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is so farr from being faid out of any oftentation, that many on the contrary, who are no ill judges of men or things, will apply the words of the Apoftle PAUL to me; that if I must needs glory, I will glory of the things, 2 Cor. 11. which concern mine infirmities. Now let the study of the Fathers be difreputable or otherwife, fince Doctors differ as they fay: tis undoubtedly for understanding them too well (at least in my own opinion, which is the most that any one has for his reading) and not for having neglected to peruse their writings, affifted by all neceffary helps, that I entertain fo mean an opinion of them, either as good interpreters of the Scripture, or as fure guides in Religion. Dr. BRETT feems to acknowledge fo much, when he fays that I made a difficulty of matters, thro Pref. want of will rather than want of light. Confonant to Page 16. this verdict pronounces Mr. WoTTON, tho not with Ubi fupra mere refpect to the Fathers, It seems by thofe Letters (speak- Page 3. ing of thofe to SERENA) that he knows where the truth lyes in every particular; and if that will not convincé him, how can I? How indeed? For I affure him, that I fhall ftrait veil my bonnet to TRUTH, wherever the appears to me as fuch: and that in thofe Letters I afferted nothing, but what I maturely concluded to be true. I wou'd defire Dr. HARE and Dr. BRETT to believe the fame thing of me, in what concerns my judgment of the Fathers; for I fhall never be damn'd for wilful ignorance, however I may be mistaken after my best endeavors, which may as well be their own cafe. But will never allow that I am actually mistaken, because I poffibly may be fo: which is the filly fophifin of the Sceptics, Jon the one hand; and, on the other, of fuch as wou'd dogmatically fubject REASON to AUTHO

RITY.

V. I MADE an appeal before, and I make one here again, to all moderate, ferious, and learned Divines not byafs'd, whether I have ever shown by any of my writeings that I am an enemy to Religion, tho avowedly fo to Superftition. Religion pure and perfect, as it was originally taught, without the corrupt additions and alterations of ignorant or interested perfons, I both profefs and recommend, as will appear (to referr to no other books) from the conclufion of this very volum. I never wrote a fyllable against any one Article of the Church of England in particular, tho feveral of my accufers have broach'd

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many odd or perillous whimfies against most of them; as if they claim'd a privilege to fay any thing tho ever fo extravagant, and that others may not fay what in duty they ought. O but you are an enemy to Priefts, fay their implicit tools: and I answer, that Chriftian priests in the literal fenfe I acknowledge none, nor any other Sacrifices but those of prayer and thanksgiving, offer'd on the Altar of the heart; whether by every one in private, or by all in public, devoutly joining with the perfon who makes a common prayer in their name, be it conceiv'd or a fet form. Such Paftors, fuch Minifters of the Congregation, lawfully ordain'd to this function and duely qualify'd, exclufively of all confufion in the public worship, tho every Christian be figuratively both a king and a priest, I refpect and highly approve. So I do alfo approye of National Churches, with which I hold tolerated Churches to be very confiftent; tho under no incapacities in civil affairs, Perfecution (which is fuffering of any degree or kind on the account of mere opinion) not being from GOD, but the certain mark of a falfe Church, at least in this point. The fworn enemies to thefe free fentiments, who fet up for Priesthood properly fo call'd, are they who decry every man, that gives fair warning of the Dominion they are laboring to erect, or that manfully oppofes it. To the defigns of these adversaries of civil and religious Liberty, I frankly declare my felf an enemy. Nor do I wonder they fhou'd pretend Religion, or the Church to be in danger, to the end that all men, as has been by fome body juftly obferv'd, may be thus like fo many foldiers lifted in their caufe: wheras, if they how'd their private intereft, few or none wou'd venture in their quarrel. He's a Heretic that prefumes to differ from them about any thing, and he that along with them will not halloo the Heretic they have made, run down his doctrine without knowing it, mifreprefent his reasons or suppress them, attribute to him the worst of confequences tho abfolutely difown'd, and make him pafs for a man of loofe actions or impious notions: he, I fay, that will not join in this cry, is prefently himself fufpected, his reputation is blafted; as one that does not favor their projects, and whofe equity or moderation expofes their conduct. They are conscious of their own artifices, and fo much haunted by their guilt, that they find themselves where they were never put. If a Man does but compile a political Romance,built altogether upon Heathen ideas,and moftly in

the

the very terms of the antients; they presently imagine that their Palladium is ftol'n and profan'd by fome new ULYSSES, who defigns to fubvert their Troy. They declaim against human reafon, not, as they hypocritically pretend, to make men fubmit to GOD's word, which reason will always perfuade; but to fubject them to their own authority, and arbitrarily to difpofe of their belief. When once their difciples are brought to this pitch of obedience, they are then taught, not to mind fo much in matters of Religion what is faid, as who it is that says it; which maxim was impudently defended by Father 22 STAPLETON, and is practically countenanc'd by fome nominal Proteftants. Hence that magifterial air they affume, as if they were another fpecies of men. Briefly, I oppofe no Ecclefiaftics among us, but fuch as in all regards refemble those of the West Indians. Their Powaws or Priests (fays the reverend 3 Mr. NEAL) are a fubtle generation of men, ambitious, cruel, greedy of riches, grafping at an abfolute power and dominion over the people, from whom they require a profound respect and reverence; as perSons who have a familiar acquaintance with the Deity, and who, by their bleffings and curfings, can make men happy or miferable in a future ftate. Let Mr. LEWIS, who, in his Hiftorical Effay upon the Confecration of Churches, Pref. page calls me the great Advocate of Mahomet and Presbytery 22. (as another of the fanctify'd Buffoons and Merry Andrews gives me the title of Mahomet's Sollicitor General) let him and his fellows fay, that this is discharging my poyson on Ibid. the Clergy; the contrary will be evident to all that can diftinguish between the good and the bad, the fober and the debauch'd, the pious and the wicked, the learned and the ignorant, the Paftor and the Prieft, the Proteftant and the Papift, the friends of the Government and its enemies. They are in reality the most venemous antagonists of the Church of England that I oppofe, however fome of 'em may conceal themselves under her mantle, that they may have the better opportunity of stinging her to death.

In loca Serpentum nos venimus.

The aim of these in difpute, is not to reclaim but to de-f

22 In doctrina Religionis non quid dicatur, fed quis loquatur, attendendum eft. Defenf. Ecclefiaftic. authoritat. lib. 3. cap. 7. eso Demonftrat. principior. doctrinal. lib. 10. cap. 5.

23 Hiftory of New-England, vol. 1. page 55.

ftroy:

ftroy: inftead of a lance to cure, they bring a dagger to kill. As for any clamor they may raise, I fhall not be in the leaft difquieted about it, feldom letting any of their flowers be loft: tis what I expect of course, and a diverfion to which I am tolerably well accuftom'd. Neither do I value any company or affembly of fuch perfons, when I perceive no reafon to fear any one of them fingly, or to be shy of coping with him. The contrary difpofition wou'd be to think, that a club of artificers jointly 'cou'd finifh fome extraordinary piece of work, when every one of 'em feverally was a 24 bungler. Tis long fince I have made it a maxim to my felf, that as ERROR and FALSHOOD may be confuted as well by one man, as by one thousand; fo REASON and TRUTH have no more to fear from one thousand, than from one man. So long as I obey the laws of my country, which fhall ever be facred to me, I have nothing to fear (how little foever I may get) for making what inquiries, difcoveries, or improvements I may be able, whether in letters or otherwife: nor am I apprehenfive that the ill offices of Bigots, who wou'd gladly make their oppofers ftarve, according to their laudable cuftom in all ages, can be any obstruction to my fortune; as not being ambitious of either rank or title, nor defirous of any place or preferment. The vanity of fuch uncertain poffeffions I defpife, as much as I abhor the dependence they unavoidably create. Let thofe who form other ideas of things, and who have not thoroly reflected on the caprices of fortune, fuppofe what they pleafe; I wou'd not exchange that LIBERTY, for which I have been ever ftrenoufly pleading on my own behalf, and that of my fellow creatures, for the highest dignities and diftinétions in the world. NA

TURE IS CONTENT WITH A LITTLE, and he wants leaft who has feweft defires, or keeps the strongest control over his paffions. Books and bread enough, with fele& company in an agreeable Retirement, give that folid fatisfaction, which is fruitlefly expected from the fcraping or hording of treafure, from follicitoufly counting or profufely fpending it. Wherfore I preferr the innocent amufements of the country (where alone real pleasures are

24 An quidquam ftultius, quàm, quos fingulos, ficut operaries barbarofque, contemnas, eos aliquid putare effe univerfos? Cic. Tufc. Difput. lib. 5. cap. 36.

beft

beft injoy'd) its frugal but falubrious diet, the purity of the air, the charms of the earth and water, and the tranquillity of my walks unconfin'd as my thoughts, to all the pomp and delicate entertainments of the Court, to all the wealth and fplendid hurry of the City.

Φοία δ' ένθα και ενθα δια ροπηία πυκνά,
Αλλοτε μεν ρείθροισιν εφελκόμενΘ μαλακοισιν;
Αλλοτε δ' αυ περησιν εν ηλιβαζοισι διοιχνείς
Ακροβατην κορυφην μηλοσκοπον εισαναβαίνων.

There I fhall contribute my beft endeavors for the good of mankind, and never do any thing to difturb the public peace, which is the nurse of the common welfare: for the Peace which the Deceivers mean, is a ftupid and liftless refignation of mens understanding to others, who undertake to think for them. For this reafon thefe Undertakers are against all examination, left their own thoughts fhou'd be found bad or little worth; and fo men fhou'd not pay them wages to think for them, when they might think perhaps much better for themselves. The true Divine, who's ever as true a Patriot, acts quite the reverse of all this; appealing to mens understanding for the truth of whatever he proposes to their belief or practice; and conftantly exhorting them to use their Reafon, to ftand in defence of their Religion and Liberty, against all spiritual or temporal ufurpations. To draw towards a conclufion, I own as much as any one, that the abuse of a thing ought not to take away the use of it: tho an excefs on the one hand, has often thrown people into an excess on the other hand. Nor is Divinity the only profeffion that has fuffer'd in this manner, as may be learnt from the following old Poem; which tho very plain both in the ftile and measure,is yet nicely epigrammatical,and contains a beautiful Climax.

1

The TRIPLE PLE A.

LAW, PHYSICK, and DIVINITY,
Being in difpute, cau'd not agree

To fettle, which among them three

Shou'd have the Superiority.

LAW pleads he does preserve men's lands,
And all their goods from rav'nous hands:

Therfore

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