objections I have ever seen or heard of, as advanced by our modern free-thinkers. But I firmly believe, that what weight this thought has, will be found in favour of christianity, and not in opposition to it.

You well know, Sir, one can judge of these things only by one's own observation, and the report of others. I will not now insist on the latter; and that what I have to say as to the former, may not be imputed to the eagerness of disputation, I think it not unbecoming my character to use the solemnity of saying, in the words of St. Paul, I protest to you by our rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus, (and a stronger asseveration I cannot use,) that I write on this topic, as I would do if my life were to conclude with this letter, and I were directly to pass to account before the Judge of hearts, for the truth of what I say.

I condescend not to speak of a mere freedom from gross and infamous vices; but sure I am, that if I have ever scen amiable and sublime virtue in the world, I have seen it among the humble disciples of Jesus. Where education and circum stances in life have been low, christian principles have, to my certain knowledge, so far as principles could be known from behaviour, raised, animated, and ennobled the mind. I have beheld, even in cottages, that filial devotion toward the blessed God, that cordial submission to his will under the most painful dispensations, that calm steady fortitude, in the midst of evils which might have made a philosopher tremble, that cheerfulness in the immediate views of death; and, in the tenor of lives which I have intimately known, that strict integrity, that diligence, that contentment, that readiness to do good in full proportion to their small abilities, that generous self-denial to avoid what might grieve and offend others, and, to crown all, that tender solicitude for the eternal happiness of friends, of strangers, and sometimes of enemics; which has often filled me with wonder, as well as delight. I speak freely, as conscious both of the truth and importance of what I say; nor am I at all ashamed thus openly to acknowledge, that my faith in christianity has been not a little established by such observations as these; which, I bless God, have not been made in a few instances: and I esteem the evidence, not the less, but the more, because daylabourers might enter into it, as well as myself.

I doubt not, Sir, but thousands more have also made observations of this kind; and that it will generally be found, that when the principles of christianity enter a mind before unaffected with them, they produce this effect, which indeed it is most natural they should. On the other hand, as to professed

infidels, and it is on them only that the observation can pertinently be made, I appeal to the world in general, whether they do not commonly make shipwreck of a good conscience, as well as of faith, and plainly shew, that the precepts of the gospel are as disagreeable to them as its doctrines. It would be strange indeed, if good-nature, a sense of honour, and, especially in advanced life, a caution not to disgrace distinguishing principles, did not restrain some from scandalous enormities, and produce something agreeable in their behaviour; But I believe, most who know the world will allow, that it is a peculiar glory for any of this sect to maintain so much as an uniform external appearance of what the best heathen moralists have esteemed virtue.

People of attention and reflection in the lower ranks of life, are not so stupid, as not to observe these things, or to neglect drawing the obvious inference from them: an inference, in which they will be both directed, and supported, by that maxim of our divine master, By their fruits ye shall know them. What the morals of infidel writers in private life have been, it may seem difficult certainly to judge, because their pieces have been mostly anonymous. Yet I cannot forbear

observing, that some of those ingenious authors have found out a way of letting the world into their characters, without publishing their names; and that in some such palpable instances, as one would almost ascribe to a judicial infatuation, or think they had been hired to expose their own cause to contempt.

And this leads me farther to touch upon that confirmation, which the faith of plain christians sometimes receives, from observing not only the character of those who would subvert christianity, but also the manner in which they often manage their opposition to it.

Every one who can read his bible may observe, (and it may be profitable for young persons especially, to be shewn it,) how unjustly the enemies of revelation often represent the doctrines and facts delivered in scripture. He may see the calumnies, which these men often throw upon the inspired writers, or those whom they celebrate, rolling off, like foul water from the down of a swan, without leaving any trace or soil behind it. It is obvious also to remark, that instead of examining, or so much as attempting to confute, the arguments for christianity, which these gentlemen cannot but know; they only advance their surmises, and their possibilities, or make vain efforts to prove, that those things cannot in reason be, which in fact appear.

It is not to be wondered, if honest persons of plain sense

have soon enough of such teachers, and do not often come to seek for grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles; or that if the boisterous attacks, which are made on their faith by such methods, seem at first a little to loosen the roots of it, the storm afterwards serves only to fix it the faster, and to make way its farther spread. Especially when they see, that arguments produced in opposition to christianity often have as malignant an aspect on natural religion too, and apparently tend to destroy all mutual commerce among mankind, which can never be carried on without some confidence in the testimony of each other. It is thus that meat often comes out of the eater, and sweetness out of the fierce; and the subtile are taken in their own craftiness. The grossness of such visible and palpable snares engages prudent people to avoid the path in which they lie, and so secures them from others of a finer contexture, and a more dangerous form.

And thus, Sir, I have fulfilled my promise, and given you a more distinct account, than I remember to have met with elsewhere, of the rational satisfaction which many christians in common life have, and others, under due cultivation, might without any accuracy of learning obtain, with regard to the truth of the religion they profess. And I do sincerely apprehend, that this representation of the matter, far different from that which you have given, if it appear just, will contain a compendious answer to what you have suggested on the contrary side of the question; and be such a reply to your treatise, as walking is to the celebrated arguments which have been brought to demonstrate the impossibility of motion.

But here, Sir, as you tell your friend, "I am very sensible, I have been holding you for some time past in the highest impatience of zeal, to interpose and remind me," that even this evidence cannot be obtained by all ;-that while it is pursued, it keeps the mind in a state of dangerous hesitation ;and where it is had, it is founded in the prepossessions of education,-in partial and imperfect views of the question ;-that much of it depends upon precarious human testimony ;—and consequently, that it cannot have efficacy enough to satisfy the mind, to controul irregular affections, or to animate against those extremities, which the gospel may sometimes require us to endure in its defence. Each of these particulars you object in your pamphlet ; and I do not remember any thing material suggested in it, and proper to be considered in this place, which does not fall under one or another of these heads.

Now as to the first of these, it is indeed true, that all the evidence which I have here described, cannot probably be attained by all; though I am confident a great deal more might be done for this purpose, in an enlightened and protestant country like ours, than we generally see. Care might be taken, especially if the richer kind of people had a becoming compassion on their poor neighbours, to teach all children to read, and to furnish all families with bibles; as also to put such catechisms into their hands, as contain some hints of the reasons of christianity. And if that which Dr. Thomas Burnet has drawn up in so plain and concise a manner, were to be used, I will venture to say, that children will be furnished with reasons for being christians, which, so far as I can learn, the most sagacious deists have been too wise to attempt directly to answer; and till they both attempt, and effect it, the understanding of a child may see, that whatever else they do is of very little importance. There are also several other plain and popular pieces*, which may, with a very small expence of money and time, be purchased and perused by young people : and if they were to be read two or three times over in families on the evening of a Lord's-day, children and servants might, by an attentive hearing, be enabled to give some reason of the hope that is in them. And till they come to be capable of understanding such plain things as these, if they have no reason to believe their bible to be true, but that they find it excellently good, and see it believed and reverenced by the wisest and best of those around them, it is, I suppose, at least, as good a ground for their faith, as such infant understandings can have for infidelity. Nor will it be easy to invent any scheme, by which a child shall attain any knowledge at all, without some confidence in the veracity and skill of its parents, or other teachers.

Indeed, Sir, according to the injurious representation you have made of human nature, this is the case, not of little children alone, but of most who are grown up to years of maturity. "The generality of apprehensions," say you (page 17.) "extend not beyond a simple proposition, and are thrown out at once at the very mention of introducing a medium;" that is, in plain terms, they are not rational creatures. I shall not now urge, how inconsistent this is with the arguments, by which

* Either the Three Sermons mentioned above, page 20, or the bishop of London's Pastoral Letters; or a pamphlet intitled Plain Reasons for being a Christian; or the first part of The Gentleman's Religion.

those that call themselves (by a strong catachresis) freethinkers, attempt to reason people out of a regard to revelation; and that, even by maintaining the natural abilities of the human mind to discover, without any supernatural assistance, every thing in religion which we are concerned to know. You, Sir, are too zealous a christian to be pressed with such a consequence; or to be told, that if your subsequent discourse (page 18, 19.) be right, when taken in connection with this principle, it will lead to a conclusion, that men may live at random, not having sense enough to be capable of rendering an account to God for their actions. It would, I doubt not, be well for some, if this were indeed the case; but I hope, none that pretend to reason against religion, will imagine they have any pretence to take shelter in such a thought. If this admonition be a digression, you will, I hope, pardon it, in favour of those, who I dare say are the greatest admirers of your performance; and I will now return to remind you, in direct answer to what you advance, that daily experience shews the capacities of mankind in general not to be so weak, as (just to serve a present purpose,) you are pleased to suppose them. Do not people in low life reason on the common occurrences of it? Do they not learn the art of numbers, and often know how to apply it in cases where the reason of that application requires much more than one medium to find it out? I suppose, the natural understand. ing of men, in different stations of life, is on an average pretty equal, and that education generally makes the chief difference; and I have had an opportunity of observing, that among those who enter on academical studies, (and reasoning is not much cultivated in grammar schools,) there is not one in some scores, who, with proper instructions, does not in a few days grow capable of entering into the force of Euclid's Demonstrations.. And I hope, none will have so little modesty as not readily to acknowledge, that the reasonings by which christianity is proved in the plain pieces I referred to above, are much easier, and less abstruse, than those relating to the properties of mathematical figures to persons to whom they are entirely new. Objections therefore taken from the supposed impossibility of entering into the proofs offered, can only take place with regard to persons, who when grown up are so unhappy as to want common sense; of whom it cannot be supposed, that either of us intended to speak, in what we have said on either side of the question in debate between us.

But you will not fail to remonstrate, as you have already