HAPPY Would it have been for the world, if Men had rested in their Enquiries about Religion where God rested in his Revelation of it.

AN ambitious or avaricious mind may force a Man to belye his own fentiments.

EVER fince Force and Temporal punishment have been used to propagate Notions, they have been ten times, I may fay ten thousand times, used to propagate Falfhood for once they have been used to propagate Truth.

THE Spirit of Party is the Madness of the Many, for the Gain of the Few.

CONSCIENCE is the Faireft and the honefteft guide of Life: and it is only when we are influenced by some low and bafe motive that we caft about for diftinctions and evafions, whereby to juf

tify or excuse ourselves in acting contrary to her dictates.

It is a most miserable flavery to fubmit to what you disapprove, and give up a Truth for no other reason, but because you had not Fortitude enough to support you in afferting it.

LET a Man ftudiously labor to cultivate and improve his abilities in the Eye of his Maker, and with the profpect of his approbation. Let him intirely reflect on the infinite value of that approbation; and the highest Encomiums that Man can bestow, will vanish into nothing, at the comparison. When we live in this manner, we find that we live for a great and glorious end.

ONLY the clear and fteady Light of Truth can guide Men to Virtue. The Doctrines which are dark and uncertain,

can

can only lead men to Darkness and uncertainty.

THERE is an high Mob as well as a low, that is, a People who do not think for Themselves, but are LED by Others.

IT has been faid that if a Man entertains peculiar Notions contrary to the Received Opinions, he would act wifely to keep them to himself. But the admitting of this Principle will fupprefs Truth rather than Error; would have prevented the Propagation of Christianity at first, and the Reformation of later years.

LEARNING, like Money, is not an End but a Means: and it is as blameable to poffefs one as the other, without using it for the Good of Mankind.

WHAT harm is it to us, if Fools condemn us! They have always, from the beginning of the world, exclaimed moft

against

against thofe who would do them the greatest Good.

The stupid World moft honor pays to thofe

Whoon their Understanding most impose.

SOME Prudent People are fo cautious of giving offence, that rather than do it, they fuffer even known Errors to be retained, and will not admit of any alteration in them. But to whom would they give offence? To the ignorant, the fuperftitious, and the Bigots. So that by retaining thefe Errors they give encou ragement to these fort of People; and give offence to God, to Truth, and to Reasonable Men.

SOCRATES'S Maxim was, that No man is to be regarded before the Truth.

THE Disputes amongst Christians, concerning the Doctrines of their Religion,

are

are every whit as ridiculous as those which happened fome time ago amongst the Patients in a certain Hospital. The attending Phyfician, who was a very eminent man in his profeffion, went amongst them, and prescribed according to their feveral cafes. Affoon as he was gone out, a Dispute was raised by one of them about the color of the Doctor's hair. Another afked what his Coat was made of. Then they began to enquire concerning his Country and his Ancestors. There was no end of these difputes, as feveral Champions 'took several parts in them. Others then ftarted Questions concerning the Phials which contained their Medicines, fome alledging they were glass, others chrystal, and others fomething elfe. Til at last they were feized with fuch a madness of wrangling, that from words they fell to blows, which foon occafioned so much confufion, bloodshed and Outcries amongst them, that an Officer of the Houfe rushing in, and perceiving the caufe of this

1

fracas