A

DIS.COURSE

O F

FREE-THINKING,

Occafion'd by

The Rife and Growth of a Sect
call'd FREE-THINKERS.

Mundum tradidit hominum difputationi Deus. Eccl. 3. 11, Vulg.
Unufquifque fuo fenfu abundet. Rom. 14.5. Ib.

Nil tam temerarium, tamque indignum fapientis gravitate
atque conftantiâ, quam, quod non fatis exploratè perceptum
fit & cognitum fine ulla dubitatione defendere. Cic. de Nat.
Deor. l. I.

'Tis a bard Matter for a Government to fettle Wit,

Characteristicks, vol. 1. p. 19.
Fain would they confound Licentioufnefs in Morals with Liberty in
Thought, and make the Libertine resemble his direct Oppofite.
Ib. vol. 3. p. 306.

LONDON,

Printed in the Year M, DCC. XIII.

ENCLISH

CONTENTS

Ntroduction.

pag. 3

SECT. I.

Free-Thinking defin'd.

P. 5

6

Ift Argument to prove that it is every Man's
Right to think freely.

6

2d Argument, taken from Free-Thinking being
the only means to arrive at Perfection in the
Sciences.
3d Argument, taken from the Abfurditys which
follow from not thinking freely.
4th Argument fhows that there can be no ra-
tional Restraint upon Thinking.
5th Argument, taken from the Benefit of Free-
Thinking in a very remarkable Inftance. 27

SECT. II.

25

That it is our Duty to think freely on those
Points of which Men are deny'd the Right
to think freely; fuch as, of the Nature
and Attributes of God, the Truth and
Authority of Scriptures, and of the Mean-
ing of Scriptures,

32

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