The Online Library of Liberty

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• Introduction
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• The Divine Feudal Law Represented
• §1.
• §2.
• §3
• §4
• §5
• §6
• §7
• §8
• §9
• §10
• §11
• §12
• §13
• §14.
• §15
• §16
• §17
• §18
• §19
• §20
• §21
• §22
• §23
• §24.
• §25
• §26
• §27
• §28
• §29
• §30
• §31
• §32
• §33
• §34
• §35
• §36
• §37
• §38
• §39.
• §40
• §41
• §42
• §43
• §44
• §45
• §46
• §47
• §48
• §49
• §50
• §51
• §52
• §53
• §54
• §55
• §56
• §57
• §58
• §59
• §60
• §61
• §62
• §63
• §64
• §65
• §66
• §67
• §68
• §69
• §70
• §71
• §72
• §73
• §74
• §75
• §76
• §77
• §78
• §79
• §80
• §81
• §82
• §83
• §84
• §85
• §86
• §87
• §88
• §89
• §90
• §91
• §92
• §93
• §94

§89

Why there is little Benefit of Disputing.Since we have gone thus far, it may not be amiss briefly to make some Observations on those things which Jurieu has thought fit to say concerning the making Peace among Protestants. He therefore in the beginning presupposes that a naked Debate or Disputation would be of no use to the making of Peace: Because no Party will recede from its Right; none will confess it self overcome; never will one Party suffer it self to be as it were led in Triumph by the other.70 We confess very many are of that Disposition, especially those who are posses’d with the Scholastick Stiffness, as that they will peremptorily defend the Opinion which they have once taken up, and will rather even disturb the Common-wealth, then depart from the Opinion which pleases them, especially if there be no other Concern in them but for a vain Applause. Yet because, but one part of a Contradiction can be true, and they who dispute from the same Principle, must at length come to that beyond which they can go no further: They who only seek the Truth ought not to think it a shame to yield themselves conquer’d, and therefore to put away their Errour. And when many erroneous Opinions in the Civil law, Medicine and Philosophy are at length destroy’d by disputing, why may not the same thing be done in Divinity? Especially when in the Points of Faith, Ambition, and the Preposterous Concern to maintain an Authority, ought by no means so far to prevail as to make us rather part with Truth then with a false Opinion. And as no Man hardly can be so foolish as to be unwilling to be freed from his Disease, lest he should seem to have been sick; so he can hardly be in his right Mind who would chuse to continue in his Errours, lest he should seem to have err’d. When we ought rather to rejoyce no less at the putting away an Errour of the Mind, then at a Deliverance from a distemper of the Body. Therefore there is so little profit usually from disputing, not from the Nature of the Controversies, as if they would not be examin’d to the bottom; but from a Disease of Mind which is familiar with those who profess the Study of Divinity, who had rather confound Heaven and Earth together, then seem to have been in an Errour. Nevertheless it is easie for those who can free their Minds from Prejudice to see when a Controversie is examin’d throughly, on which side the Truth must stand. And so the disputes which are solidly manag’d may not want their Fruit, altho’ he that is truly conquer’d, who it is presupposed is not to be commanded in the Case, cannot be compel’d to confess his Errour; whose Obstinacy however being destitute of Reason will deservedly be despised.

[70.]Ibid., p. 138.