438 



they are found, as Mr. Playfair is to pronounce the pofition, the world has 

 neither beginning nor end, to be prefumptuous and univarrantahlt. What 

 credit Mr. Playfair will obtain for his diftinftions, remains to be determined. 

 Fere Arnauld\ availed him nothing ; the jefuits of the Sorbor.ne un- 

 derftood diltinftions perfectly well, but not liking to have them made 

 ufe of againft themfclves, they found Pert Arnauld guilty. (Lettres 

 Prov.) 



Mr. Playfair is very irritable on the fubjefl: of thefe diflinftions ; 

 and treats Mr. Kirwan with great afperity, becaufe he did not feem 

 to comprehend them j and alfo becaufe he prefumed to cenfure the ten- 

 dency of Dr. Htitton's opinions. 



The intention of an author, and the tendency of his opinions, are 

 diflinft queftions ; the former may be innocent, the latter pernicious : 

 of his intentions we ftiould not ralhly pronounce, as we cannot be 

 fure we are right ; but the tendency of his publifhcd opinions is a 

 queftion of which the public is in poffeffion, and any attempt to 

 deter from an inquiry into this tendency is an infringement of the 

 liberty of difcuflion. Inftead of fcolding, Mr. Playfair (hould have 

 fliewn, that this pofition of his friend had not any tendency that 

 deferved cenfure, for this is the point at ilTue. 



An impeachment of the credibility of Mofes has of late, it appears, 

 been a favourite topic ; and the mode of attack mod frequently adopted 

 is, by contradifting his chronology in the date of the creation. . 



Every reader will probably form a conjefture as to Dr. Mutton's 

 intentions, when he reads his affertion, t/jat he could find no traces of 

 a begining of the world ; and, as to the tendency of fuch pofitions, I 

 fliall reft; it upon the authority of a perfonage more knowing in thefe 

 matters than Mr. Kirwan or Mr. Playfair, I mean Mr. D'Alembert, 

 who fpsnt his life in diffeminating opinions merely for the fake of 



their 



