we are obliged to believe what that Authority afferts, though our Reafon at prefent may not be able any other Way to difcover the Certainty or Evidence of the Propofition; It is enough if our Faculty of Reafon, in its best Exercife, can discover the Divine Authority which has propofed it. Where Doctrines of divine Revelation are plainly published, together with fufficient Proofs of their Revelation, all Mankind are bound to receive them, tho' they cannot perfectly understand them, for we know that God is true and cannot dictate Falihood.

BUT if these pretended Dictates are directly contrary to the natural Faculties of Understanding and Reafon which God has given us, we may be well affured thefe Dictates were never revealed to us by God himfelf. When Perfons are really influenced by Authority to believe pretended Myfteries in plain Oppofition to Reason, and yet pretend Reafon for what they believe, this is but a vain Amusement.

THERE is no Reafon whatfoever that can prove or establish any Authority fo firmly, as to give it Power to dictate in Matters of Belief what is contrary to all the Dilates of our reafenable Nature. God himself has never given us any fuch Revelations, and I think it may be faid, with Reverence, he neither can or will do it, unless he change our Faculties from what they are at prefent. To tell us

we

we must believe a Propofition which is plainly contrary to Reafon, is to tell us that we muft believe two Ideas are joined, while (if we attend to Reafon) we plainly fee and know them to be disjoined.

WHAT could ever have eftablished the Nonfenfe of Tranfubftantiation in the World, if Men had been fixed in this great Truth, that God gives no Revelation contradictory to our own Reafon? Things may be above our Reafon, i. e. Reafon may have but obfcure Ideas of them, or Reafon may not fee the Connexion of these Ideas, or may not know at present the certain and exact Manner of reconciling fuch Propofitions either with one another, or with other rational Truths, as I have explain'd in fome of my logical Papers: But when they ftand directly and plainly against all Senfe and Reafon, as Tranfubftantiation does, no divine Authority can be pretended to enforce their Belief, and human Authority is impudent to pretend to it. Yet this human Authority in the Popish Countries has prevailed over Millions of Souls, because they have abandoned their Reason, they have given up the Glory of human Nature to be trampled upon by Knaves, and fo reduced themselves to the Condition of Brutes.

IT is by this Amufement of Authority (fays a certain Author) that the Horfe is taught to obey the Words of Command, a

Dog

Dog to fetch and carry, and a Man to believe Inconfiftences and Impoffibilities. Whips and Dungeons, Fire and the Gibbet, and the folemn Terrors of eternal Mifery after this Life, will perfwade weak Minds to believe against their Senfes, and in direct Contradiction to all their reafoning Powers. A Parrot is taught to tell Lies with much more Eafe and more gentle Ufage; but none of all these Creatures would ferve their Mafters at the Expence of their Liberty, had they but Knowledge and the just Use of Reason.

I HAVE mentioned three Cafes, wherein Mankind muft or will be determined in their Sentiments by Authority; that is the Cafe of Children in their Minority, in Regard of the Commands of their Parents; the Cafe of all Men with Regard to univerfal and compleat and fufficient Testimony of Matter of Fact; and the Cafe of every Perfon, with Regard to the Authority of divine Revelation, and of Men divinely infpired; and under each of thefe I have given fome fuch Limitations and Cautions as were neceffary.

I PROCEED now to mention fome other Cafes, wherein we ought to pay a great Deference to the Authority and Sentiments of others, though we are not abfolutely concluded and determin'd by their Opinions.

1. WHEN we begin to pafs out of our Minority and to judge for ourselves in Mat

ters

ters of the civil and religious Life, we ought to pay very great Deference to the Sentiments of our Parents, who in the Time of our Minority were our natural Guides and Directors in these Matters. So in Matters of Science, an ignorant and unexperienced Youth, fhould pay great Deference to the Opinions of his Instructors: and though he may justly suspend his Judgment in Matters which his Tutors dictate, till he perceive fufficient Evidence for them, yet neither Parents nor Tutors fhould be directly oppos'd without great and moft evident Reafons, fuch as conftrain the Understanding or Confcience of thofe concerned.

2. PERSONS of Years and long Experience of human Affairs, when they give Advice in Matters of Prudence or civil Conduct, ought to have a confiderable Deference paid to their Authority by thofe that are young and have not feen the World, for it is more probable that the elder Perfons are in the Right.

3. In the Affairs of practical Godliness there fhould be much Deference given to -Perfons of long standing in Virtue and Piety.. I confefs in the particular Forms and Ceremonies of Religion, there may be as much Bigottry and Superftition amongst the old as the young; but in Queftions of inward Religion, and pure Devotion or Virtue, a Man who has been long engaged in the fincere Practice of thofe Things, is juftly prefum'd to

know

know more than a Youth with all his ungo verned Paffions, Appetites and Prejudices a→

bout him.

4. MEN in their feveral Profeffions and Arts in which they have been educated and in which they have employed themselves all their Days, must be fuppofed to have greater Knowledge and Skill than others; and therefore there is due Refpect to be paid to their Judgment in those Matters.

5. In Matters of Fact where there is not fufficient Testimony to constrain our Affent, yet there ought to be due Deference paid to the Narratives of Perfons wife and fober, according to the Degrees of their Honefty, Skill, and Opportunity to acquaint themselves therewith.

I CONFESS in many of thefe Cafes, where the Propofition is a mere Matter of Speculation, and doth not neceffarily draw Practice along with it, we may delay our Affent till better Evidence appear; but where the Matter is of a practical Nature and requires us to act one Way or another, we ought to pay much Deference to Authority or Teftimony, and follow fuch Probabilities where we have no Certainty; for this is the best Light we have, and furely it is better to follow fuch Sort of Guidance where we can have no better, than to wander and fluctuate in abfolute Uncertainty. It is not reasonable to put out our Candle and fit ftill in the

Dark,