ferences they had with JUPITER in their feve ral retirements from the fociety of other men, on whom they obtruded their own fictions for divine commands. Who has not read of NU MA's intimacy with the Goddess EGERIA? from whom, if his own word ought to be taken, he learnt the Religion he taught the Romans. I fhall name no more out of the long lift, which the learned have of fuch antiquated feducers; nor any among those whose Institutions ftill prevail, except for example fake FоHI, SOMMO NOKODOM, MAHOMET, and CINGHIS-CHAN. DIODORUS SICULUS, and other antient writers, were not afraid to rank MOSES in this clafs, tho his laws be truely divine, without any mixture of weaknefs or folly. But as this incomparable Legiflator ought to want no apology among Chriftians, fo I have folely to do at prefent with those Heathen IMPOSTORS; who perceiving that what was built upon fraud, cou'd onely be fupported by force, they made it capital to queftion their dictates, and highly difreputable fo much as to examine, let alone to doubt of them. The Priefts, for their own intereft, were not wanting any where to promote fuch penal laws; and the Magiftrates (partly thro Superftition proceding from their ignorance; and partly thro Policy, to grafp at more power than the laws allow'd, by the affiftance of the Priefts) have been commonly very ready to inforce thofe laws, by what they call'd wholefom Severities. Hence no room was left for the propagating of TRUTH, except at the expenfe of a man's life, or at least of his honor and imployments, wherof numerous examples may be alledg'd. The Philofophers therfore, and other well-wishers to mankind in most nations, were conftrain'd by this holy tyranny to make use of a two-fold doctrine; the one Popular, accomF 'modated

'modated to the PREJUDICES of the vulgar, and to the receiv'd CUSTOMS or RELIGIONS: the other Philofophical, conformable to the nature of 6 things, and confequently to TRUTH; which, with doors faft fhut and under all other precautions, they communicated onely to friends of known probity, prudence, and capacity. Thefe they generally call'd the Exoteric and Efoteric, or the External and Internal Doctrines. That fuch a distinction they us'd, and that they practis'd accordingly, I am now going to show (being the fubject of this Differtation) by a felect Collection I made of paffages to this purpose, out of abundance of others, fcatter'd up and down the antient writers.

Y

ET ere I begin this Collection, in terfpers'd with my own obfervations, I cannot but deplore fuch a depravity of human nature, as to find Chriftians unhappily conftrain'd any where, to regulate their conduct according to this Heathen diftinction; tho they profefs the Religion of him who is TRUTH it felf, and whofe fervice is perfect FREEDOM. They are commanded to LOVE each other, and to speak the TRUTH one to ano→ ther but they fo obey, as if they were exprefly injoin'd the contrary. Not onely every feet furiously opposes another, and all of 'em every one you can name; but thofe of the fame fect ftand in mutual oppofition for the pooreft trifles in the world, for airy diftinctions, for a party-jargon,

for

for favorite founds, nay oftentimes for fyllables and letters. They manifeft all the signs of a perfect hatred, by branding, defaming, and avoiding each other; their leaders ever fhowing 'em the example, as if they were afraid they fhou'd come to a better understanding, and fooner or later perceive that they quarrel'd about nothing. These are facts not poffible to be deny'd. And as little can it be deny'd, that, not content with this rancor of mind, or the narrowness of their peculiar fchemes and notions; they heartily plague each other with fines and incapacities, with exile, imprifonment, and other numberless ways: not to mention the laft of all evils Death, which at leaft is fo in their opinion; till Perfecution ends at length in the Inquifition, as the utmost perfection of this hellish Oeconomy of faith. In fine, daily experience fufficiently evinces, that there is no difcovering, at leaft no declaring of TRUTH in most places, but at the hazard of a man's reputation, imployment, or life. These circumftances cannot fail to beget the woful effects of infincerity, diffimulation, grofs ignorance, and licentious barbarity. What's most of all to be lamented, is, that but too much of this leven ferments in the pureft Churches. What ftrange turns are given to controverfies, about things in themselves indifferent, and where both fides of the question may be innocently maintain'd? What fecret infinuations, what barefac'd calumnies, what unkind fuggeftions, what injurious treatment of thofe, who ought to be efteem'd and cherish'd as brethren? but who being thus forc'd to become enemies, and, fway'd by human frailty, are provok'd to repay their adverfaries in the like coin with ufury. Among Priefts and Minifters in particular (leaving every one to affume the name he likes beft, for they are no more agreed about names than any thing elfe) what unmanly pumpF 2 in g

ing and tale-bearing, what wiredrawing to an acknowlegement of their thoughts, and depofing 'em if they are frank, or fufpecting 'em if referv'd? Scurrility is the leaft exafperation, as being the commoneft. This muft of neceffity produce fhiftings, ambiguities, equivocations, and hypocrify in all its fhapes; which will not merely be call'd, but actually efteem'd, neceffary cautions: occafion'd in all times and places by ambitious Priests, supported by their property the Mob; thus depriving us of the peace of life and the truth of religion, yea of philofophical discoveries and improvements, to the no small detriment of mankind. In all this affair Pride is ever join'd to Intereft, for never was any Pride equal to the pretenfe of Infal libility, which has furnish'd this just observation, that as the Church of Rome claims to be ever in the right, fo no other Churches will ever confefs themfelves to be in the wrong. Submit therfore you must right or wrong, or it will be the worse for you. in all the refpects I have mention'd. And yet (what's a natural confequence) do but footh this fpiritual arrogance, the most impious book shall pass current; witness that heap of Scripture-contradictions, Part. 2. as he thinks them, about Providence and the oriCirc. 20. gin of the World according to the MOSAIC account, affectedly put together by BERIGARDUS in his Circulus Pifanus, a book otherwife very ingenious and ufeful. He endeavors even to prove, that the being of GOD cannot be known by Cire. 3,4. reafon, but onely by faith; and that the authority of the books of Scripture cannot be prov'd by history or reafon, but be implicitly and de-. voutly receiv'd. Yet this bounceing compliment to Mother Church, in the third part falfly printed the fifth, faves all. There is more ftrefs to be laid on any miracles_ receiv'd and approv'd by the pag. 232. Church (as the cure of a flight agre divinely wrought) Claude Cuidas me t

Part. 3.

Part. 3..

Circ. 3.

than

than if any man fhou'd fee all who dy'd in this age brought to life again, than if mountains were remov'd out of their places; than if a new world was created: fince in all these things there wou'd ftill remain the fufpicion of magical fraud, whence they might be deem'd not really perform'd (which one wou'd think were eafier fufpected of an ague) but rather to be the fancies of our imaginations, or the illufions of our fenfes. The fhort and the long of this is, that we must believe the Church rather than our own eys; if BERIGARDUS did not banter, as well as coaks the old Lady's vanity. I doubt not, for my part, but he made ufe of the Exoteric and Efoteric diftinction, to fave his bacon, as we fay or if any, who has not read thofe Circles or Dialogues, will have it that he did not, with all my heart; but I am juft going to demonftrate that others did, and that it was the common practice of all the antient Philofophers.

W

ert. lib.

9.

was unquestionably in the right, when he affirm'd that there are two forts of DIOG. La-7 Philofophy, the one according to TRUTH, Sect. 22, the other according to OPINION: which is not onely true of the Greecs and Romans, but as certainly fo of other nations much more antient. I know that the words of PARMENIDES may be commodiously understood of the fallacioufnefs and uncertainty of the Senfes, which often represent things otherwife than they are in themselves, and muft therfore be examin'd and corrected

F3