human mind, the search and discovery of all the important truths which concern us as reasonable beings, is carried on. And here too it is that all its vigour is exerted for to proportion the assent to the probability accompanying every varying degree of moral evidence, requires the most enlarged and sovereign exercise of reason. But, as to excel in the use of any thing, the habit must always be, in proportion to the difficulty, it seems very unlikely that the geometer (long confined to the routine of demonstration, the easiest exercise of reason, where much less of the vigour than of the attention of mind is required to excel), should form a right judgment on subjects, whose truth or falsehood is to be rated on the degrees of moral evidence. I venture to call mathematics the easiest exercise of reason, on the authority of Cicero, who observes, that scarce any man ever set himself upon this study, who did not make what progress in it he pleased*. But besides acquired inability, prejudice renders the veteran mathematician still less capable of judging of moral evidence. He who hath been so long accustomed to lay together and compare ideas, and bath reaped demonstration, the richest fruit of speculative truth, for his labour, regards all the lower degrees of evidence as in the trainonly of his mathematical principality: and he commonly ranks them in so arbitrary a manner, that the ratio ultima mathematicorum is become almost as great a libel upon common sense, as other sovereign decisions. I might appeal, for the truth of this, to those wonderful conclusions which

Quis ignorat, ii, qui mathematici vocantur, quanta in obscuritate rerum, et quam recondita in arte et multiplici, subtilique versentur ? quo tamen in genere ita multi perfecti homines existerunt, ut nemo fere studuisse ei scientiæ vehementius videatur, quin quod voluerit, consecutus sit. De Orat. 1. i.

geometers,

geometers, when condescending to write on history, ethics, or theology, have made from their premisses. But the thing is notorious: and it is now no secret that the oldest mathematician in England is the worst reasoner in it. But I would not be mistaken, as undervaluing the many useful discoveries made from time to time in moral matters by professed mathematicians. Nor will any one so mistake me, who does not first confound the genius and the geometer; and then conclude that what was the atchievement of his wit, was the product of his theorems.

Yet still it must be owned, that this discipline habituates the mind to think closely; and may help us to a good method of composition. In those most unpromising ages, when the forms of the schools were as tedious and intricate, as the matter they treated was absurd or trifling, it hath had force enough to break through the bondage of custom, and to clear away the thorns that then perplexed and overgrew the paths of learning. Thomas Bradwardin, a mathematician, and archbishop of Canterbury, in the fourteenth century, in his famous book De causa Dei, hath treated his subject, not as it was wont to be handled in the schools, but in the better method of the geometers. And in another instance, of more importance, he hath given the age he lived in an example to emancipate itself from the slavery of fashion; I mean, in his attempt (as by his freedom with the fathers it seems to be) of reducing their extravagant authority to more reasonable bounds. But yet, so true is the foregoing observation, that though mathematics, in good hands, could do this, it could do no more: all the opening it gave to truth could not secure Bradwardin from the dishonour of becoming advocate for the most absurd opinion that ever was, the Anti-Pelagian doctrine of St. Austin;

St. Austin; in which the good archbishop was so much in earnest, that he calls the defence of it, the cause of God.

To return. Such was the state and condition of the human understanding in the ancient world, rather a mechanical than a moral or intellectual cultivation of reason, when CHRISTIANITY arose; and on such principles as were best fitted to correct those errors and prejudices, which had so long and so fatally retarded the progress of truth. It would require a just volume to treat this matter as it deserves.

The

nature of my work will not permit me to do it. I shall only give a single instance, but an instance of importance, namely, the use of those principles in discovering the true end of man; and in directing him to the right mean of attaining it.

The knowledge of the ONE GOD, as the moral and immediate Governor of the Universe, directly leads us to the Supreme Good; and the doctrine of FAITH in Him, directly inspiring the love of truth, enables us to procure it.

In Paganism, the end was totally obscured, by its having alway kept the true God, the supreme good, out of sight, which therefore must be needs sought in vain; and the true mean entirely lost, by the introduction of a number of false ones.

These were amongst the great principles revealed by heaven for the advancement of moral knowledge: and in time they had their effect: though indeed somewhat with the latest. For it is not to be dissembled, that here, as in most other cases in the moral world, the perversity of man soon ran counter to God's good Providence; which had so admirably fitted and disposed things for a general reform.

I have said the fathers were, at least, equal, if not, VOL, VIII.

C

superior,

superior, to those Gentile writers, their contemporaries, whom we most affect to admire: I shall now explain the unhappy causes (in which Religion and Reason suffered equally, as they always will suffer together) why the fathers did not, in the exactness of their logic, and in the purity of their ethics, infinitely surpass them.

The first preachers of the Gospel were the inspired messengers of the WORD. They committed its dictates to writing; and with that purity and splendor in which they drew them from the fountain of truth.

Their immediate followers, whom we are wont to call the apostolic fathers, received at their hands the doctrine of life, in all the simplicity of understanding as well as heart. It cannot be said that their writings do much honour to the rational sublimity of our holy religion: but then they have not hurt or violated the integrity of sacred truth. For false philosophy had not yet made havock of the faith. If, in their writings, we see but little of that manly elegance of reason, which makes the writings of their inspired predecessors so truly admirable; and is so striking a proof of the reality of that inspiration: yet still there is as little of those adulterate and polluted ornaments, which their successors brought from the brothels of Pagan philosophy, to stain the sanctity of religion. And let me add, that though the early prospect of things may not be, in all respects, what we could wish it; yet there is one circumstance, which does great credit to our holy faith: It is this, that as the integrity and dignity of its simple and perfect nature refused all fellowship with the adulterate arts of Grecian learning; so the admirable display of divine wisdom in disposing the parts, and conducting the course of the grand system of redemption, was not to be tolerably apprehended but by an improved

and

and well-disciplined understanding. Both these qualities suited the nobility of its original. It could bear no communion with error; and was as little fitted to consort with ignorance.

The men of science were not the first who attended to the call of the Gospel. It was not to be expected they should be the first. Their station presented many prejudices against it. It was taught by simple unlettered men, whose condition they held in contempt; and it required that they, who had been till now the teachers of mankind, should become learners. The doctrines of the Gospel had indeed this to recommend them, that they were rational; but the philosophers were already no strangers to those principles of natural religion which Christianity adopted, such as the unity of the Godhead, his moral government, and the essential difference between good and evil. The attestations to its truth were wonderful; but these, their principles of false philosophy enabled them to evade : so that their passions and prejudices, for some time, supported them in holding out against all the conviction of gospel-evidence.

But it was not thus with plainer men. They submitted to its force with less reluctance. Philosophy had secreted from the prophane vulgar the high truths of natural law, which is taught to the initiated concerning the one true God and his worship. When the Gospel openly proclaimed these truths, with others of the like repose and comfort to the human mind, these prophane vulgar eagerly embraced it. And as Grecian wisdom could not keep them from believing what was thus revealed; so neither did that wisdom, falsely so called, tempt them to viciate it, after they had embraced it. They were apt, indeed, to run into the opposite extreme, and, reflecting of how little use phi

C 2

losophy