Weakness of human Judgement can give stay to fo great Revolutions. When the Religion formerly received, is rent by Difcords; and when the Holiness of the Profeffors of Religion is decayed, and full of Scandal; and withal the Times be stupid, ignorant, and barbarous; you may doubt the fpringing up of a New Sect; if then also there should arise any extravagant and ftrange Spirit, to make himself Author thereof. All which Points held, when Mahomet published his Law. If a new Sect have not two Properties, fear it not: For it will not spread. The one is, the fupplanting, or the oppofing, of Authority established: For nothing is more Popular than that. The other is, the giving License to Pleasures, and a voluptuous Life. For as for speculative Herefies (fuch as were in ancient Times the Arians, and now the Arminians) though they work mightily upon Men's Wits, yet they do not produce any great Alterations in States; except it be by the Help of civil Occafions. There be three Manner of Plantations of new Sects. By the Power of Signs and Miracles: By the Eloquence and Wif dom of Speech and Perfuafion: And by the Sword. For Martyrdoms, I reckon them amongst Miracles; because they seem to exceed the Strength of human Nature and I may do the like of fuperlative and admirable Holiness of Life. Surely, there is no better Way, to stop the rifing of new Sects, and Schifms; than to reform Abuses; to compound the fmaller Differences; to proceed mildly, and not with fanguinary Perfecutions; and rather to take off the principal Authors, by winning and advancing them, than to enrage them by Violence and Bitterness. The Changes and Viciffitude in Wars are many: But chiefly in three Things; in the Seats or Stages of the War; in the Weapons; and in the Manner of the Conduct. Wars in ancient Time seemed more to move from East to West: For the Perfans, Affyrians, Arabians, Tartars (which were the Invaders), were all Eastern People. It is true, the Gauls were Western; but we read but of two Incurfions of theirs; the one to Gallo-Grecia, the other to Rome. But Eaft and Weft have no certain Points of Heaven: And no more have the Wars, either from the East, or Weft, any certainty of obfervation. But North and South are fixed: And it hath feldom or never been seen, that the far Southern People have invaded the Northern, but contrariwife. Whereby it is manifeft, that the Northern Tract of the World is in Nature the more martial Region: Be it, in respect of the Stars of that Hemisphere; or of the great Continents that are upon the North, whereas the South Part, for ought that is known, is almost all Sea; or (which is moft apparent) of the Cold of the Northern Parts, which is that, which without Aid of Difcipline, doth make the Bodies hardest, and the Courages warmeft. Upon the breaking and shivering of a great State and Empire, you may be fure to have Wars. For great Empires, while they stand, do enervate and destroy the Forces of the Natives, which they have. fubdued, refting upon their own protecting Forces: And then when they fail alfo, all goes to ruin, and they become a Prey. So was it, in the Decay of the Roman Empire; and likewise, in the Empire of Almaigne, after Charles the Great, every Bird taking a Feather; and were not unlike to befall to Spain, if it should break. The great Acceffions and Unions of Kingdoms, do likewise stir up Wars. For when a State grows to an Over-power, it is like a great Flood, that will be fure to overflow. As it hath been feen, in the States of Rome, Turkey, Spain, and others. Look when the World hath feweft barbarous Peoples, but fuch as commonly will not marry or generate, except they know means to live; (as it is almost every where at this day, except Tartary) there is no Danger of Inundations of People: But when there be great Shoals of People, which go on to populate, without foreseeing Means of Life and Suftentation, it is of Neceffity, that once in an Age or two, they difcharge a Portion of their People upon other Nations: Which the ancient Northern People were wont to do by Lot: cafting Lots, what Part should stay at home, and what should seek their Fortunes. When a Warlike State grows foft and effeminate, they may be fure of a War. For commonly fuch States are grown rich, in the time of their degenerating; and fo the Prey inviteth, and their Decay in Valour encourageth a War. As for the Weapons, it hardly falleth under Rule and Obfervation: yet we fee, even they have Returns and Viciffitudes. For certain it is, that Ord nance was known in the City of the Oxidrakes in India; and was that which the Macedonians called Thunder and Lightning, and Magic. And it is well known, that the use of Ordnance hath been in China, above two thousand Years. The Conditions of Weapons, and their Improvement are; First, the Fetching afar off: For that outruns the Danger: As it is seen in Ordnance and Muskets. Secondly, the Strength of the Percuffion, wherein likewife Ordnance do exceed all Arietations, and ancient Inventions. The third is, the commodious use of them: As that they may serve in all Weathers; that the Carriage may be light and manageable; and the like. For the Conduct of the War: At the first, Men refted extremely upon Number: They did put the Wars likewise upon main Force, and Valour; pointing Days for pitched Fields, and fo trying it out, upon an even Match: and they were more ignorant in ranging and arraying their Battles. After they grew to reft upon Number, rather Competent, than Vaft: They grew to Advantages of Place, cunning Diverfions, and the like: And they grew more skilful in the ordering of their Battles. In the Youth of a State, Arms do flourish: In the Middle Age of a State, Learning; and then both of them together for a time: In the Declining Age of a State, mechanical Arts and Merchandize. Learning hath his Infancy, when it is but beginning, and almost childish: Then his Youth, when it is luxuriant and juvenile: Then his Strength of Years, when it is folid and reduced: And lastly, |