these premises I proceeded to draw "the following conclusions,-first, that having "once fully admitted the existence of an infinite "yet self-conscious Creator, we are not allowed "to ground the irrationality of any other article "of faith on arguments which would equally prove that to be irrational, which we had "allowed to be real. Secondly, that whatever "is deducible from the admission of a self-com 66 prehending and creative spirit, may be legitimately used in proof of the possibility of any "further mystery concerning the Divine Nature." "Possibilitatem mysteriorum (Trinitatis, &c.) contra insultus infidelium et hereticorum a contradictionibus vindico; haud quidem veritatem, quæ revelatione sola stabiliri possit;" says Leibnitz, in a letter to his duke. He then adds the following just and important remark. "In vain "will tradition or texts of Scripture be adduced "in support of a doctrine, 'donec clava impossi"bilitatis et contradictionis e manibus horum "Herculum extorta fuerit.' For the heretic "will still reply, that texts, the literal sense of "which is not so much above as directly against "all reason, must be understood figuratively, as "Herod is a Fox, &c. 66 "I "These principles," says he, " I held philosophically, while in respect of revealed religion, "I remained a zealous Unitarian. I considered "the idea of a Trinity a fair scholastic inference "from the being of God, as a creative intelligence; and that it was therefore entitled to "the rank of an esoteric doctrine of natural 66 religion but seeing in the same no practical "or moral bearing, I confined it to the schools "of philosophy. The admission of the Logos, as hypostasized (i. e. neither a mere attribute nor "a personification), in no respect removed my "doubts concerning the incarnation and the |