He never, indeed, says any thing _shocking_ or _offensive_ about _devotion_, because he never _thinks_ or _talks_ about it. It suffers nothing from him, but neglect and disregard. The two testaments would not have had so much as a place amongst his books, but that they are both to be had in _Greek_. 16. _Classicus_ thinks, he sufficiently shews his regard for the holy scripture, when he tells you, that he has no other books of piety besides them. It is very well, _Classicus_, that you prefer the bible to all other books of piety; he has no judgment, that is not thus far of your opinion. But if you will have no other book of piety besides the _bible_, because it is the best, how comes it, _Classicus_, that you don’t content yourself with _one_ of the _best_ books among the _Greeks_ and _Romans_? How comes it that you are so eager after _all_ of them? How comes it that you think the knowledge of one is a necessary help to the knowledge of the other? How comes it that you are so earnest, so laborious, so expensive of your time and money, to restore _broken periods_, and _scraps_ of the ancients? How comes it that you tell your _young scholar_, he must not content himself with barely understanding his authors, but must be continually reading them _all_, as the only means of entering into their spirit, and forming his own judgment according to them? Why then must the bible lie alone in your study? Is not the spirit of the saints, the piety of the holy followers of Jesus Christ, as good and necessary a means of entering into the spirit and _taste_ of the gospel, as the reading of the ancients is of entering into the spirit of antiquity? Is your young poet to search after _every line_, that may give new wings to his fancy, or direct his imagination? And is it not as reasonable for him, who desires to improve in the divine life, to search after every strain of devotion, that may move, kindle, and inflame the holy ardour of his soul? Do you advise your _orator_ to translate the best orations, to commit much of them to memory, to be frequently exercising his talent in this manner, that habits of thinking and speaking justly may be formed in his mind? And is there not the same advantage to be made by books of devotion? Should not a man use them in the same way, that habits of devotion, and aspiring to God in holy thoughts, may be well formed in his soul? Now the reason why _Classicus_ does not _think_ and judge thus reasonably of devotion, is owing to his never thinking of it in any other manner, than as the repeating a _form_ of _words_. It never in his life entered into his head, to think of devotion as a _state of the heart_, as a _temper_ that is to _grow_ and _increase_ like our _reason_ and _judgment_, and to be formed in us by such a diligent use of proper means, as are necessary to form any other wise habit of mind.