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body is desirous of being deceived; nay, there is Nobody but had rather know the Truth in any Matter whatsoever, but especially in any Matter of Moment, than be mistaken, though it be only in Things of mere Speculation. We are naturally delighted with Truth, and have as natural an Aversion to Error; and if we knew any Way in which we could certainly arrive at Truth, we should most readily enter into it. Hence it is, that there always have been found very eminent Men, whom all the World have most highly applauded, because they spent their whole Lives in the Pursuit of Truth. There have been, and are at this Day, innumerable Natural Philosophers and Geometricians, who have taken incredible Pains to come at Truth; and who affirm, that they never feel (a) so great Pleasure as when they find out a Truth which they have long been in Search after. So that the Love and the Knowledge of Truth may very justly be reckoned amongst the many other Things that Men excel Brutes in.

BUT all Truths are not of the same Moment, and many theoretick Notions, though they be true, may be laid aside, because little or no Advantage can be had from them, and therefore it is not worth while to be at much Pains about them; but, on the other Hand, there are some Truths of so great Moment, that we justly think them worth purchasing at any Rate. Of this Sort are all those that relate to our Well-being and Happiness; the Knowledge of which is most valued by every Body, and most diligently pursued by them. To which if we add, that the Consequence of a well-spent and happy Life (and we must always allow, that what is good, that is agreeable to Truth, is also an

(a) So great Pleasure, &c.] See the Life of Pythagoras in Diogenes Laertius, Book VIII, 12.

Ingredient

Ingredient of Happiness) during our short Stay here, will be an eternal Happiness hereafter, as all Christians of every Sect whatsoever profess to believe; we cannot but own that the Knowledge of the Way by which we may arrive at such Happiness, cannot be purchased at too dear a Rate.

SECT. II.

Nothing can be of greater Moment than Religion; and therefore we ought to use our utmost Endeavours to come at the true Knowledge of it.

OUR Business is not now with such Persons as despise all Religion; these have been sufficiently confuted by that great Man Hugo Grotius, in the foregoing Books; which whosoever has read, with a Mind really desirous of coming at the Truth, can have no Doubt, but that there is a God who would be worshipped by Men; and as Things now are, with that very Worship which is commanded by Christ; and that he has promised everlasting Happiness after this mortal Life, to all who thus worship him.

THUS much being allowed, Nobody can doubt but that Religion is a Matter of the highest Concern; and therefore, as we see that Christians do not consist of one entire Body, we ought to endeavour to find out which Sect of them is most agreeable in its Doctrines and Precepts, to those which are left us by Jesus Christ; for we cannot have an equal Regard for them all, because some of them are so very different from others, both in Doctrine and Worship, that they accuse one another of the greatest Errors, and of having corrupted the Divine Worship; nay some of them speak of the Rest, as absolutely excluded eternal

Life. Now, if this could be made plainly appear, without Doubt we ought to withdraw ourselves from all other Sects, as soon as we can, and join with that alone with which Truth makes such Objections against all others. For not only this present short Life lies at Stake, which is subject to innumerable Evils and Misfortunes, let us live how we will; but we render ourselves liable to the Punishments which God has threatened to those who do not believe the Gospel, and hazard that Happiness which has no Defect, and will have no End. Yet there are some Men, not indeed very learned, nor very much addicted to reading the Scriptures seriously, in order to judge of the Divisions amongst Christians, and to find out on which Side the Truth lies, for they have no Concern at all for that; but their Notion of these Divisions is, that they think it all one, let their Opinions be what they will, and that it is the same Thing, whatever Worship they follow: They imagine it to be quite indifferent what Party of Christians we really join ourselves with, or indeed only profess to join ourselves with. I do not now speak of the common People only; there are Kingdoms, in which not only the common People, but the Magistrates and Nobility have separated from the See of Rome, and yet in a very short Time, upon having a new King, have returned to it again; and then after this, have been assisting to the supreme Power in opposing the same See. In the Reign of Henry VIII. of England, there were many Acts made not only by the King, but agreed to by the Parliament, against the See of Rome, which King Henry was angry with for a Reason that few People approved of. After his Death, when his Son Edward VI. joined in with that Party, who had not only renounced all the Authority of the See of Rome, aš his Father had done; but also had embraced other

Opinions,

Opinions, which were condemned by that See; they likewise openly declared that they approved of them. A little after King Edward died, when Queen Mary, a great Bigot to the Pope of Rome, succeeded her Brother; this very Nobility assisted this Queen to oppress that Party who had despised: the Authority of the Pope, and were in so flourishing a Condition when Edward was King. Some Time after, upon the Death of Mary, Queen Elizabeth succeeded, who was of the same Sect with her Brother Edward, and so strongly established it by a long Reign, that it remains to this Day upon the same Foundation on which it was then built. Whoever peruses the History of those Times, will see how fluctuating the Nobility of that Nation were; and he will hardly be able to persuade himself, but that they were of the same Mind with those that believe, it to be all one with Respect to their eternal Salvation, what Sect of Christians they join themselves with. I agree with those who ascribe these Changes in a good Measure to Fear; but when I consider the Constancy, Courage, and Contempt of Death, which we so frequently see in the English Nation, I can hardly persuade myself, but that the Love of this present Life, and an Indifference about Religion, were the principal Causes of these several Changes.

SECT. III.

That an Indifference in Religion is in its own Nature unlawful, forbidden by the Laws of God, and condemned by all Sects of Christians.

FOR any one to think that Religion is one of those Things that are of an indifferent Nature; so that we may change it as we do our Clothes; or

at

at least, that we may profess or deny it just as the Times change; is a most heinous Crime, as will appear by many Reasons, the principal of which we will produce from the Nature of the Thing, the Laws of God, and the Consent of all Christian Nations.

FIRST, to tell a Lye, is a very dishonest Thing, especially in an Affair of any great Moment, when it is not so much as allowed in trifling Matters, unless perhaps in such Particulars where a Lye is, upon the Whole, more advantageous than the Truth. But in the Affair of Religion, it must be a very grievous Fault for Men to lye, or even to dissemble; because thereby they do all in their Power to confirm a Lye, in a Thing of the greatest Importance; to stifle Truth which is contrary to it, and to condemn it to perpetual Obscurity. It is the worst Example that can be set, especially in Persons advanced to any Dignity, which the People of a lower Rank are but too apt to imitate; whence it comes to pass, that they are not only Offenders themselves, but they cause others to offend also by their Example; which has the greatest Influence over the common People, because they give a much greater Attention to the Actions of those they have a great Respect for, than to their Words.

It is also a very dishonourable Thing, and altogether unworthy a Man of Courage, to tell a Lye for the Sake of this short Life, and to choose to displease God rather than Men. For this Reason the most eminent Philosophers chose rather to expose themselves to certain Death, than to do a Thing which they thought was 'displeasing to the Deity; as we see (a) in the Instance of Socrates, who chose rather to drink a Dose of Poison, than to leave off

(a) In the Instance of Socrates, &c.] See what I have collected about him in my Silva Philologica, Book I. Chap. 3. the

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