REASON S AGAINST RESTRAINING. THE PRE S F any restraint is to be put upon the prefs, it must be either on a RELIGIOUS Or I CIVIL account. All that can be pleaded for it on the score of religion, is, that 'tis necessary to prevent mens being led into error; and as a consequence of that, nothing is to be printed that may tempt them to question the truth of any part or point of the established religion. * I have a copy of this tract, which belonged to Anthony Collins, Efq; wherein it is afcribed to Dr. Tyndal, and therefore there can be no doubt that he was the real author. In order to answer this, I muft beg leave to obferve, that nothing is more certain than that God does not require of men impoffibilities, as a means to obtain their future happiness; and confequently all that he defires of them, is to use their rational faculties after the best manner they can, for the difcovery of his will. He therefore that does this, tho' never fo much miftaken, is as acceptable to God, who is no refpecter of perfons, as he that's not mistaken, fince he has done all that God requires of him, and the other could do no more. To affirm his mistakes are finful, is to makeGod the author of fin, in fo framing his understanding, that after he had done all he could to avoid error, he neceffarily fell into it. And if it be the height of impiety to condemn one of fin for obeying God's commands in impartially examining, it can be no less impious to affirm the opinion unavoidably caused by so doing to be a fin. How happy would men then be, if, notwithstanding their difference of opinion, they would allow on all fides, that impartiality and fincerity were fufficient to recommend them to God, and by confequence to one another? Go 4 ing ing a step further than this, juftifies the fevereft method of the inquifition: for if men can be guilty of impiety, blafphemy, and other damnable opinions, tho' on the strictest examination they judge them agreeable to the will of God; and if it be the duty of thofe that are in power in every nation to prevent this, they are bound to restrain not only the liberty of printing, but of preaching; and to use the severest methods they can, to hinder the fpreading of whatever they apprehend to be fuch opinions. But, If God will judge men as they are accountable, that is, rational creatures; their reward, whether they hit or mifs of truth, will be in an exact proportion to the ufe they make of their reafon and confequently no opinion can be an fin, but for want of an impartial examination; and according as that has been more or less omitted, fo one is more or lefs accountable. If this, how paradoxical foever at first fight> it may appear to fome, is upon examination. demonftratively true; What can be more unreasonable, than on pretence of preventing the growth of dangerous errors, to reftrain the prefs, and thereby hinder men from seeing, and confer |