xliv INTRODUCTION. 



the mysteries of natural philosophy ;* but his 

 object was to point out the evil effects of a 

 superstitious and bigotted adherence to the 

 letter of scripture, concerning which men were 

 very liable to be mistaken, and of inattention 

 to its spirit, which is averse to all persecution, 

 so that persons of a philosophic mind might 

 not be interrupted in their investigations of 

 nature, by the clamours or menaces of mis- 

 taken men. 



In the dark ages, anterior to the Refor- 

 mation, superstition occupied the seat of true 

 and rational religion. Ye do err not know- 

 ing the Scriptures, was an observation almost 

 universally applicable. The armed hand of 

 authority was lifted up against all such as 

 endeavoured to interpret either Scripture or 

 nature upon just and rational principles. 

 Every such effort was rejected, was repro- 

 bated ex cathedra, and persecuted as a dan- 

 gerous and pestilent heresy : thus every 

 avenue to the discovery of truth, either in 

 religion or science, was attempted to be 

 closed. This evil spirit it was that pro- 

 scribed the system of Copernicus, and, 



i Ubi supr. 1. ix. c. 1, | 47, ed. 1740. 



