Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/90

84 tate, can eldom divet himelf of this barbarous prejudice, even when civilization determines how much uperior mental is to bodily trength; and his reaon is clouded by thee crude opinions, even when he thinks of the Deity. His omnipotence is made to wallow up, or preide over his other attributes, and thoe mortals are uppoed to limit his power irreverently, who think that it mut be regulated by his widom.

I diclaim that pecious humility which, after invetigating nature, tops at the author.—The High and Lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, doubtles poees many attributes of which we can form no conception; but reaon tells me that they cannot clah with thoe I adore—and I am compelled to liten to her voice.

It eems natural for man to earch for excellence, and either to trace it in the object that he worhips, or blindly to invet it with perfection, as a garment. But what good effect can the latter mode of worhip have on the moral conduct of a rational being? He bends to power; he adores a dark cloud, which may open a bright propect to him, or burt in angry, lawles fury, on his devoted head—he knows not why. And, uppoing that the Deity acts from the vague impule of an undirected will, man mut alo follow his own, or act according to rules, deduced from principles which he diclaims as irreverent. Into this dilemma have both enthuiats and cooler thinkers fallen, when they laboured to free men from the wholeome retraints which a jut conception of the character of God impoes. It&ensp;