had been long unsuccessful, they not only took umbrage at thefe now found, and, like fome jewels, found too by their own furrounding light, but conceived fresh doubts even of the moft obvious principles which led to these late difcoveries.

2. There is, yet, another fort of Believers (and this brings me to the second part of the Objection) who, from too great a reverence for things eftablifhed, join with fuch as have too little, in decrying all NoVELTIES in religious Matters. These men, in abhorrence of the Vanity of being wifer than their Fathers, have, in exprefs terms, denounced their displeasure against MAKING, what they call, EXPERIMENTS IN RELIGION.

This is frange language in a Country of Liberty; and stranger ftill, in an Age of Reafon. DIVINES, it is true, have long difputed how experiments in Religion should be made! Some would depend on Scripture alone; others were for taking in, Fathers and Councils; a third fort, for adding Tradition to the procefs; and a fourth, for applying raillery and ridicule to quicken

1

the operation. So that, ever fince the fall of Monkery, all were for making fome Experiment or other. For what is making fober experiments, but (as hath been fhewn) supporting and illuftrating REVELATION by new Arguments, furnished by new Dif coveries made in the Order, Fitness, and Harmony of God's various Difpenfations of Religion amongst themselves, and with one another; just as PHILOSOPHERS (from whom the Word is borrowed, and we see how unluckily) unfold Nature by new difcoveries, made from repeated trials on the obvious qualities and hidden Contents of Material Substances.

No experiments in Religion is indeed the civil cant of POLITICIANS; for Bigotry and State-craft often meet; as extremes eafily run into one another by the very attempt to keep them at a diftance. This, as I fay, is one of the fundamental Articles of the Statefman's Creed. For Religion being ufeful to Society; and yet, in his Opinion, only a well-invented Fiction, all experiments, that is, all strict inquiries into its Nature, cannot but tend to weaken, rather than support,

"

support, this useful Ally of Civil Government. But for a Man, who believes Religion to have come, and in an extraordinary manner, from God, to be alarmed with the danger of experiments, as if Truth would not bear to be seen on all Sides, is the most ridiculous of all panic terrors. Might we not reasonably ask such a one, How it comes to país, that Experiments, which are of fo fovereign use in the Knowledge of Nature, fhould be calculated to make fuch havoc in the Study of Religion? Are not Nature and Religion both the Offspring of God? Were not both given for human Contemplation? Have not both, (as proceeding from the dark Receffes of his Throne) their depths and obfcurities? And doth not the unfolding the Mysteries of his moral Government tend equally, with the difplaying the Secrets of his natural, to the advancement of his glory, and the happiness of Mankind?

In a word, Had no experiments been made in Nature, we had still flept in the fhade, or been kept entangled in the barren and thorny paths of SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY; and had no cxperiments been made in Religion, we

had

had still kept blundering on in the dark and rugged Wilds of SCHOOL DIVINITY.

To conclude therefore, and in the words of our great Philofopher-" Let no man "upon a weak conceit of fobriety, or an ill"applied moderation, think or maintain, "that a man can fearch too far, or be too "well studied in THE BOOK OF GOD's word, "or in the book of GOD'S WORKS; but "rather let Men endeavour AN ENDLESS "PROGRESS OR PROFICIENCE IN BOTH:

"only let them beware that they apply "both to CHARITY, and not to fwelling; "to USE, and not to oftentation; and again, "that they do not UNWISELY MINGLE OR ❝ CONFOUND THESE LEARNINGS TOGE"THER *.

BACON, Advancement of Learning, lib. I.-Could we fuppofe the divinity of Bacon's Genius to have been fuch as that he forefaw the miferable havoc which a late Cabaliftic Crew have made both of the WORKS and WORD of God by this impure and unnatural mixture, we can hardly conceive words more expreffive, or a warning more awakening, than what is here contained in this caution against all fuch blind Workers in dirt and darkness,

THE