lofophers, and of the Progreffes that have been made in Philofophy fince the time it flourished in Greece, to that of Father Malebranche and Mr. Poiret. Thefe different Schemes of fo many wife and learned Men, fays the Indian, muit extreamly puzzle any one, who has a mind to find out Truth; how much time must he not fpend to know the various Opinions of Philofophers, to understand their Meaning, to diftinguifh Truth from Falfhood? And befides all this, what a ripe Judgment must he not have already to determine who is in the right among fo many eminent Perfons, of different Sentiments? Few People, I fuppofe, dare venture to do it. There are indeed, anfwers the Author, a great many Perfons, who reft fatisfied with hearing and reading what is offered by every one, without going one Step further, becaufe, as they pretend, they fee a Probability on every fide, but no where a Certainty; nay, they think it is not in the power of Man to be fure of any Truth whatfoever. The Indian PhiJofopher is amazed at this: How is it poffible, fays he, that Men of Letters, that Philofophers fhould doubt, that two and two make four? &c. This is what I fhall never believe. Mr.DeCroufaz undertakes to fhew the Indian how this is poffible: I cannot read in Men's Hearts, fays he, nor will I maintain, there are fome that really doubt whether two and two make four; I only relate what I have heard, viz. that our Pyrrhonians profefs to doubt of it. But then they are not always in that uncertain State; in. the ordinary Courfe of Life they act like other People, and they begin to doubt only when occafion offers, and when they are in a manner forc'd to it, by the Difputes in which they are engaged.

engaged. Here the Author fhews how by difputing the Pyrrhonians are led to deny one Truth after another, till at laft they come to deny the very first Principles of Reafon. He next makes it appear, that not only Pride and Laziness, with a Humour of Gainfaying, but alfo a corrupt Heart, are the Caufes of Pyrrhonifm. The Depravation of Manners amongst Chriftians, their perpetual Difputes, their reciprocal Hatred and Perfecutions for Matters of Religion, &c. have also very much contributed to the fpreading of Scepticifm. Besides all this, there is another Evil that came from the Sanctuary. They, whofe Calling it was to maintain Chriftianity against Infidels, have unawares furnished them with Arms to overthrow it. The Religion of Chrift is full of fublime Truths, but it is alfo plain, adapted to the Exigencies of Men, and altogether agreeable to the Wifdom and Goodnefs of its Author. But Men have been fo bold and affuming, that, to render Religion more fublime, they have added to it feveral obfcure, unintelligible, and often contradictory Notions: and in order to maintain thofe Notions, which clash with right Reafon, they rail againft it, they depreciate and almoft abhor it: thus they gave fair play to the Scepticks, who could give no Offence, nay, feem'd rather to act in concert with Divines, when they disclaimed the use of Reafon, as not to be depended upon, tho' their real Defign was to overthrow at once both Reason and Religion. To the orthodox Divines, our Author joins the Enthufiafts, who have alfo favour'd Scepticism, by maintaining that we cannot rely upon our Reafon, but muft expect a divine Light from Heaven. He next fhews that Chil- .

V

dren

dren are educated in fuch a manner, as to reconcile them eafily with Pyrrhonism: They are taught to believe implicitly whatever their Parents or Nurses tell them about Religion; if they venture to raise any doubt concerning Doctrines they don't understand, they are told these are Mysteries incomprehenfible, and above Reason, and therefore not to be dived into, but requiring only an humble and ftedfaft Faith: thus young People, fond of Pleasure and Ease, and who don't care much to trouble themselves with a laborious Inquiry, reft satisfied with what they are told by their Parents and Teachers, and never dream of ufing their Reafon in Matters of Religion; and when they hear a Pyrrhonian, who knows how to fcreen himfelf behind the Shield of Orthodoxy, talking against Reason, and faying, "I find Reason is

intirely blind with regard to Religion, there"fore I never hearken to it, but fupply its De"fect by the Light of Faith; nor do I pretend "to be wifer than other People, like them I "believe without reafoning" When, I fay, young Perfons hear a Pyrrbonian talk after that manner, they are not offended at his Difcourfe, because it agrees very well with what they have been taught, and what they think themfelves. Mr. De Groufaz, who is very prolix, and full of large Digreffions, inveighs here against the Spirit of Perfecution, which prevail'd fo long amongst Christians of all Denominations; and he fays, that, to the fhame of Chriftians, God permitted, that one of the most obftinate Scepticks & fhould at laft open their Eyes, and bring them back to the Evangelical Meekness and a mutual Support. But, if I may be allow'd

Mr. Bayle in his Philofoph. Commentary.

to

4

to speak my mind upon thatSubject, I think, that if Perfecution does not rage among Proteftants at prefent, it is owing to the Wisdom of the civil Magiftrates, rather than to the Clergy of whatsoever Party they be tho' I must own, that among our Church-men, there are feveral, who would be glad to fee all Diffenters enjoy their natural and civil Rights; but whether the Generality are of that meek Temper, may easily be judged by the late Controverfy about the proper time to addrefs the Parliament for repealing the Corporation and TestActs. The Author tells us next, in what manner he would act with Scepticks: he would not begin, he fays, with laying before them the dreadful Confequences that follow from the Pyrrhonian Scheme; he would reafon calmly with them, and tho' they deny'd the most evident of Truths, he would always fuppofe, it is only the heat of the Difpute, that carries them fo far,tho' against their own Intention: however, fays he, I would allow myself more liberty, and prefs a little harder upon a Pyrrhonian, if I was alone with him. Here Mr. De Croufaz fhews very well the Danger in which a Pyrrbonian must be, by his own Confeffion: fince he profeffes to be certain of nothing, Religion, which he thinks may be falfe, may however be true, for ought he knows; in which cafe the Pyrrhonian runs the greatest danger in the world: this is fet off here in a very strong light. The Indian, who is ftill fuppofed to be in Conference with the Author, fays, that he would not fcruple to break all Acquaintance with fuch People, as the Pyrrhonians are here represented to be. But the Author anfwers, that the way of living in Europe obliges us to connive at a

great

great many Vices; that to avoid the Company of wicked or foolish Men, and to live a folitary Life, would be often dangerous, and betray as great a Folly, as that we condemn in others: this the Author illuftrates by drawing the Characters of several foolish or vicious Men, with whom however we muft bear, to live a comfortable Life. The Author fhews next, that Pyrrbonians and Infidels are downright Fanaticks, and he says there are more of them in England than in any other Country. Whether this will be granted, I doubt very much that there are more profeffed Unbelievers here than any where elfe, may be true, because of the greater Liberty we enjoy but then, thefe only are open Infidels here, that would be Hypocrites in other Countries. Our Author, to support what he has faid, that all Infidels are Fanaticks, maintains that Fanaticifm confifts in deviating from Reafon, and quotes fome Paffages from Mr. Toland's Books to fhew, that he was a Fanatick. I am surprised to see amongst those Paffages, a Prayer, pretended to be found in the Pantheifticon, and which is quoted in thefe Words, O fempiterne Bacche, qui reficis & récreas vires deficientium, adfis nobis propitius, in pocula poculorum, Amen. The Author of Mr. Toland's Life prefix'd to his pofthumous Works affures us1, That Mr. Toland never dreamt of any fuch thing; and indeed that Prayer does not appear in any Copyof the Pantheisticon. In the close of thisSection, Mr. De Croufaz gives us the Character of the Pyrrhonians, which in a few Words is this: they think and talk like other People, except only in two cases; 1. When they dispute upon any Subject whatsoever, they have nothing in view

Pag. lxxxvi.