a new view of society-第26章

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　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。