第39章

Shall we then longer withhold national instruction from our fellow men，who，it has been shown，might easily be trained to be industrious，intelligent，virtuous，and valuable members of the state？

True，indeed，it is，that all the measures now proposed are only a compromise with the errors of the present systems；but as these errors now almost universally exist，and must be overcome solely by the force of reason；and as reason，to effect the most beneficial purposes，makes her advance by slow degrees，and progressively substantiates one truth of high import after another，it will be evident，to minds of comprehensive and accurate thought，that by these and similar compromises alone can success be rationally expected in practice.For such compromises bring truth and error before the public；and whenever they are fairly exhibited together，truth must ultimately prevail.

As many of the inconsistencies of the present systems are evident to the most intelligent and well-disposed minds，the way for the public admission of the important truths which have now been in part unfolded seems to be rendered easy'.and it is confidently expected that the period is at hand，when man，through ignorance，shall not'much longer inflict unnecessary misery on man；because the mass of mankind will become enlightened，and will clearly discern that by so acting they will inevitably create misery to themselves.

(As soon as the public mind shall be sufficiently prepared to receive it，the practical detail of this system shall be fully developed.)

For the extensive knowledge of the facts which present themselves on the globe，makes it evident to those whose reasoning faculties have not been entirely paralysed，that all mankind firmly believe，that everybody except themselves has been grievously deceived in his fundamental principles；and feel the utmost astonishment that the nations of the world could embrace such gross inconsistencies for divine or political truths.Most persons are now also prepared to understand，that these weaknesses are firmly and conscientiously fixed in the minds of millions，who，when born，possessed equal faculties with themselves.And although they plainly discern in others what they deem inconceivable aberrations of the mental powers，yet，in despite of such facts，they are taught to believe that they themselves could not have been so deceived；and this impression is made upon the infant mind with the greatest ease，whether it be to create followers of the most ignorant，or of the most enlightened systems.

The inhabitants of the world are，therefore，abundantly conscious of the inconsistencies contained in those systems in which all have been trained out of the pale of their own peculiar，and，as they are taught to believe，highly favoured sect：and yet the number of the largest sect in the world is small，when compared with the remaining sects which have been instructed to think the notions of that larger division an error of the grossest kind，proceeding alone from the ignorance or deception of their predecessors.

All that is now requisite，previous to withdrawing the last mental bandage by which hitherto the human race has been kept in darkness and misery，is，by calm and patient reasoning to tranquillize the public mind，and thus prevent the evil effects which otherwise might arise from the too sudden prospect of freely enjoying rational liberty of mind.

To withdraw that bandage without danger，reason must be judiciously applied to lead men of every sect (for all have been in part abused to reflect that if untold myriads of beings，formed like themselves，have been so grossly deceived as they believe them to have been，what power in nature was there to prevent them from being equally deceived？

Such reflections，steadily pursued by those who are anxious to follow the plain and simple path of reason，will soon make it obvious that the inconsistencies which they behold in all other sects out of their own pale，are precisely similar to those which all other sects can readily discover within that pale.

It is not，however，to be imagined，that this free and open exposure of the gross errors in which the existing generation has been instructed，should be forthwith palatable to the world；it would be contrary to reason to form any such expectations.

Yet，as evil exists，and as man cannot be rational，nor of course happy，until the cause of it shall be removed；the writer，like a physician who feels the deepest interest in the welfare of his patient，has hitherto administered of this unpalatable restorative the smallest quantity which he deemed sufficient for the purpose.He now waits to see the effects which that may produce.

Should the application not prove of sufficient strength to remove the mental disorder，he promises that it shall be increased，until sound health to the public mind be firmly and permanently established.