Superstition seems to be the leading principle in all their sciences and doctrines, whether civil, military, or religious.

This darkness is at times illuminated by a single individual, who fhall by the strength of genius advance beyond his time and place into a future age of improvement. By fuch perfons does the world grow better and wifer-but it is. most commonly the world that fucceeds, not that which exists at the time. Roger Bacon was in genius and knowledge fome centuries later than the æra in which he flourished. The first voyage of Columbus is one of the greatest atchievements in the history of mankind, but it was an effort of his own genius, reason, and intrepidity-the age in which he lived dif

couraged

were no less embarked than the passenger in the pilots"-Again-" This year Queen Anne died (wife of James the first) the common people thinking the blazing ftar rather betokened her death than the wars in Bohemia and Germany."

couraged his attempt, and was not far enough advanced in knowledge to comprehend the reasoning on which it was founded. Let not therefore these inftances, nor the invention of gunpowder and printing, be brought as examples of the genius or knowledge of the age in which they were discovered, but more truly of the talents of illuftrious perfons who fhone fingly amid the shades of ig

norance.

At this time it is philosophy, which is the foundation of all our arts and sciences. As nothing can differ more from fuperftition, if philofophy had not begun very gently, and advanced by flow degrees, it would have been ftrangled in the birth. The idea of accounting for things from the laws of nature and experiment, was fo abhorrent to the ignorance and ipfe dixit of ancient times, that it was affumed with fear and trembling, and even treated as wickedness.

Accordingly the first

philofophers

philofophers were confidered by the world in general, as dangerous innovators, who were, if poffible, to be crushed, and their doctrines rejected. Notwithstanding.we are fo far advanced in refinement, we are ftill a little afraid of philofophical enquiupon fome fubjects-However, let us be thankful for what we poffefs, nor hope for perfection until that Age arrive of which it is the characteristic.

ries

Compleatly to investigate all the additions to our knowledge fince the commencement of the Silver-Age would require more labour, and greater fources of information, than can reasonably be expected from a fingle author-a flight sketch is all I am capable of or pretend to, which, tho' exceedingly defective, may be of fome ufe in affifting others who are difpofed to compleat these enquiries.

Where

Where the subjects are so various, the choice is confounded. To. take them as they occur, might occafion fome perplexity from an intermixture with each other; and to affect method, might caufe the propriety of my arrangement to be difputed. I will endeavour to avoid the dangers which threaten me, and come off with as little damage as I can.

Bookfellers make out their catalogues and methodize their books under the different heads of divinity, hiftory, law, and phyfic-they fhall be my authority for taking my subjects in the above order. The arts and fciences may follow, to which fome will be added of a mifcellaneous nature.

The divinity of Queen Elizabeth's times was of that fevere, four caft, which ftill diftinguishes fome of our present fects. If we were to become good, it was lefs from the hope of reward, than

from

from the fear of punishment. These rigid doctrines by degrees gave way to more comfortable tenets, and now many divines fhocked with the idea of what feemed to delight our forefathers, I mean the belief of eternal torments, are striving with great humanity to establish a fyftem more confonant with infinite mercy., School-divinity is perfectly abolished. All pofitions which cannot be underftood, and if they could be so, are of no confequence, have long fince ceafed to be fubjects of conteft, and almost to exist. Our fermons are generally upon the duties of life, or upon fuch fubjects as cannot be controverted; tho' occafionally a wrong-headed preacher may expofe himfelf in finding hidden and mysterious meanings in doctrines fufficiently plain, or which can never be made fo. But these are trifles-the glorious characteriftic of the present times, at least in England, is, that we are no longer persecuted for mere opinions, let them be ever

fo