were it for Mankind, were there but one Temptation to one Vice! Common Diligence might then fecure the fingle Pass against the Enemy; whereas now, whilst we guard the most suspected Place, the strongest often falls into his Hands: And thus it fometimes happens in the Cafe before us, that, whilft we act with a Superiority to all the Vanities of the World, to all the Allurements and Temptations of bodily Pleasure, Reason itself is betrayed by the Vanity of our Hearts, and finks under the Pride and Affectation of Knowledge. To know all that can be attained to by our utmoft Diligence and Sagacity, to fearch into the hidden Caufes of Things, to examine the Truth and Reality of our Knowledge, is an Ambition worthy of a rational Soul. But all Kinds of laudable Ambition grow to be vicious and despicable, when, instead of pursuing the real Good which is the true Object, they feek only to make a Shew and an Appearance of it. Thus it is that Ambition for Virtue produces Hypocrify; Ambition for Courage, empty Boaftings and unreasonable Refentments; and, by the fame Rule, Ambition for Learning and Knowledge produces Pedantry and Paradoxes: For he who would defire to appear appear to know more than other Men, is ready to contradict the Senfe and Reason of all Men; for the fame Cause that he who is defirous to be thought to have more Courage than others is ready to quarrel with every Man he meets. And this is a Temptation to which many daily facrifice the Innocence and Integrity of their Minds, whilst they mean little else by the Singularity of their Opinions, than to recommend themfelves to the World as Perfons of more than ordinary Difcernment. That this is no unfair Account of the Conduct of fome Unbelievers, will appear by obferving the very different, but equally natural, Workings of the Mind in these two different States of it; whilft it feeks real Knowledge and Truth, and whilst it aims only at the Credit and Reputation of Wisdom: And this will help us likewise in examining ourselves, and in judging whether we act with those impartial Views and Regard to Truth, that all rational Men ought to do. He who fits down to examine Truth, and search after real Knowledge, will equally fift all his Opinions; will reject none, that he has been long poffeffed of, without good Reafon; will admit no new ones without fufficient fufficient Authority and Weight of Argument to fupport them. Wherever he discovers Truth, he gains the Satisfaction he aimed at: His Mind acquiefces in it: Nor is he disappointed in the Event of his Labour and Study, when he finds himself at laft in the fame Opinion with the reft of the World; with this only Difference, that his Perfuafion is the Effect of Reason, theirs perhaps of Prejudice and Cuftom; which is a Difference that affords much inward Satiffaction and Peace of Mind, but little or no outward Glory, or Credit of Wisdom and Understanding. In the other Cafè, when Men aim at being thought wifer and more knowing than others, and labour only to poffefs the World with an Opinion of their Sagacity, they can have no Satisfaction in difcovering the Truth and Reasonablenefs of any Opinion that is commonly received in the World: For how will they appear wifer than other Men by profeffing to believe what other Men believe as well as they? They can no otherwife fatisfy their Ambition, than by differing from the common Senfe and Reason of Mankind; and the whole Bent of their Mind is to fupport fuch fuch their Difference with plaufible Reafon and Argument. This indeed carries with it a great Appearance of Wisdom; for to fhew all the World' to be in an Error is not the Work of every Day, or of or of every Man. And how can you expect that such vain Creatures should so far lofe fight of the End they propose, as to give their Confent to any well-received Truth, when the very Paffion which has Poffeffion of their Soul makes it necessary for them to treat all fuch Truths with Difdain and Contempt? Why would have them fo abfurd, as to examine the Reasonablenefs of any known Opinion, when to find it reasonable would be the Ruin and Deftruction of all their Glory, and set them only upon a Level with the reft of Mankind? Give them any thing that looks like a new Discovery, and they will ftruggle hard with their Reason, but they will find something to say in defence of it: But threadbare Truth they hate to be feen in; it is a Drefs their Vanity cannot fubmit to. you This fort of Vanity it is, which has furnished the World with Sceptics in every Science, and in Religion above all others. Other Sciences are the Attainments of but a fmall Part of Mankind; and to triumph over their Errors is at beft but a limited Glory: Whereas, Religion being the general Perfuafion of the World, to conquer in this Cause looks like univerfal Monarchy, and seems to be the very Empire of Wisdom and Knowledge, rifing out of the Ruins of univerfal Ignorance and Superftition. And thus it comes to pass, that weak and vain Men often make profeffion of greater Infidelity than in truth they are guilty of, and are content to give the lye to their own Reason, as well as that of all Mankind, rather than to lofe the Credit of differing from the rest of the World. Confider this Cafe well, and judge of it from your own Experience and Obfervation. If the Instances which meet you every Day do not bear witnefs to the Truth of what I fay, believe me not: But, if they do, let the Folly of others teach you so much Wisdom, as not to give up your Reason and Understanding, your Hopes here and for ever, to a senseless, unprofitable Vanity. Try your own Heart by this Rule; and, if ever you have offended against the Majesty of Heaven by endeavouring to expofe his facred Truths, ask yourself this ferious Question, Whether you did not betray your Religion |