PYTHAGOREAN WHITINGS. 535 



dices of all authority, than by publicly faying, that 

 they are prejudices. 



In this paffage are contained two objections ; one, 

 that Timaeus rejected the doctrine of punifhments in 

 the inferior world ; the other, that he denied the trans- 

 migration. Both of them are dangerous ; each of them 

 therefore merits a particular examination. 



If Timaeus had intended to fend his work imme- 

 diately from the pen to the prefs, then indeed he would 

 not have fpoken fo freely. But, if he wrote, accord- 

 ing to the ufual practice of the antient Pythagoreans, 

 folely for the initiated, I cannot perceive why he might 

 not deliver his thoughts freely ; he ought to fpeak them 

 freely in this cafe, becaufe he otherwife would either 

 have dealt deceitfully with his fellow-labourers, or have 

 ihewn himfelf unneceffarily cautious. He might even 

 have fpoke freely, though he did not merely intend to 

 addrefs himfelf to the initiated, but alfo to the exoteric 

 Pythagoreans. The author of the critique of the phi- 

 lofophy makes the remark, that the Greeks regarded 

 philofophy and theology as two dirlinct matters inde- 

 pendent on each other, which might be fet in direct 

 opporition without producing either harm or confufion. 

 He confirms this obfervation by feveral examples ; 

 from whence it follows, that either this affertion of our 

 author is wrong, if the remark be right, or that tliis is 

 wrong, if that be right. 



This, and feveral other things of a limilar nature, I 

 fhould fay, if the pythagorean toleration, from whence 

 this confequence is drawn, was fo general ; and mould 

 take the proportion of Timaeus himfelf in the fenfe 

 which the author gives it. Timaeus does not fpeak of 



M m 4 the 



