History had made the variety of opinions among mankind a fact familiar to me, and this was but a prolongation of that fact.

This point in my early education had, however, incidentally one bad consequence deserving notice.

In giving me an opinion contrary to that of the world, my father thought it necessary to give it as one which could not prudently be avowed to the world.

This lesson of keeping my thoughts to myself, at that early age, was attended with some moral disadvantages; though my limited intercourse with strangers, especially such as were likely to speak to me on religion, prevented me from being placed in the alternative of avowal or hypocrisy.

I remember two occasions in my boyhood, on which I felt myself in this alternative, and in both cases I avowed my disbelief and defended it.