which New Method, he feems to have appropriated to himself the Character of Juvenal, Sat. 1.

Scriptus & in tergo, nec dum finitus Oreftes.)

After this we have a very folemn and pompous Introduction, of above Fifty Pages; and divided into Two Chapters, both which may I think, be call'd Introductory; unless either Prejudice of Education, or the Grounds of Belief, are immediately concern'd in the Difpute about Human Soul; which they being not, in my humble Conception, I have not honour'd my Obfervations upon them with the Title of Two diftinct Chapters.

The first thing he conceives neceffary to be done, before he treats of Human Soul, is to remove Innate Prejudice; that is, Pag. I. as he explains, or rather confounds

Pag. 2.

himself, Prejudice contracted by Education, from a Parent, Tutor or Mafter, nay perhaps a Nurfe. Now I, (who am refolv'd to grant him all I can, apprehending I cannot grant him much) do declare that one quarter of what he has Learnedly urged upon this Head, wou'd have convinc'd me, that the removing of Prejudice against a Defign, is often the more difficult Part of the Undertaking and I farther acknowledge, That an Introduction of this Nature, fits his

Defign very well; there being no contemptible Part of Mankind, befides the Old Fathers, ftrongly prejudic'd against his Opinion; and, had it been penn'd with more exactness, wou'd have ferv'd as a General Introduction to all the Learned Works of Spinoza, Hobbs, Blount, Le Clerc, L--k, and Toland.

Prejudice, or the General Sense of Mankind, is a fort of Rubbish, which fuch Architects must remove, before they can build altogether upon their own Foundation; our Author therefore has begun at the right End, and 'tis Pity he cou'd not make clean Work of it.

He fets down Two Principal Pag. 3. Caufes of Prejudice : I. The Strong Impreffions of Education: 2. The Opinion every Man covets to be esteem'd Wife, &c. As to the First, I think no Man will have the Face to deny, that the strong Impreffions, made by Education, caufe the Prejudice contracted by Education; for that is what was to be accounted for in this Chapter.

Pag. 10.

But the Second is not fo very evident, much lefs is it Identically evident; for I find the Opinion Men covet of being Wife, no Friend to the Principles of their Education; but on the contrary inclines them to By-Paths, purely

because

because the Road is beaten; and gives them a Prejudice to many Opinions, for no other Reafon, but because they were not first their own. It's true an Opinion, especially an extravagant Opinion of a Man's own Wisdom, is apt to make him stiff and tenacious in all his other Opinions, and fometimes Proof against Demonstration: But these are not the Opinions imbib'd during his Infancy and Education; or however are not confider'd by him as fuch, but as the Work of his mature and deliberate Reafoning, as the Effects of his extraordinary Skill and Judgment; and in short, as his Second Thoughts. So that all the Pains bestow'd upon this Topic, are not only to no Purpose, but to what the Laborer must judge, a very bad one. For this Confideration wou'd be apt to make a fingular Man in his Opinions, reflect, Whether his great Strength has really carry'd him beyond the reft of Mankind, or his greater Weakness bewilder'd him.

Having laid down these Two Causes of the Prejudice of Education, he proceeds to apply them to Matters of ReliPag. 15. gion. But fure he cannot imagin these are the only Caufes of Religious Prejudice in Mankind, that is, of all their Mifapprehenfions and Errors in Religion: If he does, I am content to inform him of Two

Two others, which he may use as he thinks proper; and they are, Lust and Pride.

As for Lust, or a Depravity in Morals, that is not always owing to a Bad Education, but sometimes to a Temper that will abuse the Best: And need I tell him, This is one Cause of the Prejudices Men entertain in Matters of Religion? Poffibly it did not escape Obfervation, but was let flip in Point of Prudence. I don't say our Doctor prescribes only to those that have taken the Preparatory Dofe; but he must give me leave to reckon amongst the Number of those that think they have no Souls, thofe that think they have none to be fav'd: Such Men, I'm confident, will not difown their Obligations to him: They have fometimes perhaps, in a Melancholy Mood, lookt upon themselves as Criminals under Sentence, and not knowing how foon they may Suffer; and therefore he can at no time be an unacceptable Meffenger, that brings them fo long à Reprieve, tho' it be not Sine Die; for who knows, but the next kind Friend may come fraught with a full Pardon. I must confefs, the Spreading of fome Opinions of late wou'd be very unaccountable, if it were not observ'd what had spread it felf before, to make Way for them.

I make

I make bold to add to our Author's Reasons of Religious Prejudice, another, and that is Pride, when it fwells the Understanding beyond its Natural Stretch. Repeated Offers of Relief, under their naked and deplorable Condition, are Affronts to Men of this Complexion: If these are the old, they have Senfe and Skill enough to coyn new Articles of Religion, to fhew you that their Knowledge actually reaches to Heaven; as well as others have done New Doctrins of Practice, that they might the more cafily get thither.

If he will accept of this Supplement, I will freely own, That Prejudice has a very bad Senfe, even as bad as that which he puts upon it, in the InPag. 20. ftance of the Martyrdom of King Charles the First. I cannot tell whether King-killing was Taught, at that Time o'Day, by Fathers, Tutors, and Nurses; but this I am confident of, That the Defire of being thought wife, wou'd have put no Man upon that Execrable Attempt; unless Worldly Wisdom is included in our Author's Notion of Wisdom. But poffibly this Inftance was pickt out to compliment his Patrons, to whom he Dedicates, the Clergy of the Church of England: And doubtless they can offer no less than their Protection