A TREATISE PARTLY THEOLOGICAL , And Partly POLITICAL , Containing some few DISCOURSES ,

To prove that the Liberty of PHILOSOPHIZING ( that is Making Use of Natural Reason ) may be allow'd without any prejudice to Piety , or to the Peace of any Common-wealth ; And that the Loss of Public Peace and Religion it self must necessarily follow , where such a Liberty of Reasoning is taken away .

John Epist. 1 st chap. 4 th v. 13 th .

Hereby know we , that we dwell in God , and God in us , because he hath given us of his Spirit .

Translated out of Latin.

LONDON , Printed in the Year , 1689.

THE Gentleman that turn'd the following Treatise Written Originally in Latin into English , did it at spare Hours , only to divert and please himself , and therefore cares not who is displeased with his having done it . There are certainly some , who will pass very severe Censures upon this Treatise ; but that will not at all concern the Translator , who is not bound to make good the Authors Opinions , being only obliged to justify , that the Version hath truly and faithfully ( tho' not every where Word for Word ) render'd the Authors Sense and Meaning . Religion and Government being the Subject Matter of the Book , 't is easy to guess what Sort of Men are like to decry it ; but let those who are angry and find fault with it answer it ; In the mean time the Crape Gown and the Long Robe are both defied to prove there are any Tenets in the whole Treatise , half so dangerous or destructive to the Peace and Welfare of human Society , as those Doctrins and Maxims are , which have of late Years been broached by time-serving Church-men and Mercenary Lawyers ; for which they justly deserve the hatred and contempt of all Mankind . Nothing more needs be said to any Reader , than to desire he will deliberately read the Book twice over , before he condemn or commend it , when that is done , whether he like or dislike the Treatise it self , or the Translation of it , shall be all one to him , who never valued himself upon other Peoples Opinions , nor did ever think any part of his Reputation depended upon the Iudgment of Fools or Knaves .

WEre it in the Power of Men , to govern all their Affairs , by sure and infallible Councel ; or could Mankind always live in a constant course of Prosperity , there would be no such thing in the World as Superstition ; but because Men many times fall into straights , out of which no Councel can deliver them , and by immoderately coveting the uncertain Goods of Fortune , miserably Fluctuate between hope and fear ; those two Passions easily driving the doubtful mind of Man hither and thither , render it prone to believe any thing , whereas otherwise it is over Confident , Proud and Vain-glorious . And of this , tho' few know themselves , there is scarce any Body ignorant : Do we not daily see many weak Men during prosperity so wise in their own conceit , that they think Councel an Affront ; but in adversity when they know not which way to turn themselves , begging every Bodies Advice , and there is not any , be it never so vain , foolish and absurd , which they will not follow upon very light grounds , they will also hope the best , and presently again fear the worst , whatever happens during their fears which puts them in mind of any past good or evil , that they think Prognosticates good or bad Fortune , and tho' they be a hundred times deceived , count it a lucky or unlucky Omen . Whatever is strange and unwonted , begets their Wonder , and looking upon it as a prodigy , say it portends almighty God's Anger ; for the pacification whereof , Men given up to superstition , but Enemies to true Religion , think it horrible Impiety not to make Prayers and Oblations , and to that end fancying a Thousand things , as if nature it self were as perfectly distracted as they , make strange Interpretations of her Meaning . This then being the condition of Mankind , we find those Persons most addicted to all kind of superstition , who greedily desire those things with are uncertain , and every one of them ( especially when they are in danger and cannot help themselves ) with Vows and Womanish Tears imploring Divine Assistance ; calling reason ( because it cannot shew them a certain way to the vanities they desire ) Blind , and human Wisdom Folly ; but on the contrary , believe dreams , dotages of the Imagination and Childish Follies to be divine Oracles ; saying that God despiseth the Wisdom of the Wise , and hath not Written his Will in the mind of Man , but on the entrails of Beasts , and that Ideots , Lunaticks and Birds by divine inspiration and instinct , can foretel his Decrees , so mad hath Fear made Men. And as Superstition hath its Original from Fear ; so is it kept up and continued by it ; of which Truth if any Man desire ( beside what hath been said ) any particular Examples , let him read the 5 th Book and 4 th Decade of Quintus Curtius , where he will find Alexander the Great , applying himself to Diviners and Prophets , when he first began to doubt his Fortune at the Straights of Susa ; but after the Conquest of Darius , never more consulting them , till terrified with the revolt of the Bactrians , and with the Scythians provoking him to Battle when he lay wounded ; he returns again to the Folly of human Superstition , and commands Aristander , to whom he gave much credit , to inquire by Sacrifices , what was like to be the event of his Affairs , and to this purpose many Examples may be produced , all which would clearly shew , that Men are most troubled with Superstitious Fancies during their Fears ; and all those things which they have so vainly and religiously rever'd , are nothing but the false representations and dotages of a Mellancholly and timerous Mind . And Lastly , that they who pretend to prediction , are much in request with the common People , and most feared by Kings and Princes , when a Kingdom is in any great distress or calamity , but because these things are so vulgarly known , I pass them by .

Fear then being the cause of Superstition , it clearly follows , that all Men are naturally inclin'd and subject to it ( whatever others say , who think it proceeds from a certain imperfect confused knowledg Men have of a Deity . ) It follows likewise , that Superstition must of necessity be very various and inconstant , because all ridiculous Follies of the Mind , Fits of Frenzy , yea Superstition it self , cannot be maintained , but by Hope , Hatred , Anger and Deceit ; it proceeding not from Reason but Passion , and that too very violent . As therefore Men easily fall into all sorts of Superstition , so on the contrary , it is very difficult to make them continue in any one kind ; because the common People being all times alike miserable , are never long quiet , but still most pleased with that which is new , and never yet deceived them ; which inconstancy , hath been the cause of many Tumults and cruel Wars , and as Quintus Curtius in his 4 th Book and 10 th Decad hath very well observed , nothing so absolutely governs the Multitude as Superstition . Whence it happens , that the common People under colour of Religion , are sometimes easily induced to adore their Kings , and at other times to curse and abhor them , as the common Plagues of Mankind : Therefore to avoid this mischeif , great Pains are taken to adorn and attire Religion ( whether true or false ) that it may appear very Grave and Solemn , and all Persons pay unto it the highest degree of respect and veneration . This hath so luckily succeeded amongst the. Turks , who count it a Crime so much as to dispute , and have their understandings possest with so many prejudices , that there is no place in their Minds left for Reason , no not so much as doubt .

But if it be , as indeed it is , the great Arcanum and concern of Monarchical Government , to deceive the People , and to cover Fear by which they are kept in Subjection , under the specious name of Religion ; that so they may fight for Slavery as for their own Safety , and think it no Shame but their greatest Honour , to spend their Bloud and Lives for the Glory of one single Person ; so on the contrary , in a free Commonwealth , nothing can be more mischeivously devised or attempted , than to possess Mens Judgments which are free , with Prejudices ; or in any manner to restrain or compel them , it being utterly repugnant to Common Liberty : As for Seditions stir'd up under pretence of Religion , they arise from enacting Laws concerning things meerly speculative , and because Opinions are many times Condemned for Crimes , and the maintainers and followers of those Opinions , seldom Sacrific'd to the public Safety , but to the Hatred and Cruelty of their Adversaries : But if the Laws of Government , would take no Notice of Words , and only punish Mens Actions , there could never be any lawful pretence for such Seditions , nor could Controversies be turn'd into Quarrels . Seeing therefore that Men are seldom so happy to live in a Commonwealth , where every one is allowed the Liberty of Judging and Worshipping God according to his own Understanding , or where nothing is esteem'd dearer and sweeter then Liberty ; I thought my Undertaking would be neither unpleasing or unprofitable , if I could make it appear , that such a Liberty may be granted , without any danger to Religion , or the Peace of a Commonwealth ; but that all three must stand and fall together . And this is the chief thing , which in this Treatise I intended to demonstrate ; to which purpose I thought it necessary , in the first place , to mark out the chief Prejudices concerning Religion , I mean the Footsteps of Antient Servitude , and in the next place , those Prejudices which relate to the right of Sovereign Power ; which many with shameless boldness study to Usurp , and then to secure themselves , amuse the Minds of the Multitude still Subject to Superstition , with specious shews of Religion , that all may again run into Bondage . In what order I make these things manifest , I will presently in few words declare ; but first I will mention the Causes which moved me to write .

I have often wonder'd , that Men who boast themselves Professors of the Christian Religion , which consists in Love , Peace , Moderation and Dealing uprightly with all Men , should so unjustly contend , and cruelly hate one another , by which their Faith is better known , then by the forenamed Vertues . There is now scarce any Man whatever he be , Christian , Iew , Turk or Heathen , that can be known by any thing but his habit and attire , by frequenting such a Church , by maintaining such an Opinion , or by being the sworn Disciple of such a Master ; but in all other things Mens Lives and Conversations are all alike : Searching into the Cause of this Evil , I found it proceeded from the common Peoples being perswaded , that a very great part of Religion , consisted in setting a very high value upon the Service , Dignities , Offices and Benefits of the Church , and in honouring Churchmen with all possible Reverence ; for so soon as this abuse crept into the Church , every Knave had a mind to be a Priest , and the desire of propagating Religion , degenerated into sordid Avarice and Ambition ; so that the Temple it self , was turn'd into a Theatre , where Ecclesiastical Doctors did not Preach , but like Orators harangued the People , not to instruct , but to be admired by them ; publicly reproaching their Adversaries , and venting such new fangled Doctrines , as they thought would best please the Multitude . From hence necessarily arose those great Contentions , Envy and inveterate Hatred , which no length of time could asswage . T is no wonder then , that of the primitive Religion , nothing remains but the external worship ; wherein the People seem rather to Flatter than Adore God ; Faith is become nothing but credulity and prejudice , such as turns rational Men into Brutes , by denying them the Liberty of their Judgment to distinguish Truth from Falshood , and such as seems purposely invented , totally to extinguish the Light of Human Understanding . Piety and Religion , O immortal God! now consist in absurd Mysteries , and they that contemn and reject Human Reason and Knowledge , as naturally depraved , they forsooth , which is strangely irrational , must pass for Men divinely illuminated . Truly if such Men had but one spark of Divine Light , they could not be so superciliously Mad , but would learn to Worship God with more Prudence , and instead of hating , as they now do , would love those that differ from them in Opinion ; and forbearing to prosecute them with so much enmity , would rather ( since they pretend to fear their Salvation , more then their own Fortune ) have pity and compassion upon them : Moreover , if such Men had any Divine Light , it would appear in their Doctrine . I confess they pretend , they can never enough admire the profound Mysteries of the Scripture , yet I cannot perceive they teach any thing , but the Speculations of Aristotle and Plato , to which , that they may not seem followers of the Gentiles , they have fitted and accomodated the Scripture ; and , as if it were not enough , for these Men to run mad with the Greeks , would have the very Prophets also to doat like themselves ; which clearly shews , they never saw the Divinity of the Scripture , no not so much as in a dream . By how much the more they admire the Mysteries of Scripture , so much the more they seem to flatter and sooth Scripture , rather than believe it ; of which likewise another Evidence is , that many Men ( as to the better understanding and finding out the true meaning of Scripture ) lay it down for a Principal and Fundamental position , that the Scripture is of divine inspiration , and in every part infallibly true ; which is the very thing that cannot be made out or proved by any other way , but a strict examination and right understanding thereof ; and do likewise establish it for a rule , that in interpreting Scripture , which needs no human Glosses , the Scripture it self is our best guide .

When I seriously considered that natural reason was not only contemned , but also by many condemn'd , for the Fountain of Impiety , and human inventions past for divine Doctrins ; that Credulity was accounted Faith , and Philosophical Controversies were maintaned both in Church and State with so much animosity and heat of dispute ; from whence I perceived that not only cruel hatred and dissention ( by which Men are easily stir'd up to sedition ) but many other mischeifs ( too tedious to be here mentioned ) took their beginning ; I resolved diligently to examin the Scripture a new , with a free and unprejudiced mind , and neither to affirm any thing positively of it , or admit any thing to be it's Doctrine which was not clearly Demonstrated by it . Under this caution , I Composed a method of interpreting the Sacred Volums , and furnisht with it , I began in the first place to inquire , what Prophesy was ? why God revealed himself to the Prophets ? and whether they were acceptable to God , because they had sublime thoughts and notions of God and Nature , or only for their Piety ? These things being known , I could easily determin that the Authority of the Prophets , was of greatest weight in things relating to real vertue , and to the use and benefit of Life ; but in other matters , their opinions did very little concern us . This being likewise known , I further inquired , what it was for which the Iews were called Gods chosen People , and when I perceived , it was only because God chose out for them , a particular part and climate of the World , where they might live conveniently and securely ; I thereby also learnt , that the Laws revealed by God to Moses , were nothing else but the Statutes of that particular government of the Iews , and that none but the Iews , were bound to receive them ; yea that the very Jews themselves , were not bound by them any longer , then their Government continued . That I might know whether it can be concluded from Scripture , that the understanding of of Mankind is depraved by Nature , I inquired whether the Catholic Religion , or the Divine Law revealed to all Mankind by the Prophets and Apostles , were any other then that which natural Reason teacheth and Lastly , whether Miracles happen contrary to the order of Nature ? and whether they do more certainly and clearly prove the Being and Providence of God , then those things do , which we clearly and distinctly understand by their first Causes ? but when I could find nothing in whatever the Scripture expresly teacheth , disagreable or repugnant to human understanding , and when I likewise saw , that the Prophets taught nothing but what was plain , and might easily be understood , and that they adorn'd and confirm'd their Doctrin , with such a Style and such reasons , as they thought would most affect the minds of the multitude with Devotion towards God ; I was fully perswaded , that the Scripture left reason perfectly free , and had nothing to do with Philosophy ; but that each stood on its own basis . But that I might plainly demonstrate these things , and put an end to the whole matter , I shew which way the Scripture is to be interprepreted , and that all its knowledge of things Spiritual , is to be drawn from it self , and not from those things which we know by the light of nature . Then I pass on , to shew those prejudices which spring from thence , and that the common People ( addicted to Superstition , prizing the reliques of time above eternity ) do rather adore the Books of the Scripture , than the very word of God it self . After this I shew the revealed word of God , not to be any certain number of Books , but a simple knowledge of Gods will revealed to the Prophets ( that is ) to obey God with the whole heart , by practising Justice and Charity : I shew that the Scripture teacheth this , according to the capacity and opinions of those to whom the Prophets and Apostles were sent to Preach this Word , which they did , that Men without any reluctancy might cordially embrace it . The Fundamentals of Faith being discovered , I Lastly , conclude the object of revealed knowledge to be nothing else , but obedience , and so distinct from natural knowledge , as well in respect of its object , as its foundations and means ; that it hath nothing in common with it ; but each maintains its own proper dominion , without any mutual disagreement , and that neither ought to be subservient , or a hand-maid to the other . Moreover , because the dispositions of Men are very different , one being possest with this , and another with that opinion , and that which moveth one Man to Devotion , provokes another to Laughter ; every one ought to have the Liberty of his own judgment , and the Power of interpreting the Principles of Faith , according to his own reason ; and that no Mans Faith is to be justified or condemned , but only by his Works ; so that all Men may obey God with Freedom of mind , and only Righteousness and Charity be in esteem . After I have by these things , shewed the Liberty granted by God's revealed Law to all Men , I go on to the other part of the question , which is , that this Liberty may be allow'd , without any prejudice to the Peace of a Common-wealth , or to the Rights of the Supream Powers ; nor can it be taken away , without great detriment and danger , both to peace , and the whole republick . To demonstrate this , I begin from every Mans natural right , which reacheth so far as every Mans Desire and Power can extend it self , and no Man by the Law of Nature , is bound to live according to another Mans Will or Inclination ; but every Man is the assertor of his own Liberty . Further I shew , that no Man departs from this right , but he that transfers the Power of defending himself to another , and that he must necessarily and absolutely be the keeper of that right , upon whom every one hath devolved his own natural right of living as he pleaseth , together with the Power of Defending himself ; and from hence I prove , that they who are possest of the Supream Power , have right to all things within their Power , and that they only are the Protectors of Law and Liberty ; all other Men being obliged to Act , according to their determinations and Decrees ; but because no Body can so far deprive himself , of his Power of defending himself , as to cease from being a Man , I thence conclude , that no Man can be totally deprived of his natural right , but that Subjects do still retain by the Law of Nature , many things which cannot be taken from them , without very great danger to Government . Those things being granted to be their rights either by tacit implication , or by express agreement and stipulation made between them and their Governours . These things being considered , I passon to the Commonwealth of the Iews , which I fully enough describe , shewing upon what Reason , and by whose Decree , Religion first began to obtain the force of a Law ; touching upon some other things by the By , which seem worthy to be known . After this I shew that they who have the supreme Power , are not only Protectors and Interpreters of the Civil , but also of the Divine Law , and that in them only is the right of Judging , what is just or unjust , pious or impious . And then I conclude that that Right is best maintained , and the Government most safe , where every Man hath free liberty to think , and speak what he thinks .

These are the things , Philosophical Reader , which I offer to thy examination ; believing they will be acceptable to thee , for the Excellency and Utility of the Subject , as well of the whole Book , as of every single Chapter , to which many things might be added ; but to this Preface , I do not intend the Dimensions of a Volum : the chief things in it , are sufficiently known to Philosophers , to others I care not to commend this Treatise , because I have not the least hope they will like it . I know how fast those Prejudices stick , which the mind of Man hath embraced under the form of Religion ; I known also , 't is as impossible to root out Superstition , as Fear out of the Minds of the common People , whose constancy is but contumacy , and are never to be govern'd by Reason , but always rashly praise or dispraise . The Vulgar therefore , and all of like Affections with them , I do not invite to read these things , I had rather they should contemn the Book , then be troublesome by making perverse Constructions of it , as they use to do of all other things ; not profiting themselves , but hindring others , who would reason more like Phylosophers , did they not think Reason ought to be but a Hand-maid to Divinity : To Men of that Opinion , I think this Work extreamly useful , but because many have neither mind or leisure to read these things , I am forced here , as well as in the end of the Treatise to declare ; I have written nothing which I do not willingly submit to the Examination and Judgment of the chief Rulers of my Country : For if they shall think any thing I say , repugnant to the Laws or public Peace of it , I willingly unsay and recant it . I know my self a Man Subject to Mistake , but I have taken the greatest Care I could , not to Err , and particularly , that whatever I write , may in all things be consonant to the Laws of my Country , and agreeable to Piety and good Manners .