themselves to Thinking, and by that habit are qualify'd to think of the Subject whereon they hear or read a Difcourfe. To be inform'd, confifts in being made to think justly and truly of things: But how should Men think juftly, who do not think freely? How indeed can Men think at all of any thing, of which they do not think freely? For what is a Reftraint of Free-Thinking on any Subject, but fomewhat which hin ders me from thinking on that Subject ?

BUT to give you the perfecteft Image I am able, how unavoidable Abfurditys are both in Principle and Practice, if Thinking is reftrain'd; I will put the Case of FreeSeeing, and fuppofe the fame methods made use of to prevent Free-Seeing which are to prevent Free-Thinking. Suppofe then, That certain Men have a fancy in their heads, that it is abfolutely neceffary either to the Peace of Society or fome other great purpose, that all Men fhould have the fame Belief with relation to certain Objects of the Eyes; and in order to obtain that end, will make all Men under their power fubfcribe the fame Confeffion of Eye-fight Faith. Now fuch a fancy as this can hardly come into any Mens heads, but either of those who are some way or other very remarkable for that kind of Madnefs which common People will be apt to mistake for Divine Illumipation, or else of cunning projecting Fellows

who

who have a defign upon Mens pockets. For I think Men of real Senfe, and that have no interested Designs, will either judg all Miftakes of that nature to be pafs'd over and forgiven, fince no Man can be willingly guilty of them; or if they fhould happen to think fuch Miftakes to be of very bad confequence and to be unpardonable, yet they will judg that the best way to make Men fee truly, is to make them fee freely; and that it is more reasonable to let all Men truft to their own Eyes (who have the greatest Intereft in not deceiving themfelves) than to oblige them to take up with an Eyefight Faith, upon the Authority of others who have nothing else at beft but their Eyefight to direct them, and who may as well be mistaken as any body elfe thro Weakness of Eyes, and befides may have a defign to deceive Mankind. I fay therefore, that whoever is capable of fuch a ridiculous Project, must be either a weak or defigning Man. And let him be which you please, he will of course make an abfurd Confeffion of Eye fight Faith. The former, for want of a full and impartial Examination, will take up with the firft falfe Sensations of things; and the latter will more certainly do fo, to make himself the more neceffary in explaining, defending, paraphrafing, notemaking, and commenting upon Eyes and Eyefight Faith. So that I will fuppofe among the various and contradictory Forms of

Con

Confeffion, which Men of different Whims, or of different Interefts and Defigns, will make at different times, One, to confift of these following Articles.

* That a Ball can go thro a Table:
That two Balls may be made out of one little

one :

That a Stone can be made to vanish out of fight:

That a Knot can be undone with Words: That a Thred may be burnt to pieces, and made whole with the Afbes:

That one Face may be a hundred or a thou

Sand:

And lastly, That a Counter may be turn'd into a Groat.

THESE Propofitions being drawn up in form, as the Standard of Eye-fight Faith, it will be absolutely neceffary either that Men should be oblig❜d to subscribe to their Truth, or that none be allow'd publickly to contradict them, or at least that fome Encouragement be given to those who profess to believe and teach them; for other wife no End would be ferv'd by drawing them up, and Men would be as much at liberty to use their Eyes as they were before.

* Hocus Pocus Jun. p. 13, 15, 36, 43, 45, 47.

NOR is it to be imagin'd, That he zealous Advocates for them will content themselves with the mere Impofitions of thofe Abfurditys. They will introduce feveral other new Abfurditys by the various Comments and Turns which fo many Abfurdities in Eye-fight will oblige them to make. The feveral Propofitions will be faid by them to be above, but not contrary to Eyefight. Inftances will be given of ten thoufand Mistakes in ufing our Eyes. It will be efteem'd dangerous trufting to carnal Eyefight, and be faid that we ought to rely on the Authority of those Men who have Penfions and Salarys on purpose to study those. things, and would not deferve what they receive, fhould Men use their own Eyefight. And as for thofe few Men who fhould dare to use their own Eyes, no Punishments would be too bad for them; and the leaft Evil they could expect would be to be render'd odious to the Multitude, under the reproachful Ideas of Scepticks, Latitudinarians, Free-Seers, Opiniators, Men ty'd by no Authority, and who lay all things in common, how univerfally foever receiv'd; to be reprefented fometimes as Madmen, at other times as fubtle cunning Fellows who acted by Confederacy, and had fecret underhand Penfions from the Lord knows who, and who were affifted by the Devil.

ALL

ALL this may perhaps at firft view be look'd on as impoffible; I will therefore justify the Representation I have made, from Matters of Fact practis'd both among Pagans and Chriftians.

TO begin first with the Pagans: The whole Affair of Oracles among them was nothing else but the Artifice of Priefts to impose on the Senfes of the People. The Oracular Temples or Churches were built in mountainous Countries, where of course there were abundance of Caverns and Holes, and where Ecchoes, Noifes, and difmal Profpects ftruck thofe who vifited them with a fuperftitious Awe. The Temples themfelves were contriv'd to produce the fame effect. They were full of fubterraneous Caverns and Machines, like a Play-house for the Priests to act their Parts in them. The Pagans likewife had Speaking Oaks, Nodding, Sweating, Weeping, Bleeding, and Speaking Statues. But one of the commoneft Miracles among them, and which was univerfally believ'd among ordinary People, was, That the Gods themselves came down from Heaven, and eat of the Repafts which the Priefts prepar'd for them at the expence of the People. To preserve a right Belief in all these matters among the People, the Priefts kept all Unbelievers as much as poffible from coming within any distance of them

B 2