firmities with others; would they imparti

ally fearch after Truth, out of the alone "certain and infallible Rule of it, the Word "of God; why should we despair, but that "the Light of the glorious Gospel of CHRIST might fo fhine upon us, as to guide our "Feet into the Way of PEACE.

11. The Advantage of free Debate to Society is infinite. It is not only the Way to true Religion, and true Peace, but the Way to Knowledge and Arts, which are the Foundations of Politenefs, Order, Happiness, and Profperity; as Ignorance is the Foundation of Brutality, Disorder, Mifery, and Declenfion in Society. It is the Way to make Men honeft and fincere in the Profeffion of Religion (as Impofition is only the Way to make Men Knaves and Hypocrites); and That will introduce Honesty in other Refpects, which is the best Policy, and the best Improvement of

Man.

12. The Bulk of Men do, I confefs, reafon and practise very differently from what I have afferted and defended. Moft Men, confcious of their own Weakness, fee plainly,

that

that they are unable, by any Application to Inquiries, to judge for themselves in many Points. Thence they conclude they ought to be govern'd in their Belief by the Judgment of others. Then they take up with such Guides, as fome Chance or other directs them to; who not only form their Opinions for them, but make them zealous for those Opi

nions.

Upon which Way of reafoning and Practice, I will only obferve; that Zeal and Ignorance are a moft abfurd and ridiculous Compofition in the fame Perfons; and that these Men moft manifeftly determine the Point before them wrong, by taking Sides in Matters, wherein, as understanding nothing, they have no Concern, and should not pretend to have any Opinion at all. Would it not be exceffively ridiculous to see ignorant People zealously engaged for or against Propofitions (as led by different Guides chosen at a Venture) in Aftronomy, whereof they neither do, nor can understand any Thing? And is it lefs ridiculous for ignorant People zealoufly to concern them→ felves about other Matters, (as led by Guides

chofen

chofen at a Venture) whereof they know as little?

13. Men have very different Tempers and Capacities from one another, naturally; have very different Educations; do improve themfelves very differently by Study, according to their different Capacities, Application, and Opportunities; have different Interefts, Paffions, and Infirmities, by which they are influenced and acted; and are all fallible, not only in Matters that depend upon Reafon, but in understanding the Scriptures, which, tho' true in themselves, and deliver'd to us by divine Inspiration, are in many Places too obfcure for Men to be certain of their Meaning.

Hence a Foundation is laid for unavoidable Differences of Opinion among Men; which Differences are greatly encreased by the dogmatick Difcipline that is infinitely more promoted and prevalent than thofe Difciplines, which teach Men to doubt and distrust the Truth of Matters propofed to them and God himself, by forming Men as he has done, and by placing them in their prefent Circumstances, seems to have defign'd that they should not

с

;

agree

agree in Opinion; or, at least, seems not to have defign'd that they should agree.

What then can any violent Attempt or Project to hinder Men from differing in Opinion from one another be, but an Attempt to subvert the common State of human Nature and the Defign of God; and not lefs ridiculous, romantick, and impoffible to fucceed, than an Attempt to hinder Speech, or to make all Men of the fame Size or Height, or to quell the natural Paffion of Love, or to build a Tower up to Heaven?

And must not the Men of this Project be perfect DON QUIXOTES, and the greatest Fanaticks, in fetting about and pursuing fo unaccountable a Work?

If fome great Genius would but give an Account of the Actions of these Men (who may be properly called Saint-errants) in the Life and Adventures of fome renown'd perfecuting Prince or Ecclefiaftick, who has spent his Time in promoting and establishing Uniformity in Whimfies, Drefs, and Forms; as the great CERVANTES has done of Knighterrantry,

errantry, in the Life and Actions of DoN QUIXOTE, who spent his Time in Adventures to free the World of Monsters, and to tame Gyants, and all in Honour of DULCINEA DEL TOBOSO, whom, though homely and agreeable only to his depraved Tafte, all the World fhould be obliged to bow down before and to admire, as a confummate Beauty; he might give us a more useful and entertaining Work than CERVANTES has done. Saint-errantry is a more common and natural Enthusiasm than Knight-errantry, which was an Enthusiasm but of Yefterday, and of fmall Duration and Extent; and therefore Saint-errantry has furnish'd Materials in almost all Ages, and infinite Materials in particular Ages, which are recorded in Hiftory, but efpecially in ecclefiaftical Hiftory.

But till a new CERVANTES arifes and performs this Work, I would recommend the Hiftory of DON QUIXOTE, as in fome Measure fuited and applicable to Saint-errantry, to be read in Conjunction with ecclefiaftick Hiftorians. For the Principle of Enthusiasm being the fame in the Saint as in the Knight, and

producing like Effects; the Reader may, by