*5. “But you are not one of these. You fear God, and labour to have a conscience void of offence. And it is from a principle of _conscience_, that you restrain your wife and children from hearing _false doctrine_.” But how do you know it is false doctrine? Have you heard for yourself? Or, if you have not heard, have you carefully read what we have occasionally answered for ourselves? A man of conscience cannot condemn any one unheard. This is not common humanity. Nor will he refrain from hearing what _may be_ the truth, for no better reason than fear of his reputation. Pray observe, I do not say, every man (or any man) is obliged in conscience to hear us. But I do say, every man in _England_ who condemns us, is obliged to hear us first. This is only common justice, such as is not denied to a thief or a murderer. Take your choice therefore. Either hear us, or condemn us not. Either speak nothing at all, or hear before you speak. But suppose you have both read and heard _more than you like_: Did you read and hear fairly? Was not you loaden with prejudice? Did you not read or hear, _expecting no good_; perhaps desiring to find fault? If so, what wonder you judge as you do? What a poor mock-trial is this? You had decided the cause in your own breast, before you heard one word of the evidence. And still do _you_ talk of acting out of conscience? Yea, a conscience void of offence? *We will put the case farther yet. Suppose your censure was just, and this was actually false doctrine. Still every one must give an account of himself to God: and you cannot _force_ the conscience of any one. You cannot _compel_ another, to see as you see. You ought not to attempt it. Reason and persuasion are the only weapons you ought to use, even toward your own wife and children. Nay, and it is impossible to _starve_ them into conviction, or to _beat_ even truth into their head, You may _destroy_ them, in this way, but cannot _convert_ them. Remember what our own poet has said, “By force beasts act and are by force restrain’d; The human mind by gentle means is gain’d. Thou canst not take, what I refuse to yield: Nor reap the harvest, tho’ thou spoilst the field.”