第89章

butnotdrawnfromAristotle，norfromanyotheroftheheathenphilosophers。Fornoneofthemdenybutthatinthepowerofmakinglawsiscomprehendedalsothepowerofexplainingthemwhenthereisneed。AndarenottheScriptures，inallplaceswheretheyarelaw，madelawbytheauthorityoftheCommonwealthand，consequently，apartofthecivillaw？

OfthesamekinditisalsowhenanybutthesovereignrestrainethinanymanthatpowerwhichtheCommonwealthhathnotrestrained；astheydothatimpropriatethepreachingofthegospeltoonecertainorderofmen，wherethelawshaveleftitfree。Ifthestategivemeleavetopreachorteach；thatis，ifitforbidmenot，nomancanforbidme。IfIfindmyselfamongsttheidolatersofAmerica，shallIthatamaChristian，thoughnotinorders，thinkitasintopreachJesusChrist，tillIhavereceivedordersfromRome？OrwhenIhavepreached，shallnotIanswertheirdoubtsandexpoundtheScripturestothem；thatis，shallInotteach？Butforthismaysomesay，asalsoforadministeringtothemthesacraments，thenecessityshallbeesteemedforasufficientmission；whichistrue。

Butthisistruealso，thatforwhatsoeveradispensationisdueforthenecessity，forthesamethereneedsnodispensationwhenthereisnolawthatforbidsit。Thereforetodenythesefunctionstothosetowhomthecivilsovereignhathnotdeniedthemisatakingawayofalawfulliberty，whichiscontrarytothedoctrineofcivilgovernment。

Moreexamplesofvainphilosophy，broughtintoreligionbythedoctorsofSchooldivinity，mightbeproduced；butothermenmayiftheypleaseobservethemofthemselves。Ishallonlyaddthis，thatthewritingsofSchooldivinesarenothingelse，forthemostpart，butinsignificanttrainsofstrangeandbarbarouswords，orwordsotherwiseusedthaninthecommonuseoftheLatintongue；suchaswouldposeCicero，andVarro，andallthegrammariansofancientRome。

Which，ifanymanwouldseeproved，lethim(asIhavesaidoncebefore)seewhetherhecantranslateanySchooldivineintoanyofthemoderntongues，asFrench，English，oranyothercopiouslanguage：forthatwhichcannotinmostofthesebemadeintelligibleisnotintelligibleintheLatin。Whichinsignificancyoflanguage，thoughIcannotnoteitforfalsephilosophy，yetithathaquality，notonlytohidethetruth，butalsotomakementhinktheyhaveit，anddesistfromfurthersearch。

Lastly，fortheerrorsbroughtinfromfalseoruncertainhistory，whatisallthelegendoffictitiousmiraclesinthelivesofthesaints；andallthehistoriesofapparitionsandghostsallegedbythedoctorsoftheRomanChurch，tomakegoodtheirdoctrinesofhellandpurgatory，thepowerofexorcism，andotherdoctrineswhichhavenowarrant，neitherinreasonnorScripture；asalsoallthosetraditionswhichtheycalltheunwrittenwordofGod；butoldwives’

fables？Whereof，thoughtheyfinddispersedsomewhatinthewritingsoftheancientFathers，yetthoseFatherswerementhatmighttooeasilybelievefalsereports。Andtheproducingoftheiropinionsfortestimonyofthetruthofwhattheybelievedhathnootherforcewiththemthat，accordingtothecounselofSt。John，*examinespiritsthaninallthingsthatconcernthepoweroftheRomanChurch(theabusewhereofeithertheysuspectednot，orhadbenefitbyit)，todiscredittheirtestimonyinrespectoftoorashbeliefofreports；

whichthemostsinceremenwithoutgreatknowledgeofnaturalcauses，suchastheFatherswere，arecommonlythemostsubjectto：

fornaturally，thebestmenaretheleastsuspiciousoffraudulentpurposes。GregorythePopeandSt。Bernardhavesomewhatofapparitionsofghoststhatsaidtheywereinpurgatory；andsohasourBede：butnowhere，Ibelieve，butbyreportfromothers。Butifthey，oranyother，relateanysuchstoriesoftheirownknowledge，theyshallnottherebyconfirmthemoresuchvainreports，butdiscovertheirowninfirmityorfraud。

Withtheintroductionoffalse，wemayjoinalsothesuppressionoftruephilosophybysuchmenasneitherbylawfulauthoritynorsufficientstudyarecompetentjudgesofthetruth。Ourownnavigationsmakemanifest，andallmenlearnedinhumansciencesnowacknowledge，thereareantipodes：andeverydayitappearethmoreandmorethatyearsanddaysaredeterminedbymotionsoftheearth。

Nevertheless，menthathaveintheirwritingsbutsupposedsuch