others 't is as through the former that daâ—ken the sight by their continual presence and by the weariness caused by their too much gazing upon them so that without the help of those comforting Spectacles if I may so speak the faculty weakned by want of habit is no longer able to endure the Light Let this be observed before-hand to be serviceable hereafter Sect. 5. And as to the Holy Writ I think not that it may be taken for the cause of the Opinions Men have of the Devil Those Opinions being already rooted in the mind as deeply as they can be before the Holy Bible be ever read not to say that the less we read it the more we credit what is said upon that account and the more we are disposed to affirm it Had we not in matter of Religion Dispositions alike to those of other Sects and even to those of the Unfaithful we would doubtless make a good use of the sacred Writings and speak as they do But to our great shame most part of us as well as of other Sects that pretend a Veneration for the Holy Writ search not in it after its Sense being satisfied with the vulgar Interpretations and such as they have received from others And therefore we keep to such Explications as we hear in those Churches in which those of our Communion use to gather unless we will be look'd upon as fickle headed and almost as Apostates In vain we endeavour to render the Reason of our Faith that 's not the question that way carries too far and it would be too great a task to examine all to the bottom In short to speak truth we must confess that if we believe such great and wonderful things of the Devil it is not because they are contained in the Holy Scripture since we suspend not our Judgment till we have consulted it but because we are persuaded before-hand that it must be explain'd and understood according to the Judgment we have already pass'd by reason of some expressions that seem to favour the common Belief that the generality of Men already have of the Devil Sect. 6. If we desire more particularly to examine how the Notion of these things is formed in Men of Learning by the means of Learning it self and how it is increased I am ready to declare what I have observed for a long time by the experiments I have made The first prejudices of Man are as ancient as his knowledge and begin from his most tender youth these two ways When to appease the crys of Children or to calm their Passions they are threatned with the Bugbear either by Words or Effects either by making some extraordinary Noise or presenting to them surprising Objects Experience has long since taught us that these Impressions being the first are also those that leave the deepest tracks in the Brain and cannot afterwards be rooted out but with great trouble when Children being more advanced in years begin to play in the Streets and to discourse with their Neighbours they hear almost at every instant the name of the Devil pronounced that is as a kind of ornament to the common Conversation They hear Tales told of him under the specious title of Histories concerning Hobgoblins Phantasms and Witchcraft Even their Parents and some of their Masters by a deplorable mistake never check their Children in their House their Disciples in their Schools nor their Apprentices in their Shops without mentioning the Devil in their Reproofs and enforcing their chiding with it The Names of God and Christ are not half so much used in those occasions where they would be so lawful and serviceable but on the contrary they seem to be banish'd from the Mouths of most Men. Sect. 7. When Youths are put to School they read almost nothing from the lowest to the highest Forms in the Greek and Latin Books but what concerns the Demons and their Effects as they were represented by the Heathens They are imbu'd with that Science before they attain to those that relate to the use of this Life and that are call'd Faculties The infernal Gods and Goddesses as Pluto Vulcan Proserpine are known very early and grown familiar to Youth before they are sufficiently instructed in the knowledge of the true God They greedily imbibe the Epistles Poetry and Histories of the antient Greeks and Romans where a frequent mention is made of the vertue of Dreams Miracles Apparitions Spectres coming out of Subterraneous Places as Caverns or descending from high as the Air. Those Relations read with pleasure are believed almost as the Gospel or rather are to them instead the Gospel For if Parents are not pious enough to take care in their Houses of the instruction of their Children in what concerns Religion and to have an Eye upon their information as to this point in the Schools I believe not that of 25 Books which are made use of in the Latin Schools to learn Sciences more than one or two are fit to inculcate the Grounds of Christianity to the tender Youth Those that go from the Schools to the Universities carry their heads full of thousands of Verses of Horace Ovid Virgil and a vast number of Passages and Relations collected from Heathen Authors both Greek and Latin Those that râ—turn home from the Universities to their Houses carry still more of them but scarce bring back ten passages or perhaps so much as a passage or a lesson drawn from the Word of God for the foundation of their Faith and matter of their Devotion Sect. 8. In the mean while most of the young Men that go to the Universities newly coming from under the Rod and hardly capable of discretion are allowed to make choice of their own Teacher Which St. Paul reckons amongst the faults of these last times 2 Tim. 4.3 They choose the Exercises they are to make the Lessons they are to learn and the Books they are to Read which they do not so much with an intent of Understanding the Holy Scripture as of informing themselves of the Controversies amongst the principal Sects the particular Opinions of our Doctors who are already but too much divided and whose divisions are but too great The curious Youth are more eager to learn such things than those they ought to know Carried away by the heat of their Blood always ready to take fire and flight they ardently apply themselves obstinately to defend the part of their Masters and direct their Studies especially after the enquiry of such Reasons as may help them to maintain the Opinions they have embraced and to confute their Antagonists So that whenever a passage of the Holy Writ is alledg'd for or against their Sentiments either in Divinity or Philosophy they exert all their ability and subtilty to wrest it or to put upon it such a Sense as favours the Opinion with which they are prejudiced Thus Truth is not enquired aftâ—r for it 's own sake and Scripture and Reason are often
the truth we must search into all the quotations and Opinions that are collected here after the Original of this Opinion so general and so deeply rooted touching the great power of the Devil which we see that all the Christians Protestants Romans and others carry so high at this time there is none who can deny but several things present themselves in these narrations that all the World easily perceives and are capable to produce such Opinions or to confirm them in the minds of Mâ—n neither that Scripture or Reason should lead Men thereto But they gather them from other places and without examining whether they are agreeable to those two rules only worthy of being follow'd they respect them nevertheless because of the credit in which they have been for a long time and of the approbation that has been given them Now I intend to show first that all that is believed touching the great power of the Devil beyond what Scripture and Reason manifestly teaches us of it proceeds not from any of these two springs nor takes it 's Original from any consequences that may be drawn from them and afterwards to discover what is the true cause of it Sect. 2. The truth of this proposition is easily known as to it's first respect because it is known that the most stupid and those that partake least of the light of Reason or of knowledge of the Scripture are those which give most credit to what is said upon the matter in hand The common People Children and Old Women are much more perswaded of it than others but the more understanding one has the more one is conversant in the Holy writ and the more experience he has gained by the conversation of the World and by the different accidents which have presented themselves especially when experience is joyned to these two first Conditions the less he will be apt to believe such Opinions I say he will be the less apt to believe them because it must be granted that there are People of a great deal of learning and experience who not only receive them but implâ—â— all their skill and capacity to confirm them and cause them to be admitted as King James the First Bodin Daneus and many others have done But I think not that we must believe what they have done ought to be attributed to the evidence of reason which have perswaded them but to their prejudices and to a certain particular inclination according to which every one turns himself toward such or such an object according to his inclination It is by the motions of this natural inclination that the understanding being surprized takes a disposition to follow it and when it has once addicted it self thereto it makes use of all it's force and light to maintain its choice and to shew that truth and reason have been his guides to the part he has taken which he fancies all other Men by the same Principlâ—s are also obliged to take That being supposed it follows that the Opinion of a very small number of Writers cannot hinder that what I have proposed should be true as to the whole or the greatest part And it is my advice which methinks no body will deny me S. 3. It may be objected as to what concerns Nature that it cannot be said that what was never taught by the Pagans and Philosophers who had not the help of any other Light but that of Nature and Reason or what they have left in their Writings was drawn from any other spring but Nature it self I grant it But what have they taught upon this subject All that we have reported before in the ten Chapters that are betwixt the first and twelfth There every one may see what it is what are their uncertainty and contradictions how different and opposite among them are their practices What foundation can be laid upon a Philosophy which has not sought but to accommodate it self to capricious and prejudiced People and which consists almost in nothing else but the Tricks of Priests Besides it is not a pure Philosophy that has been the original and foundation of Pagan Religions but the Philosophy such as it has been comprehended and understood by the People that is to say very ill in part or in the whole mixed with prejudice and great ignorance The fear caused by extraordinary and surprising objects and the blind love every one has for his own Notions produced in that perturbation drive Men to seek the means to appease a power from which proceed those extraordinary objects and which is the cause of those evils they are not able to resist These two Reasons I say carry Men to practise for that end all sorts of means although they know them but by half 's or not at all The greatest part of those who might discover to them their Mistakes and afford them better Instructions either will not give themselves the trouble or choose rather to keep it secret and make use of the Error of the People to the end to acquire more Credit and to be the objects of a greater admiration as heretofore the Magi did and as at this time the Bramines and the Bonzes do If there is any one who had better inclinations he dares not open his Mouth for fear of incurring the indignation of the publick As Socrates whose boldness cost him his life which was taken away by Poison Sect. 4. We must therefore imagine that there are not any of those that addicted themselves to Philosophy who from their youth had not been bred in the Opinions and exercise of the Religion of their Ancestors So that they owe unto the Schools the Prejudices that they had thereby already swallowed They found Masters who were no less prevented with theirs either that they were alike to those of their Scholars or that they were different If they were alike the Disciples were confirm'd in those prejudices by their Masters and if they were different they afforded them more matter to confound their Understanding Lastly However it was their Understanding could but remain corrupted and their ill disposition but daily increase If this needed a proof and required less time it would be no hard task to prove what I assert since I may name Persons who may be living instances of it But no body methinks will require from me what I have just now said being too evident to be call'd in question If there are some who never reflected upon it in relation to the Infidels he need but make Considerations upon the Christians and himself quickly to discover the Truth A blind and brutish zeal for Religion or rather for what is call'd Religion ordinarily precedes knowledge without which however there is no true Religion nor sincere Piety The Eyes of our Understanding are insensibly used to objects that continually offer themselves to them they turn of their own accord to that side and afterwards neither will nor can look upon others or at least if they perceive
who exclaim against my Second Book passing my First none has taken notice of my error in this point and declared it to me very few having done so much as reflected upon it But in vain they attack the Second if they admit the First They in no wise see the end I aim at nor the order I have followed as ought to be done in an exact search after the Truth But they undertake to confute my Second Book because it offers a larger field to their censures by different things expounded in an opposite Sense to that of the literal like those ignorant Disputants who let slip the antecedent Propositions and deny the consequence that is necessarily drawn from it I have reason to complain for passing an over-hasty judgment upon the halfe of my Work without staying till it appeared intire and they have seen the following Part and the Connexion no circumstance of time required that precipitation for I had not lost a moment to publish the two last Parts had they not hinder'd it by the disturbances they have given me I believe not that the whole extent of a project or its oeconomy may be perfectly seen while 't is but halfe done So 't is but at present that some judgement may be past upon this work since it begins but now to appear altogether and to be a perfect Body with all its Members The Second Book and the Third consist in the search after Truth and what of certainty may be had as to the Sentiments that have been upon this subject of Spirits and Men who have communication with them that is with evil Spirts I examine in the Second Book what concerns Spirits and in the Third what concerns these wicked People who seek to deal with them according to the division that I have proposed in the beginning of the First Book Chap. 1. Sect. 8. As to the Fourth I shall say hereafter what connection it has with the former and its usefulness Touching the method I take to make by degrees and in order this Search after Truth if whatever I have written upon this subject be attentively consider'd you will undoubtedly know the injustice of those who impute to me that I offer chiefly new Propositions of my own head that I take the greatest trouble imaginable to wrest the Scripture and my reasonings to accommodate them to it or that I make use of Reason as of a Rule with which I would measure Scripture and adapt it to the same On the contrary it is impossible not to see that I never had as yet the least thought of building upon such a foundation but that I have run through all the World and all times to discover where Men may have found the foundations of these Opinions which I have undertaken to find out For when one has attain'd to that knowledge he is in a condition to judge solidly whether those Opinions or Practices are grounded upon good or bad Reasons I declare then that I have not examined all the divers Opinions of the Pagans Jews Mahometans and Christians as well Ancient as Modern nor their Doctrines and Practices with an intent to give explanations of them nor to mainâ—aâ—n them or confute them but only to consider them in themselves and to expose them as they are without making any Judgment or producing any proofs to support or destroy them which is an extraordinary labour that none would ever undertake unless carry'd by the desire of truth So far I lay no foundation I that am a Christian and a Protestant and have no desire to become either Papist Jew or Pagan If I found nothing solid in the search I make I consent that they continue to say and believe concerning Spirits in general and Devils in particular all that is wont to be said and all that can be imagined But altho' I have not as yet found the bottom I seek and that neither Popery Judaism nor Paganism considered in themselves having there withal to furnish me I have notwithstanding a solid foundation which is common to me with those People And I have further another particular which I have in common but with part of them The first is reason which is the light of all men in general when it is found pure in them and neither perplexed nor obscured by prejudices or passions The other foundation upon which I rest is the Scripture inspireed by God which is equally pure in it self And and to the reading of which we ought also to apply our selves as if one had never read them that is to say with an entire disingagement of all humane prejudices and from those that may proceed from the versions of the Hebrew and the Greek which are the original languages in which it has been written he must meditate upon it without any regard to the interpretation which have been made by all sorts of Doctors either Ancient or Modern These two foundations are not Subordinate one to the other but subsist equally together Philo the Jew loving very much to search allegorical Sensâ—s in Scripture and not approving what St. Paul wrote upon the subject of Sarah and Agar Galatians Ch. 4. v. 2. has been the first that has applied to the Scripture and to reason the distinction of Mistress and Servant saying that you must thereby understand that Philosophy and humane understanding ought to be submitted to the holy writ This application is become so familiar to Divines that it has been received as an undeniable maxime since Philo took a fancy to propose it It is however a truth that reason ought to precede Scripture because the latter presupposes the former I understand sound reason to which the Scripture ought to present it self and make it self known as divine after that Reason comes to the help of Scripture teaching us things wherein Scripture is silent and the Scripture likewise comes to assist reason discovering to us things which are above it and above the reach of our understanding We must nevertheless confess that the Scripture is above reason not as mistress for they have every one their particular Empire and Direction But as being more noble and excellent because it is in this God manifests to us things which no humane understanding ever could comprehend 1 Corinthians 2.9 notwithstanding it happens sometimes that they meet both in the same way where they lodge together in the same house and by consequence they often lend one another the helping hand but they do it freely althô with this difference that reason as an inferiour alwayes shows a great respect for the Holy writ When therefore 't is said a Christian ought to submit his understanding to the word of God it must be understood the understanding such as it is in the Estate of corruption obscure by he Clouds that surround it and infected by the stâ—ins that dâ—â—â—â—gure it And such it is in respect of things which are above our reach which are only manifested to us in the word of
God and which we are obliged to believe as Scripture discovers them althô we comprehend them not But it does not follow from thence that we ought to believe those things such as men teach us by their expositions or even by their translations without a great certainty that they are faithful So then the word of God considered as it is originally and in it self and proceeding from God without any respect to the interpretations that have been made by men and reason not such as is born with us and when it is perplex'd with prejudices and blinded with passions but reason purified by the same Spirit which has inspired the Scriptures the Scripture I say and reason are the two only lawful and true grounds of the knowledge we can acquire as well in things Natural as Spiritual But there is yet another distinction to be made upon this Subject that is that reason is the ground and rule of our knowledge in natural things since the Holy writ never treats of them purposely to instruct us and discover them to us and that it speaks of them only as of subjects the nature of which is known to us as much as is necessary to make a good use of them as well in civil matters as in Spiritual In what concerns our Salvation the word of God is the only ground of our Faith and the rule of our Life without being in the power of our reason to add to take from or to change any thing in it thô it ought to be employed on this occasion in two manners the first is to try the Scriptures that are said to be divine in making use of the knowledge that Men have naturally of God to know whether the Scriptures present to them such Characters of truth as are agreeable to that notion The second is to comprehend by the sense of the word contained in them the doctrines there proposed for our Salvation Further we must be persuaded that Scripture and Reason are mutually helping to one another in such matters as are of their Jurisdiction for if the Scripture speaks not sometimes naturally of things naural Nevertheless as it never proposes any thing false t is the part of reason to instructus after what n anner the Holywrit must be understood in these places according as the matter required as Psalm 19. touching the description of the course of the Sun and in many other like places Or if there be any thing in nature that our proper experience has not sufficiently discover'd to us to pass a safe Judgment and that we be obliged to rely upon the Credit of others who perhaps are not much more knowing than ourselves The Scripture may also in this occasion afford us some light As in what is said of the Rain In the Evening and the Morning in Judea Jeremiah 6.24 the little rain that falls in that Country in the time of Harvest and the few storms that are seen there 2 Sam. 12.17 of the violence of the East wind upon the coast of Asia and Palestine in the Mediteranean Sea Psalm 48.8 and the like But that which is most considerable is that the Scripture it self instructs us of some certain natural things to which the reach of reason should never attain they are so much above it Such is the beginning of the World especially that of Man by the immediate creation of God out of nothing And such is the original of the darkness and corruption in which reason and understanding is plunged as they may perceive by the help of such sound and pure remained light as is in them These are the general Principles I presuppose which I believe to be such that there is no Body in what particular Sense he may be that will contest them Upon which I come to examine what is true in all the relations I have faithfully made in my first Book and which are the Sentiments or the ordinary Discourses of all Men upon that subject But it is manifest that I have not made to my self any particular Principles and much less put Reason and Philosophy above Scripture Even the contrary will be seen as clear as the Noon-Day if you take the trouble to read my Writings with attention and without Prejudice For I observe as to this respect as well as in reference to Comets in which Treatise I have followed the same order of which I am amased it has not been perceived the Question ought to be discuss'd of one side with relation to Nature and on the other with reference to Holy Writ and therefore I begin with Reason which is inferiour to the two others to search into Nature as in the lowest School what it teaches most pure touching God and Spirits and particularly the Devil For since the Pagans have presumed to say so many things of the Demons that they had not learned of the Scripture of which they had no knowledge it seems to me that I am not in the wrong to examine what there was that was grounded upon Reason and of what Opinions it seems to be the principle or what are those that are derived from another sourse But as what I could discover by the deepest and most exact search I could make in that lowest School is yet but inconsiderable I ascend a degree higher where I find a Mistress superiour to this first that is the Scripture that I begin to consult in the 8th Chapter of the second part Now as in the seven first Chapters where I walk as in Nature alone I lay aside Scripture to try how far human Understanding may attain by its own strength so I leave reason behind as soon as I enter into the Sanctuary of the Word of God whose Oracles are infallible What I say here that I have no longer recourse t◠Reason I understand it in this Sense that I take 〈◊〉 not as a foundation or as a rule by which I may expound the Scripture But I exclude it not as a means by which I acquire the understanding of the Scripture for on the contrary I cannot want it in this respect were it not for my Reason and Understanding in relation to God I should be in the same rank with Beasts but it is not to Beasts that God speaks but to Men that is to rational Creatures Reason may act alone without Scripture in things that are of its Jurisdiction for Arts and Sciences are the objects of Reason From thence they proceed and thereby they are learned that is Man uses his own light for that purpose without having recourse to the instructions of the Word of God and without having occasion for them But for the things of an higher Nature which concern the Will of God with relation to the Salvation of Man the Scripture is the true principle and solid foundation upon which our trust is founded although Reason ought to concur with it to understand and comprehend under the direction of the Spirit of God the Sense of the Scripture So
Judaism or Popery but they draw their Original from Paganism What Reason than may a Protestant have to reject the fables of the Talmud and the stories of the Popish writings as soon as those fables and tales are naturaliz'd by Jews or Papists and to hold them for truths or at least for probable things as long as Paganism cherishes them in it's bosom All must be rejected together or the whole whatever it may be must be let alone Why do we not free our selves from all our prejudices and associciate Scripture to Reason to ground our Reasonings only upon them and to look upon them as the only pure spring What pains and trouble has not our credulity to those Heathen tales cost us How many learned Divines and Philosophers have puzled their brains to ascribe to the Devil those Oracles which they look not for the effects of Human knowledge and withall such wonders as they could not believe to be performed by Human power So when it seem'd that the answers that were given by the false Gods and the effects that were produced among the Heathens were too extraordinary and above the force of nature 't was thought fit to cut the knot that could not be untyed 'T was supposed that Spirits only could be the Authors of all these things a suitable power and knowledge was ascribed to them and at last the very manner of effecting them was determined such is the Original of that science falsâ—y so call'd the contradictions of which the Apostle commands a Christian to avoid in his 1 Epist to Timothy Chap. 6. v. 20. Sect. 18. The old Women's tales as St. Paul call's them in the same Epistle Chap. 4. v. 7. which the Popish writers tell us and the fables they rehearse would supply us with abundant matter of meditation should we as much credit them as we do the others For what must not be said if supposing that Human deceits have no share in them we would examine how the Devil could produce all the effects that are told in those narrations we believe it more convenient to spare our selves that trouble by rejecting as meer lies the greatest part of what comes from that side But what Reason have we to deal otherwise with the Papists than with the Heathens 'T is because of the particular hatred we have for Popery from which we have been separated not long since and with which we are in continual War besides the Reformation of Doctrine and Worship that was made in the Church at the beginning of the last Century extended not to those Opinions which were scarce taken notice of and which had taken root even before the decay of the Church was perceived so that it was only purified of such Errors the rejection of which was judged absolutely necessary in conference betwixt Luther and Calvin Not long after when the Reformation was carryed farther such points only were handled as had some relation with the former 'T is properly for that Reason that in those publick writings that are call'd the Liturgy of our Churches it was never minded to correct those expressions that had been so long in use as to Spirits and Devils no controversy having ever been rais'd either amongst the Christians in general or the Papists in particular Yet I doubt not but it had been done had this Article been taken so much notice of and examined with so much attention as the others were or had but one half of the difficulties that are now proposed been alledged at that time Sect. 19. Moreover amongst the qualities that are ascribed to Popery the picture of which I confess can scarce be more unshaply then the Original it self That of Antichristianism was thought very convenient as that of Antichrist to fit the Pope extraordinary well Immediatly the words of St. Paul in his 2 Epistle to the Thessalonians Chap. 2. v. 3. to the 9th were explained in that sense and it was thought that the Apostle had an Eye to Popery when he said That his coming would be in the efficacy of Satan with all Power Signs and Lying Wonders By the explication the Protestants were disposed to joyn together Satan and Antichrist that is the Devil and the Pope as two Brothers and to draw that consequence that Popery was the Doctrine of the Devil By which means it was easy to insinuate that the Devil interestes and has his vote in the tenets of the Papists and that the See of Rome is the seat of his Empire Sect. 20. Thence proceeds the stile that is ordinarily used both in Discourses and Books even as to the smallest Controversies that are raised about some point of Doctrine or Worship when any sticks not to the vulgar Opinions 't is presently cry'd up that the Devil 's let loose and uses all his violence and crafty Devices to assault the Church 'T is said he 's always ready to oppose all our Motions towards good and a thousand like People are pleas'd to hear the Devil so set off they love the occasion of casting upon him all the faults they are guilty of and of applauding themselves for victory when they have overcome some Temptation which they imagined to have been raised by the endeavours of that powerful Enemy We look upon it as a piece of Eloquence not only to take God's Name in vain but also incessantly to joyn that of the Devil with it In a word the Almighty forms almost no project but immediately the Devil endeavours to destroy it and the most vitious Men commit scarce any Crimes but they are driven to them by the Devil Sect. 21. With all those prejudices we undertake the expounding and translating of the Holy Writ for having never conceived the least doubt as to these things we had never occasion to examine whether they are really true But why should we take so much trouble is it not far more convenient to believe what is generally believed and to speak as the other do The enquiry of Truth is an undertaking in which little assistance is to be hoped and there are so many guards on all the ways that lead to it that it would prove very hard to break through 'T is an ancient Proverb That every one is not allow'd to go to Corinth Whoever intends to overcome so many difficulties cannot hope to succeed but by his diligence eagerness and earnestness To this end I know not a better means than to proceed to the Interpretation of the Holy Scripture as though it had never been interpreted before to search into all things carefully to enquire after the Connection of all the Doctrines contained in it and to have recourse to Interpreters only to borrow some light for dark places but not to follow them as true and infallible Guides This I hope to put in practice in my second Book if God gives me life Sect. 22. But doubtless this advice will prove serviceable only to my self and some few Persons who shall perceive its usefulness neither have I reason to hope that it should ever be relisht by the publick Popery being not so far eradicated out of the Protestants Hearts but that it springs up again from time to time in some places There is a fault of which the visible Church was never free that is the having too much deference for Authority and Tradition For though a great Respect ought to be paid to those that are established as God's Ministers in the Church and that several things concerning her external Government ought to be ruled by her Directors yet we must not give up our selves wholly to them There is a great regard to be had as to this Point and a Mean to be chosen with much Discretion lest to avoid the reproach of Irreverence and Irregularity we should ascribe too much to the Authority of the Church and the common Opinion of her chief Doctors In this Sense it is that one of the most learned Men of this Age undertook to assert this Thesis Papatus est inseparabilis ab Ecclesia The Popedom is inseparable from the Church As for me who perhaps have more experience in this matter than any other Person in these Provinces I dare not hope this method should change and even have no Reason to believe it considering what passes whilst I am taken up with this present work However I shall prosecute my design relying upon the Grace of God being persuaded that I write for maintaining the Truth and that I cannot forbear to do it since I am informed of it After all as I aim at nothing else but the Glory of God and the defence of the true Faith so I see that my labour has not been in vain but has already produced great Fruit. This bears up my Courage and inspires me with great ardour to apply my self to the composition of the following Books The End of the First Book