XVII. SECT. IL

terature. They even went so far as to confess, C E N T. that ARISTOTLE, though the prince of philosophers, was chargeable with errors and defects, PART II. which it was both lawful and expedient to correct. But these concessions only served to render their adversaries more confident and enterprising, since they were interpreted as resulting from a consciousness of their weakness, and were looked upon as a manifest acknowledgment of their defeat. In consequence of this, the enemies of the Stagirite renewed their attacks with redoubled impetuosity, and with a full assurance of victory; nor did they confine them to those branches of the Peripatetic philosophy which were allowed by its votaries to stand in need of correction, but levelled them, without distinction, at the whole system, and aimed at nothing less than its total dissolution. GROTIUS, indeed, who marched at the head of these philosophical reformers, proceeded with a certain degree of prudence and moderation. PUFFENDORF, in treating of the law of nature and of the duties of morality, threw off, with more boldness and freedom, the Peripatetic yoke, and pursued a method entirely different from that which had been hitherto observed in the schools. This freedom drew upon him a multitude of enemies, who loaded him with the bitterest reproaches; his example was nevertheless followed by THOMASIUS, professor of law in the academy of Leipsic, and afterwards at Hail, who attacked the Peripatetics with new degrees of vehemence and zeal. This eminent man, though honourably distinguished by the excellence of his genius and the strength of his resolution, was not, perhaps, the properest person that could be pitched upon to manage the interests of philosophy. His views, nevertheless, were vast; he aimed at the reformation of philosophy in general, and of the Peripatetic system in particular; and he assidu

ously

CENT.ously employed both the power of exhortation XVII. and the influence of example, in order to persuade PART II. the Saxons to reject the Aristotelian system,

SECT. II.

which he had never read, and which most certainly he did not understand. The scheme of philosophy, that he substituted in its place, was received with little applause, and soon sunk into oblivion; but his attempt to overturn the system of the Peripatetics, and to restore the freedom of philosophical inquiry, was attended with remarkable success, made, in a little time, the most rapid progress, and produced such admirable effects, that Thomasius is justly looked upon, to this day, as the chief of those bold spirits who pulled down philosophical tyranny from its throne in Germany, and gave a mortal blow to what was called the Sectarian Philosophy [t] in that country. The first seminary of learning that adopted the measures of Thomasius was that of Hall in Saxony, where he was professor; they were afterwards followed by the rest of the German schools, by some sooner, and by others later; and from thence a spirit of philosophical liberty began to spread itself into other countries, where the Lutheran religion was established. So that, towards the conclusion of this century, the Lutherans enjoyed a perfect liberty of conducting their philosophical researches in the manner they judged the most conformable with truth and reason, of departing from the mere dictates of authority in matters of science, and of proposing publicly every one his respective opinions. This liberty was not the consequence of any positive decree of the state, nor was it inculcated by any law of the church; it seemed to result

[] By the Sectarian Philosophers were meant, those who followed implicitly seine one of the ancient philosophical sects, without daring to use the dictates of their private judgment, to correct or modify the doctrines or expressions of these hoary guides.

SECT. II.

result from that invisible disposal of things, which c ENT. we call accident, and certainly proceeded from XVII. the efforts of a few great men, seconding and ex- PART II. citing that natural propensity towards free inquiry, that can never be totally extinguished in the human mind. Many employed this liberty in extracting, after the manner of the ancient Eclectics, what they thought most conformable to reason, and most susceptible of demonstration, from the productions of the different schools, and connecting these extracts in such a manner as to constitute a complete body of philosophy. But some made a yet more noble use of this inestimable privilege by employing, with indefatigable zeal and industry, their own faculties in the investigation of truth, and building upon solid and unchangeable principles a new and sublime systeni of philosophy. At the head of these we may place LEIBNITZ, whose genius and labours have deservedly rendered his name immortal [u].

In this conflict between the reformers of philosophy and the votaries of ARISTOTLE, the latter lost ground from day to day, and his system, in consequence of the extremes that reformers often fall into, grew so disgusting and odius, that condemnation was passed on every part of it. Hence the science of Metaphysics, which the Grecian sage had considered as the master-science, as the original fountain of all true philosophy, was spoiled of its honours, and fell into contempt; nor was the authority and influence even of Des Cartes (who also set out, in his enquiries, upon metaphysical principles) sufficient to support it against the prejudices of the times. However, when the first heat of opposition began to cool, and the

rage

[u] The curious reader will find an accurate and ample account of this revolution in philosophy, in the learned Brucker's Historia Critica Philosophiæ.

SECT. II.

CENT. rage of party to subside, this degraded science XVII. was not only recalled from its exile, by the interPART II. position and credit of LEIBNITZ, but was also reinstated in its former dignity and lustre.

The virtues and defects

tors.

XII. The defects and vices of the Lutheran acts clergy have been circumstantially exposed, and theran doc- even exaggerated by many writers, who seem to require in the ministers of the Gospel a degree of perfection, which ought indeed always to be aimed at, but which no wise observer of human nature can ever hope to see generally reduced to practice. These censurers represent the leading men of the Lutheran church as arrogant, contentious, despotic, and uncharitable; as destitute of Christian simplicity and candour; fond of quibbling and dispute; judging of all things by the narrow spirit of party; and treating with the utmost antipathy and aversion those that differ from them ever so little in religious matters. The less considerable among the Lutheran doctors were charged with ignorance, with a neglect of the sacred duties of their station, and with a want of talent in their character as public teachAnd the whole body were accused of avarice, laziness, want of piety, and corruption of

ers.

manners.

It will be acknowledged, without difficulty, by those who have studied with attention and impartiality the genius, manners, and history of this century, that the Lutheran clergy are not wholly irreproachable with respect to the matters that are here laid to their charge, and that many Lutheran churches were under the direction of pastors who were highly deficient, some in zeal, others in abilities, many in both, and consequently ill qualified for propagating the truths of Christianity with wisdom and success. But this reproach is not peculiarly applicable to the seventeenth century; it is a general charge that, with

XVII.

SECT. II..

too much truth, may be brought against all the CEN T. ages of the church. On the other hand, it must ser. I be acknowledged, by all such as are not blinded PART 11. by ignorance or partiality, that the whole of the Lutheran clergy did not consist of these unworthy pastors, and that many of the Lutheran doctors of this century were distinguished by their learning, piety, gravity and wisdom. Nay, perhaps it might be difficult to decide, whether in our times, in which some pretend that the sanctity of the primitive doctors is revived in several places, there be not as many that do little honour to the pastoral character as in the times of our ancestors? It must further be observed, that many of the defects which are invidiously charged upon the doctors of this age, were in a great measure owing to the infilicity of the times. They were the unhappy effects of those public calamities which a dreadful war of thirty years duration, produced in Germany; they derived strength from the influence of a corrupt education, and were sometimes encouraged by the protection and countenance of vitious and profligate magistrates.

theran cler

in which

XIII. That the vices of the Lutheran clergy The vices were partly owing to the infilicity of the times, of the Luwill appear evident from some particular instances. gy partly It must be acknowledged that, during the great- owing to est part of this century, neither the discourses of the times the pulpit nor the instructions of the schools were they lived. adapted to promote among the people, just ideas of religion, or to give them a competent knowledge of the doctrines and precepts of the gospel. The eloquence of the pulpit, as some ludicrously and too justly represent it, was reduced, in many places, to the noisy art of bawling (during a certain space of time measured by a sand-glass) upon various points of theology, which the orators understood but very little, and which the people did not understand at all; and when the importVOL. V.

U

ant