CriiMERicAL SCIENCES.' 401 



dangerous arts, that the civil magiftrate ought 

 to exercife his authority-, on works that ferve 

 only to fill the heads of mankind with chimeras, 

 to entice them from their labours or uieful ftu- 

 dies, and to engage them in ruinous enterprifes. 

 Every book that contains reflections which are 

 injurious to the majefty of God ; opinions that 

 are inconliilent with the order of ibcicty , a- 

 trocious libels on government, or calumnies 

 on private characters, are worthy of the flames ; 

 or what were dill better, of confiscation. There 

 are even frme uieful and refpectable prejudices 

 in the world, which a wile man and a good 

 citizen will never publicly expofe ; and if any 

 one is rafli enough to attempt it, he is worthy 



:artiiement. But that the magiftrates of a 

 : be lucli pitiful realbners, as to 

 willi to treat a harmlefs philosopher, who may 

 err in the fearch of truth, as they formerly 

 treated the poor pretended forcerers, and as 

 they would have treated Galileo, is the mod 

 coniummatc injuftice and abfurdity. They feem 

 to fay with a loud voice : Citizens, behold apbilofo- 

 pbical work, which is wrote with fo much jlrengtb 

 of argument, that no one can anfwcr it ; but fo dan- 

 gerous that we are afraid you foould know the truth ^ 

 left it might be prejudicial to you. Here y hangman 

 (what an cxprcfllnnin the free republic of letters) 

 do your duty ! The treating of errors in philo- 



y with too much rigour has impeded the 

 ;e human mind, more than is ealily 

 imagined, ly checking the fpirit of lib 

 III C c 



