Subject of Debate? Could that Doctrine keep the Ground it now has there, under free Debate? Would its Falfhood, fet forth in the utmost Light, have no Effect on the Understandings of the polite and ingenious French Nation? Nay, is there any Thing, that keeps up that Abfurdity, and ftifles the Light of Truth, but Authority? And are not the Popish Ecclefiafticks fo fenfible of the Force of Truth, and fo particularly fearful of lofing that Pearl of great Price, the darling Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation, that no Man can with Safety, where they have Influence, to his Perfon, Fortune, and Reputation, call it in Question?

Did Popery get any Ground in England, by the Liberty the Papists had in the Reign of King JAMES the fecond, to publish whatever they pleased in Behalf of their Religion? On the contrary, was not Popery more exposed to Scorn and Contempt by being the Subject of Debate, than if nothing had been wrote in Behalf of it?

Does Proteftantifm decay in Holland, where not only the Papists themselves print what Apologies

Apologies and controverfial Treatifes they please, but where the Bookfellers print all Manner of Popish Books, for which there is any Demand, and by Confequence chufe fuch Books chiefly, which the Papists themselves deem most strenuously written?

9. If Men did but confider what infinite Variety of Religions have prevail'd, and do now prevail in the World; what Variety of Notions and Practices have prevail'd, and do prevail in the fame Country; what Revolutions of Opinions there have been among Christians, and how greatly divided they have always been, and now are in Sentiment, and how much departed every Sect thereof is from their primitive Inftitution; what a fmall Part of the World is poffefs'd by Chriftians, and how inconfiderable a Part is poffefs'd by any very one Set of Christians, and what little Figure the Church of England (whofe Members are infinitely divided in Sentiment from one another) makes upon the Globe; what monftrous Abfurdities prevail in most Places, and what exceffive Ignorance every where; and how this State of Things has endured among Men, who have been and are chiefly conducted by b Authority

Authority and compell'd by Force; it should feem, that Authority and Force are so far from being the Way to put an End to Error, or make Men wiser, that they have contributed to encrease the Errors and Follies of Men. And if This be fo, I must conclude for the Neceffity of introducing free Inquiry, Profef fion, and Debate; which cannot make Men more erroneous and foolish than they are; and feems to be the only Way to make Men less erroneous and more wife than they are; and does in Fact make Men lefs erroneous and more wife in every Country, according to that Degree of it, which prevails.

A facred Author tells us, (f) Wisdom is glorious and never fadeth away; and is EASILY SEEN of them that love her, and FOUND of fuch as SEEK her, in making herself first known unto them. He that feeketh her early fhall have no great Travels; for he shall find her fitting at his Door. To think therefore on her is Perfection of Wisdom, and whofo watcheth for her shall quickly be without Care. For She goeth about feeking fuch as are worthy of

(f) Wisdom 6. 12.-16.

ber,

ker, fheweth her felf favourably unto them in the Ways, and meeteth them in every Thought.

10. If it be faid, that it is necessary to Peace and Quiet in the State, that there fhould be no Debates about Speculations; and that all Men Should Square their Principles and Practices by what they find received in their Country; then let not Men pretend any Concern. for Truth, and against Falfhood; for This removes Truth and Falfhood out of the Queftion. Let them then fet up for Hobbijm or Popery; which by Force and an Inquifition, perhaps, may keep all Things quiet, as well as, certainly, most, if not all, Men ignorant. But in reality, the Allowance of free Debate is the Method to obtain a more folid and lafting Peace,

Peace flowing from Temper and Principle ) than that mere outward Form of Peace, which is fometimes obtain'd by Force and an Inquifition. For if Debates are free, That is, if no Man gets or lofes by maintaining particular Opinions, the grand Motives, which make Men difturb one another about Opinions, will ceafe; and they will infenfibly fall into a due Temper of Mind, (which Force can never procure) and be no more angry with one another on Ac

count of different Sentiments, than for different Features of their Faces or for different Proportions of their Bodies.

Befides, free Debate tends to shorten and leffen the Number of Controverfies. Many Points, notwithstanding the present warm Contests, and learned Books written pro and con about them, are so plain, that they would not then bear a long Debate; many others would be dropp'd, when it was feen that they were too obfcure for the Learned to maf ter; and all Points of Speculation whatsoever would be dropp'd among the Vulgar; who, when Speculations ceafe to be recommended to them as Objects for their Zeal, and are neither Matters of Faction or Intereft, will concern themselves no more about them, than they do about Mathematicks or other Matters, whereof they are incapable of understanding any Thing.

A learned (g) Author gives us the following Account of the State of religious Controverfy in Greece and the Parts about it, as it is fet

(g) Cafaubon of Euthusiasm, p. 6.

out