Academic SCEPTICISM, only added one more diforder to the human Mind; but being the laft of its mifbegotten iffue, it became, as is ufual, the favorite of its Parent.

Our bleffed MASTER himself was the firft to encounter its attacks, and the infolence of that School has kept the Church in breath ever fince.

When Jefus was carried before Pilate as a Criminal of State, for calling himself King of the Jews, he tried to shorten the intended procefs by pleading that his Kingdom was not of this World. But Pilate, alarmed at the names of King and Kingdom, afked, art thou a King then? The other replied,-For this caufe came I into the World, that I should bear Witness unto the TRUTH. Pilate faith unto him, WHAT IS TRUTH? And when he faid this, he went out again. For when he found that the Kingdom claimed by the supposed Criminal, was a Kingdom merely Spiritual, or, in the Roman Governor's conceit, a Kingdom only

John chap. xviii. ver. 38.

in idea, he confidered the Claim as no proper fubject of the civil tribunal. So far he acted well, and suitably to his public Character. But when he discovered his indifference to, or rather contempt of, TRUTH, when offered to be laid before him as a private Man, by one who, he knew, had the repute of exercising every superior Power proper to enforce it, he appears, to me, in a light much less excufable.

The negligent air of his infulting queftion will hardly admit of an Apology.— "You tell me (fays he) of TRUTH, a word "in the mouth of every Leader and Fol "lower of a SECT; who all agree (though "in nothing else) to give that name to "their own Opinions; While TRUTH, if, "indeed, we allow of its Existence, ftill "wanders at large, and in disguise. Nor "does the Detection feem worth the Pains "of the Search, fince those things which "Nature intended for general use she made

66

plain and obvious, and within the reach ❝ of all men,"

Sentiments like these bespoke the Ruler of an Afiatic Province, who had heard fo much

of

of TRUTH in the Schools of Philofophy; and had heard of it to fo little purpose. This corrupt Governor, therefore, finding a Jewish Sage talk of bearing Witness to the Truth, (the affected Office of the Grecian Sophifts), was ready to conclude that Jefus was one of their mimic Followers. For it was now become fashionable amongst the learned Rabbins to inlift themselves into one or other of thofe celebrated Schools. Thus the fanious Philo was an outrageous PLATONIST And Jefus calling himself a KING, together with the known Purity and Severity of his Morals, probably made Pilate confider him as one of the STOICAL wife men, who alone was free, and happy, and a King.

"Liber, honoratus, pulcher, REX denique Regum."

Now, as on the one hand, the Character of the Greek Philofophy, which was of an abstract nature, and fequeftered from civil business, made Pilate conclude, that these Claims of Jefus had nothing in them dan gerous or alarming; fo, on the other hand,

B 4

its

its endless difputes and quarrels about TRUTH, and which of the Sects had her in keeping, made Men of the World, and especially those in public Stations, whose practice declined the test of any moral System whatsoever, willing to be perfuaded, and ready to conclude, that this boasted TRUTH, which pretended to be the fole Directrefs of human conduct, was indeed no better than a shifting and fantastic Vision.

This, I prefume, was the light in which Pilate confidered the SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD. Had he suspected Jefus of being the Founder of a public and a popular Religion, which aimed to be erected on the ruins of the established Worship, the jealoufies of the Roman Court, fince the lofs of public liberty, had, doubtlefs, made this fervile Minifter of Power very attentive, and even officious, to fupprefs it in its birth.

But if the ill usage of TRUTH by the Philofophers could fo difguft the Politician of old, as to indifpofe him to an acquaintance of this importance, what must we

think will be her reception amongst modern Statesmen, whofe views are neither more pure nor more generous; and whose penetration, perhaps, does not go much beyond the bufy Men of Antiquity; when they see her fo freely handled by those, amongst us, who call themselves her Minifters, and profess to confecrate her to the Service of Religion? Amongst fuch, I mean of the active no lefs than of the idle part of the fashionable World, Pilate's fcornful queftion is become proverbial, when they would infinuate, that TRUTH, like Virtue, is nothing but a name.

What is this TRUTH, fay they, of which the world has heard fo much, and has received fo little fatisfaction? But above all, what is that GOSPEL TRUTH, the pretended Guide of life, which its Minifters are wont fo much to difcredit in their very attempts to recommend? For while objections to Religion lie level to the capacities of the Vulgar, the folution of them requires the utmost stretch of parts and learning in the Teacher to excogitate, and equal application and attention in the Learner to comprehend.