ftrously abfurd, and extravagant opinions; but 'tis as demonftrable as any propofition in Euclid, nay, 'tis as felf-evident as the firft principles of any science whatsoever, that if there was abfolutely no thinking at all, there could be no fuch thing as free thinking.The creed of St. Athanafius, which fo much offends the pride of human reafon, would then be fwallowed as glibly, and with as little reluctance, as the gofpel itself; and all the other creeds, which the church has determined to adopt, would be screen'd both from prefent and future attacks, and tranfmitted from one indolent and unthinking ge

neration to another.

ALL, therefore, who are duly fenfible of the eminent advantages refulting from this fcheme, muft applaud, and celebrate with high encomiums, the prudence and skill of those warm and zealous members of the christian priesthood in every age, who have carefully avoided the trouble and danger of thinking themselves, and difcouraged it to the utmost in their votaries. Nothing can be more natural, or more difcreet, than for a Roman-catholic prieft to preach up the neceffity of facrificing reafon, blind, carnal, licentious reafon to faith, and the decrees and canons of the church. And that great proteftant disputant and champion Dr. Watd, has given us a choice fpecimen of his wifdom, and of a genius that penetrates far into the confequences of things,

in

in building his defence of the trinity on this principle, that the RATIONALE of the thing is a foreign confideration. I look upon myself as bound in gratitude to acknowledge, that this is going a great way towards what I am now afferting and pleading for; but as the rationale of the thing will have fome weight in all controverfies, till men are entirely brought off from the impertinent cuftom of thinking, and the infolence of claiming a private conscience, I fhall not defpair of feeing the ingenious doctor declare himself more explicitly and ful ly on my fide of the queftion, and fupport the common caufe in which we are embarqued, by all his fubtility and wonderful skill in metaphyficks.*

BUT leaving religious topics, I proceed to confirm the point by political reafons, drawn from the good of fociety. And here I fhall build the whole of my argument up

* If any mean and malignant spirits, envying the honour which they imagine I may gain by having first propofed this fingular expedient for the advancement of religion, fhould cavil, and fay; that, indeed, the absolute difufe of thinking is an infallible means to prevent wrong thinking, but that it will as certainly and effectually obftruct right thinking, and deftroy all faith and notion of religion: To this trifling objection I shall think it fufficient to anfwer, that if this expedient does not promote real faith, and an inward fenfe of piety, it will fecure a unity of outward profeffion; which feems, even in the judgment of those who have the fupreme direction and influence both in temporal and fpiritual affairs, to be all that is neceffary for the peace and grandeur of the church, and the fecurity of civil government.

on

on facts, and obfervations drawn from the original frame of human nature. That man is, in reality, a very mischievous animal, efpecially to his own fpecies, is paft difpute: And 'tis as undeniable, that nature intended him to be innocent and inoffenfive; having neither endued him with ftrength equal to that of many other creatures, nor provided him with fangs and claws, wherewith to tear and destroy. But thought and contrivance have quite altered and disturbed the harmless and peaceable ftate of nature, and fupplied him with fatal inftruments of death and torture, beyond thofe which the most fierce and ravenous animals are poffeffed of.

AGAIN, to what is it that all those wretched arts of impofition and deceit, with which the world fo much abounds, owe their rife? unquestionably to nothing else but to the dangerous practice of thinking. If the exercise of this peftilent faculty was wholly laid afide, man would be, as the poet fays of the ox, animal honeftum, a plain honeft fimple creature, without guile or diffimulation, And to confirm this obfervation, 'tis univerfally agreed, that that fpecies of brutes, which feem to mimick the fagacity of the lower part of the human kind, are the fullest of tricks, and fubtle mischief. I shall only add, that 'tis evident to a demonftration, that without the help of thinking the late fatal South-Sea fcheme, which was fo deftructive to trade

and

and commerce, and diftreffed fo many worthy families, could never have been projected; tho' it must be owned, on the other hand, that those who fuffered by it, and amufed themselves with fuch improbable and romantic profpects, gave but little proof of their reflection ; which circumftance I the rather choose to mention, as it fhews my dif interestedness and ingenuous temper, and that I am not defirous that any part of my argument should have more weight with the reader, than it strictly and justly deferves.

BUT I have reserved to the laft my greateft ftrength, and the chief political reafon why thinking fhould be totally fuppreffed; and it is this, that it greatly injures and impairs the health of his Majefty's good fubjects. It can scarce be affirm'd of Geneva itself, that it more enfeebles and emaciates, or has more mortal qualities, than intense study and contemplation; which may be aptly ftiled a flow poison, that gradually exhaufts and destroys the most robuft and vigorous conftitution.

IF it be faid, that this is all mere flourish and declamation, and has no folidity or fubftance in it, because the bulk of mankind are not fo fond of thinking, as to be in any danger of hurting themselves by it; I anfwer, that 'tis happy for us, indeed, that this is not, at prefent, an epidemical vice : But who knows what viciffitudes, what Atrange turns may happen in the manners

and

and customs of the world? Suppose that our great men, tired with the common infipid round of vanity, fhould take it into their heads, if it were only for variety's fake, to become ftudious and contemplative; the influence which fuch an alteration might have upon all ranks and orders, who ridiculously copy after the fashions, and afpire to the taffe of their fuperiors, is, furely, extremely to be dreaded. All wife ftates have endeavoured to guard, as far as human precaution could extend, against the most remote confequences, that might be of confiderable detriment to the community. Now there is no way of guarding effectually against those pernicious ones which I have mentioned, but by abolishing altogether the ufe of thinking.

THERE is, indeed, one objection more against this scheme, which may be thought to be of fome importance; namely, that an eminent profeffion, that of phyfic, will be difcouraged and injured by it. Now to this it may be replied, 1ft, That 'tis an invariable rule in reason, and true politics, that 'tis much better one part of the community, how deferving and useful foever, fhould fuffer fome damage, than that fuch dismal inconveniencies, as have been above recited, fhould accrue to the whole. And I make no doubt, but that the gentlemen of this learned and liberal profeffion are fo generous, and fuch true lovers of their country,

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