"Quot hæreses in Ecclesia pullularunt, quarum nomina, natura, origines detegendæ: quæ schismata inconsutilem Christi tunicam lacerarunt; quo furore excitata, quibus modis suppressa, quibus machinis sublata!
"Jam vero, scholasticorum quæstiones, quam innumera! Ad hæc omnia subtiliter disserenda, acute disputanda, graviter determinanda, quanta Philosophiæ, quanta Dialecticæ necessitas! quæ leges disputandi, quæ sophismatum strophæ detegendæ!
"Hæc sunt quæ me a professione deterrent, hæc quæ exclamare cogunt, τίς πρὸς ταῦτα ἱκανός;"
Bp. Pearson's Oratio Inauguralis, 'Minor Works,' (ed. Churton,) vol. i. pp. 402-5.
APPENDIX C.
(p. 71.)
[The Bible an instrument of Man's probation.]
"Multa enim propter exercendas rationales mentes figurata et obscure posita."—Aug. De Unit. Eccl. c. v.—"Obscuritates Divinarum Scripturarum quas exercitationis nostræ causâ Deus esse voluit."—Id. Ep. lix. ad Paulinum, tom. ii. p. 117.
"The evidence of Religion not appearing obvious, may constitute one particular part of some men's trial, in the religious sense: as it gives scope, for a virtuous exercise, or vicious neglect of their understanding, in examining or not examining into that evidence. There seems no possible reason to be given, why we may not be in a state of moral probation, with regard to the exercise of our understanding upon the subject of Religion, as we are with regard to our behaviour in common affairs. The former is as much a thing within our power and choice as the latter."