admitted, we shall asperse human Nature and Government with the greatest Calumny. This were to affirm, that Men cannot exercise their Reason without being Factious and Unruly; and that Civil Government will be insupportable to all but ignorant Men and Fools; which is so for from being true, that it were easy to prove that those Nations which are void of all Arts and Knowledge, cannot be properly said to pay a right Obedience to their Sovereigns; but that the Subjection under which they live, rather deserves to be styl'd the Stupidity and Slavery of Beasts, than a just and a manly Submission.
But to limit this Question to the particular kind of Knowledge, which is now under debate, it is certain that the Skill of Nature ought so little to be suspected for making Men perverse and ungovernable, that it is the best Preservative against Disobedience. One of the principal Causes of this is a misguided Conscience, and opposing the pretended Dictates of God against the Commands of the Sovereign. This I have already shewn, that these Labours will moderate and reform by abolishing or restraining the Fury of Enthusiasm. Another is idle Poverty, which drives Men into Sullenness, Melancholy, Discontent, and at last into resistance of lawful Authority. To this Experiments will afford a certain Cure; they will take away all pretence of Idleness, by a constant course of pleasant Endeavours; they will employ Men about profitable Works, as well as delightful; by the Pleasure of their Discoveries they will wear off the Roughness, and sweeten the humorous Peevishness of Mind, whereby many are sowr'd into Rebellion.
But the most fruitful Parent of Sedition is Pride, and a lofty conceit of Mens own Wisdom; whereby
