but only how to maintain a certain System of Divinity. Thus the Popish, Mahometan, Lutheran, and Presbyterian Priefts, ftudy their several Syftems. Whereas Phyficians are not ty'd down to HIPPOCRATES, or GALEN, or PARACELSUS, but have all Nature and all Mens Obfervations before them, without any Obligation to fubfcribe implicitly to any one: nor have Lawyers any Rule, but the Law it felf which lies before 'em, which they are at liberty to interpret according to its real Senfe, being bound by no Articles or Subfcriptions to interpret it otherwise. (4.) IF I die thro the Conduct of a Phyfician, or lofe my Right by the Conduct of my Lawyer, that is the worst which can befal me; but if I truft to a Priest who is in the wrong, I am fuppos'd to be eternally damn'd. 3. BUT thirdly I anfwer, That suppofing the Cafes are parallel, no Benefit will follow to any Set of Priefts in particular, nor will there be any prevention of Diverfity of Opinions, or of any other of those Evils which Free-Thinking is fuppos'd to produce. For if the Cafes are parallel, then Men may chufe their own Priests, as they chufe their own Lawyers and Phyficians. And if fo, then one Man will chufe WILLIAM PENN, another DANIEL BUR GESS, GESS, a third Dr. SWIFT or Dr. ATTERBURY, and fo on. And if they may chufe Priests of different Opinions, why may they not as well think for themselves? fince it is impoffible for Men by thinking for themselves to differ in Opinion more from one another, and to hate and perfecute one another more thorowly, than they must do upon granting them a liberty to chuse Priefts of different forts. 5thly. IT is objected, That certain Speculations (tho falfe) are neceffary to be impos'd on Men, in order to affist the Magiftrate in preferving the Peace of Society: And that it is therefore as reasonable to deceive Men into Opinions for their own Good, as it is in certain cafes to deceive Children; and confequently it must be abfurd to engage Men in thinking on Subjects where Error is useful and Truth injarious to them. To which I answer, 1. THAT this is an irreligious Objection, and is fo treated by CICERO in the Perfon of COTTA. Says he, What do you think of thofe Men, who have said that the Opinion of the Existence of the immortal Gods was invented by wife Men for the publick Good * Quid? ii qui dixerunt totam de Diis immortalibus opinionem fictam effe ab hominibus fapientibus Reipublicæ caufâ, ut quos ratio non movet, eos ad officium Religio duceret, nonne omnem religionem funditus fuftulerunt? De Naturâ Deor. 1. 1. that that they who would not be govern'd by Reason, might be influenc'd by Religion to do their Duty? Have not they deftroy'd all Religion? 2. I WILL grant the Reasoning contain'd in the Objection to be founded on a juft Principle, viz. That the Good of Society is the Rule of whatever is to be allow'd or reftrain'd; and I will likewife grant, that if Errors are useful to human Society, they ought to be impos'd: and confequently I must allow the Inference, That Thinking ought to be restrain'd. But then I affirm, That the Rule is as falfly as it is irreligiously apply'd, and that both Experience and Reafon demonftrate the Impofition of Speculations, whether true or falfe, to be fo far from being a Benefit, that it has been and must be the greatest Mischief that has ever befel or can befal Mankind. (1.) Luft, Covetoufnefs, Revenge, and Ambition have in all Ages more or less plagued the World, and been the Source of great Disorders. But Zeal to impofe Speculations has not only had the fame effects in common with thofe Paffions, but has carry'd Men to a pitch of Wickedness, which otherwife Eye had not feen, nor Ear heard, nor had enter'd into the Heart of Man to conceive. For what antient or mo dern Hiftory can parallel the Brutality of Reli *Religious Zealots? What, the numerous Maffacres, Defolations, and Murders for Religion, in particular the Maffacres of France and Ireland, and the Defolations and Murders committed by the Spaniards in the Weft-Indies? What, the complicated Wic kedness and Cruelty of our English Clergy, whom, as Bishop TAYLOR tells us, HENRY the Fourth, because he ufurp'd the Crown, was willing by all means to endear murdering Hereticks, that fo he might be fure of them to all his purposes? And what, that fteddy lafting Machine of Slavery, Villany and Cruelty, the Tribunal of the Inquifition? The moft irregular of our other Paffions decay with Time, and their mifchievous Effects are restrain'd by good Sense and human Policy; and we have fome Paffions in us, fuch as Pity, Good-Nature and Humanity, which help to preserve a tolerable Ballance in the human Machine. But Religious Zeal gathers ftrength with Time, bears down common Senfe and Policy, leaps the bounds of natural Humanity, and vanquishes all the tender Paffions. Wherefore that excellent Prelate, Archbishop_TILLOTSON, very juftly obferves, That it will be hard to determine how many Degrees of * Nullas infeftas hominibus beftias, ut funt fibi ferales plerique Chriftianorum, expertus. Ammian. Marcell. P. 302. Ed. Valefii. Epift. Ded. before Liberty of Prophesying. H Inno Innocency and Good-Nature, or of Coldness and Indifferency in Religion, are neceffary to overballance the Fury of a blind Zeal; fince several Zealots had been excellent Men, if their Religion had not hinder'd them, if the Doctrines and Principles of their Church had not perverted and spoil'd their natural Difpofitions. (2.) THE great Charge of fupporting fuch numbers of Men as are neceffary to maintain Impofitions, is a Burden upon Society which was never felt on any other occafion. For I fuppofe it will be allow'd me, that the Revenues belonging to the Orders of Priests, Monks, and Fryars in Po pifh Countrys, are a greater Tax on the Subject, and have introduc'd a greater degree of Poverty, than has ever been felt from any Lay-Tyrants or Conquerors: for the latter have been contented with temporary Plunder only, without concerning themselves how to find out ways to make Mankind Beggars for ever. The Charge alone therefore of fupporting fuch a number of Ecclefiafticks, is a great Evil to Society, tho it fhould be fuppos'd the Ecclefiafticks themfelves were employ'd in the most innocent manner imaginable, viz. in mère eating and drinking. 3. IN answer to the Objection I affirm, That the Peace and Order of human Society depending upon, or rather confifting in the |