cannot entitle the possessor to the least good word or tenderness; much less to any authority amongst men. Dr. Clarke, Mr. Whiston, and others, are undeniable instances of this truth.

Upon the whole; authority, as it is generally understood, is a word pregnant with danger and nonsense. It is a false misleading light, or rather none at all; for those who follow it, do only grope in the dark : when we blindly trust to another, our own eyes grow useless, or may give offence.

This shews its peril; and for its absurdity, it will appear from hence, that it is impossible to trust to one authority, without trusting to more. For, either my own reason must be consulted and followed; and if so, there is an end of all authority: or else, I must trust to some authority to direct me what authority I must trust to. And, if I have liberty to choose my first guide, why not also my second, and so on? For, no reason can be given, why I may rely on my judgment in one case, and yet must resign it in just such another case.

But if no choice at all is left us in these matters, pray how shall we discern heresy from orthodoxy, and a regular set of ecclesiasticks, from an irregular? If I am born in Scotland, and educated in the presbyterian way; must I continue in an invincible antipathy to what is there called proud, lordly prelacy, and superstitious surplices, and popish ceremonies? Or, have I a right to examine and embrace the doctrine and discipline of our orthodox established church? Or, am I to embrace them without examining them? And is my judgment to approve and condemn, only what the parson approves and condemns; and, in all other spiritual matters, to lie still and take its rest? If I leave one church for another, out of judgment; how am I to behave myself when my judgment changes? Or, is it our duty to conform, in spight of our inclinations? And have we no right to dissent with conscience and conviction on our side?

To conform without consenting, is a contradiction, and a mockery to the spirit of religion: and to conform, because I approve, is no compliment to authority, but, indeed destroys it, and justifies every man in every religion, provided he have taken all necessary pains to find out the true one. If I have a liberty to enquire which is the best church, I have also a liberty to blame its errours, if I see any, as well as to admire its excellencies: and the authority of no man or men shall determine me in either, in opposition to my reason. If I praise the advantages of any church, I am myself praised by its votaries, for doing justice to those advantages, which my reason shews me: but if the same reason discover blemishes in it, I am condemned by the same votaries, for what I cannot help. So that I am applauded for seeing, and damned for seeing, at the same time, and from the same principle; namely, that of passion and partiality.

There is therefore no authority but two, scripture and reason. The scripture is our rule of faith; and reason, where God gives not his spirit, is our rule for understanding the scripture.

G.

NUMBER 29.

Of Education.

It has often been the subject of my serious thoughts, to what cau ses are owing the depravation of virtue and morality in the world, and the seeming decay of human understanding. If we read the Greek, Roman, and other ancient histories, we shall find another race of men, than seem to be now existing upon the face of the earth. Alexander had conquered the east before thirty; Scipio and Hannibal performed actions of great eclat before twenty; Pompey triumphed over Europe, Asia, and Africa, long before his middle age. Indeed, through the whole Roman story, we find their generals, orators, and statesmen, shone in full lustre in their early youth; and could demand their discharge from public business, before the age at which we are often thought qualified to enter upon it.

This difference sure cannot be owing to any real decay of human nature, which undoubtedly has been always the same since the flood on the contrary, 'tis to be presumed, since Almighty God hath communicated to us the marvelous light of his gospel, and has made himself more known to men, that their faculties are bettered and improved. Besides, this difference is observable only in such as are entitled by their birth and fortunes, to the most liberal education; for, as to arts and sciences, the moderns eminently (as I conceive) exceed the ancients. They are better mathematicians, and mechanicks, better navigators, better musicians, and better husbandmen, and they attain early to their greatest perfection in these arts; and therefore we must look out for other causes to account for this phenomenon, which I conconceive to proceed only from their different manner of education.

The ancients were instructed by philosophers, and the moderns are taught by priests. The first thought it their duty to make their pupils as useful as possible to their country, and the latter as subservient to themselves, and the interests of their order. One endeavoured to inspire them with noble and generous sentiments, equally fit for dominion or subjection; and the other always instil into them abject, sordid and pusillanimous prinicles, to qualify them to be proper tools for their own low purposes. In short, the first made it their study and business to enlarge and improve their natural faculties, and growing reason; and the latter to pervert, stifle and extinguish every approach towards true knowledge and publick virtue.

As soon as the emperours and their courts came into the church, ambition and pride got in too: and the innocence and simplicity of primitive Christianity became corrupted, and changed into outward pomp and pageantry. The clergy bethought themselves how (in the modern phrase) to make the best of their bible. Unluckily it was all against them; and though they read it over and over, they found it every where levelled against spiritual pride and domination, and they could not so much as pick out one direct text for their purpose.

What must be therefore done in this momentous affair? The holy writings were dispersed abroad, and could not be suppressed; and yet riches and power were of indispensable necessity to the good of the church. Why since they could not get them out of the people's hands, they contrived how to render them of as little use as possible there; and, in order to it, they pointed all their batteries against human reason, and polite learning, and made it an heinous sin, to read any heathen authors: by which means, in an age or two, few could read at all and the Romans once so famous for knowledge, virtue and humanity, became (for the most part,) sunk to the lowest dregs of barbarism, superstition and ignorance. But lest the curious and inquisitive part of mankind should not be wholly diverted from the search after knowledge, they invented and substituted in its room, a senseless jargon of undefined insignificant, and canting terms, confused ideas, and indistinct images; which they persuaded the world to esteem profound learning and deep wisdom.: and then they reduced and determined all questions in philosophy and religion by this gibberish; and he got the victory, who could hold out longest, and most confound his auditory, by entangling them in an endless labyrinth of nonsense. Men of wit and genius were distasted at a study, which would cost them so much pains to attain, when they could find neither pleasure in the pursuit, nor profit or improvement in the conquest; and having no notion of any other learning, they consented to let the clergy have it all to themselves.

When they had so reduced the laity to this happy and desirable state of stupidity and submission, they took away their bible from them too; or, which was the same thing, they continued it only in a language, which, by the many conquests upon the empire, and the revolutions of time, was understood by none but themselves. And now, having converted their hearers into asses, and beasts of carriage, they bridled them, they saddled them, they yoked them, and put heavy burthens upon them, till they so overloaded them, that they grew resty, and overturned their burthens and riders too.

Thus the world came by the reformation; which dispersed the thick mist of superstition and ignorance, that then overshadowed all Christendom: the laity were resolved to be no longer hood-winked; but a general disposition arose in Europe, to revive ancient learning and useful knowledge: and the Greek and Roman authors were sought after, rescued from dust and worms, and diligently read. Many princes promoted these studies and gave all due encouragement to virtue and learning. But this noble spirit of liberty lasted no longer than the lives of those prinees, and while the images of sacerdotal oppression were deep engraven in mens minds; which, like all other things, wore out by degrees.

The principal expedient, necessary to secure all the rest, was never thought of, or, at least, quite forgotten; namely, that of retrieving the education of youth out of the hands of the priest-hood, and of reforming the universities, which were contrived and established by popes, to support their own pride and power over the unhappy laity. Instead of suffering these to continue seminaries of faction, tyranny and ecclesiastical usurpations, they should have been converted into schools of virtue, liberty, knowledge, and true religion: but the old

leaven was permitted to remain, and the clergy had still left to them the education of the nobility and gentry in most countries; and they were educated accordingly.

It became a maxim in the universities abroad, that those, who were born to large possessions and estates, had no need of learning; and such were always encouraged or connived at, in mispending their time in idleness and luxury, and were generally made the companions of their governours and tutors in their pleasures, who were perpetually instilling into their tender minds tyrannical or slavish principles. But when they met with youths of sprightly wit and genius, who either from their own inclinations, or the impulse of their relations, would not be diverted from the pursuit of knowledge; they industriously put them upon a wrong scent, and perplexed and confounded their understandings with metaphysical whimseys, and an artificial cant; out of which many of them could never extricate their senses; and such as did, spent often as many years after they came into the world to do so, as they lost before in the universities, to be upon the level with those who had never been there.

This soon became again the state of learning and knowledge amongst the nobility, and gentry; either they had none at all, or such as they were the worse for having; insomuch that those, whose birth and fortunes entitled them to be legislators and governours of mankind, were themselves the slaves and dupes of pedagogues and chaplains, were contented to do all their drudgery, and be humble instruments of their pride and luxury.

However, as the priests could not agree amongst themselves about sharing the laity, and, as printing was before this time invented in Christendom, which made it impracticable to suppress all copies of useful books, or to hinder them from being read; many persons had the virtue and resolution to oppose clerical usurpation, and kept alive some spirit of liberty, in spite of all the efforts of priestcraft and delusion, ever supported by worldly interest, and too often by worldly power.

It is a hard circumstance for truth, that in most countries it must subsist upon converts; and education, interest and authority must combine against it: but if, notwithstanding all their efforts, its own clear evidence and irresistible authority can make such a progress in the world, what might we not expect, if the approaches and passages to it were made easy and advantageous, and proper rewards and encouragements given to the promoters and discoverers of such philosophy and knowledge, as will make men useful to themselves and their country? It cannot be doubted, but ancient virtue and ancient eloquence would then revive again; the nobility and gentry of Christendom would resume their proper stations; and exceed the inferiour part of mankind, as much in public spirit, courage and wisdom, as they do in fortune and quality; and possibly might in time as much outshine the Greeks and Romans in those great endowments, as they evidently surpass them in those arts and sciences which the priests do not pretend to teach, and seldom know any thing of.

T.

NUMBER 30.

Of Education. Part 2.

Nor all the cruelty of tyrants, the subtility and craft of priests, or the malice of devils, have ever invented or brought a greater plague or mischief upon mankind, than false learning. We may be upon our guard against all other calamities; but here the enemy is within us, and admitted at all times to the innermost recesses of our souls: where he acts the part of a treacherous friend, betrays us under the pretence of serving us, and administers poison in cups of seeming nectar and ambrosia. We are gradually deprived of our senses, whilst we think we are improving them; become fools by industry and great application; like Tantalus, are starved with an imaginary banquet at our mouths; and, in the midst of an appearing profusion of knowledge, want common sense; and, what is yet worse, are insensible of our distemper, and conseqently are incapable of a remedy.

Our minds as well as bodies are easily distorted, and put out of their natural frame; absurdity and nonsense is to be learned, and good natural faculties may be improved into foolish ones, or none at all. A man, like a vessel, is capable of holding only a certain quantity, which when it is full of one liquor, is incapable of receiving another; and even when the first is drawn out, it generally leaves a tincture behind it. The mind, when rightly set out, usefully employed, and upon pro. per objects, will improve, and every day strengthen; but when conversant only with visions, phantoms and whimseys, will assimilate with the company which it keeps, and thus by degrees loses its distinguishing faculty.

A proper exercise, and a natural use of the limbs, give health and vigour, as well as gracefulness and becoming motion; whereas grimace and absurd posture, are qualifications only for jack-puddings and merry-andrews. One who has been long taught by an ill master, is farther from a good dancer, than another who has never begun; because he must unlearn all his ill habits, to be in the circumstance of him who has not learned at all; as a man, who gets out of his road, is farther from his journey's end, than if he had staid at home; and commonly must return thither again, to find out his right way.

Whoever spends his time in reading foolish books, and in studying useless or false speculations, will grow the greater coxcomb, the greater progress he makes he is learning backwards, and undermining and destroying the first sparks of knowledge, and in time will be fortified and impregnable against common sense. A great philosopher tells us, that ignorance is a middle state between knowledge and false learning; that is to say, one who is wholly untaught and unimproved, is as much above a learned man, in the common acceptation of the word, as a man well educated does exceed another who has had no education at all: The capacity of the first is entire, and susceptible of information whereas in the other, all the avenues and passages to wisdom are des