Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/373

Rh he will remove all Human Actions, from their firmest Center: he will even deprive himself of the Prerogative of his Immortal Soul; and will have the same Success that the Ancient Fables make those to have had, who contended with their God, of whom they report, that many were immediately turn'd into Beasts.

With these Apprehensions I come to examine the Objections, which I am now to satisfy: and having calmly compared the Arguments of some devout Men against Knowledge, and chiefly that of Experiments; I must pronounce them both to be altogether inoffensive. I did before affirm, that the Royal Society is abundantly cautious, not to intermeddle in Spiritual Things: But that being only a general Plea, and the Question not lying so much on what they do at present, as upon the probable Effects of their Enterprize, I will bring it to the Test through the chief Parts of Christianity; and shew that it will be found as much averse from Atheism, in its Issue and Consequences, as it was in its original Purpose.

The publick Declaration of the Christian Religion, is to propose to Mankind an infallible Way to Salvation. Towards the Performance of this happy End, besides the Principles of Natural Religion, which consists in the Acknowledgment and Worship of a Deity, it has offer'd us the Merits of a glorious Saviour: By him, and his Apostles Ministry, it has given us sufficient Examples, and Doctrines, to acquaint us with Divine Things, and carry us to Heaven. In every one of these, the Experiments of Natural Things, do neither darken our Eyes, nor deceive our Minds, nor deprave our Hearts.

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