as we are told by b Ficinus, one of that Society. But there is too much Alloy found in his Philosophy for any Endeavours to gain it a conftant and general Reception. His Errors in fome Cafes are so notoriously gross and fcandalous, that © Serranus fets over against them in the Margin, Prima infania hominis delirantis, and Portentofa infania. e a Ariftotle had ftudy'd twenty Years under Plato, but he fo often confutes and contradicts his Master, that he has been charg'd with Ingratitude for it. And if Socrates and Plato did not firmly believe the Soul's Immortality, Ariftotle believ'd the contrary, as many have prov'd out of feveral places in his Works. f His Will fhews that he was both in his Practice and Judgment for the Idolatries of his Country. 8 Ariftotle alledg'd the Obfcurity of his Philosophy in excuse to Alexander, who was dif pleas'd, that fome of his Books fhould be made publick; he answer'd, that they were publish'd, and not publish'd, because they could not be understood. h Which Avicenna found to be very true, when he had read Ariftotle's Metaphyficks forty times over, and afterwards got them by Heart, and then in Despair of ever apprehending the Sense of them, laid them afide; tho' afterwards, by the help of a Book of Albumazar Alpharabius, he perfuaded himself, • Vid. Plat. de e vid. b Comment. in Conviv. Plat. de Amore, c. i. f • Aul. that that he understood them. His Books by an Accident lay conceal'd, till a little before they were brought to Rome, upon the taking of Athens i by Sylla. But they were known to few Philofophers in Tully's time, And a Learned Author has given an account, what their Fate has been fince. 1 The Sect of the Stoicks is obferv'd by Jofephus in the account of his own Life, to have been like that of the Pharifees: which Grotius fays, is no wonder, fince in Cyprus, which was Zeno's Native Country, there were always many Jews. But if the Stoicks were at first indebted to the Jews, they certainly afterwards borrow'd much more from the Chriftians. This Sect was very numerous, and had Men of great Note in the Primitive Ages of Christianity, who did not lose the Opportunity offer'd them of improving it. But the Philofophers then began to carry on a Joint-Intereft, and those who denominated themselves from any particular Sect, were no longer strict in adhering nicely to its Principles. For upon the preaching of the Gospel to the World, the Philofophers thought it concern'd them to review all that had been formerly written, to unite their Forces, and felect those Notions out of every Sect, which were most plaufible, omitting fuch as they faw would then give Offence: and it appears that they were greatly beholden to the Religion which they 1 Strabo lib. xiii. Plut. in Sylla. Grot, ad Matt. xxii. 23. * Cic. Topic. opposed oppofed and pretended to defpife; it is evident, that they had read the Scriptures, and do fometimes make use of Terms which they had taken from thence, unknown to former Philofophers. But Philosophy after all their Endeavours ftill retaining many Errors, and wanting that Evidence and Authority, which is the Foundation of all true Religion, could never maintain its Ground against that Religion, which was preached by those, whom they contemn'd as ignorant Men; but which in a short time wrought fuch a Reformation in the World, as the Philofophy of all Ages had been never able to effect. It is not to be deny'd, that there were many great and eminent Examples among the Heathen, but then there were always as great Enormities. allow'd in the most civiliz'd Nations. Philofo m phy was prohibited by three of the Principal States of Greece, by the Thebans, the Spartans, and the Argives. And the Romans, who have fet fo many Famous Examples to the World, were little oblig'd to Philofophy: for all their Worth and Greatness was raised upon the Stock only of common Notions, the Traditions that they had receiv'd with the rest of Mankind, and the Laws brought from Athens, which were enacted by Solon, who had been in Ægypt at a time, when the Jews were there in fufficient Numbers. But it was a long while before Philofophers were fuffered at Rome, they had been Tertul. Apol. c. 47. 2 n expell'd n expell'd by the Senate: Tully was the first that brought Philofophy into any Credit there, and by the Apologies which he often makes for his giving himself to the Study of it, we may perceive under what Prejudices it then lay among the Romans, and that there was need of all his Wit and Eloquence to gain it Admiffion. A ftrict Discipline both in Peace and War, great Application and Industry, by which they improved their common Notions, and arriv'd to wonderful Experience and Dexterity in the Management of Affairs, a zealous Love of their Country, and an unparallel'd Conftancy, manifest in all their Actions, and especially in the Observation of their Laws, raised the Romans to that mighty Height and Extent of Empire. But that which they retain'd of Truth, in relation to Matters of Religion, had been so abufed and disguised with Fabulous Corruptions, that at length it had generally lost all Belief amongst them. • Tully made no Scruple at a publick Tryal in a Court of Judicature, to deny the Punishments of the Wicked in a future ftate, as a ridiculous Fiction; which fhews a strange Corruption of Principles in that Age, when he could propose to himfelf to gain his Cause by speaking in that manner. In another Oration, he fays, P Non femper fuperet vera illa & directa Ratio, vincat aliquando cupiditas, voluptafque rationem. That this fhould be spoken in a publick Pleading by one of the Gravest and 2 A. Gell. lib. xv. c. II. Pro Cluentio. Pro M. Cælio. most Learned of all the Romans, fhews how little either the Philosophy which he had studied, or the Roman Laws themselves could do towards the Establishment of Vertue, and that the Modefty of Youth, and the Vertue and Honour of Families, must be fecur'd upon some better Principles. Afterwards he adds: Verùm fiquis eft, qui etiam meretriciis Amoribus interdi&tum juventuti putet, eft ille quidem valde feverus: Negare non poffum, fed abhorret non modo ab bujus feculi licentia, verùm etiam a Majorum confuetudine atque conceffis. I believe there is fcarce any Man fo far loft to all Shame among Christians, that he would be willing to hear himself fo defended in a Publick Court, or any Judge that would admit of fuch a Defence: which is a manifest Argument of the Excellency of the Christian Religion, that it lays fuch a powerful Restraint upon Men. But this loofnefs of Manners was the fatal Fore-runner of that horrid and monstrous Lewdness, which af terwards, like a Leprofie, overspread the Roman Empire. The Confpiracies of that Time, which fo much endanger'd the State, were contriv'd by Libertines, and no greater Cruelties have ever been committed than by this Sort of Men, when once they have got into Power as may be seen in Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, &c. And Tully himself, perhaps, might feel the Effects of these Encouragements to Vice, being kill'd by a Villain, whofe Life he had formerly faved by that Eloquence, which was fome |