vail 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 fentiment, and how much departed every fect thereof is from their primitive inftitution; what a fmall part of the world is poffefs'd by chriftians, and how very inconfiderable a part is poffefs' poffefs'd by any one fet of chriftians, 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 moft places, and what exceffive ignorance every where; and how this state of things has endur'd among men, who have been and are chiefly conducted by autority and compell'd by force; it fhould feem, that autority and force are fo far from being the way to put an end to error, or make men wifer, that they have contributed to encrease the errors and follies of men. And if this

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be fo, I must conclude for the neceffi ty of introducing free inquiry.profeffi on, 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 less 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, andFOUND of fuch as SEEK her,in making herself first known unto them. He that feeketh her early fhall have no great travels: for he fhall find her fitting at his door. To think therefore on her is perfection of wisdom, and whoso watcheth for her fhall quickly be without care. For he goeth about Seeking fuch as are worthy of her, fheweth herself favou rably unto them in the ways, and meeteth them in every thought. So that if men were not put out of their way

(f) Wifom 6. 12.-16.

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by autority, but were allow'd to feek, or would of themselves feek truth, they could not fail of finding her.

io. If it be faid, that it is neceffary to peace and quiet in the ftate,that there fhould be no debates about fpeculations; and that all men fhould Square their principles and practifes by what they find receiv'd in their country; then let not men pretend any concern for truth, and againft falfhood; for this removes truth and falfhood out of the queftion. Let them then fet up for hobbifm or popery; which by force and an inquifition, perhaps, may keep all things quiet, as well as, certainly, moft, if not all, men ignorant. But in reality, the allowance of free debate is the method to ob tain a more folid and lafting peace (peace flowing from temper and principle) than that mere outward form of peace, which is sometimes obtain'd by force and an inquifition For if debates are free, that is, if no man gets or lofes by maintaining

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particular opinions, the grand motives which make men difturb one another about opinions will cease; and they will infenfibly fall into a due temper of mind (which force can never procure) and will be no more angry with one another on account of different fentiments, than for different features of their faces, or for different proportions of their bodies.

Befides, free debate tends to fhorten and leffen the number of controverfies. Many points, notwithstanding the prefent warm contefts, and learned books written pro and con about them, are fo 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 master: and all points of fpeculation whatsoever would be dropp'd among the vulgar; who, when speculations cease to be recommended them as objects for their zcal, and are neither matters of faction

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faction or intereft, will concern themfelves 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 out by ancient authors, until the days of SoCRATES. He fays, There were as many religions almost as men; for every man's religion was his fancy; and they had moft credit and autority, that could beft invent, and make beft fhew. Among fo many religions there were no controverfies, but very good agreement and concord; because no reason us'd either to examine or to difprove. There was no talk among men, but of dreams, revelations, and apparitions and they that could fo eafily fancy, had no reason to mistrust or to question the relations of others, tho' never fo ftrange, which were fo agreeable to their humours or difpofitions;

(g) Cafaubon of Enthusiasm, p. 6.

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