obliged by their high ftations in the Church to defend Christianity, but ready to give the reafons for their faith,and abundantly able to support the truth of it, without making their appeal to the civil power, and becoming bumble fuiters to the magiftrate to controul the spirit of infidelity; and who for this reafon fhew the trueft regard to the religion of Christ, by their avowed declaration against all the methods of prefecuting for his fake. As for fuch who would blend religion with politicks, and plead for a submission to the publick wifdom, and openly declare that men may be justly required to fuch a fubmiffion, it looks as if they fufpected the ftrength of Christianity; otherwife, one would think, they would not invite fuch strange and foreign aids to their affiftance, when they could have more friendly ones nearer at home, that would much more effectually fupport and protect it; or at leaft, as tho' they had fome other interest to maintain than the cause of common Christianity, tho' at the fame time they would willingly be thought to have nothing else in view, but the fervice and honour of it.

And

And if I might advife fuch perfons it fhould be, firft to try if they can vindicate the method by which they would propagate the religion of Chrift, before they attempt the converfion of deifts, whom they have prejudiced against it, by the methods they have recommended to the Civil Magiftrate to fupport it.

If the fcheme of our modern deifts. be founded in truth, I cannot help wishing it all good fuccefs; and it would be a crime in the civil magistrate, by any methods of violence, to prevent the progrefs of it: But if, as I believe, Chriftianity is the caufe of God, it will prevail by its own native excellence, and of confequence needs not the affiftance of the civil power. It once triumphed in its amazing fuccefs, when the powers of this world were bent upon its extirpation; and if they would be but content to believe for themfelves only, and fand neuter between the contending parties, only preferving them from offering violence to one another, I fhould not be in the least afraid of the most formidable objections, that any of its adverfaries

verfaries can bring against the Chriftian revelation. Ica on the contrary, I am per·Swaded that nothing could be of greater fervice to Chriftianity, than to fuffer, and even invite the enemies of it to speak out their difficulties with freedom; for by being thus fairly propofed, they might be as impartially confidered, and folidly anfwered; whereby those who believe already would be more confirmed in the faith they have received, and others, who are now unbelievers, might be brought to the acknowledgment of the truth as it is in Jesus; things indefenfible would be given up; the Spirit of charity would grow more warm and diffufive; men would become Christians, not meerly thro' education and cuftom, but upon folid reasons and firm conviction; and of confequence the influence of Chriftianity, would probably be much more strong and effectual upon the confciences and lives of its profeffors.

On the other hand, where inquifitive men are afraid of speaking out their minds, leaft they should expose themselves to the difpleasure of the civil power, they will be incapable

incapable of receiving the fatisfaction, which others, if they knew their difficul ties, might probably give them; and fo will think them unanswerable, because they dare not publish them. Hence they neceffarily remain unbelievers; Spread privately, and therefore more effectually, difadvantageous reports of Chriftianity; and because they are denied the liberty of reasoning freely, give themselves the greater liberty of invective; and, I am perfwaded, do themfelves and others much more hurt, by fly infinuations, odious comparisons, covert yet bitter reflections, and false representations, than they could poffibly do, by a fair open candid propofing their objections, to the confideration of wife and impartial

men.

The author before us feems to be a proof of the truth of what I have been af ferting. I can scarce perfwade my felf to think fo very ill of him, as that he fell into his way of writing out of choice; or that he would have made ufe of fo much ridicule and banter, and, under the guife of friendship, have attacked Chriftianity with fo much Scorn and contempt, could he have been

affured

4

affured that he might have acted the part of a more open and generous adverfary, with fafety to himself. We might then have seen his strongest objeEtions, from the application of the Old Teftament prophecies, ftated in a fairer light; he would have written with more temper, decency, and good manners; and his answerers might have replied with equal strength and fuccefs, without the ungrateful task of making some reflections, which now appear unavoidable and necef Sary.

I would not be understood however, as tho' I was pleading for a liberty, publickly to revile and calumniate Chriftianity › or indeed any established religion whatfoever. This is little less than a breach of the publick order and peace; and the perfons who allow themfelves this liberty, cannot plead neceffity or confcience in their defence. If every one hath a right to judge for himself, no man can have aright to infult, revile, and reproach another for differing from him; and 'tis part of the magiftrate's office, to prevent injuries of all forts

b