EPILOGUE.

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That " loaves and fishes" form his chief delight,His constant thoughts by day, his dreams by night.But hold—'twere well, ere we proceed, to seeWhat arguments support " The Pastor's Plea" :—" To mortals, bending 'neath the cumbrous loadThat weighs them down, he shows the heavenly road;Without his aid, their feet would devious stray,And half his flock would go— the other way.'" —And dost thou really think, my reverend wight,That what thou say'st is rational and right 1Dost thou the will of God presume to scan,And dare usurp his judgment-seat ? vain man,Remember what thou art, and what thou know'st,And thou wilt find thy knowledge is, at most,A cloud of error and an empty boast!When modes of faith are variously profess'd,And different sects are found,—north, east, south,

west—Who shall decide which wisest is, or best ?—Although he call himself a true believer,A bigot is, at best, a self-deceiver;*

* These observations have reference to the spiritual teachers ofno one sect in particular, but are intended to apply to all who areso blind, and so bigoted to their own tenets, as to preach up theabsurd and uncharitable doctrine of exclusive salvation.

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