mote it by themselves: For either they have not the Encouragement of the Magistrate; or those that have, are cut so short in their Revenue, that they have scarce enough to support the Decence of their own publick Worship.
The Church of Rome has indeed of late look'd more favourably upon it. They will now condemn no Man for asserting the Antipodes: The Severity with which they handled Galileo, seems now very much abated: They now permit their Jesuits to bestow some Labours about Natural Observations, for which they have great Advantages by their Travels, and their Clergy may justly claim some share in this Honour, as long as the immortal Names of Mersennus and Gassendus shall live.
But still it is a question, whether that Church does not rather connive at, than really intend its Progress. They have indeed seiz'd on some parts of New Philosophy; but perhaps it is only with the same Policy that we often see great Monarchs use, in retaining some Out-Province of their Empire; who, though they find that the Benefit does not countervail the Charge of the keeping it, yet will not wholly quit their Interest in it, lest their Neighbours should get Possession, and fortify it against them. Thus it is likely they have cherish'd some Experiments, not out of Zeal to the continuance of such Studies, but that the Protestants might not carry away all the Glory, and thence withal get new Strength to oppose them.
This Undertaking therefore is wholly cast on the Church of England, which can have no jealousy of its Effects, to which Ignorance is not a Support, but an Enemy; which aims not at the Captivity, but the Freedom of Mens Minds; which is lately return'd to
