Bible was fhut, and the Court of Inquifition opened.

And as to the Second, whoever he is who thinks he ought to feparate from that Church wherein he fees fome Errors, if it will not immediately reform and amend them; and thinks it his Duty to refufe joining in Communion with any Set of Men, till he meets with a Con ftitution, either in Church or State, that is abfolutely free from Errors; fuch an one, I fear, is nor fitted for this World, but muft live by himself, till he is conducted into a Society of Angels.

In my Opinion, therefore, the middle Courfe is that which he ought

ought to pursue, which in this Affair, as well as moft others, is certainly the best,

Let us confider how a Perfon in like Circumstances, with regard to the State, ought to conduct himself; and this may perhaps determine our Behaviour with regard to the other. For we generally talk more calmly, as well as more rationally, concerning the Affairs of the State, than of the Church.

Suppose a Person fees any Errors in that Constitution of Government under which he lives; may he not, ought he not to lay his Opinion before the Legislative Powers of that Society, in order to procure

an

an Amendment of it? I think he ought. But then he ought at the fame time, unless in Cafes of the utmoft Neceffity, where the Vitals of the Constitution are in Danger, not only not to defert the State, though the Amendment should not be made; but also to avoid raifing Parties or Factions in the State, for the Support of his Opinion; which in the Ecclefiaftical Style, would be called Herefies,

But to this it is objected, that here the Parallel will not hold, becaufe Men's temporal Interefts will reftrain them from overturning the Establishment of the State; whereas too many would be very glad to have the Establishment of the Church

quite fet afide. It may therefore be dangerous to begin with making Alterations or Amendments in the Church, left those Scaffoldings which are erected for Repairs, fhould be made use of to pull down the whole Fabric.

With humble Submiffion however to these cautious Gentlemen, I am under less Apprehenfion for the Church than for the State: For, as to the Chriftian Religion in general, we have the fure Word of Prophecy, that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. And as to particular Establishments, I fhould apprehend, that the freer they were from Errors, the more likely they would be to ftand. At least, I

fhould

fhould think it would be right to run fome Rifque, and place fome Truft in the Providence of God, rather than let Errors of any Confequence remain.

But, fay they again, Truth is not to be Spoken at all Times. Which I will allow fo far, as to acknowledge, that Prudence and Temper is to be made ufe of even in the Publication of Truth; but not that Truth may be concealed for ever, under the Pretence, that the Publication of it at prefent would be out of Seafon; for if Error may be fafely established, and Truth concealed, how can we vindicate all that Outcry that was made by Proteftants against the Doctrine of Tranfub