to carry on their neceffary mutual commerce and hence arifes the vast variety of writings and languages in the world, every nation, and almof every province, having fomewhat peculiarly their own. Nay frequently the fame word in the fame country, and often by the fame person, is ufed in a literal, metaphorical or anological fenfe, which muft make the meaning of it very different. No wonder then that men fhould frequently misapprehend each other in the use of these figns, which are so variable and arbitrary. Therefore it is quite neceffary that in our difquifitions after truth when we make use of equivocal terms, fuch as admit of different meanings or may convey different ideas, we define and fettle before-hand the particular determinate fense in which we use these terms. For if we sometimes take them in one, and fometimes in another sense, we indeed retain the words, but we lose fight of the things which we pretend to exprefs by them. For want of this method in proceeding,

we

we fee fo many logomachies or strange disputes in the world arifing from the different acceptations of the fame words; which disputes have occafioned more evil amongst us than perhaps any other cause. What lover of mankind, then, would not endeavour to put a stop to this mischief! Let us agree about the meaning of the words we ufe in controverfy and I believe we shall foon be agreed in the things.

OF all the words in ufe none have occafioned more altercation than thofe mentioned in my title. What volumes have been written! what parties have been raised! what maffacres have been committed! what wars have been carried on! what vaft countries have been depopulated and laid waste! by difputes concerning the meaning of these words. And though men have been engaged in thefe difputes for fifteen hundred years and more, they do not know what they are difputing about to this day.

B 2

Every party infcribe

infcribes certain Cabalıflic terms on their banners, and imagine there is fomething fo charming in them that all mankind should range them.felves under their protection. Nay different parties make ufe of the fame words, and every one fays, they only have a right to use them; and their feveral votaries moft firmly believe their feveral pretenfions. Surely it would be happy for mankind then, if they would all agree to enquire into the true meaning of those enchanting words, that they may not any longer be impofed upon by them. None can be against such enquiry but those who think it their interest to keep up the difputes. It is undoubtedly for the happiness of all others to know the truth of thefe matters; for when once men come to fee how they have been amufed and impofed upon they would wonder how they fuffered themselves to be wrought up to animofity against each other on thefe accounts; they will drop their contentions and treat one another

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another with kindness and benevolence. Happy alteration! What pains or trouble can be too great to bring it about! and here I moft ardently pray to the God of all confolation to pour out the fpirit of peace and good will and good will upon ail mankind, and thereby promote his glory in the higheft.

Of all the words in our language the meaning of the word REASON is the most ambiguous. Sometimes it is taken for that fitnefs in fubjects to one another which is natural and independent on will and pleafure; as when we fay that fuch or fuch a thing is agreeable or contrary to the reafon of things. Sometimes it is taken for human capacity or comprehenfion, as in that trite observation, That many things are above our reafon which are not contrary to our reason for the meaning of that fentence muft be, if it has any meaning at all, that there are many things which we have

no capacity to comprehend. And this indeed every man, who reflects ever fo little upon human nature, must be fully convinced of. From which I would therefore juft make this remark, that we can no more argue upon fuch fubjects, than we can describe objects which are confeffedly out of fight. Sometimes the word reafon is taken for the cause or inducement which hath prevailed upon us to act after this or that manner rather than any other, as, when we fay, This was my reafon for acting thus or thus. Sometimes it fignifies the argument by which we prove any truth or detect any falfhood, as, we fay a thing must be true or falfe for this or that reason. Sometimes it fignifies the human intellect or understanding, as in this

fentence,

Human intelle&t or understanding I take to be that faculty of the mind by which it perceives objects fuitable to it, and which may be communicated to it by various means.