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REMARKS 
 
 On a Late 
 
 PAMPHLET, 
 
 ENTITLED, 
 
 Chrijliaiiity not founded on Ai'gument* 
 In a LETTER to a Friend. 
 
 By J HN^LE LAN D, D. D. 
 
 Author oi An Anjhver to Chriftianity as Old 
 as the Creation y by Dr. Tindal : 
 
 AND 
 fT/^r Divine Authority of the Old and Neiv Tejlamcnt 
 Jjferted, &c. againfl 'The Moral Philofopher. 
 
 L N D N: 
 Printed for R. He t t, at the Bihle and Crown, in the 
 Poultry : And Sold by J. Stagg, in WejhninjJer' 
 Hall. M. DCC. XLIV. 
 
 [ Price One Shilling. J 
 
IT is proper to advert if e the Reader ^that 
 the Letter now publiJHd^ and another 
 which is to follow ity were written by the 
 Author^ fome time fince^ at the Requefl 
 of a Friend^ before he had feen any of 
 the Anfwers that have been made to that 
 Pamphlet* After reading fome of thefc 
 A?tfwers^ he judgd it U7mecejfary to pub- 
 lifh thefe Rema-'hs : But as fome Perfons^ 
 for whofe Judgment he has a very great 
 Regard^ were of opinion they might flill 
 he of Ufe^ he has confented to the Publi- 
 cation, 
 
 E R R AT. P. 8. lin. 31. for "Truth read Faith, 
 
BOOKS printed for R. Hett. 
 
 In Two Volumes. Price gs. 
 
 7be Second Edition [Rei'is^d by the Author ^ and made to refer both ta 
 
 the ^arto and OSia-vo Editions it is an Anfiver to) of 
 I. 1^ N Anfwer to a Book, entitled, Chrijlianity as old as thi 
 jfj^ Creation. In Two Parts. Parti. In which the Author's 
 Account of the Law of Nature is confider'd, and the Scheme is 
 Ihew'd to be inconfiftent with Reafon and with itfelf, and of ill 
 confeqaence to the Interefts of Virtue and Good of Mankind. 
 Part IF, In which the Authority and Ufefulnefs of the Revelation 
 contain'd in the Sacred Writings of the Old and New Teftament 
 are aiTerted and vindicated againft the Objedlions and Mifreprefen- 
 t^tions of that Author. 
 
 In Two Volumes. Price loj. dd. 
 The Second Edition corre^ed, of 
 
 TI The Divine Authority of the Old and New Teftament afTert- 
 ed ; with a particular Vindication of the Charaflers of Mofes and. 
 the Prophets, our Saviour Jefus Chrijl and his Apollles, againft 
 the unjuft Afperfions and falfe Reafonings in both the Volumes of 
 the Moral Philofopher. 
 
 Both by John Leland, D. D, 
 
 The Reverend Dr. Delany, in his RefieSions on Polygamy, and the 
 Encouragement ginjen to that PraSiice in the Scriptures of the Old 
 Tejiament, See. fpeaking of the unreafonable Objcftions of our mo- 
 dern Deills to God's not having fufficiently reveal'd his Will to 
 Mankind ; and of their extolling the Light of Nature above that 
 contain'd in the Scriptures, Page 40, fays thus : See this pernicious 
 DoSlrine, together ivith many others of like Tendency, clearly and fully 
 confuted in Leland'j learned and excellent Anfaver to Chrijlianity as 
 old as the Creation. 
 
 N- B. Thefe four Volumes contain not only an Anfwer to Chri- 
 ftianity as old as the Creation, and the Moral Philofopher, but an •' 
 Explication of feveral of the moil difficult Parts of the Sacred Scrip, 
 tures, and a Defence of Revelation in general againlt the moll con- 
 fiderable Objedions of other Writers. 
 
 III. A Paraphrafe and Critical Commentary on the Prophecy of 
 Joel: To which are prefix'd two Prefaces ; the firil on the Necef- 
 fity and Ufefulnefs of a Chriilian Miniller's lludying the Prophe- 
 tick Writings, and of the Difficulties that occur'd in the Profecu- 
 tion of this Work, with the Method taken to furmount them. The 
 fecond contains an Attempt to fix the Chronology when this Pro- 
 phecy was deliver'd, wherein Khnchi, Lightfcot, G?otius, and other 
 Commentators are fhewn to be millaken. There is alfo a Table 
 of the Hebretv Words illultrated in the Commentary. 4to. Price 4 j. 
 By Samuel Chandler. 
 
 IV. The Truth, Infpiration, and Ufefulnefs of the Scripture, 
 afTerted and prov'd. In feveral Difcourfes on the Second of Ti;r.oth^ 
 ii. 16. Price 4/. 6^. By Benjamin Bennet. 
 
R E MAR KS on a late Pamphkt^ entitled, 
 Chriftianity not founded on Argu- 
 mentj ^c* 
 
 SIR, 
 
 I Now fend you, according to your Define, feme 
 Remarks on a Pamphlet that has made fome 
 noife, and v/hich hath a very odd Title, 
 Chrijiiauity not founded on Argument. It is 
 but very lately that I read it, tho* it be a confider- 
 able Time fince it was firfi: publiOied. For, be- 
 fides that I live at a diftance from your great Me- 
 tropolis, I have feen fo much of thefe Gentlemen's 
 Way of Writing, and have met with fo little to 
 inform the Underilanding, or that can be called 
 fair Reafoning and Argument, that I confefs my 
 Curicfity is not much raifcd by any thing that ap- 
 pears from that Quarter. But upon your acquaint- 
 ing me, that it was reprefented as a fubtil Attack 
 upon Chriflianity, and defiring my Thoughts upon 
 it, I have read it over with fome Care. The way 
 of treating the Subjed, and the Turn given to 
 Things, is new and uncommon, the Style fprightly 
 and agreeable ; but upon the molt impartial Con- 
 fideration, I cannot think that Chriflianity has 
 much to fear from this Gentleman, any more than 
 from thofe that have gone before him. 
 
 He has chofen a Manner of Writing, which, it is 
 probable, he fjppofed might anfvver his Purpofe ; 
 
 B bat 
 
2 Remarks on a Pamphlet^ enttthdy 
 
 but which I think gives one no advantageous Opi- 
 nion of the Sincerity and Candour of his Mind. 
 He frequently fpeaks with great feeming Regard 
 of our Saviour, of divine Faith, and of the Grace 
 of God and his Holy Spirit. He^^makes much ufe 
 of Phrafes that have been employed by good Per- 
 fons in a pious Senfe ; but it is plain, that all this 
 is manag'd fo as to expofe Religion and Faith to 
 the Derifion and Contempt of Mankind. He car- 
 ries the Ridicule fo far, as to mix it with his Ad- 
 dreffes to the Supreme Being. He formally pre- 
 tends to offer up his mofi ardent Prayers in behalf 
 of his Friend at the Throne of Grace, that God 
 'would be pleafcd himjelf to illiuninate a?id irradi- 
 ate his Mind ivith a perfeB and thorough Convic- 
 tion of the T^ruth of his holy Gojpfl ^ that the fafjie 
 Holy Spirit, that firjl dilated that divine Law, 
 "would powerfully Jet to his Seal, and attejl its Au- 
 thority in his Heart. With more to the fame 
 purpofe *. Now, fuppofing what can fcarce be 
 doubted from the whole of his Pamphlet, that he 
 does not believe the Truth and divine Original of 
 the Gofpel, and that he looks upon the Influence 
 of the Holy Ghoft to be meer abfurd Cant and 
 Enthuiiafm, to pretend in a folemn manner to ap- 
 ply to God to illuminate him with a perfect and 
 thorough Convidion of the Truth of his holy 
 Gofpel, and to fend his Holy Spirit to atteft its 
 Authority in his Heart, feems to me to be a car- 
 rying Profanenefs to a great height. Nor can I 
 well conceive, how any Man that believes there is 
 a Supreme Being, who is a Lover of Truth and 
 
 Goodnels^ 
 
 *P. 112. 
 
Chrijlianity net founded on Argumtfif, 3 
 
 Ooodnefs, and who concerns himfelf in the Affairs 
 of Men at all, can allow himfelf to be guilty of 
 fuch a folemn Grimace and Mockery. 
 
 You may perhaps think this Cenfure a little fe- 
 vere ; but I cannot help adding, that it appears to 
 me upon the moll clofe and impartial Confidera- 
 tion, that the Tendency of his Pamphlet is to de- 
 flroy all Religion and Reafon itfeif, and to take 
 from Men all Principles of every kind, thofe of na- 
 tural Religion as well as reveal'd. With regard to 
 Chriftianity, or the Faith of the Gofpel, that it is 
 his Defign to expofe it to Ridicule, I think no 
 Man that reads his Pamphlet with any Attention 
 can doubt. It is, according to the Reprefentation 
 he gives of it, fuch a ftrange and inconfiflent 
 thing, that no Man can tell what to make of it. 
 It is a Believing without Underftanding, without 
 rational Convidtion and Evidence j a Believing we 
 know not why, and not only without Reafon, but 
 againft it. It is a Faith that has nothing to do 
 with hifiorical Evidence or inoral Certainty^ or 
 with the Scripture- Account of Facts relating to our 
 Saviour 5 a Faith that cannot be taugbt^ and which 
 it requires no Time to attain. And therefore no 
 Man fliould trouble himfelf to look for a Reafon 
 for believing, or take any pains either to get Infor- 
 mation himfelf, or to inftrud: others in the Faith ; 
 and I think the manifeft Tendency of this Scheme, 
 if purfued, would be to baniih Faith and Chriilia- 
 nity out of the World. 
 
 But if he endeavours to banter us out of our Faith, 
 perhaps he leaves us Reafon and natural Religion 
 to guide us. No ; this he alfo effectually difcards. 
 
 B 2, The 
 
4 Remarks on a Pamphlet y entitled ^ 
 
 The Strain of his arguing is to Hiew, that no Reli- 
 gion can be rational, that is not founded on a free 
 and impartial Examination and Enquiry. And at 
 the fame time, he does all he can to llicw, that a 
 free and impartial Examination is an impolTible 
 thing. That the Generality of Mankind are un- 
 der a natural Incapacity for Reafoning themfelves, 
 or underrcanding it when propofed by others, and 
 are incapable of judging if there be the leaft of In- 
 duBion or Inference in the cafe *. And that the 
 {ihlefl and bcfi of Men are dt [qualified for fair Rea- 
 foning or impartial Judging by their natural Pre- 
 jtidices ; the Power of which he reprefents to be 
 fo great, that it is as abfolute a Difqualif cation 
 for fiich a Trial as the greatejl natural Incapa- 
 city •f'. From whence it follows, that no Man living 
 is capable of reafoning fairly or judging truly. He 
 takes a great deal of pains, to Ihew that Reafon 
 can not be certain of any thing, nor of torce enough 
 to controul and c;overn the Pafiions ; that it is ever 
 varying; and unflablc, and can never come to a 
 fixed Determination in any one Point whatfoever : 
 And indeed, confidering the Reprefentation he 
 makes of it, I cannot fee but that he had as good 
 deny all Men any Ufe of Reafon or the intelledual 
 Facuhy at all j fince, according to him, it mufl: be 
 of little or no advantage, and only tends to perplex 
 Mens Minds vi ith endlefs Uncertainties and Diftrufts. 
 Accordingly he has chofen to adorn his Tide-Page 
 with a PalTagc of Cotta in Cicero, where he is dif- 
 pating againli Reafon and againfl Providence ; and 
 the Defign of which is to {hew, that Reafon is an 
 iifelefs and even a pernicious thing. Several 
 
 *P. J7, 18. +P. 23- 
 
Chriftlanity not founded on Argument. ^ 
 
 Several Parts of his Pamphlet feem to be particu- 
 larly levelled againft what has been ufually thought 
 of great advantage and importance, early Inilruc- 
 tion and Education. He frequently argues, that if 
 Pvcligion be fuppofed to be a rational Thing, it 
 would be a wicked Attempt to endeavour to in- 
 ftrui!t Children in it ; for this would be to preju- 
 dice and prepofTefs tlieir tender Minds, and deftroy 
 that free Enquiry which Reafon prefcribes. And 
 as to Faith, they cannot be inflruded in it, fines 
 this is a thing that cannot be taught^ and the Un- 
 derftanding has nothing to do with it. All Men 
 therefore mull: be left entirely to themfelves with- 
 out Infrrucflion, under pretence of leaving them to 
 the Grace of God, and to the Guidance of his Spi- 
 rit. And if this alfo be exploded, as there is great 
 reafon to think it will, by this Gentleman and his 
 Affociates, as unintelligible Cant and Enthufiafm -, 
 and fuch it certainly is, according to the Defcrip- 
 tion he gives of it, and which undoubtedly was 
 intended by him to cxpofe it to Contempt and Ri- 
 dicule : I fay, if this alfo be difcarded as well as 
 Faith and Reafon, then I fee nothing left to guide 
 Men but their Paffions, to which they mu.fi: be gi- 
 ven up without refer ve, and the Force of which he 
 fo feelingly defcribes.* 
 
 And now we may fee what a hopeful way Man- 
 kind would be in, if they were to follow the Ten- 
 dency of this Writer's Scheme. And upon what 
 Foundation fuch Gentlemen as thefe can fet up for 
 Benefactors to Mankind, who endeavour to fet 
 them loofe from all Principles, and to ridicule Rea- 
 fon 
 * p. 30, 31. 
 
G Remarks on a "Pamphlet^ entitled^ 
 
 fbn and Religion out of the World ; or what Good 
 they can propofe to Society or to their Country by 
 it, is hard to fee. Some cdiers that have appeared 
 againft Revelation, have at lea ft in fliew pretended to 
 iet up Reafon and Natural Religion for a fufficient 
 Guide : But this Gentleman gives fuch an account of 
 Faith and Reafon too, and plays the one in fuch a 
 manner againft the other, that it looks as if it were 
 his Defign to deftroy all Regard to either of them, 
 and to fet afide all Religion at once, Natural as well 
 as Reveal'd. The manifeft Tendency of his Perfor- 
 mance, is to engage Mankind to give themfelves no 
 Concern about any Religion at all, or to educate 
 their Children in any Principles, the natural Con- 
 lequence of which v^'ould be a giving them up to 
 Vice and Barbarifm. But it is to be hoped, that 
 when once People are made fenfible of the Ten- 
 dency of fuch a Scheme, it will in a great mea- 
 fure prove an Antidote to the Poifon of it ; and 
 that Piety and Good Senfe is not fo far loft in the 
 World, that Men will lightly fuiFer themfelves to 
 be banter'd out of their Religion and Reafon too. 
 Such Attempts, one would be apt to think, fliould, 
 with Perfons that will allow themfelves time for 
 Refledlion, turn to the advantage of Chriftianity. 
 For it is natural to conclude, that if the Enemies 
 of Chriftianity are oblig'd to ufe Arguments againft 
 it, which, if good for any thing, would be equally 
 good againft all Religion, it is a ftrong Prefumption 
 of its Trur.h, and that all Religion muft ftand or 
 fall with it. For would any Man in his Senfes, 
 that underftands Argument at all, or that is in any 
 degree a Judge of good Reafoning, endeavour to 
 
 expofe 
 
Chrijtianity not founded on Argument. 7 
 
 cxpofe Chriftianity by Arguments and Mediums 
 that militate againft all Religion and all Certainty of 
 Reafon, if he thought he could attack Chriftianity 
 with fuccefs any other way ? 
 
 The fame Obfervation may be made with regard 
 to what this Writer fo often repeats about moral 
 Certainty and Evidence. When Men think they 
 can fhew that any Teflimony or Evidence is not to 
 be deperided on, or that the Accounts of any paft 
 Fadls are uncertain and to be fufpeded, the Me- 
 thod that Common-Senfe direds to in fuch a Cafe, 
 is not to inveigh againft all Evidence and Tefti- 
 mony whatfoever, and againft all Records of paft 
 Fadls, as if they were all abfolutely uncertain ; 
 but to produce Reafons to invalidate that particular 
 Evidence and Teftimony, and fhew why thofe par- 
 ticular Accounts are not to be depended on. And 
 this undoubtedly is the Method the Enemies of 
 Chriftianity would take, if they tliought they were 
 able to invalidate the Evidence produced for the 
 Gofpel- Records. But inftead of this, they ridi- 
 culoully fly out into general Invedives againft all 
 human Teftimony and all moral Evidence. They 
 harangue pathetically upon the Uncertainty of all 
 paft Fads, and all Accounts that are tranfmitted to 
 us through the hands of fallible Men j that is, all 
 Records, Laws, and Accounts whatfoever of things 
 which we ourfelves did not fee. This diicovers a 
 Confcioufnefs, that the Evidence for the Fads and 
 Records of Chriftianity is fo ftrong, that they are 
 not able to fubvert it any other way, than by de- 
 ftroying the Credit of all Teftimony, and all paft 
 Fads and Records whatfoever. I fay, we muft 
 
 ibppole 
 
8 Remarks on a 'Pamphlet^ entitled^ 
 
 fuppofe they are fenfible of this, or elfe we muH 
 fuppofe them to be the very worft Managers of a 
 Caufe, the moft miferable Bunglers, of any that 
 ever pretended to Reafon or Argument, which I 
 beheve they would be very loth to be thought to 
 be. 
 
 Thefe are fome of the general Reflexions that 
 occurred to me upon reading this Pamphlet. But 
 before I proceed to a diftindt Confideration of it, 
 it will not be improper to lay before you the Idea 
 this Writer 2;ives of the Nature of that Faith 
 ■which the Goipel requires, and for which he pre- 
 tends to be an Advocate, and of the Principle up- 
 on which it is founded, as far as I am capable of 
 forming a Notion of it, by carefully comparing 
 feveral Parts of his Book. And this will alfo fur- 
 niili a farther Proof of this Gentleman's Candour 
 and Sincerity. 
 
 He reprefents a rational Faith, that is, as he 
 himfelf explains it, an Affent to revealed Truths 
 founded upon the ConviSlioji of the IJndei'ftanding, 
 as a falfe and unwarrantable Notion *. And 
 therefore fets himfelf to prove, that in the Gofpel 
 no Appeal to the XJnderJlanding was ever made or 
 intended-^. He talks as if Infants were capable of 
 Faith, before they are capable of exerting any one 
 Ad: of Reafon j and that the Infant's Belief an- 
 fwers as effeBually all the Demands of the Gofpel, 
 as that of the fir ji Proficient, and bigbefi Graduate 
 in Divinity J. And as he explains the firft Be- 
 ginning of Truth to be without Reafon, or any Uie 
 of the Underftanding, fo he reprelents the Perfe- 
 
 verance 
 
 •P.;. fP. 35, &c. JP. 9, 69, 114. 
 
Chrifilanlty not founded on Argmnenh g 
 
 ^Derance in the Faith required in the Gofpel, to be 
 a blind andfooUjh ObJIinacy to a prefent Notion^ a 
 difci'vowing all future JJ J e of Kcafon for our Secu- 
 rity *. And ipeaking of the true and genuine 
 Faith ^ which, faith he, I contend for ^ he declares, 
 tliat that Perfon befi enjoys it, who never afized him^ 
 felf one figle ^lejlion about it, and never dealt at 
 all in the Evidence of P^eafon •^. Agreeably to 
 which, he reprefents that Zeal^ox the Faith^ which 
 the Gofpel recommends, to be a blind irrational 
 Heat, a potent Fire, a Zeal not according ta 
 Knowledge j. And tho' he obferves, that we are 
 ordered to he taught the Faith in our Childhood, yet 
 he exprefiy affirms^ that Faith and Religion cafi 
 never be a thing that is to be taught, and that it mujl 
 needs be fomethtng that does ?iot require Time to at^ 
 tain II . Accordingly he fpcaks of Faith all along, 
 as if it were a thing abiblutely completed at once, 
 and which admits of no Degrees ; and fets him- 
 felf to (hew, that Chrift and his Apoftles always re- 
 quired Perfons to believe in an Inftant, without 
 allowing any time for Deliberation, or offering any 
 Evidence to convince their Minds. The Convic^ 
 tion, as he expreffes it, was to precede the Evi- 
 dence **. • -And leil it O:iould be alledged, that the 
 Miracles wroiiglit by Chrift, and by the Apoflles 
 in his Name, were Evidences of his Divine Mif- 
 .lion, he endeavours to fliew that Miracles could be 
 no Proofs at all, nor v/ere ever intended by our Sa- 
 viour himfelf as fuch j-f-. And finally, he affirms, 
 that ihe firfl: Principle of Faith is really what Phi- 
 lofophers call arguing in a Circle, and begging the 
 
 C ^eftion, 
 
 f p. u. fP. 29. +P. 25. IIP. 17. **P.37-^42.ttP-46— S<3- 
 
Id Remarks oH a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 ^leftion *. According to the Reprefentation hQ 
 here gives of the Faith which the Gofpel requires, 
 it is not to be wonder'd at, that he reprefents Perfons 
 of the meaneft Underlfandings to be befl: qualified 
 for Faith, and claims Men of the brightejl Intel- 
 lecluals on the fide of Infidelity -f. 
 
 But this is not all : The Faith required in the 
 Gofpel, according to this Writer's Reprefentation 
 of it, is not only a Perfuafion without any Con- 
 vidion of the Underftandingj or any rational 
 Evidence to fupport it ; but it is diredly con- 
 trary to Reafon. He affirms, that there is an ir- 
 reconcilable Repugnance in their Natures betwixt 
 Reafon and Belief' i. And endeavours at large to 
 fliew, that they are removed at the utmo/i dijiance 
 from allpojfiuilify of amicable Ter?ns and Keconcile- 
 ment j and, as he exprelTes it in the Margin of Pag. 
 8 1 . that Religion cannot admit the leafi Alliance 
 'With Reafojiifjg. And accordingly he alTerts, that 
 there is tio one Lejjon that the Holy Writings have 
 taken more care to inculcate y than this of denying 
 our Reafon j that we are there flridly enjoined to 
 captivate our Reafon, i, e. as he explains it, to lay it 
 wider the fnojl abfolute Refiraint and Prohibition, 
 not to permit it the leafi Opportunity or Freedom to 
 exert itjelf or inter pofe on any occafion whatever ||. 
 
 Such is the goodly Reprefentation this Gentle- 
 man is pleafed to make of what he calls the ge- 
 nuine Faith of the Gofpel. And at the fame time 
 he frequently repeats it, tliat God requires this 
 Faith of all Perfons under pain of Damnation : 
 that is, he requires them all, on pain of Damna- 
 tion, 
 
 •P. 78. tP.72^ tP.7o»86. HP. 84. 
 
' Chriftianity not founded on Argument, 1 1 
 
 tion, to believe without Evidence or any Convidion 
 of the Underftanding, to believe in an Inflant, 
 and e'uery Moment of their Lives *, even before 
 they are capable of Underflanding, to believe with- 
 out Reafon and againll it. 
 
 Agreeable to this Dcfcription of Faith, is the Ac- 
 count he gives of the Influence of the Holy Ghoft, 
 which he makes to be the fole Principle of this 
 Faith. He reprefents him, as working a full Per- 
 fuafion in the Soul, without any Conviction of the 
 Underflanding, and as engaging Men to believe at 
 once, without knowing v/hy they believe. That 
 he irradiates ike Souls of Believers at once ivith an 
 irrejifiible Light from Heaven., tbatfafies Co?iviC' 
 tion in a moment ; and that thus our Faith is com- 
 pleted in an Infant^ and the mofi perfect andfi- 
 ijified Creed produced at once^ ivithout any tedious 
 Progrefs in Dedudliofis of our own-^. He calls 
 this a fecret Whifper, Infpiration^ and infufed E- 
 vidence J. And that it is a conftant and particu- 
 lar Revelation imparted feparately and fuperiiatu- 
 rally to every Individual ||. And this he explains 
 to be of fuch a nature, as to render all outward 
 Inftrudtions entirely needlefs. That there is no oc- 
 cafion to apply to Libraries for farther Information ; 
 nor mud we be left to take any the lea ft part of 
 our In/iruBions Jro?n one another **. That in in- 
 terpreting Scripture, there mufi not he any thing 
 left to the Skill of the IForkman •\'\-, So that all 
 Help of Commentators, Knowledge of Languages, 
 ^c. is to be difcarded. For the Holy Gholl abides 
 for ever as an uncorrupted Cantnentator in our oivii 
 
 C 2 Breajis, 
 
 *P. 17. I P. 59. tP.sS. IIP. 1 12. **F,6o. IfP. tfi. 
 
12 Rema'rks on a Famphkf^ entitled, 
 
 Breafts *. Yea, the Scriptures themfclvcs arc, 
 according to his account of the matter, entirely 
 needlefs. He oppoles tlie inward Atteftations of 
 the Spirit, to mere manufcript Authorities^ and 
 Taper-Kevelations^ as he calls the Scriptures by 
 way of Contempt. Thofe that are inftrucfed by 
 the Spirit, need not concern themfelves about the 
 Credit of antient Miracles^ or the Genuinenefs of 
 dijlant Records, nor will think any human Tejii- 
 mony (and this Writer always reprefents the Tefti-r 
 mony by which the Golpel-Records are conveyed 
 to us under that Idea) of conJeque?ice enough to en- 
 gage a Moment's Attention upon this Subje5i\. 
 So that according to his Reprefentation of the 
 matter, a Man that has the Spirit, will not regard 
 the Accounts given us in the Gofpel of the Life, 
 Miracles, Refurrecftion, Afcenfion of our Saviour, 
 and the other extraordinary Fads there recorded, 
 as of any confequence at all, and will believe as 
 well without them as with them. 
 
 He fpeaks as if all Believers were fo far under the 
 Influence of the Spirit, as to be rendered infallible. 
 That the Holy Ghoil, iXydX great DiBator and in- 
 fallible Guide J, has promlfed to abide with us to 
 the Etid of the fVbrld, that ive might not be left 
 liable one Moment to a Pofjibility of Error and Im- 
 pofition II » And he reprefents this Spirit 2iS /peaking 
 the fame thing to all, and bringing them to think 
 {ill alike **. So that, according to the Account this 
 Gentleman is pLafed to put upon us as the Goipel- 
 Account of Faith, and of the Spirit, all Believers 
 are made to think all alike, tho' we plainly fee 
 
 they 
 
 .fP.6i, fP. 59, 6a. JP. 55. HP. 60. •*?. sS. 
 
Chrijlimiity not founded on Argument. -13 
 
 they differ from one another in feveral things; 
 and tho' they hold contradiftory Sentiments, yet 
 they are all infallibly guided by the Holy Ghoft, 
 and not liable one Moment to be milhiken. 
 
 Thus he places the fob Foundation of the Chri- 
 flian Faith upon a thing that is evidently falfe in 
 fa6t, and that is, the immediate infallible Infpira- 
 tion of every particular Pcrfon. And at the fame 
 time he utterly difcards all moral Certainty and 
 Evidence, as if Faith had nothing to do with it ; 
 that is, the Evidence whereby the Gofpel-Hiftory, 
 the facred Records come down to us. He declares, 
 that this is indeed the htghejl Degree of rational 
 Evidence that the ISJatiire of the SubjeB can pof- 
 Jtbly admit of^-, but yet that it is altogether un- 
 certain, and not to be depended on. He often 
 degradingly calls it human "Tejiimony^ in its Nature 
 ever liable to Error ; and that it is nothing more 
 than the precarious ConjcBure of a fallible "Judge 
 upon the traditional le/limony of a fallible Wit- 
 ne/s -f-. That it is a Bei.ng left to the Court efy of a 
 few Reporters ||. And that it is to us no more than 
 an uncertain Hear jay ; the uncertain ^U'ertions of 
 fallible Men relati:ig it after one another **. 
 
 Thus have I laid tor,>;erhcr in one view the Ac- 
 count this Writer gives us of Faith, and of the 
 Spirit, and the Evidence on v/hich Chriftianity is 
 founded. This is what he calls the Revealed and 
 Scriptural Account of the matter "f-f*. i\.nd he ap- 
 plauds himfelf for having poi?tted out what is real- 
 ly and pofitively the autho?nzed Principle of Faith ; 
 and for having carried on his DetedTion of a falfe 
 
 Principle 
 
 * P. 3 2. t P. 3 i . Ij >■ 51. *« P. i% 5 5 .. \\ 1*. ^^>^^ 
 
5 4 Re ?n arks on a "Pamphlet^ entitled^ 
 
 "Principle to a fatisfaBory Cciichfioji i?i the DifcO" 
 'very of a true one *. And he declares with an Air 
 of Aflurance, that the Account he gives depends 
 72Df for its Support upon the bare Strength of any 
 Jingle ^ot a ih.'.i ■u'b.fi^ovr^ but on thejoijit Tendency 
 and Tenor of ttJt 'ii:...L |. 
 
 I do not think there cun \rz a niore complete 
 Scheme of Abfurdity and Enthuliafm, than what 
 this Gentleman here puts upon us for the true 
 Scripture-Account of Faith, and of the Spirit, and 
 of the Nature of Gofpel-Evidence -, which he un- 
 doubtedly intends for expofing the facred Writings, 
 but which, with all equal Judges of things, tends 
 only to expofe the Unfairnefs of this Writer, and 
 the litde Regard he hath to Truth and Candour. 
 Bat this is the way of thefe Gentlemen, in writ- 
 ing againft Chrillianity. They never can allow 
 themlelves to give fair and equal Reprefentations 
 of things, but throw them into falfe Lights, in. 
 order to make them appear ridiculous. In any o- 
 ther cafe but this, fuch a Conduct would fcarce 
 be thought confill^nt with common Honefty. And 
 I know not how to account for it, but that it 
 proceeds from a Confcioufnefs that they cannot 
 fucceed againft Religion by fair Reprefentation 
 and equal Argument. 
 
 The Account this Writer gives of the Nature 
 and Grounds of the Chriftian Faith, is not more 
 abfurd in itfelf, than different from the Reprefen- 
 tations made to us of it in Scripture. According 
 to him. Faith and Religion is a thing that can 
 never be taught 3 according to the Goipd, Faith 
 
 ordinaril^^ 
 
 ^. P. 106, :; p. IC^, 
 
ChHJliafiity not founded on Argument, 1 5 
 
 ordinarily comes by hearing and teaching *. Ac- 
 cording to this Writer's Account of it Faith, is com- 
 pleted at once^ made perfecfl in an Injlant^ and is 
 not a thing that requires Time to attain. But ac- 
 cording to the Reprefentation made of it in the 
 Gofpel, Faith may be fincere tho' weak, it admits 
 of feveral Degrees, it is a thing capable of Growth, 
 and which ordinarily takes time and pains for its 
 Eftablidiment and Improvem.ent -f-. Uoon his 
 Scheme, all outward Teaching is perfedly needlefs, 
 and Chriftians are not to receive the leajl Part of 
 their LiftruBions from one another j accordini^ to 
 the Gofpel, outward Teaching is neceifary 5 Chri- 
 flians are exhorted to teach and admonifi one ano- 
 ther. And the Plan upon which the Chriftiau 
 Church was eflabliflied was this, that they fhould 
 be formed into lacred Affemblies, in which there 
 flioiild be Perfons whofe proper ftated Oiiice it 
 flioul'.i be to teach, and in order to this to give 
 themfelves to Readings to Exhortation and Doctrine ^ 
 and Proviiion was made for a Succeffion of fuch 
 Perfons in the Church, who fliould be able to teach 
 others alfo ||. The Faith recommended in the 
 Gofpel is a Faith that is joined with Knowledge, 
 and whereby the Understanding is enlightned **. 
 But the Faith defcribed by this Author is a Faith 
 without Knowledge, and that has nothing to do 
 with the Underftanding. According to him, the 
 Zeal for the Faith required of the Profeffors of 
 Chriftianity, is a Zeal not according to Knovvledo-e • 
 but in the Gofpel, a Zeal not according to Know- 
 ledge 
 
 * Rom. x. 14, 17. Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. ^ Rom xiv. i. 
 2 Thefi: i. 3. jude 20. || 2 Tim. ii. -. »* Phil. i. g. 
 Col, i. 9, 10. 
 
l6 "Remarks on a Pamphlet , entitled^ 
 
 ledge is difl'.pproved, and reprefented as not a Zeal 
 of the right kind *. Faith, according to his Re- 
 prcientation of it, is a thing for which no reafon 
 ihould or cnn be given. But the contrary is 
 plainly fuppofed in the Gofpel, where it is required 
 of Chrillians as a Duty, that they be ready to give 
 an Anfwer to thofe that ajk them a Reafon of the 
 Hope that is in them -f. And it is iniifted upon as 
 a proper Qualification in the Teachers of the Go- 
 Ipel, that they be able to cowolnce the Gainfayers \\, 
 As he reprefents it, all Examination and Enquiry 
 is abfolutely inconfiftent with the Nature of Chri- 
 flian Faith ; whereas in the Gofpel, we are com- 
 manded to fearch and try ; an eminent Inflance 
 of which we have in the Beraans^ who are highly 
 commended for doing fo ; and their Believing is 
 reprefented as the Refult of their Examination and 
 Enquiry **. According to his Account^ the Chri- 
 flian Faith has no dependance at all upon the Mi- 
 racles or external Atteftations given to our Saviour, 
 or any of the extraordinary Fads recorded in the 
 Gofpel ; but according to the Account given us in 
 Scripture, our Saviour appealed to the Miracles he 
 wrought, as illuftrious Atteftations to his divine 
 Miffion J and the very End for which thefe Things 
 were ivritten^ was, that we might by them be 
 brought to believe on the Name of the Son of God, 
 and that believi?ig we fjiight have Life in his 
 Name \. 
 
 This may give a general Jdea of this Gentle- 
 man's Performance ; and perhaps fuch a general 
 View of it might be fulhcient. But at your 
 
 delire 
 
 • Rom X. 2. t I Pet. iii. 15. 1| Tit. i. 9. «• i Theff. 
 V. 21. Aa. xvU. u, 12. 1 John XX. 31. 
 
Chrijltanity not founded on Argument, \j 
 
 defire Ifhall enter on a more particular Examination 
 of it. The Strength of this Pamphlet, as far as it 
 has any appearance of Reafon or Argument, feems 
 to me to lie chiefly in the former Part of it, where 
 he undertakes and fets himfelf formally to prove, 
 that Reafon or the IntelkBual Faculty could not 
 pojjibly both from its own Nature and that of Re^ 
 ligion, be the Principle intended by God to lead- us 
 into a true Faith *. This is oddly and not very 
 accurately exprefled. But his Meaning evidently 
 is, that it is not the Will and Delign of God that 
 we (hould make ufe of our intelled:ual Faculty at 
 all in believing, and that God never intended to 
 lay any Evidence before our Underftanding to in- 
 duce us to believe, nor that our intelle(^ual Faculty 
 fhould at all judge of the Evidence propofed. 
 This is what he applies himfelf formally to prove, 
 and he feems to have a very good opinion of this 
 Part of his Argument, which he thinks he has ma- 
 naged fo as to render the other Part of his Pam- 
 phlet needlefs -f-. 
 
 His firft Argument refts upon this Foundation, 
 that Men are required in the Gofpel to think all 
 alike. And he thinks it a prepojierous Scheme ^ 
 that of Unity in Opinion propofed to be effeBed by 
 Reafoning^. He makes the lame Suppoiition in 
 other Parts of his Book, concerning our being ob- 
 liged or required to think all alike j that is, as he 
 feems to underftand it, to have exadly the fame 
 Sentiments in all Points in Matters of Religion. 
 But this is not what Chriftianity requires. The 
 PaiTage that hath moil of an appearance this way, 
 
 D is 
 
 • P,7. I P. io6. H P. 8. " 
 
1 8 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 is that of St. Paul to the Corinthians : Now I 
 befsech you^ Brethren, by the Name of our Lord 
 yefus Chrifi^ that ye all fpeak the fame thing, 
 and that there be no Dlvljlons among you, but that 
 ye be perfeSily joined together in the fame Mind and 
 in the fame 'Judgment *. But any one that care- 
 fully examines that PafTage and the Context, will 
 find that the Apoftle's Meaning is not, that it was 
 necelTary for them to be perfectly of the fame 
 opinion in all fpeculative Matters, to which he 
 hath there no reference at all, but that they fliould 
 fliun thofe Fa(ftions and Contentions, that E?jvyi?jg 
 and Strife^ and that Party- Spirit that he heard 
 "w.:s among them -^ ; and that they n:iould be join- 
 ed in Unity of Heart and Affection. In like man- 
 ner, when he prays for the believing Romans^ that 
 the God of all Patience and Confolatlon would grant 
 them to be like-minded onetowards another, according 
 to Chrifl yefus, that with one Mind and one Mouth 
 they might glorify God, even the Father of our 
 Lord J ejus Chrift || ; which is another Palfage re- 
 ferred to by this Writer ** : his Defign is not to 
 infift upon it as of abfolute neceffity, that there 
 fhould be a ftrid Uniformity in Opinion ; but that 
 they fhould preferve an Unity of Affedion, and 
 fliould all join in glorifying God with one Heart 
 and Mouth, which he there fuppofes they might 
 do, notwithllanding fmaller Ditferences. Nothing. 
 is more evident than it is from many PaiHiges in 
 that Epiftle, particularly the whole XlVth Chapter, 
 that the Apoftle is very far from infinuating, that 
 
 every 
 
 * I Cor. i. lo. f I Cor. i. ii. iii. 3. || Rom. xv. 
 5,6. **P.6s. 
 
ChrifliaJiity not founded on Argmnent. 19 
 
 every Diiterence of Sentiments with regard to any 
 thing in Religion is inconlilient with a true Chri- 
 ^VA.\\ Faith. For he there fuppoles the Chririians 
 to whom he writes to differ in feveral things, and 
 exhorts them to mutual Forbearance, and not to 
 judge or condemn one another on account of thofe 
 Differences. That they that are Jirong ought to 
 bear the Infirmities of the iceak^ i. e. of thofe that 
 Are weak in Faith j and that they fhould be united 
 in Love and Charity, and in a brotlierly Difpofi- 
 tion towards one another. And this leems to be 
 every where the Meaning of that Phrafe, of being 
 like-minded^ and of one Mind, or the fame Mind"^ , 
 This alfo is what the Apoifle intends by their 
 keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of 
 Peace -f-. A noble Paffage, that breathes an ad- 
 mirable Strain of Charity, tho' this Gentleman 
 leems very willing by an odd Glofs to turn it into 
 Ridicule ||. What he reprefents in a gibing way 
 as a great Abfurdity, is very true, that tho' Men 
 cannot be all of one Opinion, they may be of one 
 Faith J that is, one Faith in the fenfe St. Faid 
 fpeaks of it, viz. one Faith in the great Elfentials 
 of it; and, with regard to leffer Matters, they 
 fhould, as he there advifcs, forbear one another in 
 Love. This forbearing one another, v/hich is fo 
 often urged as the Duty of Chriftians, plainly iup- 
 pofes that there is an Allowance in the Chrillian 
 Scheme for Diverfity of Opinions in religious JVlat- 
 ters. This Gentleman's hril Argument then fails 
 him, which proceeds upon this Sappofition, that 
 
 D 2 the 
 
 • See to this purpofe Rom. xii. i6. Phil. ii. i, 2, 3. I PcCu 
 iii. 8. i Ephcf.ms. Ii P. 75. 
 
20 Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitled, 
 
 the Gofpel or the Chriftian Faith lays Men under 
 a neceffity of thifiking all alike. 
 
 It is true, there are fome main Principles, a Be- 
 lief of which feems to be required of all that would 
 pafs for the Difciples of yejiis. But this is no Ar- 
 gument at all, that Chrillianity is not founded on 
 rational Conviction or Evidence. There are fome 
 Principles neceflary to be believed in natural Reli- 
 gion, as well as reveal'd j and to require any Reli- 
 gion at all, is to require a Belief of fome Principles, 
 becaufe they lie at the Foundation of it. 
 
 But this will come in better, in confiderlng the 
 Author's next Argument j which is to this pur- 
 pofe : 
 
 That in the Gofpel ^lefions are propounded to 
 m U7jder the Rejlraints of Threats afid Authority. 
 And he thinks it abfurd and con trad idlory for a 
 Man to be threatned into a rational Belief, to be 
 talked to of Uanger in his Decifions^ to have the 
 Rod held out with the Lejfon^ a?id to have Propofi^ 
 tions tendred to his Reajhn with Penalties annex- 
 ed *. This is what he feems to lay a particular 
 flrefs upon. He frequently takes notice of the 
 Command laid upon us to believe, and the Threat- 
 nin^s denounced aojainil: Unbelief, as a Proof that 
 Chrirtianity is not a reafonable Religion. 
 
 It is to be obferved, that in all that he faith on 
 this head in different Parts of his Pamphlet, he is 
 pleafed to confider Faith and Unbelief as a mere 
 fpeculative AfTent or Diffent to certain Propofitions, 
 feparated from all moral Difpofitions and Qiialifi- 
 cations whatfoever. Whereas any one that con- 
 
 fiders 
 * P. 8. 
 
Chrijiianity not founded on Argument, 21 
 
 fiders the Scripture with Attention, will find that 
 this is not the Reprefentation there made of that 
 Faith on which fo great a ftrefs is laid in the New 
 Covenant j or of the Unbelief, againft which fuch 
 Penalties are denounced. They are ftill fuppofed 
 to be of a pradical Nature and Tendency, and to 
 take in good or bad Difpofitions of the Mind, which 
 are reckoned as included in the Faith there re- 
 quired, or the Unbelief there condemned. 
 
 But there is one previous Queftion that deferves 
 to be diftindtly conlidered, becaufe it feems to lie 
 at the Foundation of the Author's whole Argu- 
 ment on this head ; and that is, whether the be- 
 lieving any Principles whatfoever can in any cafe 
 be required of any Man as a Duty ? This is what 
 he feems to deny. He will not allow that any 
 Man can be obliged by any Authority whatfoever 
 to aiTent to any Truth at all, that is propofed to his 
 Reafon or Underftanding. And that it would be 
 the higheft Tyranny and Injuftice for God himfelf to 
 require this, even with regard to thofe Truths that 
 are of the greateft Certainty and Importance. That 
 it IS i??ipoJjible to conceive any the leaji Connexion 
 between the 'Notion of Dufyy and afjenting ratio^ 
 nally to anyFropofition^ however fir ongly fupported *. 
 This appears to me to be a ftrange AiTertion. It 
 is in effedt to fay, that no Man can be obiig'd to it 
 as a Duty, to make a right Ufe of the Reafon God 
 has given him, nor can God himfelf require him 
 to do fo. He cannot fo much as require his rea- 
 fonable Creatures to believe and acknowledge his 
 own fupreme Dominion or Perfedions, though 
 
 founded 
 
 ♦ P. no. 
 
22 Remarks on a "Pamphlet, entitled^ 
 
 founded on the cleareft Reafon and Evidence, nof 
 confequently to obey and worfhip him. For it is 
 inanifeft, that if a Man may without blame deny 
 a God and a Providence, he may without blame ne- 
 gled: to render that Obedience and Adoration that 
 is due from reafonable Creatures to the Supreme 
 Being. Thus our Author has found out an ad- 
 mirable Expedient, by freeing Men from all Obli- 
 gations to believe any Principles whatfoever, to 
 free them from all Obligations to any Religion at 
 all. Whereas, fuppofing God has given Men Fa- 
 culties, by a right life and Improvement of which 
 they are capable of difcerning Truth, efpecialiy in 
 Matters of great importance to their Condud, and 
 to their Happinefs j then it is both in itfelf fit, and 
 is what God may juftly require, that they fliould 
 make a juft Ufe of their Reafon and Underflanding 
 for difcerning Truth. An'd if through a Negled: 
 of ufing and improving their Reafon in a proper 
 manner, they do not difcern or acknowledge thofe 
 Truths } then that Negled or Abufe of their Rea- 
 fon and Underftanding is really a Fault, and God 
 may punifh it as fuch. 
 
 Wiiat this Gentleman offers in fupport of his 
 Scheme, amounts to this, that our Reafon is ever 
 7icccjjitatcd to determhie juft as fie does of h erf elf, 
 end is bv her nature incapable either of paying 
 Compliments, or giving O fence. That the diffe- 
 rent Light things appear in to different Men, muft 
 neccfarih create a different Se^ije of things *. And 
 bcioie this, he had obkrved, that the Determina- 
 tion vvc come to, is a neccf'ary and independent 
 
 Eventi 
 
 * P. 8. 
 
Chrifiiamty not founded on Argufnenf, 2j 
 
 ' Event y under no Influence of ours -f-. Upon this 
 Foundation he aflerts, that a Determination either 
 right or wrong, in Matters that are not felfevi^ 
 dent, or in which there is the leaf of InduSlion or 
 Inference, and fuch are the moft important Points 
 of Religion, ?nuji be in it jelf equally meritorious :j:. 
 
 The whole Strength of his Reafoning here de- 
 pends upon this Suppofition, that by the very Con- 
 llitution of our Nature, and the Frame of the 
 Human Underflanding, we may be unavoidably 
 neceffitated to take Error for Truth, or Truth for 
 Error, even in Matters of the higheft importance ; 
 and that, without any fault of our own, after 
 the beft, the ftridtefl and moft impartial Enquiry 
 and Examination, we are capable of making. But 
 this is a Suppofition that ought not to be admitted, 
 becaufe it refolves all our Errors into the Will and 
 Conftitution of God himfelf ; whereas I think it 
 is much more reafonable and modeft to fuppofe, 
 that Men's Errors in Matters of great importance, 
 are owing to themfelves, to ibm.e wrong Aftedtions 
 and Difpofitions of Mind, fome Fault in their En- 
 quiry. And their profelling the contrary, is no 
 Proof at ail ; becaufe it cannot be expeded, fup- 
 pofmg it ever fo much their own Fault, that they 
 would be willing to own it to be fo. But God, 
 who fearches their Hearts, may know it, and con- 
 demn them on the account of it. A^nd where the 
 Neglect of a good Practice follows upon a wrong 
 Judgment flowing from faulty Caufcs, he may 
 juftly puniHi them both for that wrong Judgment, 
 and for the evil Practice confequent upon it. 
 
 For 
 
 •i-p. s. JP. 17, iS. 
 
24 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled^ 
 
 For my part, I cannot be brought to think, thai^ 
 Truth and FaKhood is fo indifferent to the Hu- 
 man Underftanding, that we are carried with equal 
 Innocence to beheve the one and the other, after 
 the Evidence is fairly laid before us ; and this with 
 regard to Matters of great confequence to our Duty 
 and Happinefs. Since it cannot be denied, that 
 there are fome Truths of very great importance, that 
 lie at the Foundation of all Religion, and of a good 
 and virtuous Pradice } it is as certain, that it is the 
 Will of God, that his reafonable Creatures fhould 
 know and believe thofe Truths, as it is that he 
 would have them pradife the Duties that arife 
 upon the Acknowledgment of thofe Truths, and 
 to which they are necelTarily prefuppofed, e, g. It 
 is as certain that it is the Will of God, that Men 
 fhould believe there is a God that m-ade and go- 
 verns the World, and that there is a neceffary Dif- 
 ference between moral Good and Evil, as that it is 
 his Will that Men fhould worfliip him, fliould 
 love and reverence him, fhould fubmit to his Au- 
 thority, and obey his Laws, and fliould pradife 
 Virtue, and abhor Vice. I cannot therefore think, 
 that he hath fo formed Men, and given them fuch 
 Faculties, that even making the befl iife of them, 
 and without any fault at all, or wrong Difpofition 
 on their parts, they may be invincibly ignorant of 
 thofe Truths, or may innocently d:(bLiieve or deny 
 them. And as we may plainly fee in numberlels 
 Inftances, that Mens Aif^-dions and Appetites lead 
 them v^^rong in their Adions, f^ I doubt not they 
 frequently caufe them to pafs wrong Judgments of 
 things. And any one that knows any thing of 
 
 Mankind, 
 
Chriftianily not founded on Argument, 25 
 
 Mankind, muft be fenfible that they are not de- 
 termined by mere naked Evidence, but that fome 
 corrupt AfFedlion, fome wrong Byafs of Appetite 
 or Intereft, which is really a Fault, in many in- 
 fiances corrupts and depraves their Judgment ; and 
 that this might be guarded againft, if they ufed all 
 the Care and Pains that is really and abfolutely in 
 their power, and which the Importance of the 
 thins: deferves and demands. 
 
 It is particularly certain, that with regard to 
 Truths of a moral and religious Nature, our be- 
 lieving or not believing them, is ofcen very much 
 influenced by the good or bad Dilpofitions of the 
 Mind, and has a great Effcd: upon the Practice. 
 And therefore believing in thefe Cafes may be an 
 important Duty, and Unbelief may be very crimi- 
 nal. Nor can I fee why God may not, as the fu- 
 preme Legiflator, interpofe his Authority to require 
 the one, and to warn Men again ft the other. This 
 could not be properly called an arbitrary or unjufl 
 Proceeding, as this Writer reprcfents it, or an ered- 
 ing a Tyranny over the Underftanding. To re- 
 quire Men to believe without Evidence, or without 
 a Reafon for believing, or to believe contrary to 
 Reafon and Evidence, is unjuft 5 but for God to 
 require his reafonable Creatures to believe, when 
 he himfelf knows there is futiicient Evidence to en- 
 gage them to believe, and that it will actually have 
 that efFe(fl upon them, if it be not their own fault, 
 and if they carefully attend to it with that Difpoli- 
 tion of Mind that becomes them, has nothing in 
 it unjuft or unbecoming him as the God of Truth, 
 the wile and ri'^hteoLis Governor of the World. 
 
 E For 
 
26 Remarks on a Pamphlet y entitled. 
 
 For by requiring them to believe in that Cafe, he 
 doth not require them to renounce or give up their 
 Reafon, or forbid them to make ule of it y but he 
 requires them to make a proper Ufe of their Rea- 
 fon, and of the Facuhies he has given them, to 
 lay their Minds open to Convidlion and Evidence, 
 and to endeavour to get them clear'd from the In- 
 fluence of corrupt Inclinations, and culpable Preju- 
 dices. 
 
 I cannot therefore think, that this Part of the 
 Author's Argument hath any thing in it to prove 
 that Chriilianity is not founded on Reafon, or a- 
 greeable to it. If God fliould in his infinite Good- 
 nefs fend a MelTenger, or MeiTengers, to bring 
 Do6trines and Laws of great importance to Man- 
 kind, as it may be juflly exped:ed that in fuch a 
 Cafe he would take care, that they fhould be at- 
 tended with fufficient Atteftations to convince the 
 World that he fent them j fo it is very reafonablc 
 to fuppofe, that he would require thofe to whom 
 this Revelation, v^'ith its Evidences, was made 
 known, to believe and to obey it. For to what 
 purpofe would it be to give a Revelation, and to 
 interpofe in an extraordinary manner for confirming 
 it with the moft illuftrious Atteftations of a divine 
 Authority ^ if, after all, it were left to Men as an 
 indifferent matter, whether they believed or received 
 it or not ? And to deny that God himfelf has a 
 right to require it as a Duty of Men, to believe and 
 receive what he has revealed, and confirmed by 
 fuch Evidence, as he who knows the human I\ hnd, 
 knows to be fufficient to convince honefl and well- 
 
 difpofed 
 
Chrifilantty nut foimded on Argument, '2^ 
 
 dlfpofed Minds, is a ftrangc Docflrine, and abhor- 
 rent from the common Senle of Mankind. 
 
 Siippofing Faith to be a Principle of holy Obe- 
 dience, fuch a Perfuafion as forms the Soul to a fin- 
 cere Compliance with the Terms of the divine Co- 
 venant 5 and this it may be, and be at the fame 
 time a- rational Perfuafion; it is highly becoming 
 God to encourage and to reward it. And fuch is 
 the Faith which the Gofpel requires, and on which 
 it lays fo great a flrefs. A:?;ain, fuppofing Unbe- 
 lief brings with it a Difobedience to the divine 
 Laws, and difqualifies a Man for the Pradice of 
 thofe Duties which are of great importance in Re- 
 ligion, and without which we cannot, according to 
 the divine Covenant, be entitled to the promifed 
 Benefits ; and that this Unbelief is alio owing to 
 faulty Caufes, to bad Difpolitions of Mind, and to 
 the Influence of corrupt Paflions or Intereffs, which 
 pervert the Judgment, and hinder the Mind from 
 a fair examining the Evidence ; I think it cannot be 
 denied, that fuch an Unbelief would be very cri- 
 minal. Now it is certain, that the Unbelief con- 
 dem.ned in the Gofpel, is always fuppofed to be of 
 this kind. It is reprcfented as owing to bad Dif- 
 pofitionS, as the Source and Principle of it, and as 
 attended with Difobedience to the Laws of the 
 Gofpel as the Fruit and EfFi;6tof it. And if God 
 fiw that this would be the general Cafe of thofe 
 that Ihould difbelieve the Gofpel, this would be futti, 
 cient to juflify the general Thrcatnings and Decla- 
 rations there made againfl Unbelievers. And if iii 
 any particular Inflance Unbelief f}:iould happen to 
 
 E 2 be 
 
,2? Remarh on a Tamphlef, entitled ^ 
 
 be owing to any invincible Impediment or Incapa- 
 city, the Supreme Lawgiver will know how to 
 make proper Allowances j for he will always deal 
 juftly and equitably with all Men. But as the 
 other is the common Cafe of Unbelievers, fo it is 
 proper the Declarations on that Head fhould be ge- 
 neral, and go upon that general Suppofition. And 
 if Unbelief be criminal, as upon fuch a Suppoficion 
 it would certainly be, it would deferve Punilhment ; 
 and if it deferves Punifhment, it is right to threa- 
 ten it with the Puni(hment it deferves. Noi would 
 it be unbecoming a wile and juft God to take this 
 way to warn his reafonable Creatures againfl it, and 
 lay before them the evil Confequences of fuch a 
 Condud:. This might be really a Kindnefs to 
 them, as it would awaken their Atcention to 
 Truths and Duties of the highefl conftquence to 
 their Happinefs, and on which the Caufe and In- 
 tcrefls of Virtue do very much depend. And if 
 this be an Influence upon their Minds, it is fuch an 
 Influence as God the Supreme Lawgiver ha^ a right 
 to exert over the human Mind, and which, Reafon 
 obliges us to own, would be highly proper in fuch 
 a Cafe. 
 
 The next thing this Gentleman offers to fliew, 
 that the Chriftian Faith cannot be a rational thing, 
 is, that we are ordered to be baptized into it. This 
 he rcprefents as the known Original of Faith, the 
 great Root whence all our religious Imprejjions noto- 
 rioujly fpring -, and that by the Baptijmal CcremoJiy 
 Men commence true Believers at once : And this, 
 even whilfi they have not the leaji Share or Svmptom 
 
ChrijliaiJtty not founded on Argument, 29 
 
 9f Under jlandlng *. He feems to lay a great flrefs 
 upon this, and returns to it in ftveial Pans of his 
 Pamphlet '\, And he obferves, that the Infant'^ 
 Belief anfwers as effeBually all the Demands of the 
 Go/pel^ as that of the firjl Profcient^ and higheft 
 Graduate in Dvmnity J. 
 
 The Strength of his Argument here depends up- 
 on the fneering Account he gives of the Nature of 
 Baptifm. But there nteds no more to (how the 
 Weaknefs and Fallacy of it, tlian to ftate the Cafe 
 of Baptifm according to the Gofpel- Notion of it; 
 in which alone ChriiHanity is concerned. At the 
 firft founding of the Chriflian Church, the iirft 
 Work was to bring Perfons over to the Faith of the 
 Gofpel, by fetting before them the Evidence where- 
 by it was confirmed ; and then when they were 
 once converted to the Faith, they were, according 
 to the divine Appointment, to be baptized, which 
 was a folemn taking upon them a Profeffion of the 
 Chriftian Religion, and a bringing themfelves under 
 the moft facred Obligations to obey its Laws. And 
 there is nothing in this but what is perfedly con- 
 fident with Faith's being founded upon good and 
 rational Evidence ; nor can fo much as a Shadow 
 of an Argument be brought from it to prove, that 
 becaufe Perfons were ordered to be baptized after 
 they believed, therefore they did not, or could not 
 life their Reafon or intelle(5lual Faculty to lead them 
 into that Belief. Our Author is fenfible of this, 
 and therefore he lays the ftrels of his Argument up- 
 on the Baptifm of Infants, which he reprefcnts in 
 
 his 
 
JO Hemarh mi a Famphlef, entitled, 
 
 his own way. Let us therefore argue with him 
 upon the Suppofition, that it was the Will of God 
 that not only adult Perfons, who themfelves em- 
 braced the Chriftian Faith, but that their Children 
 too (liould be baptized. And I cannot fee how it 
 follows from this, that therefore Faith is not a ra- 
 tional thing. For as to adult Perfons, their being 
 commanded to be baptized upon their believing 
 does not in the leaft prove that they did not em- 
 brace the Chriftian Faith upon a rational Convic- 
 tion. And as to Infants, they have no Faith at 
 all ; nor does their being baptized fuppofe they 
 have any. All that it fuppofes, is not that they do 
 themfelves believe, but that they are the Children 
 of Believers ; and are by that lacred Rite entered 
 into the vifible Society of Chriflians, folemnly de- 
 dicated to God, and commended to his Grace and 
 BlelTing by fuch as do themfelves beheve ; and who 
 folemnly undertake to fee that they be carefully 
 jnftrudted in the Principles of the Chriftian Faith, 
 when they come to Years capable of it, and that 
 they be trained up to a holy and a virtuous 
 Pradice. 
 
 So among the Jews, no adult Perfon was al- 
 lowed to be circumcifed, without profefTing his 
 Belief and Adherence to the Law of Mofcs , and 
 his being circumcifed, was to be regarded as an 
 open Declaration of it. This was no proof at ail, 
 that he did not embrace that Law upon a rational 
 Convidtion, but rather fuppofed that he did fo. 
 But when he was himfelf circumcifed and openly 
 profefied that Law, his Children, if he had any, 
 were to be circumcifed too j wliich was not under- 
 
 flood 
 
Chrijlianity not foimded o?i Argument. 3 1 
 
 flood as a Declaration that they alfo believed, of 
 which they were not yet capable ; but that they 
 were dedicated to God as the Children of his pro- 
 fefled People, and to be trained as they grew up in 
 the Belief and Acknowledgment of the living and 
 true God, and the Pradlice of his Law. 
 
 And fuppofing it was the Will of God, that in 
 like manner in the Chriilian Church not only adult 
 Perfons who themfelves believed, but the Children 
 of fuch fliould be baptized, all that could be juftly 
 concluded from it would be, not that the Chri- 
 ilian Faith is not a reafonable thing, but that the 
 God of Truth and Purity well knew the Dodrines 
 of Chriftianity to be highly important, and agree- 
 able to Truth and Reafon ; and therefore would 
 have Children betimes inftrudted in thofe Doctrines; 
 and that he knew the Duties there prefcribed to be 
 of great confequence to our Happinefs, and there- 
 fore would have Children early trained up to the 
 Knowledge and Practice of thofe Duties. And 
 this does not hinder, but rather obliees the Perfon 
 who was thus early baptized, to confider thofe la- 
 cred Truths when he grows up ; and then he is 
 not to believe them becaufe he was taught them in 
 his Childhood, but becaufe he himfelf confiders 
 the Evidence brought for them, and finds it rea- 
 fonable and convincing ; and in like manner, it does 
 not hinder him from examining into the Nature 
 and Importance of the Duties required of him, but 
 -rather obliges him to do io, that he may perform 
 thofe Duties from a fail Convi6lioa of their Rea- 
 fonubleneis and Excellency. 
 
 To 
 
32 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled^ 
 
 To his Queftion therefore, Can a Man be bap^ 
 tized into a rational Religion f I anfwer, yes. A 
 Man that is convinced of the Truth of fuch a Re- 
 ligion, and believes it upon good Evidence, may 
 be reafonably baptized into it j /. e. he may folemn- 
 ly, by that outward facred Rite, profefs his Behef of 
 that Religion, and oblige himfelf to the Duties it 
 prefcribes ; which is the defign of Baptifm with 
 fegard to the Adult. And with regard to Infiints, 
 it may be very reafonable for a Man that himfelf 
 believes it upon rational grounds, to baptize his 
 Child, i. e. folemnly by that facred Rite to devote 
 his Child to God, and to bring him as far as in him 
 lies under Engagements to embrace and pradife 
 that excellent Religion, as foon as he is capable of 
 doing foj at the fime time folemnly obliging him- 
 felf to take care that the Child be betimes feafoned 
 with the Knowledge of facred important Truth, 
 and formed to the Pradlice of Piety and Virtue. 
 And there is nothing improper, in fuppofing that 
 it is the Will and Appointment of God, that Chil- 
 dren fliould betimes be brought under fuch En- 
 gagements, when he knows them to be in them- 
 felves fit and reafonable, and of fuch a nature that 
 it will be their Duty and their great Advantage 
 when they come to Years of Difcretion perfonally 
 to approve and to fulfil them. If this be laying 
 Prejudices and Prcpoffeflions in their way, it is 
 prepoflefTing them in favour of Truth and Virtue ; 
 and it is every way agreeable to the divine W^ifdom 
 and Goodnefs, to lay them under fuch a Prepoflef- 
 fion, and what the Author of our Beings has a right 
 to do. And therefore his doing that, can never be 
 
 juflly 
 
ChrijTlanify not foimcW on Argninent. J 3 
 
 juftly brought as an Objedion againfl the Reafon- 
 ablenefs of a R.evelation. 
 
 This leads me to another Argument advanced 
 bv this Writer, to fliew that Faith is not a realbn- 
 able thing, and that is, becaufe we are ordered to 
 he taught it in our Childhood, " If the AiTent 
 *' God required were to be a rational one, it would 
 " be highly wicked and unjuft to prepollirfs Men's 
 ** tender Minds in any manner before rhcy came to 
 ** the full Ufe of their rational Faculdes; But now 
 *' that we are actually commanded with early Di- 
 '^ ligence to retain our Children as fo many fure 
 *' Votaries to the Caufe we profefs ourfelves; it is 
 *' plain that a rational AfTent is by no means calcu- 
 *' lated for, or expected at our hands *." He is 
 fo fond of this Thought, that he repeats it, as his 
 manner is, in other Parts of his Book, where he 
 obferves, that fuppofing Faith rational, *' The offi- 
 " cious Piety of what they call Education would 
 " be highly partial and unjuit, and would be no- 
 " thing eUe but the undue Cultivation of die mod 
 *' notorious and palpable Prejudices ; the antici- 
 " pating unfairly the Strength of the fuppofed E- 
 " vidence, ^c. -j- " 
 
 I muil own, this way of talking appears to me 
 very extraordinary. That can never be a juit Ar- 
 gument againft the Reafonablenefs of a divine Re- 
 velation, which it would be realbnable to expcift, 
 fuppofing a Revelation really given. And 01 this 
 kind is this Gentleman's Argument here. For, 
 fuppofing a Revelation really given from Heaven, 
 and that it is in itfelf agreeable to Reafon, and of 
 
 F a:? 
 
 * P. M, 12. + P. 102,103. 
 
34 RemarJzs on a Pamphlet y entitled, 
 
 an excellent Tendency, then certainly the more 
 reafonable and excellent its Doctrines and Injunc- 
 tions are, the more proper it would be, and the 
 more for the Good of Mankind, that Children 
 ihould be inftituted in it betimes, and trained up 
 in a Knowledge of its divine Principles. For the 
 Juftnefs of this Confequence, I appeal to the Ex- 
 perience and Obfervation of all Ages, and to the 
 common Confent of Mankind, and efpecially of 
 the wife ft and beft of Men, who have ever agreed 
 that it is a Matter of the greatcft Importance to 
 take care to train up Children betimes in good 
 Principles, and cultivate good Difpofitions in them. 
 And if greater care was taken this way than there 
 generally is, there is great reafon to think that 
 Mankind would be much more generally happy 
 and virtuous than they are. 
 
 It is plain to any one that has made juft Reflec- 
 tions on Human Nature, that the Author of our 
 Beings defigned that we fliould be inftrud:ed in our 
 Childhood. For we are fo framed and conftituted, 
 that we muft neceifarily depend for the Beginnings 
 of our Knowledge very much on thofe that are 
 about us. We are in a fpecial manner caft by 
 God and Nature on the Care of our Parents. All 
 will own, that they are obliged to take care of the 
 Bodies of their Children ; and muft no care be 
 taken to inftrud: and principle their nobler Part, 
 their Minds ? To cultivate the Seeds of Reafon, 
 and to form them to the Knowledge of facred 
 Truth, and to a virtuous Pradice ? This is what 
 Reafon, the Good of Mankind, a Love to iheir 
 Children, and a Defire of their Huppinefs^ requires 
 
 of 
 
Chrijtlanity not founded on Argument. 3 5 
 
 of Parents ; and the Negle^^ of it has been always 
 regarded as a criminal thing. It may be faid, this 
 is to prejudice and prepofTcfs them ; but it is a Pre- 
 polfeilion that Realbn directs to : And to negledt 
 this, under pretence of leaving them to their own 
 unprejudiced Reafon, would be to leave their Minds 
 entirely rude and uncultivated, and give them up 
 to Vice and Ignorance. This Gentleman pretends, 
 that according to the Judgment of Reafon, it 
 would be a ^wicked thing to prepcfjefs their Minds 
 in any mamter^ before they come to the full Ufe of 
 their rational Faculties. The plain Meaning of 
 which I take to be this, that they mufi: be left 
 without all Inltrudion of any kind, till they ar- 
 rive to the Age of Manhood. No Attempt mud 
 be made to inflruit them in any Branch of Learn- 
 ing or Knowledge, or to put Books into their hands, 
 becaufe Books and Inftrudions of Tutors or Mates 
 would probably prepoflefs them. Every Man muft 
 be left to find out the Whole of Religion and 
 Knowledge for himfelf, by the mere dint of his 
 own Reafon and Induftry. And what would be 
 the confequence of this, but univerfal Barbarifm ? 
 Our Pafjions^ as this Gentleman obferves, arc mofl 
 prevalent in thofe early Tears^ when Reafon is leaf 
 
 able to form her Judgment s in our A/Ji[ia?tce. 
 
 They muft needs have got the fart in their Ad^ 
 vanceSj before f:e can by her Nature have made 
 any confiderable progrefs in thofe falutary Principles, 
 which are to regulate or fubdue the?n. For want 
 of timely Notice^ we may more than probably have 
 embarked in wrong Meafures at fitting out, and 
 be loft in the Power of Habit beyond Recovery, be^ 
 
 F 2 fore 
 
3 6 . Rejnarks on a Pamphlet ^ ■ entitled, 
 
 fore ive knciv ivkcre ive are. All this, and more 
 to the fame purpofe, our Author produces *, to 
 ihew that Faith is neceflary from the Beginning ; 
 from whence, by a ftrange way of arguing, he in- 
 fers, that it is not a rational thing, lince it muft 
 anticipate the Exercife of our Reafon. But all that 
 it proves is this, that it is neceffary to endeavour 
 to inllill fuch Principles into the Minds of Children 
 betimes, as may be of ufe to corred; and regulate 
 their PalTions and Affedions, before they can them- 
 felves go thro' the tedious Procefs of fuch an Exa- 
 mination, as he fuppofes to be neceffary to a ra- 
 tional Faith. But it does by no means follovv^, 
 that becaufe it is proper to inftrud: Children be- 
 times in the principles of Faith and Religion, even 
 before they are capable clearly of thenifelyes to 
 difcern the Evidence ; therefore the Principles of 
 Faith are not confirmed by good and rational Evi- 
 dence, or that the Faith of the Children when 
 ihey grow up, and can fee the EvidencCj may not 
 become in the properen: fenfe rational. 
 
 Nor can it juftly be pretended, that the Pre- 
 pCileliion of Education takes from a Child, when 
 he comts to Maturity, the Ufe of his own Reafon, 
 and the Liberty of Judgment. It is ftill in his 
 power to examine into the Truth and ^eafonable- 
 nefs of what he was taught before. And furely 
 this will fcarcely be denied in the prefent Age, 
 when it is become fo filhionable a thing to throw 
 off the Principles of Education j and when there 
 are fo many Inftances of Perfons, that initead of be- 
 iiicr prejudiced in favour of the Religion in which 
 
 they 
 
 fp. 13, 140 
 
Chrijliajiify not founded on Argument, ^yy 
 
 ihey were educated, feem rather to be prejudiced 
 againft it, and to be ready to dilcard it for that 
 'reafon ; and who, as this Author advifes *, explode 
 under the name of Prejudice all the Rffc5l of their 
 Education. 
 
 Another of his Arguments to prove that the Chri- 
 ilian Faith is not a rational one, is drawn from the 
 Nature of Examination and Enquiry. The Strain 
 of his Reafoning is to this purpofe; that Reafon 
 requires us to examine before we believe, whereas 
 the Faidi required in the Gofpel is abfolutely in- 
 coniiftent with a fair Exaniination. He obferves, 
 that " there is not one iingle Argument from 
 ** Reafon, why a Man ihould not return of courfe 
 " to Neutrality, the firft Moment he begins to 
 " think for himfelf. That nothing is more evi- 
 '.■^ dent, than that to examine fairly, u^e muft 
 *' come unprejudiced and indifferent to the Exami- 
 '' nation. Examination in the very Term implies 
 *'^ a Sufpenfe of Conviction ; and therefore if Reli- 
 ef gion admits at all of Examination, it muft ne- 
 " ceffarily admit likev/ife of (at leaft a temporary) 
 *' Difbelief. The rational Chriilian, whoever he 
 *' be, muft of courfe have originally fet out a Scep- 
 
 " tick and that a Man may, nay muft, dif- 
 
 *' believe a while for Information's fike — ." And 
 yet all Doubting and Dilbeiief is what the Gofpel 
 condemns -f-. The Author had faid the fame thing 
 before ||, and he returns to it in feveral Parts of 
 his Pamphlet. 
 
 But the whole of his Reafoning hera proceeds 
 upon a wrong Foundation, viz, that all Examina- 
 
 tJon 
 
 »P.g. t P. 12. 13. J P. S.6. 
 
"3^ Hemnrks on a 'Pamphlet^ entitled^ 
 
 tion ncceflarily llippofes a perfect Neutrality or In- 
 differency of Mind, and a temporary Difbelief. It 
 is manifeft, that in exanaining into the Truth of 
 Fads, it is not neceflary that we have an abfolutc 
 Doubt of thofe Fa6rs, or be perfectly neutral and 
 indilferent about them, before we enter on a parti- 
 cular Examination. It is very ufnal to examine 
 into Fads that we were pretty fure of in general 
 before, and yet this may not hinder the Examina- 
 tion and Enquiry from being juft and exad. And 
 the fame may alfo hold, with regard to Dodrines 
 and Principles. It is not at all neceffary to a fiir 
 Examination of Principles, that a Man be perfcdly 
 neutral and indifferent to them when he begins 
 the Enquiry, or that he fhould adually difbelieve 
 them. I'd many cafes this would be unreafonable, 
 in fome fcarce poffible, except the Things he en- 
 quires or examines into are Things which he never 
 heard of before. For if he enquires, e. g. into 
 Dodrines or Principles in which he had been care- 
 fully educated and intruded, and when inftruded 
 had Reafons given him, which appeared to him 
 good and fufficient ; it would be abfurd to fuppofe 
 that he il:iould not be influenced by thofe Reafons, 
 till he faw caufe to alter his Sentiments. For it 
 would be as irrational to difbelieve the Principles ia 
 which a Man was educated, for no other Reafon, 
 but becaufe he was educated in them j as it would 
 be, to believe them merely for that Reafon. When 
 a Man has reafon to believe a Thing, and no fuffi- 
 cient Reafon that he yet knows of to the contrary^ 
 it would be unreafonable entirely to fufpend his 
 
 AfTent 
 
Chrijlianlty not founded on Arguments 39 
 
 Aflent to it, merely becaufe it is pollible to be 
 falfe, tho' he has no reafon to think it fo. 
 
 A Man may enter upon an Enquiry with a Be- 
 Hef that what he enquires into is true, or at leafl 
 very probable, for the Reafons which have been 
 given him ; but yet with a Refolution to examine 
 more clofely, and fearch more narrowly into the 
 Validity of thofe Reafons and Evidences. And it 
 is fufficient to a fiir Examination, that he applies 
 himfelf to it with a Mind honeftly prepared and 
 difpofed to receive and fubmit to whatever Evidence 
 fhall arife in the Courle of the Examination or 
 Enquiry. This is all the "Neutrality ^ if this Gen- 
 tleman will call it fo, that is neceffary to a fair 
 Enquiry, viz. a Difpofition or Refolution to em- 
 brace Truth, on which fide foever it fliall upon a 
 careful Search appear ; and this Neutrality may be 
 where a Man at prefent thinks he has much more 
 reafon to believe, than the contrary. All the Doubt 
 that is flriiflly and abfolutely neceffary to a fair Exa- 
 mination is, that it is poffible what he enquires into 
 may be otherwife than he at prefent apprehends 
 it. But a Man may believe a thing poflible to be 
 falfe, and yet have great reafon to believe it true. 
 And it may well happen, that in the Courfe of his 
 Examination, he may fee Hill greater Reafon to 
 believe and be affared of Vv'hat he thought at iirft 
 only probable. In which cafe, the Examination 
 may be carried on very fairly, /. e. with a Mind 
 open to Convidiion and Evidence, widiout entertain- 
 ing any coniiderable Doubt, or ever once feeing 
 caufe abfolutely to fufpend the Affent concerning 
 it. Thus, e.g, if a Man has been carefully edu- 
 cated 
 
.40 Refjiarks on a Pamphlet , entitled;. 
 
 cated in the Belief of a God, and of a Providence, 
 and the moral Differences of Things, and at the 
 fame time has been inflru6led in the Reafons upon 
 which thefe Principles are founded, it is notnecef- 
 fary to a fair Examination into thofe Principles, 
 that he fliould be perfectly indifferent with regard 
 to them, or lliould difbelieve them j he may very 
 confiftently carry on an Examination and Enquiry, 
 without having his Belief of them fliocked cither 
 in the Beginning or whole Progrefs of it, becaufe 
 as he goes on in the Examination, the Evidence may 
 rife fuller to his view, and his Convidions n:iay 
 grow ftronger. And I doubt not this hath alfo 
 been the cafe of many excellent Perfons of great 
 Abilities and Probity, and of free Judgments, who 
 have examined the Evidences for Chriftianityi 
 They have come to the Examination with a good 
 Opinion of it at firft, but yet with a Refolution 
 impartially to conlider and follow the Evidence 
 that fhould arife 5 and the more they examined, the 
 more they found reaibn to believe it ; and therefore 
 were never obliged during their Examination ab- 
 folutely to fufpend their Alfent to it, or to refufe to 
 govern their Pradice by its Precepts. 
 
 There is no need therefore to fuppofe with this 
 Writer, that all the Time of Examination and 
 Enquiry mufl be an infidel lnteri7n, as he calls 
 it*, or to talk of the Danger of Death's coming 
 upon us whilfl we are carrying on this Enquiry, 
 and of our lacking Faith the neccjfary Pafport, &c. 
 For aPerfon may fairly carry on the Enquiry, and 
 yet neither during all that time difbelieve the Prin- 
 
 ciplcbv 
 
Chrtfitanity not founded on Argument, 4 f 
 
 ciples, nor neglecfl the Practice of the Duties of 
 Chriitianit}^} yea, may ilill have his Faith more 
 rtrengthned as he goes on, and his Refokitions more 
 eflablilhed for a Chriftian Pradice. 
 
 We may fee by this, how juit this Gentleman's 
 Infinuations are, as if all Enquiries and Difquift- 
 tions into the Truth and Aiithenticknejs of Revela- 
 tion "were Practices utterly inconjijient 'with the 
 Pretcnfwns of fuch as call their. fehes ChriftianSj or 
 expeB any Benefit from the Go/pel-Covenant, to 
 ivhich they are always prcfumed Parties *. For 
 fuppofing God hath given us a Revelation, which 
 he knows is attended with fufiicient Evidence to fa- 
 tisfy a reafonable and well-difpofed Mind, he may 
 very confirtently require us both to exomine and 
 to believe it j becaufe he knows a firm Belief of it 
 will be the Effed; of a fair Examination, if it be 
 not our own faults. His Defign may be in effed: 
 this: Examine fairly and carefully, and you will 
 fee fuch Evidences of its Truth and Excellency, as 
 will make your Belief and Obedience a reafonable 
 Service. 
 
 Nor can I fee but a Parent who takes great 
 care and pains in training up his Child to jali: and 
 worthy Sentiments of Religion and Virtue, may 
 very confidently bid him examine and enquire 
 when he grows up, without defiring him to diibs- 
 lieve what he has taught him. There would be 
 nothing abfurd in his addrefiing him thus : I have 
 endeavoured to inf^rudl: you in the Reafonable- 
 nefs of the Principles of Religion, as far as I wi s 
 able to do it 3 and now you are come to a Capa- 
 
 G ciiy 
 
 * P. i6. 
 
42 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 city of judging for yourfelf, I recommend it to 
 you, to examine thofe things, and the Reafons and 
 Evidences on which they are founded, with a Mind 
 open to Evidence and a Love of Truth ; and am 
 perfuaded that the more you do fo, the more you 
 will be convinced of their Reafonablenefs and Ex- 
 cellency. This is a way of recommending En- 
 quiry and Examination perfedlly confiflent with a 
 firm Belief of the Truth of the Things enquired 
 into ; nor is there any thing unreafonable in fuch 
 a Proceeding. 
 
 Having confidered this Gentleman's Account of 
 the Nature of Examination and Enquiry, it will 
 be no hard matter to fliew the Weaknefs and FaI-» 
 lacy of the Argument he builds upon it. He firft 
 fuppofes, that a Man may, nay muft, dijbelieve a 
 while for l?2formatio?i*'s fake,, and then afks. Why 
 may he not even dijbelieve for ever, for want of In- 
 formation ? And if Doubting be once allowable, who 
 jlmll afcertain the precife time for fiimming up the 
 Evidence, and pronouncing Sentence"^ He fuppofes 
 that, according to the Scheme of thofe that are for 
 a rational Faith, the fir ji Motions cf Doubt are ne^ 
 €efjary Preparations, and therefore not in themf elves 
 criminal And then he afks. By what Authority 
 {if the Evidence happens never to take ^ffeB) can a 
 Man be obliged ever to be refolved * .^ I fee no o- 
 ther Tendency in this way of talking, but to pro- 
 mote univerfal Scepticifm. But the Foundation of 
 it has been fliew^n to be wrong, vi%, that Exami-* 
 nation in all Cafes necefTarily fiippofes a previous 
 Dilbelief. But if we fhould grant it to be fo, it 
 
 does 
 
 * P. 13. 
 
Chrijliamfy not founded on Argurnhit. 43 
 
 does not follow, that if a Man be allowed to doubt 
 or difbelieve for a while, therefore he mav be al- 
 lowed to doubt or difbelieve for ever j and that if 
 Doubting in fome Cafes may be innocent, /. e. be- 
 fore the Evidence is laid before him, therefore it 
 may be alfo innocent after the Evidence is fully 
 propofed to him« I think it cannot reafbnably be 
 denied, that Doubting in many Cafes may be a Dif- 
 temper of Mind, owing to very faulty Caufes ; 
 and when once a Man's Doubting is become crimi- 
 nal, he is under a real Obligation to lay it afide, and 
 to redify it, and may be required to do io^ at leaft 
 by a divine Authority. When Evidences have 
 .been propofed lufficient to remove his Do ibts, and 
 his being ftill in doubt is owing to a bad Temper 
 of Mind, to a faulty Affec5lation, 10 an Unwilling- 
 nefs to be convinced, and to fubmit to Evidence, 
 which may often happen with regard to religious 
 Truth 5 in that cafe, his perfifling in his Doubt is 
 really vicious and unreafonable j and all the time 
 he perfifts in it, he is chargeable with a Crime, and 
 accountable for his Condudl to the Supreme Judge, 
 who knows the fecret Difpofition of his Mind, and 
 may juftly condemn him for it. 
 
 In Pjg-. 16, 17. our Author, by a high-flown 
 Encomium on Faith, its great NecefTity and Im- 
 portance, endeavours to deflroy its Reafonablenefs. 
 He had reprefented, in flrong Colours, the early 
 Influence of Prejudices and Paflions, to fhew that 
 Reafon corner too late to our alTiflarice, and is too 
 flow in her Advances ; whereas Faith is neceiTury 
 to guide us from the beginning of our Lives. And 
 then he goes on to obferve, that Faith is necej'ary to 
 
 G 2 jiaiTip 
 
44 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitle J, 
 
 famp a Value on Morality, which, without it, is 
 of no efteem or acceptance with God : That it is 
 the neceffary Paflport, without which we cannot 
 die fafely. But what his Defign is, in all this fine 
 Harangue on the Neceffity of Faith, he lets us 
 know, when he aflis, " Is it now any unwarrant- 
 " able Conclufion from all thefe Confiderations, to 
 ^* infer, that Religion therefore can never be a 
 " thing to he taught, that it mufl: needs be fome- 
 •' thing that dcth not require Time to attain, like 
 '* other common LefTons and Sciences, which are 
 ^' indifferent in their Confequences ? Since the very 
 *' fame Reafons that make it necelfaiy at al!, make 
 *^ it equally fo every m^oment of our Lives." 
 
 The Maxim here advanced by this Gentlem.an, 
 that Religion or Faith can never be a thing to be 
 taught, and that it is fomething which doth not 
 require Tifne to attain, is a very convenient one for 
 him, and would no doubt anfwer his Intention very 
 well. For if Religion cannot be taught, it is cer- 
 tain the Intellectual Faculty is not defigned to lead 
 Men into it. And it would follow, that neither 
 Parents fliould inil:ru(5L their Children in the Prin- 
 ciples of Religion, nor fliould any Perfons be em- 
 ployed as publick Teachers ; nor is there any need 
 of the Scriptures, or of any Books at all for our 
 InftruvSion -, nor fliould any Man ufe means to un- 
 derfland Religion himfelf, or teach it to others. 
 
 The Method he takes to prove, that Faith or Re- 
 ligion can never be taught, and that it requires no 
 time to attain, is pretty extraordinary. It is what 
 he infqrs from the Account he had given of theNe- 
 ^tlTity of Faith. And he obferves, that the very 
 
 fofjie 
 
Chrijiiamty not founded on Argtunenf. 4^ 
 
 Jhfne Reafons that make it neceffary at all^ make it 
 equally Jo every Moment of our Lives', that is, from 
 the time of our Birth to our Death, and confe- 
 qiiently equally neceflary to Infants as to adult Per- 
 Ions, necelTary before we have any ufe of our Rea- 
 fon, or are capable of being taught at all. 
 
 But this is a ftrange way of reprefenting things. 
 Let us grant all he can defire about the Neceffity 
 of Faith to our Acceptance with God, and to our 
 Salvation, yet ftill it is neceffary only in thofe that 
 2re the capable Subjeds of it. The neceliity of 
 holy Obedience, and of good Works, or keeping 
 the Commandments of God, is as flronglyinfifted 
 upon in the facred Writings, as that of Faith. 
 But Common Senfe teaches every Man to limit 
 this, and the Nature of ihc thing limits it, that it 
 muil relate only to Perfons that are capable of mo-* 
 ral Agency; and therefore not to Ideots, nor In- 
 fants before they come to the Ufe of their Realbn. 
 And the fame thing may be faid with regard to 
 the Declarations made concerning the Neceffity of 
 Faith. They are to be underflood as relating on- 
 ly to thofe that are naturally capable of it. Allow- 
 ing Faith to be never fo neceffary, the Meaning is 
 not, either that an equal Degree of Faiih is necef- 
 fary to all the Adult, how different foever their 
 Advantages or Opportunities may be ; or that it is 
 at all neceffary, in any degree, to be actually in 
 Infants, before they have any ufe of Reafon, or 
 are capable of kfio-ivifig good and evil. 
 
 One thing he urgeth, to fhew the abfolute Ne- 
 ceffity of Faith at all times, is, that it is neceffary 
 to ftamp a Value on Morality. This is not true in 
 
 the 
 
46 Remarks on a Famphlet, entitled, - 
 
 the Extent in which he reprefents it, that without 
 it the beji of Lives ^ and the mofi virtuous Actions^ 
 are highly criminal and dijpleajing to God ; tho' he 
 endeavours to prove this, according to his manner, 
 by fome mifapplied Texts of Scripture, which I 
 fhall not now turn afide to examine. But allowing 
 it to be fo, it will not follow, that Faith is necef- 
 fary before we are capable of moral Agency. It is 
 fome time before Children are capable of Adions 
 properly moral, and for which they are account- 
 able as moral Agents, becaufe it is fome time be-^ 
 fore they are properly capable of exerciling their 
 Reafon ; in like manner, it is fome time before 
 they are in any degree capable of Faith. And by 
 the time they are capable of Ad;ions properly mo* 
 ral or religious, they are capable of believing too, 
 as far as it is neceflary for them to believe. So that 
 Faith, and a good moral or religious Pradice, may 
 go together, from the time of their beginning to 
 think and ad: rationally. And this, inftead of 
 proving that Faith or Religion cannot be taught^ 
 only fhews the great neceffity of teaching it be- 
 times. And as their Reafon or intelledual Faculty 
 is for fome time very imperfed, fo their Faith is 
 very imperfed too, and is capable of continual In- 
 creafe and Improvement, as their Reafon and Un- 
 derftanding improves. As Children begin very 
 early to ufe their Reafon, tho' in a very imperfed 
 inanner, fo it is highly iit to begin to inftrud them 
 early in the Principles of Religion -, and this may 
 be fairly concluded from what our Author repre- 
 fents in {o lively a manner, concerning the danger 
 we are in betimes from the Snares of the World, 
 
 and 
 
Chrijiiarilfy net founded on Argument. 47 
 
 and from irregular Appetites and PalTions, which 
 foon begin to operate and exert a great influence 
 upon us *. It is therefore a great advantage to any 
 Peribn, to htfrom a Child acquainted with the Holy 
 Scriptures, as Timothy was. And it is a great In- 
 ftance of the divine Wifdom and Goodnefs, that 
 God hath provided a Revelation for us, by inftrudt- 
 ing us in which, we may have our Minds early 
 feafoned with the mod excellent Principles^ and 
 the moft powerful Motives to engage us to a good 
 and virtuous Practice. And Children may be gra- 
 dually let into the Excellency of thofe DcxSrines 
 and Laws, and the Evidences whereby they are 
 confirmed, in a way accommodated to their Ca- 
 pacities. They may be taught what they are to 
 believe, together with the Reafons why they are to 
 believe, as far as they are capable of receiving them, 
 which undoubtedly will at firfl be in a very imper- 
 fe6t way. But yet it is fuch a degree of Faith as 
 is fulted to their Age ; a Faith fufficient to influ- 
 ence their Practice, as far as Pradice morally good 
 and religious is required of them. 
 
 I had almoft forgot an extraordinary Argument 
 produced by this Writer^ to iliew that the Faith 
 required of us, is not a rational Faith ; and that is^ 
 that we are required \o pray for the Increafe of our 
 Faith. From whence he thinks it follows, that it 
 is ?iot expeBed that we fiould contribute to its E- 
 fablifiment by a?2y Pains <Sr Endeavours of cur 
 own -f. His Argument here proceeds upon the 
 Suppofitlon, that Prayer to God fuperfedes the Ufe 
 of all Means or Endeavours on our parts, and that 
 
 we 
 
4$ Kemdrh on a Pamphlet^ entitled, 
 
 "we are never to pray to God for any thing, In 
 which we are to contribute our own Endeavours 5 
 "which is to fay, that we are never to pray to God, 
 either for a Blefiing on our worldly Affairs, or to 
 affift us in the Pradice of Piety and Virtue : for 
 it is evident, that in both thefe cafes we are obliged 
 to ufe our own Endeavours. But it appears to me, 
 to be the moft confident thing in the world, fup- 
 pofing a God and a Providence, to ufe our own 
 beft Endeavours, and to apply to God for his Allif- 
 tance and Bleffing upon our Endeavours. And 
 particularly, as it is our duty to make the befl: ufe 
 we can of the Underftanding and Faculties God 
 hath given us, in enquiring after Truth j fo Reafon 
 diredls us, and it is what the beft and wifeft of 
 Men in all Ages have been fenfible of, to apply to 
 the Supreme Being, the Father of Light s, and the 
 God of Truths toatUft us in our Enquiries, to open 
 and enlighten our Minds to a clearer Difcernment 
 of the Truth, and to difpofe our Hearts for receiv- 
 ing it in the Love of it. 
 
 But he thinks it impoflible, that Grace can ever 
 fecond or add to the Faith that is founded i?i Reafon, 
 The Reafon he gives, is, becaufe Increafe of Evi- 
 dence is the only Acceffoti to be made to rational 
 Perfaafon, Allow this, then whatever increafes 
 the Evidence, or fets it in a ftronger light, or en- 
 ables the Mind better to difcern it, may make an 
 Acceflion to a rational Perfuafion. Now I think 
 it cannot be denied, that the Father of our Spirits 
 can, by his gracious Influence upon the Mind, en- 
 able it more clearly to difcern the Evidence, can 
 let it in a ilronger light, and help to dilpel vicious 
 
 Prejudices j 
 
ChriJ}ui7jify not founded on Argument, 49 
 
 Prejudices j and on fuch a Suppofition his Grace 
 would increafe our Faith in a way agreeable to 
 Realbn. And if fo, there is no Inconliftency in 
 humbly applying to God for that purpofe, at the 
 fame time that weufe our own dili2:ent Endeavours. 
 And it may well be thought that a wife and good 
 God, the Lover of Truth and Virtue, will be ready 
 to allill: good and well-difpofed Minds, that are 
 willing to embrace Truth and fubmit to Evidence ; 
 and who, at the fame time that they ufe their own 
 Endeavours in the beft manner they are able, are 
 fenfible of their Dependence upon him, and humi* 
 bly apply to him for Light and Afliflance in a 
 Matter of fuch Importance. And on the other 
 hand, God may juftly withhold his Affillance from 
 thofe who from a vain and arrogant Conceit of 
 themfelves, one of the woril: Difpofitions for find- 
 ing out Truth, do not apply to God for Light and 
 Alliitance, and perhaps ridicule his interpofing in 
 fuch matters. 
 
 This may help ns to judge of what the Author 
 further offers *, where he reprefents the applying 
 to God by Prayer for i\\t conjirming aiid continuing 
 us fledfajl in the Faith, to be a difavowing in the 
 Fuhiefs oj our ConviSiion all future life of Reafon 
 for our Security. And he talks to the fame pur- 
 pofe again •\. But the refolving to make a future 
 Ufe of our Reafon is very confident with our pray- 
 ing to God to confirm and continue us fledfafi: in 
 the Faith. For here, as in the former Cafe, our 
 Prayer Aill fuppofes the Ufe of Means on our parts. 
 We muft take all proper Methods to know more 
 
 H and 
 
 *P. u. fP.27. 
 
5© Remarks on a Tamphlef^ entitled, 
 
 and more of Religion, and to get a clearer view 
 of the Evidence whereby it is confirmed, and to 
 a6l under the governing Influence of it in the Prac- 
 tice of Righteoufntfs and true Holinefs j at the fame 
 time earnellly begging of God that he would con- 
 tinue his divine AHiilances, and enlighten our Minds 
 more and more in the Knowledge of facred Truth j 
 that he would caiifc us to ke more of its Reafonable- 
 nefs and Excellency, and feel more of its happy 
 Influence on our Temper and Conduct. In which 
 cafe our Stedfaflnefs in the Faith would not be, 
 what this Gentleman is here pleafed to reprefent 
 the Chriilian PerJ'iverance to be, a blind and joolijh 
 Objiinacy to a frejent Notion ; but a fteady Adhe- 
 rence to what we are perfuaded of upon good and 
 folid grounds, fo as not to be drawn afide by any 
 wrong Motives or artful Reprefentations, or thro* 
 a Levity and Infl:ability of Mind, from important 
 Truth and Duty. And there is nothing in fuch 
 an Application to the Deity, but what would be- 
 come any good and thinking Man, fuppofing Re- 
 ligion to be founded in Reafon. 
 
 From /. 17. to p. 2-1. the Strain of his arguing 
 feems to be this :- — That if Faith were a rational 
 Thing, the Generality of Mankind could not be 
 juftly required to believe, becaufe this would be a 
 thing abfolutely above their Capacity. He fets 
 himfelf to fl:iew, that there are few that are capa- 
 ble of reafoning at all. And he particularly ob- 
 ferves, that the Nature and Evidence of Religion in 
 the rational way is founded entirely on the Credit 
 and Authentic hiefs of Hifiory^ in which it is im- 
 pojjible to give any rational Decifion without a 
 
Cbrij}ia7iity not Joundcd on Argument. 5 1 
 
 good natural Turn for Reafofiingy and even fame 
 very confiderable Acquijitmn in Learning. And 
 then he infifts upon a DiJtinSfion^^vj\\ic\\ he thinks 
 is not f'uijiciently attended to on this Si^hjedf^ viz, 
 Thjt it IS one thing whether a Propofition be true 
 in it/elf J and another whether a Man be bound to 
 apprehend or believe it. That theietore let Chri- 
 fiianity and the Evidence for the Hijiorical Fa£ls 
 of the Gofpel be fuppolcd to be never jo true tn it~ 
 Jelfy and convincing to thofe that have capacity to 
 look into it J yet the Generality of Mankind cannot 
 be bound to believe it, becaufe they have not Ca^ 
 pacity to dilcern the Force of the Proofs brought 
 for it. It is a thing of which they can have no 
 perception^ nor can they frame any reafonable 
 Notion about it j any more than a Man that has 
 no Kar can perceive or judge of Muiick, tho' 
 never fo fine or jufl. 
 
 It will eafily be allowed, that a thing may be 
 true, and yet all Men may not be bound to believe 
 it ; and that no Man can be obliged to believe a 
 thing on rational grounds, when he is naturally 
 incapable of perceiving or underflanding the Evi- 
 dence brought for it. But I differ very widely 
 from this Gentleman in the Suppofition he makes, 
 that the Evidence for Chriftianity is abiolutely above 
 xhs, natural Capacity of the Generality of Man- 
 kind. 
 
 Indeed, according to his Reprefentation, it Is 
 above their Capacity to know or believe any Reli- 
 gion at all. Man, according to his Account of 
 him, inftead of being formed a religious Creature, 
 is naturally incapable of Religion, and therefore 
 
 H 2 fliould 
 
52 Kemarh on a Pamphlet, ejititkd^ 
 
 fliould not give himfelf any concern about it. 
 He here reprefents it, as if it would be the 
 moil: unjuft and tyrannical thing in God to re- 
 quire Men to believe any thing that is not felf- 
 €njide?2ty and in which there is the leaji of hi- 
 diiBion or Inference -, and confequently to require 
 them to believe even the fundamental Principles 
 of natural Religion, the Being of a God and a Pro^ 
 vidence : for it cannot be faid, that thefe are pro- 
 perly y^//^^i;/it';?/ ; they are capable of being proved 
 by InduSiion and Inference. Thus, in order to 
 {hew that Men are not capable of a rational Faith, 
 he degrades the Generality of Mankind almofl: to a 
 level with the Brutes in point of Underftanding. 
 He reprefents them as not qiialifed for reajoning 
 {It all y as incapable of any thing that has the leaji 
 of Indiitlion or Inference in it j that their Souls are 
 lodged in their hands, as he politely exprefleth it, 
 and their Apprehenfions extend not beyond a finiple 
 Propofition, and they are thrown out at once at the 
 ''jcry firji mention of introducing a Medium. But 
 common Obfervation and Experience may con- 
 vince any Man, that this is a very falfe and inju- 
 rious Reprefentation of human Nature. We plain- 
 ly fee, that the Generality of Men in their com- 
 mon Affairs and Converfation daily ufe Mediums, 
 and make Indudions and Inferences. And there 
 are few, that when they are tried, and apply them- 
 ielves to it, are not capable of learning Things that 
 depend upon Mediums, and which require an 
 Exercife of the reafoning Faculty. And I doubt 
 not, God, who defigned Men for Religion, has 
 formed them fo, that the Generality of Mankind 
 
 are 
 
Chrijlia?2ity not founded on Argujnent, 53 
 
 arc capable of underjftanding the main Principles 
 of it, as far as is fufficient for them, if they will 
 really take that pains and care which becomes 
 them in Matters of fuch Importance, and will ule 
 their Reafon and the Faculties God has given them, 
 as much as it is really in their power to do, and 
 as they actually do in Things of far lefs confe- 
 quence. 
 
 I acknowledge indeed, that it would not be very 
 confiftent with the State and Circumflances of the 
 Generality of Mankind, to enter into a minute 
 Difcuffion in a way of Reafoning into the feveral 
 Dod:rines and Principles of Religion, and regularly 
 trace them by the force of their own Refled:ions 
 thro' their genuine Connexivons and Confequences. 
 And this fliews the great Wifdom and Goodnei^ 
 of God in the Method he has taken for the In- 
 ilrudion of Mankind, by comprizing all that is 
 neceflary and proper for us to believe and know, 
 relating to Religion, in a written ftanding Revela- 
 tion, which fets before us the main Articles of 
 Truth and Duty in plain Propofitions, which they 
 may without much difficulty underftand. And 
 the Evidence that is brought to prove that this is a 
 Revelation from God, and that the Perfons who 
 publifhed it to the World in his Name were ex- 
 traordinarily fent and commiilion'd by him, is fuch 
 as is reafonably fufficient to convince any Man of 
 common Underftanding, that will apply himfelf 
 clofely to confider it. Nor is it necelTary to a ra- 
 tional Belief, to enter into a particular Examina- 
 tion of every Difficulty and every Objecftion. A 
 Man may firmly and upon good and folid grounds 
 
 believe 
 
54 Remarks on a Pamphlefj entitled^ " 
 
 believe a God and a Providence, without knowing; 
 the feveral atheiftical Schemes that have been ad- 
 vanced, or To much as any one of them ; yea, and 
 tho' he may meet with Ibme Difficulties, that he 
 is not well able to folve. So in revealed Religion, 
 a Man may fee fo much reafon to be perfuaded of 
 the Truth of the extraordinary Facfts by which it 
 was attefted, and he may have fuch a Ikong Senfe 
 and Difcernment of its excellent Nature and bene- 
 ficial Tendency, and the divine Characters of Wif- 
 dom, Goodnefs and Parity, that are difcernible in 
 it, as may render his Belief rational, and lay a 
 Foundation for a holy Pradlice, tho' he does not 
 know, or is not well able to folve all the Difficul- 
 ties and Objedlions that a fubtil Wit may raife a- 
 gainft it. 
 
 And if there be any particular Perfons of fuch 
 weak Intelleds or fmall Opportunities, that they 
 are incapable of forming a jufl Notion of the 
 main Principles of that Revelation, and the Proofs 
 and Evidences on which it is founded, in which 
 cafe we may be fare a merciful God will make 
 all proper Allowances for their Weaknefs ; this does 
 not prove that Revelation to be ufelefs, or not to 
 136 founded on good and rational Evidence. For, 
 fuppofing God gives a Revelation at all, it is fuffi- 
 cient to juftify its Reafonablenefs and Ufefulnefs, 
 if it be fuch that the Generality of Mankind of 
 common Senfe and ordinary Underftanding or Ca- 
 pacity, by applying to it with the Care and Atten- 
 tion that becomes them in fuch a cafe, may fuffi- 
 ciently underftand it and comprehend the Force of 
 \x& Proofs, fo far as to make it reafonable for them 
 
 to 
 
Chnjlia?iity not founded on Argii??ie7it, ^^ 
 
 to receive it with a Faith that may influence their 
 Practice, and have a happy Tendency to purify 
 their Hearts and reform their Lives. And if fome 
 of its Proofs be fuch, that they could not have 
 found them out of themfelves, it is fufiicient that 
 they can comprehend them when laid before them 
 by others. It is plain to any one that confiders 
 the State of Mankind, that we ftand in need of 
 mutual Affiftance and Information in many Cafes 
 of great confequence. And it is every Man's Duty 
 in fuch a cafe, to ufe Means to get the bed Affif- 
 tance and Information he can, and then to judge 
 upon the whole by the Reafon and Underflanding 
 which God hath given him. And I am perfuaded, 
 that a moderate Share of that Care and Pains that 
 is taken in other Things, would ordinarily ferve to 
 give Men fuch a Notion of Religion and its Proofs, 
 as may make it reafonable for them to yield an 
 AfTent to it, and to govern their Practice by it. 
 And this has adlually been the cafe of many that 
 have not had more Capacity or Leifure than others, 
 that thro' a faulty Negligence of Mind, or the In- 
 fluence of corrupt Lufls and evil Habits, have 
 lived in an ignorance of it. 
 
 As to what this Gentleman alledges, concerning 
 the Incapacity of the Vulgar to judge of the hifto-. 
 rical Evidence of Religion, I think it may be juft- 
 ly affirmed, that hiftorical Evidence is a kind of 
 Proof as obvious to common Underff andings as any 
 that can be offered -, far more eafily comprehended^ 
 and which they can more eafily judge of than they 
 could underifand or judge of mctaphyfical ablfrad:- 
 ed Reafonings ; and which may be fo circumflanced, 
 
 that 
 
56 Remarks on a Pamphlet y cntitJedi 
 
 that a Man of an ordinary Capacity may perceive 
 .the Force of it, and may fee it reafonable for him 
 to receive Things upon that Evidence. It cannot 
 be denied, that with regard to many Events that 
 happened many Ages ago, tho' the original Hifto- 
 ries that give an account of thofe things are in the 
 learned Languages ; yet one that has not Learning 
 himfelf may have fuch a moral Certainty concern- 
 ing them from the Confent of thofe that do un- 
 derftand thofe original Hiftories, or from the Hi- 
 ftories themfelves translated into his own Tongue, 
 that he may fee plainly, that it would be perfecStly 
 unreafonable to doubt of the Truth of thofe Fads. 
 Any Man of common Underftanding may obferve, 
 that by the Acknowledgment of all Mankind, it is 
 very reafonable to believe Fadts that were done in 
 paft Ages, when the Accounts of them are trans- 
 mitted to us in credible authentick Records. And 
 thofe Records are juftly accounted authentick, that 
 were written by Perfons who were well acquainted 
 with the Fa6ts they relate, and who at the fame 
 time appear to have been Perfons of great Probity 
 and Sincerity. And it gives great force to this, if 
 tlie Fadls themfelves were of a publick nature, and 
 efpecially if thofe Fa6ts produced great and fur- 
 prizing Changes in the World ^ but above all, if 
 the Effeds of them have continued even to the pre- 
 fent Age. And it is no fmall Confirmation of all 
 this, if it appears that thofe Records can be traced 
 from this prefent Age, up to the very Age in which 
 they were iirft written ; i. e. the Age in which the 
 Fads were faid to be done, and flill found to have 
 been in being, and referred to in i^any Writings ftill 
 extant. There 
 
Chrijlianity riot fminded on ArgiinwU. 57 
 
 There is nothing in all this^ but what may appear 
 to carry great Reafon and Evidence in it, to any 
 Man of common found Underflanding. And it is 
 eafy to apply this to the Fads upon which the Chri- 
 flian Religion is founded. 
 
 The Accounts of thefe Fads are tranfmitted to 
 us in the beft and propereft way, in which pad 
 Fads could be tranfmitted 3 that is, in Records 
 written by Perfons who profefs to have been Wit- 
 neifes to them, and who appear to have been pcr- 
 fedly well-acquainted with the Fads they relate. 
 And an honeft, tlio' unlearned Man, may, by 
 cpnfulting thofe Records, without entering into any 
 nice hiftorical Difquifitions, find great reafon to be- 
 lieve, that the Accounts there given of thofe ex- 
 traordinary Fads are true, and to be depended on. 
 Upon an attentive conlidering them, he finds all 
 the Charaders of Sincerity, and an impartial Re- 
 gard to Truth, that can be defired in fuch Writ- 
 ings : He finds enough to convince him, that the 
 Writers of them were excellent Perfons, of great 
 Probity and Simplicity, and who appear to have 
 had no worldly Intereils in view, nothing but the 
 Glory of God, and the Good of Mankind, and 
 whofe whole Charader and Condud feems to have 
 been the moft remote from that of Impoflors, that 
 can be imagined. And this furniflies a good Ar- 
 gument, to convince his Reafon, that fiich excellent 
 Perfons could never be guilty of fuch a folemn Im- 
 pofture, fuch deliberate Villainy, as to have con- 
 trived fuch a Series of extraordinary Fads and mi- 
 raculous Atteftations, and to have endeavoured to 
 tlnpcfe them upon the World in the Name of God, 
 
 I even 
 
5^ Remarks on a Pamphlet ^ entitled^ 
 
 even if it had been in their power to have done fb. 
 And there is no reafon to think they could have 
 done it, if they had been ever fo willing, confider- 
 ing the Circumflances they were in, the Power and 
 Malice of their Enemies, and the Nature of the 
 Fads themfelves ; many of which v/ere fuch, that 
 it would have been the eafieft thing in the world to 
 have deteded and expofed them, if they had not 
 been true. 
 
 It greatly flrengthens this, when he confiders the 
 Nature of the Religion that is taught in thofe 
 Writings, and which is clofely conneded with the 
 Fads there related. He plainly finds, that in that 
 Religion, as laid down in thofe Writings, there are 
 not the lead Marks of worldly Ambition, Ava- 
 rice, or Scnfualitv, nor any thing to flatter the cor- 
 rupt Appetites and Inclinations of Men j that there 
 is an uniform Spirit of Piety, Zeal, and Charity, 
 running through the whole j that its Dodrines and 
 Precepts are unquellionably pure and holy, and of 
 the moft excellent Tendency ; that the Pradice of 
 RightcGufnefs and Virtue is there carried to the 
 noblell height, and in forced by the moft impor- 
 tant Motives ; that it llrongly condemns all Falftiood 
 and Impurity, and denounces the Wrath of God 
 againilall Ungodlinefs and Unrighteoufnefsof Men. 
 In a v/ord, that the governing End of all feems to 
 be the Glory of God, the Good of Mankind, and 
 the promotin(|5 the Caufe of Truth and Holinefs in 
 the World. This furniflies an obvious Argument, 
 of great force and ftrength to convince him, that 
 fach a Religion, with the Fads on which it is 
 founded, and which it necefliirily fuppofes, and 
 
 every 
 
Chrijltanlty not founded on Argument, 59 
 
 every where refers to, was not the Contrivance of 
 Impoftors and Seducers. Men of fuch a Chara(5ler 
 would never have taken fuch pains to eflablifu 
 fuch a Religion as this, and that in oppofition to all 
 their worldly Interefts, and when they thereby ex- 
 pofed themfelves to the greatefl: Sufferings, under 
 which they had nothing to fuppcrt them, but the 
 Hopes of a Reward in another World, which, ac- 
 cording to that Religion, if guilty of fuch delibe- 
 rate Fahliood and Impodure, they could not ex- 
 pe(5t. 
 
 Thefe are very natural and obvious Refiedlions, 
 the Force of which may be made to appear to any 
 Man of common Underftanding, and which with- 
 out entering into any great Refinements, or tedi- 
 ous Difquiiitions, may be of great weight to 
 convince him, that the Writings which contaiji 
 the original Records of Chrilfianity, and the Fads 
 by Vv'hich it was attefled, are to be depended 
 upon. 
 
 But beiides this, if he purfues his Enquiries, he 
 may eafily find, that there are fome general Fads 
 relating to thofe Matters, which are univerlally ac- 
 knowledged, and which no Man was ever {o abfurd 
 as to deny. That there were fuch Perfons as Jefus 
 Chrlft and his Apoftles, can no more reafonably be 
 doubted than that there are Chriftians now in the 
 World. And that Chrlil declared himfelf to be 
 an extraordinary Perfon fent of God, that he pro- 
 feffed to do many wonderful Works, and to inflrud 
 Mankind in Religion, and that he was crucified, 
 is what the Heathens and Jews, the moO: virulent 
 Enemies of Chrlflianity, never pretended to deny, 
 
 I 2 And 
 
6o P>.cmarh on a Pamphlet^ entitled ^ 
 
 And that his Apoftles went abroad through the 
 Nations after his Death, and publi{hed to the 
 World that he was rifen from the dead, and a- 
 fcended up into Heaven, of which they declared 
 themfelves to have been Eye-witnefles ; and that 
 they profeiTed to deliver the Religion they receiv- 
 ed from him, and pretended to work Miracles in 
 his Name, is capable of as good Proof as that there 
 were fuch Perfons as the Apoftles : Nor do the 
 greatefl Enemies of Chriftianity attempt to con- 
 teft this. And it is alfo a Fad that cannot, with 
 any fliadow of Reafon, be contefted ; and which 
 is capable of the cleareft Proof even from the Tef- 
 timony of Heathen Writers now extant, and fome 
 of which are tranflated into car own Tongue *, 
 that great Numbers of Perfons in that very Age be- 
 came Chriftians, i. e. received that Jefus who had 
 been ignominioufly crucified by the Romans and 
 yews^ as their Saviour and their Lord : And that the 
 Religion founded by him and his Apoftles, though 
 contrary to the mod favourite Prejudices and Paf- 
 lions both of Jews and Gentiles, prevailed and fpread 
 in a fliort time to a wonderful degree, though it 
 had the greateft Oppoiition made to it, and no 
 worldly Advantages to recommend it. Thefe are 
 Fadts which are fo clear and certain, that a Man 
 may as reafonably doubt of all pafl: Fadts whatfo- 
 ever as doubt of them. And upon confidering 
 thefe things, it is natural to refled, that there muit 
 have been fomething very extraordinary in the Evi- 
 dence, that could induce fuch Numbers of Per- 
 fons, 
 
 * Particularly Suetonius ^ in the Life of Nero ; Tacitus j in the 
 Fifteenth Book of his Annali j and Plinji in the Tenth Book of 
 his Epijllesy Epiil. 97. 
 
Chrifiianity not founded on Argiwient. 6x 
 
 fons, at a time when they had the beft Opportu- 
 nities of knowing the Truth of thole things, to 
 embrace the Faith of a crucified Jefus, in oppoii-^ 
 tion to their darling Prejudices and worldly Inte- 
 reils. And this again makes the Account credible, 
 that is given in thofe original Records, of the E- 
 vidence whereby Perfons were brought to believe 
 in Jefus, and to embrace his Religion ; an Evi- 
 dence arifing from a Series of fuch extraordinary 
 and illuftrious Atteftations, as demonftrated Jefus, 
 who was crucified, to be fent of God, and the Re- 
 ligion publiflied by him and his Apofdes, to be di- 
 vine. On fuch a View of things, the wonderful 
 Progrefs of that Religion in fuch Circuraftances, and 
 the Zeal and Conftancy of its firfl ProfefTors and 
 Adherents, may be well accounted for, which o- 
 therwife could hardly be done. And this, added 
 to the Refledions jufl: mentioned, arifing from the 
 Characfter of the Writings themfelves, and the Na- 
 ture of the Religion there contained, helps to let 
 the Truth of the main Fa6ts, on which that Reli- 
 gion was founded, in a yet llronger light. 
 
 It is no fmall Confirmation of all this, that it 
 can be proved with great Evidence, enough to la- 
 tisfy any reafonable Mind, that thefe Writings that 
 contain the original Records of Chriftianity, have 
 been and are ftill extant, and their Authority has 
 been acknowledged from the Time in wliich Chri- 
 fiianity was firil founded, to the prefent Age. Ne- 
 ver were there Writings that were difperfed into (o 
 many hands, or that were fo frequendy appealed to 
 by Men of different Sedts and Parties, on fo many 
 different Occalions. Not one Age hath paffed 
 
 from 
 
62 Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitled, 
 
 from the time in which they were written to the 
 prefent, in which thofe Writings have not been 
 referred to, and many Paffagcs, and often large 
 Portions, cited out of them. This is a matter, of 
 which an unlearned Man may have fuch an AiTu- 
 rance, by the concurring Teftimony of thofe that 
 have Opportunities of examining thofe things, how- 
 ever widely differing in their Sentiments in other 
 matters, as well as by large Portions of original 
 Writings tranflated into his own Tongue, that he 
 cannot reafonably doubt of it. Efpecially when he 
 finds, that thofe who feem willing to lay hold of 
 all Advantages againft Chriftianity, are not able to 
 invalidate this Evidence ; but inftead of anfwering 
 the diftindl: Proofs that have been brought, have 
 recourfe to general Clamours and Inved:ives againft 
 hiftorical Evidence and moral Certainty, which 
 they themfelves freely admit in other Cafes. And 
 whereas they make a mighty Nolle about Corrup- 
 tions and Alterations in thofe Writings, by the 
 Fraud of thofe through whofe Hands they have 
 been tranfmitted ; a Man of a common Under- 
 Handing, and an honeft Mind, may be fatisfied that 
 thefe Clamours are groundlefs ; becaule upon im- 
 partially examining thofe Writings, he finds no 
 Marks of thofe Corruptions or Innovations there, that 
 he is told have been introduced into the Chriflian 
 Church in thefe latter Ages, no worldly Schemes 
 of Ambition or Power. And tho' Chrifiians are, 
 and have been for many Ages, divided into many 
 Seds and Parties, very different in many things 
 from one another, yet he finds it generally agreed, 
 that thofe Writings are preferved the fame among 
 
 them 
 
Chrifilanity net founded on Argument. 6^ 
 
 them all, without any greater Differences than 
 what muft be expeifted to ariie from a great Num- 
 ber of Copies difperfed in feveral Countries, and 
 which do not affedl any of the main Fads or Doc- 
 trines contained there. Nor have any of the diffe- 
 rent Parties been able, if they had attempted it, to 
 alter thofe facred Writings in favour of their pecu- 
 liar Corruptions. Thofe Writings ftill exhibit an 
 Idea of Chriftianity, as it was in its primitive Sim- 
 plicity. And it is manifefl:, that if they had been 
 defignedly corrupted and interpolated in fucceeding 
 Ages after they were firft publifhed, they would 
 have been in many things very different from what 
 they now appear. And it is very remarkable, that 
 thofe very Corruptions among Chriftians are plainly 
 foretold there, and a great Apoflacy pointed out 
 by very remarkable Characters. 
 
 Thus a good Acquaintance with the facred 
 Writings may, in a great meafure, furnifh a Man 
 of common found Underftanding, that knovv^s no 
 more than his Mother- Tongue, with an Anfv/er 
 to the moft conliderable Objections brought again ll 
 Chriftianity. And if, bendes all this, he finds in his 
 own Senfe and Experience, the happy Influence of 
 thofe facred Writings, and of the Dodrines and 
 Motives there contained, upon his own Temper and 
 Conduct, for forming his Soul to the moil excellent 
 Difpofitions towards God and Man, for comforting 
 him in his Afflidions, for engaging him to fubdue 
 and mortify his corrupt Appetites and Paflions, for 
 raifing his Views to the Things which are above, 
 and powerfully drawing him to the Pradice of uni- 
 verfal Holinels and Virtue : Taking all this toge- 
 ther. 
 
64- Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitled^ 
 
 thpr, his own Senfaticrij Reafbn, and Experience 
 concur to furnifh the moll: perfuafive Evidence to. 
 convince him that it is divine. To all which it 
 may be added, that a good and upright Man, who 
 is willing to know and do the Will of God^, and ear- 
 neflly applies to him for his divine Ajv^iLances, may 
 alfb expedt the gracious Aids of his Spirit, for far- 
 ther difpoiing his Mind more clearly and fally to 
 difcern and feel the Light and Force of the Gofpel- 
 Evidence. And that there is nothing in fuch a 
 Suppoiition contrary to Reafon, I may afterwards 
 fliew. 
 
 As to the Flirts this Gentleman gives at fome of 
 the Arguments that have been brought for Chri- 
 flianity, fuch as what he calls ingenious Applications 
 of tnyjlerious Prophecies^ and their References ; the 
 profound Calculation of Daniel'^ Weeks^ the Ana- 
 logy of Reafon and Revelation ; let us fuppofe that 
 there are Numbers of thofe to whom the Precept 
 of Believing is addrefsd^ who are not well able to 
 trace thefe, and fome other Arguments for Chriitia- 
 nity, through all their Connexions and Inferences 5 
 this does by no means prove, either that thefe Ar- 
 guments are of no ufe at all, or that the Genera- 
 lity of Mankind, though they do not concern 
 themfelves much about them, have not Evidence 
 fufficient to lay a jufi: and reafonabie Foundation for 
 believing. For the Wifdom of God has fo ordered 
 it, that the Proofs of Chriflianity, as well as of 
 Natural Religion, even in its moll: important Prin- 
 ciples, admit of great Variety of Illuftrations and 
 Arguments 5 fome of general ufe, and fit to take 
 hold of common Capacities, that will apply them- 
 felves 
 
Chrifilxinity not founded on Argianent, 6§ 
 
 fdlves to conlider them, and others that are fitted 
 to give farther Light and Conviction even to Per- 
 fbns of greater Learning and fuperior Understand- 
 ing; and who often are more liable to be alfaulted 
 with Doubts and fubtil Objections than the Vulgar. 
 And if thefe laft are not capable of all the Proofs, 
 the Force of which appears to the Learned, fo nei- 
 ther are they liable to all the Difficulties and Ob- 
 jections that lie in the way of the other. And 
 whereas this Author feems to think, that Religion, 
 confidering its Importance, ought to be felf-evident, 
 and that it cannot /land in need oi jar-fetch' d Apo-. 
 logics^ and labour d Arts to reconcile and explain it^ 
 nor can any Part of its Evidence be founded on any 
 Complication of Cir cum fiances to be traced out with 
 Indujlry and Addrefs *5 for my part, I cannot 
 fee, why, when no other Knowledge or valuable 
 Attainment can be obtain 'd without Care and Li- 
 duftry, Religion alone fnould be inconfiftent with 
 it, and require no Pains or Care at all. If Religion 
 be of fuch neceffity and importance, it certainly 
 deferves our Care and Diligence. And I cannot 
 think it unbecoming the Wifdom and Equity of 
 God io to order it, that Men cannot be truly reli- 
 gious, or attain either to the Knowledge or Practice 
 of it without Care and Application. Many /Argu- 
 ments in behalf of Truths of the highcft Impor- 
 tance niay be laboured, and yet very ufcful : And 
 there are many that both Ixave leifare and capa- 
 city to confider and difcern the Force of them. For 
 tho', as this Gentleman exprelles it, all the Candi- 
 dates of Hewoen bs not Scholars or FhikfopberSy 
 
 K yet 
 
 • P. 21, 
 
66 Remarks on a Famphlety entitled^ 
 
 yet fome are j and if thofe Arguments be inflru». 
 mental to the ftrengthening the Faith of fuch Per- 
 fons, they anfwer a valuable End : And fuch Per- 
 fbns may be of uie to afTift the Faith of others. 
 And I doubt not, many of thofe that are ufually 
 called Unlearned, tho' they could not of themfelves 
 without Alfillance trace out the Applications of 
 fome Prophecies, or calculate Darnel's Weeks, yet 
 may diicorn the Force of the Proofs, and reap the 
 Advantage of them, when fet in a proper light by 
 others. But I find this Gen dcman here, as in fe- 
 veral other Pallages oF liis Book, feems uneafy at all 
 Attempts in defence of Chriltianity. He would 
 fain periuade Chriftians never to meddle with Ar- 
 gument at all, or concern themfelves about any of 
 the Evidences or Reafons produced for it j and, if 
 they will believe him, all Attempts of this kind are 
 ufelefs, and even pernicious. And this, no doubt, 
 proceeds from his great Friendfhip for Chriff ianity, 
 of which he has given fo many convincing Proofs 
 in this Performance. It is from the fame Principle 
 that he reprefents thofe as the befl Chriftians, that 
 72e'ver concern themfelves the leajl in any argumen- 
 tative TCaJks^ 6cc *. I allow indeed, that there are 
 good People that perhaps do not much trouble them- 
 felves about theProofs of Religion in an argumentative 
 way ; and where their Faith has a purifying In- 
 fluence on their Hearts and Lives, it is gracioufly 
 accepted of God. And even in this cafe the Senle 
 and Difcernment they have of the internal Charac- 
 ters of Goodnefs and Purity in the Chriftian Reli- 
 gion, and the happy Influence they feel its Dodrines 
 
 and 
 
Chrijiuinify not founded on Argument. 67 
 
 and Motives have upon them, to engage tliem to the 
 Pradice of Piety and Virtue, is to thein a perfua- 
 five Argument to convince them of its divine Ori- 
 ginal. But yet I think it can fcarce be denied, 
 that a Man that takes pains to ccnlider the Evi- 
 dences for Chrillianity, and in confequence of this 
 firmly believes it, and governs himfelf by its excel- 
 lent Rules, ads a better Part, and approves himfeif 
 a better Chriflian, than he that is not fo diligent 
 to inform himfelf concerning it. Cut I fuppofe our 
 Author v/ouid count thofe the befl Part of Man- 
 kind, that never concern thcmfelves about any Re- 
 ligion at all ; which feems to be the Dcfign, or at 
 leail the Tendency of feveral of his Arguments. 
 
 This Writer having done ail in his power to prove 
 that the Generality of M'^^'^'^^d are incapable of 
 Faith or Religion if it be rational, fets himlelf nexc 
 to fhev/, that even Men of Learning, yea, the 
 cibkjl and bejl of Men^ are difqualijied for fair 
 reafonlng^ or judging ia.'.partiaily of the Evidence 
 of Chrittianity, by their natural Prejudices, That 
 Prejudice, ever earlier than thefrji Ejjays of Re a ^ 
 jojij is as abjolute a JOiiJ'quaUflcationforJuch a ^afi, 
 as the greatcjl natural Incapacity''''. What he 
 farther offers there concerning the Power of Preju-, 
 dice, appears to me to have no other tendency than 
 to introduce univerlal Scepticifm ; as if no Man 
 living was capable of reaibning fairly, or judging 
 truly. But it is not true, that the Prejudices ta 
 which all Men are in fome degree fubjedted, ^^i:^^ 
 as abiblutely difqualify a Man for forming a fair 
 and equitable Judgment of Things as the greatejl 
 
 K 2 natural 
 
 * P. 22. 
 
63 Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitled, 
 
 natural Incapacity. In the one cafe it is impof- 
 fible, in the o.her it is far from being fo. Where 
 there is an honed and an upright Mind, open to 
 Conviction, and ready to receive the Evidence that 
 is offered, a Man may overcome his Prejudices and 
 judge fairly and impartially, as appears from thou- 
 finds of inftances both in Religion and other Mat- 
 ters. And particulu'iy there were at the nrft Pro- 
 mulgation of Chriftianity numerous Inftances of 
 Perfons, that broke thro' the ftrongeft Prejudices, 
 natural At tachincnts to Cufloms^Ferfons a?id'Thi??gs^ 
 to borrow this Gentleman's ExpreiTions, overcome 
 by the Evidence thit attended it, and the Poofs 
 of a divine Original. If we hdve not thofe Preju- 
 dices now in our way, it is an advantage we fliould 
 be thankful forj and if by being educated in a 
 regard to Chriftianity v/e rather have Prejudices in 
 its favour, a jaft and fair Examination and Enquiry 
 may be carried en notwithftanding this, as hath 
 b?en already ftiewn. 
 
 Oar Author concludes this Part of his Attempt 
 with obierying *, that " It is to be remicmbred all 
 V along, and carried with us carefully thro' all 
 " thefe Coniiderations, that the great Command 
 ^' to believe is peremptory and abfolute. No Con- 
 " ditioris in the cafe, that we (hall believe if we 
 ^^ have Time, if we hive Abilities, or if preceding 
 *^ Prejudices have not firft taken too faft hold to 
 ^' prevent us.'- It is true, there are no fuch Con- 
 ditions exprefled, and it would be abfurd if there 
 were fo. Supposing that upon giving a Revela- 
 tion of his Will to Mankind, attended with fuch 
 
 Evidence 
 
 * P. 21. 
 
Chrljlianity not founded on Argument, 6g 
 
 lEvIdence as he faw and knew to be fuflicient if it 
 were not their own fliults^ God fliould command 
 them to believe and to receive it,which I have fhewn 
 in liich a cafe ho might juflly do ; it would not be 
 very wife to exprefs it thus, Believe, and receive it, 
 if you have Time -, Believe, if you have Abilities ; 
 Believe, i( Prejudices have not taken too f aft hold 
 to prevent you. This would have been regarded 
 as giving an Allowance to Unbelief and Difobe- 
 dience in the Law itfelf. People would foon have 
 taken advantage of it. <jnd it would have been the 
 ready way to render them carelefs and negligent 
 about it. If iuch a Command were defigned to 
 have any effeft at all, it mufl be delivered in per- 
 emptory and abfoiute Terms, the better to awaken 
 the Attention of Mankind, and engage them 
 to apply themfelves to confider the Evidence with- 
 out delay, and to take pains to diveft themfelves 
 of culpable Prejudices, if it appears, that they re- 
 ally had not natural Abilities, or were under an 
 invincible Incapacity, which may be often pretended 
 where it is far from being the cafe, the fupreme 
 Lav/giver will eafily be able to make the proper Al^ 
 lowances, when he comes to judge them for their 
 Condu(5l. 
 
 Nor does it follow from the Command's being 
 exprelTed in general Terms, that an equal Degree 
 of Faith is required of all Men in order to Salva- 
 tion ; or that all Men are required at the Peril of 
 their Souls to be in the right ; that is, to have a 
 right Notion and Belief in all the Do6lrines pro- 
 pofed to us to be believed. Thus our Author thinks 
 fit to reprefent it in his Pamphlet, iiut nothing is 
 ' ' more 
 
J'O "Remarks on a Pamphlet , entitled^ 
 
 more evident, than that in Scripture it is all along 
 fuppoied, that there are different Degrees of Faith 
 and Knowledge j and that Perfons may be iveak in 
 Faith, who yet are fincere, and iLall be accepted. 
 Some are reprefented as Babes in Chriji^ fome as 
 firong Men : Some as knowing only the Jirji Prin- 
 ciples of the Oracles of God ; others, as arrived to a 
 higher Degree of Knowledge, and going on imto 
 PerfeSiion ; a Faith that is true and acceptable in 
 its firft Commencement, is yet reprefented as capa- 
 ble of growing exceedingly^ and of receiving great 
 Increafe and continual Improvement. With re- 
 gard to Truths of the higheil Importance, even in 
 natural Religion, fuch as the Being of a God, and 
 a Providence, tho' fome Knowledge and Belief of 
 this is necelTary, and lies at the Foundation of all 
 Religion, yet it is not abfolutely required, that all 
 Men fliould be equally right in their Notions con- 
 cerning it, and in the Ideas they form of God and 
 his Attributes. It is fufficient if there be fuch a 
 Belief as engages them to love and reverence, to 
 worfhip and obey him in Sincerity. The fame 
 may be faid w^ith regard to Chriltianity. It is not 
 abfolutely required as neceffary to Salvation, that 
 jMen fhould believe and think rightly of all the 
 Dodtrines of the Chriftian Religion, tho' in them- 
 felves true and of great Importance 5 or that even, 
 in Points of the higheft Confequence they lliould 
 exadiy have the fame Ideas, and their Notions be 
 alike clear and jufl. They may, with regard to 
 fome Things in thofe Dodirines, have miftaken 
 Notions i but a merciful God will make Allowances, 
 for their Weaknefs, and gracioufly accept their 
 
 ■ Faith 
 
Chrijiiaint)^ not founded on Argument, y i 
 
 Faith as fufficient, if they know and believe fb 
 much of thefe Things, as engages them to love 
 yefus Chrifi in Sincerity, and to live foberly, righte- 
 oufly, and godly in this prefent World. Where 
 this is the Cafe, Men fliall be accepted according 
 to the Gofpel-Covenant, tho' there be a great va- 
 riety in their Attainments, and in the Degrees of 
 their Faith and Knowledge. 
 
 Hitherto this Gentleman has laboured hard to 
 prove thaX a rational Faith is unattainable or im- 
 poffible J but from p. 24. to p. 35. he bends him- 
 felf to fliew, that fuppofing a Man to have attained 
 to the higheft degree of a rational Faith, it would 
 be no way fufficient to anfwer the End, or to fur- 
 nijlj out thofe Effe5is which are defcribed in the 
 Gofpel to attend a jufi Belief. It will never pro- 
 duce that aBl-ve Zeal for Religion, or that Con- 
 ftancy and Peffeverance that is there required, or 
 that Complacency and SatisfaBion of Mind, which 
 is the blefjed Eff'eB of a true and genuine Faith, 
 It will not be fufficient to engage a Man to mortify 
 his depraved Appetites and Fafjlons, much lefs to 
 futter Martyrdom, if called to it, for his Religion. 
 
 In what he offers to prove, that a rational Faith 
 can never produce that Zeal which the Gofpel re- 
 quires, the Force of his Argum.ent depends partly 
 upon the wrong Account he gives of the Nature 
 of a true Chriftian Zeal, as if it were a blind irra- 
 tional Heat, a Zeal not according to Knowledge^ 
 and partly upon Sceptical Principles, as if no Man 
 can ever in Reafon be certain of any thing, becaufe 
 it is poflible he may be miftaken. But if by Zeal 
 be meant what the Gofpel intend? by it, a hearty 
 
 and 
 
y2 Remarks on a Pamphlet , entitled^ 
 
 and ardent Concern for propagating important 
 Truth and Duty, not by Methods of Perfeciition 
 and Violence, which the Gofpel never recommends, 
 but by Perfualion and Argument, and all Methods 
 confiilent with Juftice and Charity j this is what 
 Reafon cannot but approve. And the bare Poffi- 
 bility of a IVIan's being miftaken, will never be in 
 reafon fufficient to render him indifferent about 
 what he apprehends upon the moil impartial Con- 
 fideration to be true, and of great confequence to 
 the Caufe of Religion and Virtue. In fuch a cafe, 
 if he hath any love to Truth, or any concern for 
 the Honour of the Deity, or for the Good of Man- 
 kind ; that is, if he be a Man really of good Dif- 
 pofitions, he cannot but be defirous to fpread the 
 Knowledge of fuch Truths by all fair and jufl Me- 
 thods that are in his power. 
 
 As this Gentleman, the better to anfwer his End, 
 has thought ht to reprefent the Zeal required in the 
 Gofpel as a Zeal without Kjiowkdge^ an irrational 
 Fervour, fo to prove that a rational Faith cannot 
 produce that Perfeverance which is the Duty of 
 Chriilians, he reprefents this Perfeverance to be an 
 obflinate Refolution to difclaim all farther Trial, 
 and fliut their Eyes againfl: all Evidence that might 
 be offered, tho' never fo ilrong j and in effed: to be 
 what he had before reprefented it, a blmd a?id 
 fooliJJj Objiinacy to a prefent Notion. But if by 
 Perfeverance be undcrflood a fleady and conftant 
 Adherence to what a Man is upon good grounds 
 perfuaded is Truth and Duty, fo as not to fuffer 
 himfelf to be turned from it by worldly Bribes or 
 Threatnings, or to be fhaken by the Arts of fubtil 
 
 Seducers 3 
 
Chrtjiianity not founded on Argu?ne72f, 73' 
 
 Seducers ; this is a Temper of Mind becoming a 
 wife and good Man, and is what right Reafon ap- 
 proves. That a Man ought not for any worldly 
 Confiderations to renounce and deny what he is 
 convinced in his own Confcience is true and right, 
 is a Duty that natural Religion prefcribes ; and it 
 is alfo highly reafonable, that when a Man has 
 once got his Mind well-eftablifhed in the main 
 Principles of Religion upon good and folid grounds, 
 he fliould not fuffer himfelf to be eafily turned a- 
 iide by every Wind of Do6lrine. It is thought 
 very reafonable in other cafes to proceed upon 
 things well proved, to lay them down as Principles, 
 and not to be for ever difputing them over again. 
 Where a Thing is once confirmed by Arguments 
 fufticient in their kind, the greatefl; Maflers of Rea- 
 fon have acknowledged that we ought not to be 
 lliaken from it by Objedions, tho' we may perhaps 
 find it hard to anfwer them. And the contrary 
 Condu6t cannot properly be called an Opennefs to 
 Conviction, but an Unfteadineis and Volatility of 
 Mind, which is not the Effect of Reafon, but is 
 really a Difeafe, and a very pernicious one ; and 
 which, where it prevails, hinders a Man from be- 
 ing ever fettled in any Principles at all. This in- 
 deed feems to be what this Gentleman intends. 
 The Strain of his arguing, p. 25, 26, 27. is to this 
 purpofe, that a Man can never come to a fatisfying 
 Certainty or Afj'urance cf Truth in any point vvhat- 
 foever, becaulc he is not infallible ^ and may pojji- 
 bly be mijiaken j and becaufe it is not itnpojjihle but 
 fome ?ieiv Evidence may fuccecd^ and he may here- 
 after fee Things in a different light j and thatthere- 
 
 L fore 
 
74 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 fore a rational Faith mufi: always be precarious^ and 
 JiibjeSi to change. But this way of reafoning is 
 very fallacious. A Man may be fufficiently certain 
 of a Truth, to lay a juft Foundation for a Satisfac- 
 tion of Mind, and for a fuitable Courfe of Adion, 
 when upon the mofl impartial Conlideration it ap- 
 pears to him founded upon folid Arguments, tho' 
 at the fame time he knows he is not infallible. 
 And it is very abfurd, to pretend that no Man can 
 ever be fure of what he is convinced by Reafon and 
 Ar2;ument is true, becaufe there is a bare remote 
 Poilibility that fom.e time or other he may alter his 
 Judgment concerning it. I fee no other tendency 
 in ail this, but to unfettle Perfons from all Principles 
 whatfoever, and to keep them in an eternal Fluc- 
 tuation and Uncertainty ; which is what neither 
 Reafon prefcribcs, nor the Author of our Beings 
 ever intended. 
 
 In matters of Pradice relating to the Affairs of 
 this Life, it would be abfurd to the lail: degree, to 
 fay that a Man muft never ad nor come to a de- 
 terminate Refolution, till he is abfolutely fure it 
 could not pofTibly be otherwife. And it would be 
 equally abfurd, to advance this as a Principle in 
 Matters of Faith and Religion, on which the Prac- 
 tice of Holinefs and Virtue and our Preparations 
 for a future World fo much depend ; and the Con- 
 fequences of negleding a proper prefent Pradice 
 upon bare remote Surmifes and Poffibilities, would 
 be in this cafe infinitely more pernicious. 
 
 The lafl: Part of his Argucient, and what he 
 mofl: largely infifls upon, ^is, that a rational Faith, 
 i, e. a Faith founded on rational Convidion and 
 
 Evidence, 
 
Chrtjlianlty not founded on Argument, y^ 
 
 Evidence, can never have force enough to engage 
 us to mortify our moft beloved AffeBions and Appe- 
 tites^ much lefs to engage us to fuiter Martyrdom 
 for the Truth, if called to it. He declaims upon 
 this Subject with a great deal of Rhetorick, from 
 p. 30. to p. 35. He paints the Difficulty of fub- 
 duing the Paffions, and of a virtuous Life, in the 
 ftrongefl: Colours ; and in fuch a manner, that one 
 would be apt to think he felt in himfelf what he 
 defcribed, and that his own Inclinations and Appe- 
 tites were much too ftrong for his Reafon. 
 
 The Strefs of his Argument lies here, that the 
 utmofl Certainty and Evidence that Faith can at- 
 tain to in a rational way, is a moral Certainty and 
 Evidence, and that this can never be fufficient to 
 the Purpofes of Religion. He is ready to grant all 
 the moral Certainty in the Proofs of Religion that 
 you can reafonably defre \ and farther^ that this is 
 indeed the higheji degree of rational Evidence^ that 
 the Nature of the Subjccl can poffibly admit of He 
 flippofes it to have all the tnoji favourable Circum- 
 Jiances^ that the fevereji Malice of an exceptious 
 Critic k can demand'^'. One would think thefe 
 were pretty large Conceffions \ but at the fame 
 time, and almoft in the fame breath, in which he 
 feems to allow fuch a degree of Certainty to that 
 moral Evidence, he reprefents it as after all an Un- 
 certainty^ a doubtful Account ; that it is ///// but 
 human Teftimony in its nature^ ever liable to Error ^ 
 as depending only on fallible Authors. That it can- 
 not produce a thorough Convi5iton ; and its true 
 Amount in a time cj Trial is, that it is nothing 
 
 L 2 mere 
 
 r. 3I, -2. 
 
7 5 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 more tljan the precarious ConjeSlure of a fallible 
 fudge, upon the traditional Tejlimony of a fallible 
 JVit?2efs, He has more to the fame purpofe, pag, 
 52, 53. where he feems willing to carry it fo far, as 
 not to allow that any Man can be fure of any 
 thing, but what he himfelf fees with his own 
 Eyes. 
 
 It is very eafy to declaim, in a plaufible manner, 
 on the Weaknefs and Infuthciency of moral Evi- 
 dence, and the Fallibility of hifiorical human Tef- 
 timonv j and this feems to be a darling Common- 
 place v/ith thefe Gentlemen. But it is all mere 
 Harangue, and only fit to impofe upon thofe that 
 will fuffer themfslves to be carried away with 
 Sounds J fince it cannot be denied, that this kind 
 of Evidence may be, and often is fo circum (lanced, 
 that the Man would fcarce be looked upon to be in 
 hisSenfes, that fliould ferioufiy deny or doubt of 
 it. It is but by moral Evidence, and the Tefli- 
 mony of fallible Men, capable of deceiving and 
 being deceived, that I know there is fuch a Place as 
 Farts or Rome ; f )r I never faw either of thofe Ci- 
 ties ; and yet I can no more reafbnably doubt of it, 
 than if I myfelf had been there. It is by moral E- 
 vidence that we have all our Laws, the Records of 
 our own or any other Nation, and that we enjoy 
 the Benefit of the Knowledge and Experience of 
 former Ages, and have any AfTurance of paft Fadls; 
 and yet is there any Man of common Senfe, that 
 does not as certainly believe many fuch Fads that 
 were done in former Ages, as he believes any E- 
 vent that happened of late Years, and within his 
 own Memory ? It is manifefl, that the Author of 
 
 our 
 
Chrijlia72ity not founded on Argument. 77 
 
 our Beings, and the wife Governour of the World, 
 defigned that moft part of our Knowledge iliould 
 come in this way, and that we lliould be governed 
 and determined by this kind of Evidence and Tef- 
 timony, in many Cafes of great Importance. The 
 Neceliity we are under to do this, arifeth from the 
 very Frame of our Nature, and the ConlHtution 
 of Things, and the Circumftances in which we are 
 placed in the World, and confequently from the 
 Will and Appointment of God himfelf. Why 
 then fhould it be thought abfurd to fuppofe that he 
 fliould order it fo, that our Knowledge of ibme 
 important Matters of Religion fhould alfo come in 
 this way ? Can any Reafon be affigned, why when 
 this is allowed to be proper and fufficient with re- 
 2;ard to all other Fa6ts, it fliould not be admitted 
 with regard to Fads in which Religion is nearly 
 concerned ? And yet our Author declaims pathe- 
 tically upon it. Fag. 50, 51. and aiks. Are 'voe to 
 imagine^ that God would ever leave a Matter of 
 fuch Confeqitence uponfuch a Foundation ? If God 
 has been ever pleafed to give a Revelation to Man- 
 kind at all, all but the Perfons that lived in the ve- 
 ry Age and Place in which that Revelation was firll 
 made, muft receive the Dodrines and Laws of it, 
 and the Knowledge of the Fads by which it was 
 atteiled in that way ^ and if that Revelation be 
 tranfmitted to us in a way, which we ourfelves 
 fhould count unqueftionable in any other Cafe, and 
 we have as much afTurance of the Fads, as we 
 could juftly cxped concerning any Fads done at 
 that diilance, he may reafonably require our Af- 
 fent 5 and our refufmg in fuch a cafe to yield an Af- 
 
 fent. 
 
78 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 fent, could not be properly faid to be owing to a 
 Want of Evidence, becaufe we admit fuch Evi- 
 dence in other Cafes, but to fome other Caufes, and 
 thofe not very juftifiable ones, and to an Averfion 
 and Oppofition of Mind to its Dodrines and Laws. 
 And I am afraid, that in fuch a cafe it would hard- 
 ly be accepted as a fufficient Excufe for Perfons to 
 plead, that they laboured under the infuperable In" 
 capacity of a particular Infidel Make, and Ant i- 
 chriftian Complexion, as he exprelles it *, which 
 put it entirely out of their power tojoiji in giving an 
 Affent ; lince this Infidel Constitution would appear 
 not to be of God's making, but of their own. 
 
 If the Laws and Dodrines of the Chriftian Re- 
 velation are tranfmitted to us with as much Evi- 
 dence as we could reafonably exped, fuppoiing a 
 Revelation really to have been given fome Ages 
 ago ; and if we have all that Evidence concerning 
 the extraordinary Fafts whereby it was originally 
 attefted, which could well be expedled fuppofing 
 thofe Fads really to have been done ; he that re- 
 ceives that Revelation, its Do(5trines and Laws, and 
 the Accounts of the Fad:s upon that Evidence, 
 i. e. upon as high Evidence as the Nature of the 
 thing will bear, may approve himfelf to God and 
 his own Confcience, as having ad:ed a right part, 
 and fuch, as we may fuppofe, a wife and righteous 
 God will graciouily accept from reafonable Beings. 
 And on the other hand, it may be juftly queftion- 
 ed, whether they that refufe to accept a Revelation 
 as coming from God, though attended with all the 
 Evidence that any pail Revelation could be juftly 
 
 expedted 
 
 * P- 45- ' 
 
Chrijiianity not foimdcd on Argument. ^9 
 
 cxpefled to have, can approve themfelves to the great 
 GovernoLir of the World and Lord of Confcience, as 
 having adted an honell and reafonable part. For it is 
 in efFe6l, as if a Manfhould declare, let a Revelation 
 have been given in former Ages never fo v^ell atteft- 
 ed and confirmed, and tho' that Revelation is tranf- 
 mitted with all the Evidence, and in as fure a way 
 as a Revelation given in paft Ages could be tranf- 
 mitted, yet I will not receive it, becaufe it was 
 given in former Ages ; that is, becaufe I myfelf did 
 not live at the time when it was firft given. And 
 it vi-'ould be as reafonable to plead before a human 
 Tribunal, I will not be governed by any Laws o-i- 
 ven in former Ages before I was born, nor acknow- 
 ledge their Authority, tho' I have all the Proofs of 
 their Authority that I can Jiave concerning Laws 
 enadted in former Ages. If any Man fhould pre- 
 tend to acft thus in the Cafe of human Laws, let 
 him profefs never fo much Impartiality, and that 
 he ad:s to the beft of his Judgment, or declaim ne- 
 ver fo rhetorically on the Infufficiency of moral Evi- 
 dence 5 I am apt to think, it would hardly hinder 
 his being punifhed for violating thofe Laws, except 
 the Court fhould be fo kind as to take his making- 
 fuch a Plea for a Proof of his being not right in 
 his Senfes. 
 
 This Writer, under pretence of doing honour to 
 Religion and Faith, all along fuppofes, that no- 
 thing lefs will do, than fuch an abfolute Certainty 
 as excludes all Poffibilicy of Miftake. That it is 
 jiot fufficient to fay, there is great Appearance of 
 Probability ; there mufi be an abfolute Certainty, 
 ivit bout the leafiPofibility of our being difappointed 
 
 tn 
 
8o Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitledy 
 
 in our Security * : Or, as he elfewhere exprelTes it, 
 that it mujl be fiifficiently calculated to extort an 
 Ajj'ent from every one that hears it -f-. As if no 
 Evidence would be fufficient in Religion, but one 
 that is plainly irrefiftible, and forces itlelf upon us 
 whether we will or no. He frequently talks, as 
 if every thing that had not fuch an abfolute Cer- 
 tainty as to exclude all PoiTibility of the contrary, 
 were for that reafon doubtful^ no more than a/r^- 
 carious ConjeSiure, incapable to produce afatisfy- 
 ing Con'uiBion ; when any Man that has ever re- 
 fieded on the Nature of Evidence at all, muft be 
 fenfible, that things may be fo certain as to leave 
 no room for reafonable Doubt, that yet are not fo 
 abfolutely certain as to be without the leafl Pofli- 
 bility of Error. 
 
 It will be eafily allowed, that the greater Cer- 
 tainty anv Man attains to in Religion, it is the 
 better, and more likely both to yield him thorough 
 Satisfadion of Mind, and to have a happy Influ- 
 ence upon his Condud:. But it is far from being 
 true, that there can be no right or faving Faith, 
 without the higheft poflible Degree of Certainty 
 and Aflurance. That Faith is uifilcient, though 
 mixed with fome Doubting, v/here a Man is fa- 
 tisfied that he has more convincing Reafons to be- 
 lieve the Scripture, than any thing that can be 
 brought to the contrary, and when, in confequence 
 of this, he is prevailed with to fubmit to its Au- 
 thority and Laws, and to comply with the Terms 
 of the Gofpel-Covenant. If it were only very pro- 
 bable, that the Chriflian Religion is of God, it 
 
 would 
 
 * P. 32. t P. no. 
 
Cbrijiianity not founded on Argument, 8 1 
 
 would be both our Duty and our Wifdom to em- 
 brace and receive it, and to govern our Condud: by 
 its excellent Precepts. No Man could run a ha- 
 zard in fuch a cafe, by receiving the Goipel, or at 
 leaft a hazard equal to what he would run on the 
 other iide. Suppofing, by obeying the Laws of the 
 Gofpel, he fhould deny himfelf fome Liberties, and 
 controul his Paffions in the manner that Religion 
 prefcribes, which doth not require us to extirpate 
 the Paffions, but to govern them, and keep them 
 within proper Bounds ; this is no more than what 
 fome of the greatefi: Philofophers and wifeft Men 
 in all Ages have advifed to, as the beft way for a 
 Man's own Satisfodion and Tranquillity, and for 
 preferving Body and Mind in a right Temper. Or, 
 if he fliould be called to fuffer Martyrdom, it is a 
 Conduct that Reafon prefcribes, to fuffer any tem- 
 poral LolTes and Inconveniences, and Death itfelf, 
 even for the Probability of obtaining eternal Hap- 
 pinefs. Li other Cafes, Men think it reafonable to 
 hazard fome prefent Lofs, and to undergo fome 
 prefent Hardfliips and Inconveniences on the pro- 
 bable Pfofped: of fome confiderable Advantage to 
 be procured by it. But where the Advantage pro- 
 pofed, is fo infinitely great as the Rewards of Reli- 
 gion, it ought proportionably to have a more power- 
 ful Influence. And I think it cannot realbnably 
 be denied, that the Man that had as great a Cer- 
 tainty of the Truths of Religion, and the impor- 
 tant things it fets before us, as we have of many 
 things that come to us by hiftorical and moral Evi- 
 dence, would be utterly inexcufable, if he did not 
 govern himfelf by its Di regions, whatfoever prefent 
 
 M Incon- 
 
Bz Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled. 
 
 Inconveniences it might bring upon him : And he 
 would juftly deferve to be branded as guilty of the 
 greateft and moft criminal Folly, who, to gratify 
 a prefent inordinate Paffion and Appetite, would 
 run the hazard of expofing himfelf even to the 
 Probability of fuch a future Mifery and Punifh- 
 ment, as the Gofpel denounces againft thofe that 
 perfift to indulge themfelves in vicious licentious 
 Courfes. 
 
 But befides all that might be, and often has been 
 ofiertd, concerning the Sufficiency of that Evi- 
 dence that can be brought for the Gofpel -Revela- 
 tion, it mufl be farther confidered, that when all 
 this is accompanied to the Minds of good Men 
 with the Influences of the Holy Spirit, it may well 
 be luppofed to give it a ilill ftronger Force. And 
 it is the Dodrine of the holy Scriptures, and there 
 is nothing in it but what is highly agreeable to Rea- 
 foii itfelf, that the wife and merciful Parent of our 
 Beings, who knows our Weakneffes and the many 
 Temptations of this prefent State, is ready to com- 
 municate his gracious Influences to affift humble 
 and fincere Minds, fenfible of their Dependence 
 upon him, and v;ho apply to him for his Help j 
 which he can eafily do, in fuch a way as is perfed:- 
 ly agreeable to the jufl Order of our Natures, and 
 fo as not to offer Violence to our Faculties, or to 
 the Freedom tint belongs to us as reafonable Crea- 
 tures, moral Agents, and in fuch a way as not to 
 render our own Endeavours, or the Exercife of our 
 own Reafon needlcfs or ufelefs. And fuppofing 
 fuch divine Influences neceffary in the prefent State 
 of Mankind^ that the Faith of the Gofpel may 
 
 have 
 
Chrijiianity not founded on Argiimenf. 83 
 
 have its proper Effect upon us, this can by no 
 means be juftly improved to fliew that Chriftianity 
 is not founded on Argument ; for in this cafe, all 
 the Argument and rational Evidence brought for 
 it, is ftill fuppofed, and flands in all its force : Or, 
 that Reafon, or the Intelledtual Faculty, is not de- 
 figned to lead us into it 5 for the divine Spirit works 
 by and with Reafon, or the Intelledual Faculty. 
 The Convi6lion wrought upon the Mind in this 
 way, is ftill rational ; and it is the Underftanding 
 that is enlightned and convinced. The Influence 
 of the Spirit of God doth not exclude the Ufe of 
 Reafon, bat fets the Reaibnablenefs and Excellency 
 of Religion in a more affeding light, and caufes 
 the Soul more ftrongly to difcern the Characters of 
 divine Wifdom, Goodnefs and Purity, that are in 
 it, and to feel the Power of its Motives : Reafon 
 therefore, or the Intelledlual Faculty, and the In- 
 fluence of divine Grace, or the Holy Spirit, are not 
 to be oppofed to one another as inconfiftent thino^, 
 but are to be confidered as in a friendly Conjunc- 
 tion, and the latter is de(igned by God, in his great 
 Goodnefs, to give a farther Degree of Light and 
 Force to the former. 
 
 I have now gone through the firfl: Part of this 
 Gentleman's Performance ; and which, in my opi- 
 nion, looks the moft plaufible of any thing he 
 hath offered. The Strength of his Book de- 
 pends upon the Principles here laid down j and 
 for that reafon I have confidered them more largely 
 than at firft I intended to do. My Letter is alrea- 
 dy grown to fuch a Length, that I fliall not now 
 
 com- 
 
84 Remarks r: a Pamphlet , &c. 
 
 communicate fome further Remarks I have drawn 
 up on other Parts of this extraordinary Pam- 
 phlet. I may poiTibly, if you iniift upon it, 
 communicate them to you in another Letter. In 
 the mean time, 1 am, C^c. 
 
 Apr iL 28th, 
 1743- 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 Lately pvhlijhed, heatitifulh printed, in one Volume, \\.o. on a 
 fuj erfine Papci and an intire ne-w Letter : 
 
 I. A Complete Concordance to the Holy Scriptures of 
 the Old and New Teftament : In Two Parts. Containing, i. The 
 Appellative or common Words, in fo full and laige a manner, that 
 any \>rie may be readily found, by looking for any iflaterial 
 Word in it. ^Vi this Pan, the various Significations of the princi- 
 pal Wcr-is are given, by which the plain Meaning of many PafTages 
 of Scripture is Ihewr. : And al.b an Account of feveral Jewifh Cuf- 
 toms and Ctyemoniesis added, which may ferve toillultrate many 
 Parts of Scripture. 2. The Proper Names \c. the Scriptures. To 
 this Part is prefixed a Table, containing the Signification of the 
 Words, in the Original Languages, lo which is added, A Con- 
 cordance to the Books called Aporrypha. The whole digefted in 
 an Eafy and F.egular ?vIethod, a'nd contains many Thoufand Texts 
 more than any Book of the kind ; which, with other Improve- 
 ments, renders it more ufeiul than any Concordance extant. By 
 Alexanber Cruden, M. A. 
 
 \l. A Vindication of the Holy Bible ; wherein the Arguments 
 for, and Obje^lions againfl the divine Original, Purity and integrity 
 of the Scripture arepropofcd and confidered. By S.^muel 'i.\K* 
 THER, A. M. 
 
.^M 
 
 REMARKS on a late Pamphlet^ en^ 
 titled^ Chriftianity not founded on 
 Argument, Wc, 
 
 L E T T E R IL 
 
 SIR, 
 
 IT is a fLitisfadlon to me, that my former Let- 
 ter was not difplcaiing to you ; in which, in 
 obedience to your Commands, I communicated 
 to you ibme Remarks that occurred to me upon 
 the Pamphlet that has made fo much noife, Chrt- 
 jiianity not founded en Argument. 
 
 In that Letter, after having made fome general 
 Remarks on the Nature and Tendency of this 
 Pamphlet, I applied my felf particularly to con- 
 fider the firfl Part of it ; in which the Author pro- 
 poles to fliew, that " Realbn or the Litelledual 
 *' Faculty could not polfibly, both from its own 
 " Nature and that of Religion, be the Principle 
 *' intended by God to lead us into a true Faith." 
 Or, in other Words, for this is evidently ills 
 Meaning, that God never intended we fliould 
 make ufe of our Reaibn or Litelledual Faculty in 
 believing, or that our Faith ihould be founded 
 upon any Evidence that might convince the Un- 
 derifanding, 
 
 Lett. IL B In 
 
2 RcmarJzs on a Vainphlety entitled^ 
 
 In the lucceeding Parts of his Pamphlet, he 
 propofes to prove the fame thing from Scripture, 
 and to Ihew what is the true: Prii iciplc of Faith that 
 •is there affigned. 
 
 The iirR thing he ofters from Scripture to fliew 
 that Faith has nothing to do with the Underftand- 
 ing, or as he expreffes it, />. 35. that no xippeal to 
 the Under jlanding was ever made or intended^ is 
 drawn from thofe ExpreiTions, " left they fliould 
 
 " underftand with their Hearts their foolifli 
 
 *' Heart wasdarkned Purified their Hearts by 
 
 *' Faith — " which Exprcjjiom^ he obferves, are 
 applicable with no Propriety to the Intelleciual Fa- 
 culty, but are evidently defer iptive of the Will 
 only *. But a very moderate Acquaintance with 
 the facred Writings may fatisfy any Man, that the 
 Heart is in Scripture-Language often put for the 
 Underftanding or Intelledual Faculty \. And as 
 to the particular Pafiliges referred to by this Writer, 
 that Phrafe of iinderftanding with the Heart can- 
 not be underflood fo as to exclude the intelledual 
 Faculty, but necelllu-ily fuppofes it. And when 
 it is faid of the Heathens^ that their foolifJj Heart 
 was darknedj it is plain this is defigned to fignify, 
 that their Underftanding was darkned, and had 
 not a jud Knowledge and Difcernment of Things •, 
 tho' it is there alio fuppofed, that the Depravity 
 of their Will and moral Difpofitions had a great 
 Influence in corrupting their Judgment. And that 
 Expreffion of purifying the Heart by Faith lliews 
 indeed that Faith where it is fincere and of the 
 right kind has a purifying Influence on the Temper 
 
 and 
 * P. 16. t 2 Chron, i. 10, 1 2. Job xxxviii, 56. EccIeH viii. 5. 
 
Chriftianity not foimded on Argument. 3 
 
 and Difpofition of the Soul ; but how it can be 
 concluded from thence, that Faith is not a rational 
 Thing, or has nothing to i^'::^ witli the Underfland- 
 ing, I cannot fee. 
 
 But our Author chufes rather to enlarge upon a 
 Particular ^ ichich appears to him entirely uncon- 
 trovertible^ and that is, the plain narrative Part 
 oj the Hijlory^ as far as it relates to the Bujinefs 
 of planting the Gofpel, and the Manner by "which 
 it was attempted"^. 
 
 Some thing's that he obferves uDon this Narra- 
 tive will be eafily granted him. as, That Chrtjt 
 taught his Difciples and the People as one having 
 Authority, and tliat he con/idered himfelf as the 
 Perjhn he was, or one who derived from Heaven the 
 In{iru5lions he was communicating. That he did 
 not deal with his Difciples in a way of Sophijiry 
 and Syllogifm. That neither he nor his Apoftks 
 attempted to prove every lingle Doctrine they 
 taught, or Precept they delivered, by entering into 
 a tedious Difcultion, or by a long Train of labo- 
 rious Reafonings, after the manner of the Schools. 
 But it by no means follows, that becaufe Chriji 
 and his Apo files did not convert Men by arguing 
 with them in a philofophical way, which would 
 have made but little Imprellion on the Generality 
 of Mankind, who either have not capacity to un- 
 derftana, or leifure to attend to a Courfe of nice 
 and fubtii Argumentation, that therefore they ex- 
 pe<fled or required Men to believe without any 
 Reafon or Evidence at all, which is the Reprefen- 
 tation this Gentleman is pleafed to make of it. On 
 
 B 2 the 
 
4 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 the contrary, it is manifefl: from the Account given 
 us in Scripture, that as they propofed the Doctrines 
 and Laws they delivered to Mankind, in the 
 Name and as by the Authority of God himfelf, 
 which gave them another kind of Force than the 
 mere Reafonings of Philofophers would have done ; 
 fo they gave the World the moft convincing Proofs 
 that they were indeed fent of God, and that they 
 received the Doctrines and Laws they delivered, 
 by Revelation from him. In which cafe Reafon 
 and common Senfe direftcd Men to believe thofe 
 Dodlrines and fubmit to thofe Laws. For it is 
 the Voice of Nature and Reafon, that if God gives 
 a Revelation to Mankind, what is there taught 
 and enjoined, ought to be believed and received 
 upon liis Authority, provided we have fufficient 
 Proofs to convince us that fuch a Revelation came 
 flom God. 
 
 But to return to our Author's Account of the 
 Gofpel-Narrative, the Sum of it is this ; That 
 Chriji and his Apoilles required Men to believe at 
 once without Reafon or Evidence, and pronounced 
 Damnation againil: them if they did not. That 
 Chriji did not hiy the Proofs of his Mijjion frankly 
 before his Dijciples, nor give them time calmly to 
 confidcr them ; and that he refufed to explain him- 
 faff to them when they wanted it, and difcouraged 
 their Enquiries. That he required thofe that came 
 to him to be healed, to believe before he healed 
 them, which plainly fhews, that the ConviSfion 
 "i^as to precede the Evidence, as the Terms of the 
 Favour to be co?fcque?itly coTiferred*, That he 
 
 ever 
 
 » p ^/C -.- 
 
Chriliiajtity not founded on Argument. 5 
 
 ever difclaimed ivith the iitmojl Rcfentmcjit fuch 
 Followers as ivere defirous to canvajs the Evidence^ 
 and dtJcGiiraged no 'Temper 'with jo ccnjlant an A~ 
 'uerfion^ as that of feeldng a Sign *. And where- 
 as it might be alledged, that he produced his Mi- 
 racles as Evidences of his divine Miffion, our iVii- 
 thor affirms and endeavours after his Manner to 
 lliew, that he had 720 Inteittion to prove his Truth 
 and ChdraBer by thofe Works -f-. That he both 
 expeSied and accepted the fiidden Converfwn of 
 many upon little or no feeming Evidence ; and no- 
 thing was oi greater Merit than an extempore Sub- 
 fcription. And that he rejeBed Jome Ferfons im- 
 mediately when they had not Minds prepared to 
 believe at once, and gave them up inflantly to the 
 Hardnefs of their Hearts without Remedy \\ . That 
 the Apoflles did all along tread punSlually in their 
 Mafters Steps, i?iffing conjlantly on the ready Ac- 
 knowledgej7ient of their Do5lrines, without any Con- 
 cefjious of Fifjie for Doubt or Deliberation. And 
 that of the Terms of the Covenant one Declaration 
 was often thought fufficient, and the leaf /landing 
 of gave up the Unbeliever to Reprobation % . 
 That it was required of thofe to whom the Gofpcl 
 was preached, that they fiould not one Moment 
 withhold their Affent, and tliat the Apoflles very 
 jufly expelled to make their Converts with a Word's 
 fpeaking **. That their Office was only to circu- 
 late their Creeds j they were not jent to difpiite, but 
 to preach. And that in like manner the Direc- 
 tions they gave to their deputed Succefjors was not 
 
 to 
 *P.9S,49- jP. 48-50. IIP. 37,65,(^6,6:. t-P-SS. ♦*P.4i 
 
6 Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitled, 
 
 to confute or argue with thofc whom they were 
 to receive to the Faith *. 
 
 Such is the Reprefentation this Gentleman is 
 pleafed to make, and which he pretends is plain 
 from the flicred Hiflory, of the Method made ufe 
 of by our Saviour and his Apoltles in planting the 
 Gofpel. Let us now fee from Chrijl\ own De- 
 clarations, and from the Hiftory of the Gofpel and 
 the Ads of the Apoflles, whether this Account be 
 true. After which I fliall take notice, as far as it 
 may be nccelTary, of the Inftances produced by 
 this Writer to fupport the Account he gives* 
 
 With regard to our Saviour himfelf, he was io 
 far from requiring Men to believe on his bare 
 Word without Proof, that he declared, if I bear 
 witncfs of my feJf that is, if I have no other Evi- 
 dence but my bare Word, my Witnefs is not true •j-. 
 He encouraged Examination and Enquiry, Search 
 the Scriptures^ faid he to the Jews, for they are 
 thevwbich te/lify of me\\. Inftead of forbidding 
 them to judge fiirly and impartially, and to ute 
 their Undcrflandings, he expoftulates with them for 
 not doing fo. Why even of your felves judge ye 
 7iot that which is right ? Judge not according to 
 Appearance^ but judge righteous Judgment **. 
 The Faith he approves is founded in the Under- 
 ilanding. He defcribes the good Hearer of the 
 Word to be one that heareth the Word and iin- 
 derftandeth it, which alfo beareth Fruit J. In 
 his Difcourfe to the Jews, he frequently appeals to 
 the illuftrious Atteftations that were given him, and 
 
 the 
 
 * P. ^9, 40. t John V. ^ I. p John v. 5<). ** Luke xii. 54 — 
 57. Johnvii. 24. J Matt. xiii. 23. 
 
Chrljlianlh not founded on Argument. J 
 
 the manifeft Proofs he exhibited of his divine 
 MiJJion. Thus, after having fpoken of the re- 
 iivai kable Teftimony given him by John the Bap- 
 tiil, he adds, but 1 have a greater Witnefs than 
 that ^' John : for the Works which the Father hath 
 given me to ftnijh, the fame Works that I do, bear 
 ivitnefs of me, that the Father hath fent me *. 
 And again, If I do not the Works of my^ Father, bc-^ 
 lieve me not ; but ij I do, tho ye believe not jne, 
 believe the Works, that ye may know and believe, 
 that the Father is in me, and I in him -f. And, 
 fpeaking of the Jews and Pharifees that did not 
 believe in him, he faith. If I had not come and 
 fpoken unto thetn, they had not had Sin, but now 
 they have no. Clohefor their Sin ; and then adds, If 
 I had not done among them the Works which none 
 other Man did, they had not had Sin ||. Where 
 he evidently fuppofes, that his Works bore TeiH- 
 mony to his Doctrine and divine Miflion ; and that 
 they were Proofs fo ib'ong and convincing, as left 
 them utterly without Excufe in their Unbelief. 
 And this may help us to judge of the Sincerity and 
 Candour of this Writer, who confidently affirms, 
 in exprefs Contradiction to our Saviour's own De- 
 clarations, that he had not any fuch Meaning or 
 Intention to convince Perfons, or to prove his own 
 Truth and Character by his Works ; and infinuates, 
 that he v/as noijollicitous to gain Profilytes by fuch 
 Means, and was confcious he had nothing of that 
 
 kind to produce. P. 49, S^' 
 
 What 
 
 • Jolmv. 5<), 3T. I Johnx, 24, 57, 38. xiy. ic, 11. 
 
 \ Juflll XV. 22, 24. 
 
8 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitle J, 
 
 What the Method was that was taken after our 
 Lord's Afcenfion to propagate the Chriftian Faith, 
 we have a full Account in the Adls of the Apo- 
 files. That Book opens with an admirable Dif- 
 courfe of the Apoftle Peter to the yews on the 
 Day of Pentecolt, in which he reafons flrongly 
 from the holy Scriptures, and from the extraordi- 
 nary divine Atteftations given from Heaven, to 
 convince the Jews, that Jefiis, whom they had 
 crucified, was Lord and Chrift. And we have an 
 Account of feveral other excellent Difcourfes of his 
 in that facred Book- Concerning 5/^^/6^;/ the firft 
 Martyr, we are told, that as he did great Wonders 
 and Miracles among the People^ fo when feveral of 
 the yews difputed with him, they were not able to 
 refift the Spirit and Wijdom, with which he Jpake *. 
 pie was therefore able to give good Reafons for the 
 Faith, and fuch as they could not confute. St. 
 Paul laboured more abundantly than any of the 
 other Apoflles in fpreading the Faith of the Golpel, 
 and what his ufual manner was we are informed 
 ASls xvii. 2, 3. where we are told, that at T^hef- 
 falonica, Paul, as his manner was^ went into the 
 Syjiagvgue of the ]qvj?>, and three Sabbath-days he 
 reajbned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and 
 alledging, that Chriji mufl needs have fffered, and 
 rifen again from the Dead, and that this Jefus, 
 whom I preach unto you, is the Chriji. Here it is 
 plain, quite contrary to the Reprefentation made 
 by our Author, that his manner of making Con- 
 verts was not to urge them to believe without a 
 Reafon for it, but flrongly to reafon with them, 
 
 in 
 
 * Afts vi. 5>, 10. 
 
Chrijltanity not founded on Argument. 9 
 
 in order to convince them. The Account that is 
 there given of the Berceam is very rtmarkable, 
 Paul and Silas went into the Synagogue to 
 preach to them, and reafon with them, as tiiey 
 had done at Thcffalonica. And it is cbferved by 
 the facred Hirtorian, that they vjere more noble 
 than thofe at ThelTalonica, 2?i that they received the 
 Word with all Rcadinefs of Mind ; that is, with- 
 out Prejudice, and with Minds open to Convidlion, 
 and fearched the Scriptures daily ^ ivhether thofe 
 Tlmigs were fo. And what was the Confequence ? 
 Therejhre many of them believed"^. Here it ap- 
 pears, that the Apoftles were far from being Ene- 
 mies to a free and fairEnquiry. The Berceam are 
 commended for taking pains to examine, and the 
 refult of their impartial Examination was their 
 embracing the Chriftian Faith. In the fame Chap-. 
 ter we find St. Baid at Athens difputing and rea- 
 foning with the Athenians in an excellent manner. 
 At Corinth he reajonedin the Synagogue every Sab* 
 bath, and perjuadcd the Jews and the Greeks j and 
 he continued there a Tear andfx Months^ teaching 
 the Word of God among them •\. What needed 
 he have ftaid fo long there, if, according to this 
 Gendeman'sReprefentation, the Apoflles cxpeded 
 to make their Converts with a Word's fpeaking, 
 and never allowed Tiine for examining or delibe- 
 rating concerning the Evidences of Chrillianity ? 
 And it was in confequence of his taking fo much 
 time in teaching and inftru(5ling them in the 
 Faith, that he eredled that flourilliing Church of 
 the Corinthians. And before this v/e are told, 
 Lett. II. C tliat 
 
 ♦ A6ts xvu. i:-, II, 12, -i" Acts xvlii. 4, 11. 
 
10 Remarks oft a Pamphlet ^ etttitled, 
 
 that Pdul £ind Barnabas abode a long time at Ico- 
 nium, (peaking boldly in the Lord, which gave 
 tejiimmy unto the Word of his Grace ^ and granted 
 Signs and Wonders to be done by their hands *". 
 At Rphefus be ivent into the Synagogue^ a?2dfpake 
 boldly for the fpace of three Months^ difputing atid 
 perjuading the T^hings concernitig the Kingdom of 
 God. And afterwards, he difputed daily in the 
 School op one Tyrannus ; and thus continued by the 
 fpace cf two Tears -, fo that all they which dwelt in 
 Alia, heard the Word of the Lord ]c(\is, both Jews 
 and Greeks. And how affiduous he was all that 
 time in infcrudilng them, appears from his Ap- 
 peal to the Elders of Ephefus in his admirabie 
 Speech to them. Atid in confequence of all this, 
 of fuch afTiduoiis teaching, and reafoning, accom- 
 panied with the mod glorious miraculous Attefta- 
 tion?, it is obferved there were great Numbers 
 brou2;ht to the Chriilian Faith. So 77iightily^ fays 
 the facred Hiftorian, grew the Word of God, and 
 prevailed ^^ That thefe were the Methods made 
 ufe of for fpreading the Faith of Chrift, farther ap- 
 pears from the Epiftles St. Paid writ to the 
 Churches he had planted. Thofe Epiftles are 
 every where full of Reafonings, and his manner of 
 addrefling the Chriftian Converts on many occa- 
 iions, fufficiently fliews how far he was from de- 
 liring a blind Faith without Underllanding: In 
 Malice be ye Children, but in XJnderftanding he ye 
 Men. Be ye not iinwife, but iinderfianding what 
 the Will cf the Lord is. IJpeak as to wije Men, 
 judge ye what I fay. Prove or try all thifigs, 
 
 hold 
 
 * Afts xiv. I, 2. t Afts xix. S, 9, 10, 11, I2, 20. 
 
Chrijiianits not foimded on Argument. 1 1 
 
 holdjafl that which is good ^. Is this the Lan- 
 guage of a Man that thought bLlicving the Golpcl 
 was inconlilknt with Examination and Enqi;i:y, 
 and had nothing to do with the Undci ilanding ? 
 and that Perfons were not to ki:io\v why they l">e- 
 lieved, and upon what Grounds ? When the 
 ApoPde Feter urges the Believers to whom he 
 writes, to be ready always to give an Anjwcr to 
 every Man that^\Q\M ajh them a Reo.jon of the 
 Hope that is in them, with Meeknefs and Fear -f-, 
 i. e. with Modefly and Gravity ; this certainly fup- 
 pofes, that they themfelves had reafon for believ- 
 ing, and that they were able to give an x^ccount of 
 it to others too. And whereas this Writer infi- 
 nuatcs, that as the Apoftles never argued them- 
 felve?, fo they left Inilrudions to their SuccefTors 
 never to difpute or argue; this is fo tar from 
 being true, that the ApolVle infiiis upon it as a 
 proper Qualification of a Teacher of the Gofpel, 
 that he Ihould be able by found Doofrine both to 
 exhort a?id to convince the Gainjhyers ||. Nor 
 were they to give them up at once to immediate 
 Reprobation, but to reafon with them with Meek- 
 neis and Temper. The Servant of the Lord miifl 
 be gentle unto all Men, apt to teach, patient, in 
 Meeknefs inflruBing thofe that oppoje themfelves J. 
 The fame Apollle fpe^king of the falfe Teachers, 
 reprcfents them as underjlanding neither what they 
 fay, nor whereof they affirm-, and as knowing fjo- 
 thing **. Where it is plainly intimated, that the 
 
 Faith of the true Chriftian Teachers and Aooilles 
 
 i. 
 
 C 2 was 
 
 "*? I Cor. X. 15. xly. 20. Epii.v. 1;. i ThelT. v. 21. 
 t 1. Pet. iii. 15. ij Tii.i. 9. :j: 2 Fun. ii. 24, 25. 
 
 ♦* I Tim. i. ;. vi. 4. 
 
12 Remarks on a Fajnphlet^ entitled, 
 
 was joined with Underflanding ; they underftood 
 what they believed and what they taught ; and 
 the contrary was the Reproach of the faUe Teach- 
 ers, whereby they were to be Qiilinguifhed from 
 the true. 
 
 And now I think, upon an impartial View 
 of thefe feveral PalTages, to which many others 
 mi^ht be added, if it were necelTary, it appears 
 with the greateft Evidence, that the Method 
 the Apoftles made ufe of, as their Lord and 
 Mailer had done before them, to bring Perfons to 
 the Faith of the Gofpel, was by afliduous Inftruc- 
 tion, at the fime time producing the mofl illuflrious 
 Credentials of their Divine Miffion. Neither Chrifl 
 nor his Apoilles ever required Perfons to believe 
 without Evidence fufficient to make their AiTent 
 rational. Nor is it true, as this Writer reprefents 
 it, that the firlf PubliQiers of Chriftianity never 
 difputed or reajoned with thofe whom they ex- 
 pected to convert to the Faith of Chrhl ; on the 
 contrary it appears with the cleareil Evidence from 
 the Pailagcs already produced, that it was their 
 r.fual way to reafon with Men, in order to convert 
 them to the Faith. If they did not difpute ac- 
 cording to the artificial Method of the Schools, yet 
 ihey always ufed Arguments fufficient to induce a 
 reafonable AlTent ; and to convince thofe whom 
 they required to believe. They reafoned with the 
 Heiithcns concerning the Abfurdity of their Ido- 
 latry, yl'^f/i xiv. 15 — 18. xvii.22 — 31. With the 
 Jeivs and Profelytcs of the Gate they reafoned out 
 of the Holy Scriptures ; and both before yews 
 and Geutiks they laid the Ihongeft Evidence to 
 
 engage 
 
Chrifiianlty not founded on Argument, 13 
 
 engage them to believe, aiiring from what Chriffc 
 himfelf had done, his holy Life, his illaihious 
 Miracles, and efpecially his Refurredion from the 
 Dead, and the extraordinary Effufion of the Holy 
 Ghofi, of which they were Witnefles. And God 
 confirmed their Teftimony by the many glorious 
 Miracles they performed in the Name of a rifen 
 'Jefus, and by the Gifts of the Spirit with which 
 they were endued. And thefe together formed an 
 Evidence ftrong and convincing, an Evidence per- 
 fectly agreeable to Reafon, and the common Senfe 
 of Mankind, and which was much quicker in its 
 Operations than a tedious Procefs of abitraded Rea- 
 fonings could have been. Upon the whole it is 
 manifei>, that the Apoftles had no worldly Ad- 
 vantages of any kind to recommend them. It was 
 by force of Evidence, the Purity and Excellenc}- 
 of their Doftrine, the Holinefs of their Lives, their 
 un{l:aken Conftancy and Zeal in profelhng the 
 Truth, and the many illaihious Proofs they gave 
 of their Divine Million, that they prevailed witli 
 ihofe v/ho were willing impariially to confider their 
 Do6lrine, and the Proofs whereby it was attefted. 
 it was by Argument, and the glorious convincin:^ 
 Evidence with which it was accompanied, that 
 Chridianity made fuch an amazing Progrefs; to 
 which the ^eios at hrfc, and the Heathens after- 
 wards, had little to oppofe befides bitter Calum- 
 nies, Reproaches, and Perfecutions. 
 
 And now it may be fafely left to any Man of 
 common Underftanding to compare this Account 
 with that given by this Writer, and fee which of 
 them is mod agreeable to Truth and Candour, and 
 
 to 
 
14 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 to the facred Records. But tho' this general An- 
 fwer might be fufficient, it will be proper to enter 
 into a particuUr Difcuffion of the feveral Things 
 produced by him to {hew that our Saviour and his 
 Apoftles never appealed to the Underftandings of 
 Men, and that they required them to believe with- 
 out Reafon or Evidence. I am appreheniive this 
 Part of my Remarks will prove tedious to you, as 
 it has been to myfelf. For to be obliged to detect 
 a Succeffion of grofs Mifreprefentations, and to con- 
 lider a great Variety of PalTages, which have little 
 Connexion with one another, leads one into a De- 
 tail that yields little Entertainment, either to the 
 Writer or to the Reader. 
 
 He firft aflcs, " Did our Saviour lay the Argu- 
 '* ments and Proofs of his Miffion frankly before 
 " his Difciples, and then give them time to con- 
 "'' lider calmly of their Force, and Liberty to de- 
 *' termine thereon as their Reafon fliould dired: 
 *' them?" If his Meaning be, that our Saviour, 
 after laying the Proofs of his Miffion before his 
 Difciples, fhould have left them entirely at liberty 
 to receive or reje6t him as they thought fit ; I rea- 
 dily own, that he did not do this. For what 
 could be more abfurd, than firft to lay before them 
 the evident Proofs that he was fent from God for 
 the moft important Purpofes, and then let them 
 know that they might with equal Innocence re- 
 ceive or rejedl him ? But the Method he took was 
 the wifeft and propereft that could be, and fuch 
 as left room for Deliberation and thorough Con- 
 vidion. He gave his Difciples many Opportuni- 
 ties of converfmg with him, and hearing his admi- 
 rable 
 
Chrijlianity' not founded on Argument, i (f 
 
 rable Difcourfes, and ofobfervlng the Hollnefs of 
 his Life, the Excellency of his Docfti ine, and the 
 many wonderful Works he performed, Works far 
 tranfcending all human Power. And it was not 
 till above a Year after their firft coming to 
 him, and after they had all the Opportunities 
 that could be delired of being inftrucfted, and 
 fully fatislied of his divine Miffion, that he folemn- 
 ly called the twelve to be his Apoftles. And it was 
 again a confiderable time after this, that he fent 
 them forth to preach in his Namej and the 
 Powers he then gave them of performing the mod 
 illuflrious Miracles, muft needs have been an ad- 
 ditional mighty Confirmation of their Faith in him. 
 And after this his Refurred:ion from the Dead, of 
 which they were convinced by many infallible 
 Proofsy and the farther Inilrudions he then gave 
 them ; his Afcenfion into Heaven, of which they 
 were Eye-Witneffes ; the extraordinary Effufion of 
 the Holy Ghoft, and the miraculous Powers and 
 fpiritual Gifts with which they v/ere endued, ac- 
 cording to his own Prediction and Promife ; all 
 this taken together, rendered the Evidence com- 
 pleat, and fully convinced them that Chrifi was the 
 divine Perfon he profelTed himfelf to be, and that 
 the Religion he taught was from God. And this 
 Evidence they laid before others, as fufficient to 
 convince them too. 
 
 But our Author farther urges, that Cbrifl " did 
 ** but ill approve the being called on upon any Oc- 
 " cafion to explain himfelf, and therefore his Dif- 
 '' ciples were fearful at every turn of giving of- 
 '* fence, and incurring Reproof by any farther 
 
 *' Enquiry, 
 
1 6 Remarks on a Pamphlet ^ entitled, 
 
 " Enquiry, even at times when they did not really 
 '' apprehend his Meaning *," This is ib far from 
 being true, that on the contrary, it is manifefl 
 from the Accounts given by the Evangelifts, that 
 he encouraged them to ailc him for Information^ 
 and fhevved himfelf well pleafed when they did 
 fo. And fo forward was he to inform them, that 
 he took occafion to explain Things to them even 
 A'ithout their ailcing -f. The only PalTage that 
 feems to give the leaft countenance to this Pretence 
 is, that when he tmight his Difciples, and /aid, 
 that the So?2 of Man is to be delivered into the 
 Hands of Men, and they Jloall kill him, a?2d after 
 that he is killed, he Jlmll rife the third Day, 
 we are told, they underjhod not that Saying, and 
 were afraid to afk him ||. But all that can be ga- 
 thered from this is, not that Chriji was unwilling 
 to inform them ; for the Inil:rud;ions he then gave 
 them were as plain as Words could be, that he 
 was to fuffer, and die, and rife again ; or that they 
 w^re in general afraid to apply to him for explain- 
 ing; himfelf J but that with regard to that particular 
 Subjeft, the Sufferings of the Meffiah, they were 
 under the Power of the ftrongert Prejudices ; and 
 that it was a thing fo contrary to their Notions and 
 Expectations, that they were loth to believe and 
 hear of it. And accordingly, St. Matthew fpeak- 
 ing of the fime thing, tells us, they were exceed^ 
 ing forry **. They would all have been willing 
 to explain themfelves, as Feter had done on a 
 former occafion, who underftood what our Lord 
 
 had 
 
 * P. 57. t ^^att. xiii. 18,35, 5-, 51- ^lafk iv. 54. Mat. xvi. 
 6—12. John xvi. iS, 19, bV II Mark ix. 9 i, 32. Luke ix. 45. 
 ^■•^ Matt. xvii. 23. 
 
Chrl[lianity not founded on Argiimeiit. \j 
 
 had faid well enough, which was exceeding 
 plain, but could not reconcile it to his own 
 Notions, Far be it from thce^ Lord, this fiall 
 not he unto thee. But as they knew the Re- 
 buke that had been given to Petcr^ they were 
 afraid of making any farther Enquiries on a 
 Subjedt fo ungrateful to them. 
 
 As our Author thinks proper to reprefent 
 our Saviour as unwilling to inform his own Dif- 
 ciples, when they deiired it, fo he obferves, 
 *' That he fighed deeply at the Perverfenefs of 
 " the Pharijees in afking a Sign, i. e. fome 
 " Teftimonial of the Truth of his declared Mif- 
 ** fion, and filled them a foolifh and perverfe 
 " Generation for their Prefumption ; tho' if he 
 *' had appealed to their Underflanding, it had 
 " been fo far from being criminal, that it had 
 *' been their indifpenfable Duty *." And he is 
 fo fond of this Inftance, that he has it over a- 
 gain, p. 49. But our Saviour well knew that 
 their demanding a Sign did not proceed from a 
 teachable Difpoiition, or an honeil: Opennefs to 
 Convidiion, (in which cafe he would certainly 
 have encouraged it) but from a petulant cavil- 
 ling Temper of Mind, which therefore he juftly 
 reproved. And what fufficiently ihew'd this 
 was, that they called for a Sign from him, after 
 he had for a confiderable time wrought, and 
 was then working a great number of illuifrious 
 Miracles, of many of which the Fharifees them- 
 felves had been Eye-Witneffes, and had mod 
 
 Lett. II. D perverfel/ 
 
 *P. 3S. 
 
i8 Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitled, 
 
 perverfely attributed them to the Affifiancc of 
 Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils : and when 
 after all this they came and afKed of him a Sign, 
 as if he had not wrought any Miracles among 
 them before, juflly did he (hew a Refentment 
 of fuch Perverfenefs. But tho' he did not think 
 fit at that time to gratify their peevifh Demands, 
 or to humour a Temper that is never fatisfied 
 with prefent Evidence, but is always unreafon- 
 ably demanding more j yet after this he flill 
 continued in the moft open manner, and in the 
 view of his Enemies themfelves, to perform the 
 moft ftupendous Miracles, and which were real- 
 ly as great as they themfelves could have de- 
 fired ; and at that very tiir.e he referred them 
 to that which was to be the ultimate confirming 
 Evidence of his divine Miffion, his own Refur- 
 redtion from tlie Dead j which was attended 
 and followed with fuch Circumftances, as ren- 
 dered it in the propcreft fenfe what the Phari- 
 fees demanded, a Sign from Heaven. 
 
 It is with the fame Candour, that this Gen- 
 tleman reprefents our Saviour as rejecting Jbme 
 Perjons immediately ^ becaufe they did not be- 
 lieve at once, and as givi?ig them up injlmitly to 
 the Hardnc/s of their Hearts without remedy^ 
 depriving them judicially even of the moji com- 
 mon Adva?itages' ^He did not many mighty 
 
 Works there J becaufe of their Unbelief which 
 rather fhould have bee?t the reafon of his multi- 
 plying them, The Inftance he here refers to, is 
 our Saviour's Conduct towards his. own Country- 
 
 meqi 
 
Chrifttanlty not founded on Argument, 19 
 
 men of Nazareth. And on this occafion he 
 gives out Ibme Infinuations again ft the long-fuf- 
 fering CharaBer of the blellM jfefus^ as if it 
 were very fevcre to reprobate by Jbjhort a Fro-- 
 cefs for He fit at ion, thofe whom perhafs fome ad' 
 ditional Circumjiauce of-' Power had brought to a 
 proper Tetnper a?id Obedience '*. It appears from 
 the whole of C-6r//rs Behaviour during the Courle 
 of his perfonal Miniftry, hovvr patient and long- 
 fuffering he was. He went about teaching and 
 preaching the Things of the Kingdom of God, 
 not with ftanding the Oppofuion and ill Treat- 
 ment he met with, ftiil repeating his excellent 
 Inftrudions and beneficent Miracles, and with 
 great Tendernefs bearing with their Obflinacy 
 and Perverfenefs, How admirably does he ex- 
 prefs this Temper, in thofe pathetical Words, 
 
 Oh ferufalem^ f erujalem ^ how often would I 
 
 have gatioered thy Children together ^ as a Hen 
 doth gather her Brood under her lVi?igs^ but ye 
 would not ! -f- We may be fure therefore, that 
 his Condu(5t towards the People of Nazareth 
 was not owing to any want of JLong-fuffering ; 
 and that if a tardy Genius and in?2Qcent Scruples^ 
 as this Writer phrafes it, had been the only Im- 
 pediments, our Lord would have continued to 
 indulge a patient Attendance. But it muft be 
 confidered, that the firfl time he went to preach 
 among them, which was after his Fame had 
 fpread throughout all Galilee^ they attempted to 
 niurder him ||, Notwithitanding Vvmich, he 
 P 2 went 
 
 * P. (>6;^v t Luke xiii. :;4. || Luke iv. 14, 16, ^9. 
 
!20 Ref?iarks on a Famphlet^ entitled, 
 
 went again a confiderable time after, when the 
 Fame of his great Wifdom and Miracles was 
 ftill better eflabliOied, and he did then perform 
 Ibme mighty Works among them. But inflead 
 of being duly afteded with his excellent Dif- 
 courfes and with his Miracles, they only refledl- 
 ed on the Meannefs of his Parentage and worldly 
 Circumilances"^'^. And therefore his not per- 
 forming many mighty Works among them was 
 owing to the jull Knowledge he had of their ir- 
 reclaimable Obiiinacy, which both might be 
 gathered from their Condu6l, and which he was 
 well allured of, as he had the power of difcern- 
 ing the Spirits of Men. For, as the Evangelift 
 obferves, he needed not that any JJjould tejiify 
 of Man : for he knew ivhat was in Man "f*. 
 
 \iCbrtjl ordered his Difciples X.o fiake off the 
 Diiji of their Feet, as a Tejiimony againft a City 
 that would not receive them, or hearken to them 
 (which is another thing our Author refers to ||,) 
 it was not his intention they fliould do it, till 
 after having tried all proper Methods, and till 
 it appeared they were plainly incorrigible. So 
 the Apoftles underflood and pradifed his Direc- 
 tions. Fan] and Barnabas Jhook off the Diiji of 
 their Feet again R ih.Q Jews at Antioch in Pifdia-, 
 but it was not till after they not only contradiBed 
 and blajphemedy but ftirred up the chief Men of 
 the City, and raifed Ferfecution againft Paul and 
 Barnabas, and expelled them out of their Coafts **. 
 
 Another 
 
 * Matt, xiii 54—58. Mark vi. 2, 3. f Joh. ii. 25. || P. 39. 
 ^* Aa» xiii. 45, 50, 51, 
 
Chrifiianity not founded on j^rgutnejit. 21 
 
 Another Inftance we have with regard to the 
 yews at Corinth : Paul pjook his Raiment y c?2d 
 J'aid unto them^ your Blood be upon your own 
 Heads ; I am clean : from henceforth I will ga 
 unto the Gentiles. But this was not, till after 
 he had for a confiderable time together reafoned 
 in the Synagogue every Sabbath j and they not 
 only oppofed themjehes^ but blafphemed, i. e. 
 manifefted fuch a malicious and Ipiteful Oppo- 
 fition, breaking forth into Reproaches and 
 Blafphemies againft the Name of JefuSy that it 
 plainly appeared, it was in vain to ilrive with 
 them any longer. He therefore chofe that way 
 of teflifying that he had difcharged his Duty, 
 and that the Guilt would be chargeable only 
 upon themfelves *. 
 
 But what this Gentleman feem.s to lay the 
 principal ftrefs upon is, that our Saviour required 
 Perfons to believe in an Inflant, before any Evi- 
 dence given. To this purpofi he obferves, that 
 it was his Language before he wrought his Mi- 
 racles, Believe ye that I am able to do this ? 
 " The Convidion was to precede the Evidence, 
 " as the Terms of the Favour to be confequent- 
 ** ly conferred -f." The Cafe v/here our Lord 
 ufed thefe Expreiiions, is that of the two blind 
 Men that came to him, faying, Thou Son of 
 David (a Character by v/hich the MelTiah was 
 then ufually diltinguifhed) have mercy upon us. 
 This Confeiiion they made voluntarily without 
 his requiring it, and it was undoubtedly founded 
 
 upon 
 * hSts xviii. 4, 5, 6. t P. 5 :, 49, 50. 
 
^2 Remarh on a "Pamphlet^ entitled^ 
 
 upon what they had heard of his illuftrious Mi- 
 racles and wife Difcouifes, the Fame of which 
 had fpread abroad through all yudea and Ga- 
 lilee. It was therefore with great Propriety that 
 our Saviour put that Queflion to them. Believe 
 ye that I am able to do this f And upon their 
 declaring they did, touched their Eyes and J'aidy^ 
 According to your Faith he it unto you *. This 
 was not a requiring thofe to believe who did not 
 believe before, and that in an Indant and with- 
 out Evidence, as thisWriter is pleafed to reprefent 
 it ; but it was an approving the Faith they al- 
 ready had, and a giving farther Evidence to con- 
 firm and eftabliili it. And in general, it holds 
 true with regard to every Cafe recorded in th^ 
 Goipel, in which Chrifi required thofe that 
 came to him to be healed, to declare their Belief 
 in him, that they were Perfons that had fome 
 Faith in him before. And the Defign of his 
 requiring them to believe was in effed no more 
 than this, to engage them to make a Profeffion 
 of their Faith before others, or to encourage 
 them to perfifl in believing, when he faw their 
 Faith began to itagger thro' extraordinary Dif- 
 ficukiesand Trials ; as in the cafe o^yairus^ and 
 the Father of the young Man whom the Dif- 
 ciples could not relieve -f. And then upon their 
 declaring they believed, he wrought his Miracles 
 upon them, the more fignif.cantly to (liew, 
 what this Gentleman thinks fit to deny, that 
 his Miracles were defigned and wrought as Proofs 
 
 of 
 
 ♦ Matt. ix. 27, 28j 29. t Mark v. 56. ix. 23, 24- 
 
Chrijltanity mot founded on Argument, 23 
 
 of his divine MilTion. And this alfo is the de- 
 fign of thofe Expreflions he fometimes makes 
 ule of, after he had wrought the mirac-alous 
 Cure ; 'Thy Faith hath faved thee ; thy Faith 
 hath made thee whole. He hereby fignilied his 
 Approbation of the Faith they had Ihewn, and 
 diredled their Views to that which was the 
 main Defign of his Miracles, "ciz,. to confirm 
 their Faith in him, and bear teftimony to his 
 Miffion. And yet it is far from being true, 
 what this G::nileman expreilly affirms, that oar 
 Saviour confiantly fiipulated for no ordinary de- 
 .gree of Ferfuafion beforehand -y from whence he 
 •infers, that they owed the whole Efficacy of their 
 Cure to their Faith, For nothing is more cer- 
 tain than that with regard to the far greater 
 part of the Miracles he wrought he did not lli- 
 pulate for Faith beforehand. Inflances of which 
 fee referred to in the Margin, to which many 
 more might eafily be added *. This fliews how 
 httle credit is due to a Writer that is capable of 
 endeavouring to impofe fo palpable a Fahliood 
 upon his Reader, even when he pretends to 
 give an exad and faithful Narrative of our Sa- 
 viour's Proceedings. 
 
 The Inftance he mentions, p. t^. of our 
 Saviour's Command to Matthew to follow him, 
 is not an Iniiance of a Command to a Man that 
 did not believe before, to believe in an Initant, 
 and without Evidence j but of a Command to a 
 
 Man 
 
 • Johnv. 12, 1;, 14. John ix. 6, 7, n. Mart..Kii.. i:;-. 
 ^ukevii. 15, 14. xiv. z, 4. xxii. j. 
 
24 Remarks en a Pamphlet , entitled, 
 
 Man that already believed, to follow him as one 
 of his immediate Difciples and Attendants. 
 Nor is it true, that Matthew precipitately de- 
 ferted a beneficial Employment for he knew not 
 rwhom. For he well knew who yefus was, as 
 he lived at Capernaum^ where Chriil: chiefly 
 had his Refidence, and performed many of his 
 mighty Works, and delivered many of his ex- 
 cellent Difcourfes. Our Author feems aware of 
 this, and therefore urges, '^ That it is likely, if 
 " what he had feen before had difpofed him to 
 ** Difciplelliip, he would have had the Merit 
 " of engaging voluntarily in the Service, with- 
 " out v^'aiting for a particular Addrefs." But 
 this does not follow. Suppoiing him ever fo 
 well difpofed, he might queftion, whether, as 
 -he was a Publican, Chrift would take him a- 
 mong the number of thofe Difciples that were 
 conftantly to attend him, confidering the com- 
 mon Prejudices againfh Perfons of that Cha- 
 rad:er. But when he heard Chrifl himfelf par- 
 ticularly calling him to follow him, he gladly 
 accepted the Invitation, and preferred the being 
 his conflant Attendant to his gainful Employ- 
 ment. There is nothing in all this but what 
 may reafonably be accounted for. 
 
 As to the Inftance of the Samaritans, who 
 itjeems had never heard of Chrifi before, afjd 
 yet belie-ved on him readily for the Saying of the 
 Woman : A notable Foundation truly for Con- 
 Jidence and Convi^fion, and perhaps for Mar- 
 tyrdom / 
 
Chrtjiiamty not founded on Argument. 2 ^ 
 
 tyrdom I * In this cafe, there is no Command 
 of our Saviour enjoining the Samaritans to be- 
 lieve. The Fad: only is related, that they did 
 believe. Nor is this their believing to be un- 
 derftood of a complete and perfed Faith, as 
 our Author is pleas'd to reprefent it in this, and 
 all the other Cafes he mentioiis. It is evident 
 to any one that is acquainted with the Language 
 of the New Teftament, that Believing is there 
 frequently to be underftood of a Faith but juft be- 
 gun, and which was as yet very imperfedt, and 
 far from being well eftablifhed -f-. So it is to 
 be underftood, when it is faid of fome of the 
 Samaritans, that they believed on him for the 
 Sayifjg of the V/oman. The Account flie gave 
 them of his having difcovered to her the mofl 
 fecret Tranfadlions of her Life, as well as of his 
 wife and excellent Difcourfe, inclined them to 
 believe in him. This was the iirft occafion, or 
 beginning of their believing. But their Faith 
 was afterwards mightily confirmed, and received 
 great Acceflions from their perfonal Converla- 
 tion with him, and the admirable Infl:ru6lions 
 he gave them in a manner far exceeding what- 
 ever they had heard before. This added to the 
 Proof he had given of a wonderful and fuper- 
 natural Knowledge, led them to conclude, that 
 he was the Chriil, whom they, as well as the 
 fewsy were then in ilrong Expedation of. 
 xlnd they feem to have had j after Notions of the 
 Lett. il. E Dcfign 
 
 * P. (^6. I John ii. 23, 24 vi. 66 vii. 31. Afts 
 
 viii. iq. 
 
2.6 Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitkdy 
 
 Defigii of the Meffiah's coming than the Jeivs 
 themfelves, and not to have been fo intoxicated 
 with the Notions of his temporal Glory and 
 Grandeur, as appears from their calling ,him the 
 Saviour of the World, and from the Declara- 
 tion made by the Woman, / know that Mef~ 
 fiah Cometh^ when he is co?ne, he will tell us all 
 Things. 
 
 But if our Saviour had not required Men to 
 believe inftantly, and without giving them 
 time for Deliberation, would he have called his 
 Difciples Fools, andjlow of heart to believe I be^ 
 cauje a Narrative of four Hours had not wrought 
 a thorough Convi5iion * ^ The PalTage here re- 
 ferred to is in Luke xxiv. 25. with regard to 
 which it muft be confidered, that the Perfons 
 t)ur Saviour here reproves were of the number of 
 thofe Difciples that conflantly attended him. 
 And what he reproves them for, was their not 
 underflanding that Chrift ought to fufer before 
 he e?2tred into his Glory. This was not the 
 ^rll time he had propofed thefe fjcred Truths 
 to them J he had done it at feveral times before 
 in the plaineft manner -f. He had juft reafon 
 therefore to reproach them for their FooUfmefs 
 or Inconfi deration^ for that is the proper Signili- 
 cation of the Word there ufed, and their Slow- 
 nefs ; which was not owing to a natural 
 Dcfcd in their Underltanding, but to their 
 culpable Prejudices, and to a Negle(5l of im- 
 proving the Inflrudtions that had been given 
 
 them. 
 
 * P. 61;. t Matt. xyi. 21. xrii. 22,. a;, xs. i;, i8, i^fv 
 
Chrtjltanlty not founded on Argument. 2 J 
 
 them. And now again after his Refarredlon 
 he took pains to open to them the Scriptures^ 
 And make them underjiafid them, ver. 27, 32. 
 which would have been needleis, if, as this 
 Gentleman infinuates, Believing had nothing to 
 do with the Underfbnding. 
 
 Oar Author mentions fome other Inftances of 
 fudden Converfions, which relate not diredly 
 to the time of our Saviour, but of his Apoflles, 
 to fliew that they alfo required Men to believe 
 in an inftant, without any Concejjiom of Hime 
 for Deliberation. Thus he obferves, that the 
 " Eunuch was the Profelyte of a fhort Stage, 
 " inftruded in one Hour, and baptized the 
 ** next." p. 3 9. But fuppofing what is very pro- 
 bable, that the Eunuch had heard a great deal 
 at Jcrufalem, from whence he was then re- 
 turning, concerning Jefus, and the Miracles 
 wrought by him j and after his Death by his 
 Difciples, who teftified that he was rifen from 
 the dead, and confirmed their Teftimony by 
 the moft illuflrious Atteftations, he might be 
 well prepared for Inftrudiion. And when 
 things were more diftindly explained to him by 
 Philip, and the Eunuch's Prejudices were re- 
 moved, by convincing him from that Prophecy 
 in Ifaiah, that the Meffiah was to undergo 
 many and grievous Sufferings ; the Suddennefs 
 of his Converfion is very confident with his 
 having a rational Convid:ion of the Truth of our 
 Saviour's Million. It was to his Underftanding 
 that Philip addrelVd hlmfelf, Vnderjlandeft thou 
 
 E 2 "i^'hat 
 
28 Remarks on a Tamphlet^ entitled, 
 
 nvhat thou readefi F Nor did he, after infl:ru<^^ 
 ing him, require him to believe without delay ; 
 but the Eunuch himfelf made the Propofal to 
 be baptized, and voluntarily declared his Belief, 
 that ^ejus Chriji was the Son of God, 
 
 But perhaps it is more to the Author's pur- 
 pofe, what he obferves, that " whole Congre- 
 '* gations were often gained over at a hearing, 
 *' and Thoufands at a time actually convinced 
 " by a fingle Ledure." I fuppofe, he particu- 
 larly refers to the three thoufand that were con- 
 verted at St. Peters iirfl Sermon on the Day of 
 Pentecoft. And it mufl: be acknowledg'd, that 
 this is very remarkable ; but no Proof that their 
 Faith was not reafonable, or without fufficient 
 convincing Evidence. Let us take the cafe as it 
 really was in all its Circumftance?. It was well 
 known to the Jews that yejiis had performed 
 among them for fome Years together the moll: 
 aftoniihing Miracles; for the Truth of which 
 St. Peter here appeals to themfelves, as Fa(fts 
 that could not be ccnttflcd. They knew his 
 holy Life, and had heard his wife and excellent 
 Diicourfes, and a confiderable number of them 
 had from time to time been brought to be- 
 lieve *, tho' their Faith was far from being well 
 eftablidied. And after he had been feized and 
 condemned by the Authority of their great 
 Council, many of them were prevailed upon by 
 the chief Prieits, Rulers, and Pharifees, to con- 
 
 fent 
 
 * See to this pnrpofe John ii. 23. vii. 31,40, 41. x. 4:. 
 42. xi. 45, LulvC vii. 1 6. Matt. xxi. 46. 
 
. Chrijlianity 7tof founded on Argument, 2^ 
 
 fent to his being crucified, which St. Peter 
 therefore charges home upon them as their 
 Guilt. They had afterwards been Witnefles to 
 the preternatural Darknefs, the Earthquake, 
 and other extraordinary things that happened at 
 his Crucifixion, and which made a mighty Im- 
 prefHon on many of the People *. They knew 
 that his Difciples tefliiied that he was rifen again 
 from the dead, and they themfelves were now 
 WitnelTes of the wonderful EfFufion of the Holy 
 Ghoft upon his Difciples, and were convinced, 
 by what they heard and faw, of the Truth and 
 Reality of it, and that it was a thing which far 
 expeeded all human Power, and carried in it the 
 flrongefl Evidences of a divine Interpolition. 
 This fatisfied them, that the Teftimony the 
 ApoRles gave of Chrift's Refurredion and Exal- 
 tation was true, and that therefore he was the 
 promifed Saviour ; eipecially as the Apoftle Peter 
 Hiewed that all this was perfedly agreeable to 
 the Prediftions of the Prophets concerning him. 
 In fuch an extraordinary Concurrence of Cir- 
 cumftances the Convidlion wrought upon them 
 was fpeedy, but very reafonable, and founded 
 upon fufficient Evidence. The lame Obferva- 
 tion may be made with regard to the Numbers 
 that were converted afterwards on occaiion of 
 another Difcourfe of St, Peter, They had juil 
 feen a moft aftonifliing Miracle performed by 
 Peter and yohn in refloring a Man whom they 
 all knew to liave been lame from his Mother's 
 
 Womb, 
 
 * Luke xxlii. 47, 4S. 
 
^Sl Remarks on a Pamphlet, enfttledy 
 
 Womb, by only bidding him in the Name of 
 'J ejus rife up and walk : No wonder that this, 
 together with the Apoflle's excellent Difcourfe, 
 added to what had fo lately happened at the day 
 of Pentecoft, which was then frefh in me- 
 tnory, and to what they obferv'd concerning the 
 exemplary Lives, the Piety and Charity of the 
 firfl Believers, brought over to the Faith many 
 that probably were very favourably difpofed be- 
 fore 'y but were now, by this additional Evi- 
 dence, fully convinced. Befides all which, we 
 Diay well fuppole there was an extraordinary 
 prefence and Influence of the Holy Spirit upon 
 the Minds of Men, communicated for the more 
 Ipeedy and effectual fpreading of the Gofpel at 
 its firft Publication 3 and which was a farther 
 illullrious Proof of its divine Original, and of 
 the Approbation of Heaven. Upon the whole, 
 all that can be juftly concluded from the nume- 
 rous and ludden Converfions at the firft Publi- 
 cation of the Gofpel, is not that Chriftianity is 
 not founded on Argument, or that the firft Be- 
 lievers had no Reafon or Evidence for their be- 
 lieving 5 but that the Evidence was fo ftrong 
 and convincing, and came upon them with fuch 
 an ovcr-povvering Light and Porce, as made a 
 much quicker Progrels than mere abflradted 
 fubtil Reafon ings would have done. For it pro- 
 ceeded upon Fads of the moft extraordinary na- 
 ture, obvious and convincing, even to the 
 meaneft Capacities ; and from whence the Life- 
 rence was eafy and natural, that "Jcfiis and the 
 
 Apoillcs 
 
Chnjiianity not founded on Argiinunt, 31; 
 
 Apoftles were fent from God, and that God 
 bare witnefs to their Dodrlne. But then it mufk 
 be confidered, that tho' the Gofpel continued tQ 
 make a wonderful Progrefs throughout the 
 World by the force of the Evidence with 
 which it was accompanied, yet it was princi- 
 pally at firft, and in jferufalemy that we read 
 of fuch numbers converted in fo (hort a time ta 
 the Chriilian Faith. For there were many 
 Circumftances there concurring to it, which did 
 not meet to fuch advantage in other places. It 
 had been tlie Scene of Chrift's Miracles, Suffer- 
 ings, Refurred:ion, and the extraordinary Ef- 
 fufion of the Holy Ghoft j and there were many 
 there that had been WitneiTes to what Chriil 
 had faid and done, and who had been in hia 
 Life-time well-difpofed to believe in him, tho' 
 afterwards fcandalized by his Sufferings; and 
 therefore were the more eafily wrought upoa 
 by the manifeft Demonftrations of his Divine; 
 Power and Glory after his x^fcenfion. And cer- 
 tainly the Evidence muil have been very ft rong, 
 which could engage fuch numbers in Jeruja^ 
 lem itfelf to acknowledge him for the Meffiah, 
 who had been but a little before fo ignomi- 
 nioufly crucified there, after having been con- 
 demned as an Impoftor by the chief Men of 
 their Nation, and bv their o^reat Sanhedrim. 
 for whofe Decilions they had all had the pro- 
 foundeft Veneration. 
 
 I have now confidered the account this Gen- 
 tleman is plcab'd to give us of the Proccedi?2gs 
 
 of 
 
52 Remarks on a 'Pamphlet^ entitled., 
 
 of our blefTed Lord and his Apoftles in plants 
 ing the Go/pel, and from which he pretends to 
 prove, that there was 720 Appeal to the TJuder-^ 
 Ji an ding ever made or intended -, and that they 
 commanded Men to believe at once, without 
 offering any Reafon or Evidence to ingage then! 
 to believe. He himfelf is fenfible, that there is 
 one obvious Objedtion lies again ft his Account, 
 and that is, that the Miracles v/rought by Chrift 
 and his Apoftles were defigned as Evidence to 
 ingage Men to believe ; and to take away the 
 force of this he endeavours to fliew. 
 
 That it was not the Meaning or Intention of 
 Chrift himfelf to prove his own divine Miffion 
 by his Miracles 5 and that they were in them- 
 felves no way fitted to be fuch Proofs and Evi- 
 dences. 
 
 As to the firft of thefe, it is certainly a very 
 extraordinary Attempt to undertake to fliew from 
 the Gofpel-Hiftory, that Chrift had no Inten- 
 tion to prove his divine Million by his Miracles, 
 when he himfelf in the moft exorefs terms ima- 
 ginable declares, that this was one principal In- 
 tention of them, and refers both the Jews and 
 his own Difciples to thofe Miracles, as the 
 ftrongeft Atteftations to the Divinity of his Mif- 
 iion, fufficient to convince them that he came 
 from God, and to render them inexcufable if 
 ihey did not believe in him ^ concerning which 
 fee above, />. 7. • 
 
 Part of what our Author here urges, is what 
 he had faid before, and which has been already 
 
 conlidered, 
 
Chriftiamiy not founded on Argument, 3 3 
 
 Confidered, concerning our Saviour's reproving 
 the Pharifees for afking a Sign, and concerning 
 his previoully requiring Faitii from thofe upon 
 whom he wrought his Miracles. 
 
 Other things that he offers here are fo weak, 
 that it would be honouring them too far to en- 
 ter into a laborious Confutation of them. Thus 
 he argues, that our Saviour did not intend his 
 Miracles as Proofs of his divine Miffion, becaufe 
 he did not gratify Herod in working a Miracle 
 before him at the time of his Paffion ; as if a 
 Man of Herod's Character were difpofed in 
 thofe Circumftances to become his Difciple, 
 though not long before, upon being afTured of 
 the Miracles Chrifl wrought in Galilee, he de- 
 ligned to have murdered him *. He argues 
 the fame thing from our Saviour's refufing to 
 fuffer the evil Spirits whom he eje6led to bear 
 witnefs to him as the Chrift ; and if he had 
 readily accepted their Teilimony, his Adverla- 
 ries would probably have improved it to give 
 countenance to that blafphemous Calumnv they 
 had railed agalnft him, that he was in confede- 
 racy v/ith thofe evil Spirits. 
 
 It would be fomething more to his purpole, 
 if it were true, that Chrifl ivas remarkably upon 
 the Referve, whenever he happened to be among 
 unbelieving^ Company^ and that he was particu- 
 larly [paring of thofe fuppojed Arguments^ Viz. 
 his Miracles, among (l the very Ferfom who 
 feemed moft to want them, I know no inftance 
 
 Lett. \\. F ill 
 
 * S.e Luke xi. 7. xiii. 91, \z. 
 
34 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 in the Gofpel-Hiflory that gives the leafl Coun- 
 tenance to this Surmize, but our Saviour's Con- 
 duct towards the Men of Nazareth, which has 
 been already accounted for. But if he would 
 infinuate, that our Lord never wrought his Mi- 
 racles before Unbelievers, nothing can be more 
 falfe. It may be faid of his Miracles in general^ 
 that they were wrought in the fight of Perfons 
 who at firfl did not believe in him, but many 
 of whom were brought to believe by thofe Mi- 
 racles *. The Scribes and Pharifees were his 
 bittereft Enemies, and thefe were often prefent 
 when he performed his mighty Works, nor did 
 he decline working his Miracles before them, 
 even when he knew they had a Defign to ob- 
 ferve and intrap him. Inftances of which fee 
 Matt. xii. ID, 14. Mark x'u 5 — 12. ix. 14 — 27. 
 We are exprefsly told, fpeaking of the unbeliev- 
 ing Jews, that Jefus did many Miracles before 
 them; "John xii. 37. And he himfelf frequent- 
 ly in his Difcourles with his Enemies appeals to 
 his wonderful Works, as things which they all 
 knew and could not pofTibly deny, and inlifls 
 upon them as unconteiled Proofs of his divine 
 Miffion. 
 
 Our Author further argues from Chrift's en- 
 joining thofe on whom he wrought his Miracles 
 not to divulge them. See thou tell no Man (lays 
 he) ivas generally the Charge. But this alio is 
 very unfairly reprefentcd. With regard to the 
 far greater part of his Miracles, no fuch Injunc- 
 tion 
 
 * Sec particuUrJy Jolin ii. iS, z\% z/^. xii. 2," 
 
Chrijiianity not founded oJt Argiuncnt, 35 
 
 tion was given. It was only on feme particular 
 Occalions, for which no doubt there were Ipe- 
 cial Reafons. It is eafy to enumerate all the 
 Inftances of this kind recorded in the Evange- 
 lifts. Such was the Cafe of the Leper men- 
 tioned Matt, viii. 2, 4. The two blind Men 
 that addrefs'd to him as the Son of David, i. e. 
 the Meffiah, Matt. ix. 27 — 30. The dumb 
 and deaf Man, Mark vii. 36. And the Cafe of 
 Jairi'S^ Daughter, who was raifed from the 
 dead. In thefe Cafes all the Evangelifts that re- 
 late the Miracles obferve, that Chrift forbad the 
 Perfons to divulge them. And there is another 
 Inftance of this kind. Matt, xii. 1 6. where, af- 
 ter Chrift had reftored the Man that had the 
 withered Hand in the fight of the Pharifees, we 
 are told, he withdrew hirnfef from thence, and 
 healed thofe that came to him, and charged them 
 that they fiould not make him known. With 
 regard to the Cafe laft mentioned, the Reafon of 
 the Injundion is plain ; it was becaufe the Pha- 
 rifees were at that time taking counfel with the 
 Herodians how they might dejlroy him^ as ap- 
 pears from Ver. 14. As to the Cafe of the Leper 
 whom he had cleanfed, it is to be obferved, 
 that the divulging of the Miracle brought fuch 
 Multitudes together, that feftis could no more 
 openly enter into the City, but was without i?i 
 defart Places for a while. And it was pro- 
 bably becaufe our Saviour forefaw this Inconve- 
 nience, that he forbad him to publifh it abroad. 
 To which it niay be added, that as the People 
 V 2 had 
 
3"6 Remarks OH a Pamphlet yentitkdi 
 
 had on fome Occafions {liewn a forwardnefs to 
 make him a King, he Ibmetimes found it ne- 
 cellary to withdraw, that he might give no oc- 
 x:a{ion to Tumult or Sedition ; and when lie 
 icnew any particular Miracle he wrought was 
 likely to have that Effedl, he forbad it to be 
 divulged. And this alfo probably might be one 
 Reafon why he charged his Difciples not ta 
 make known his Transfiguration, and fome- 
 times forbad them to publilli that he was the 
 Chriil, the full Notification of which was re- 
 ferved till after his Sufferings and Re fur region, 
 when there was no longer any Danger of it's 
 producing that Effe<5t. But though we could 
 not at this Diftance affign the precife Reafons 
 why our Lord at fome particular times enjoined 
 them not to divulge what he had done ; yet this 
 we are fure of, that the Reafon could not be 
 that he did not intend his Miracles as Proofs of 
 his divine Miffion, fince he frequently in the 
 moft folemn manner appealed to them as 
 Proofs. 
 
 But what this Writer fcems to lay a particular 
 Strefs upon, is that which our Saviour faid, 
 when applied to for his extraordinary Afiilfance 
 in favour of the Nobleman's Child, Unlejs you 
 fee Signs and Wonders^ you ivill 7iot believe. But 
 what is this defigned to prove ? Is it to prove, 
 that Chrill in working his Miracles had no In- 
 tention that his Miracles fr.ould be regarded as 
 Proofs of his divine MilTion? This indeed is 
 what this Gemlcman produces it for j but the 
 
 contrary 
 
Chrijlia?2ity not founded on Argument. 37 
 
 contrary rather follows from it. For if Hq 
 knew the Jews would not believe without Mi- 
 racles, and if it was his Defire and Defign that 
 they lliould believe in him, which will fcarc© 
 be denied, this made it necelfary for liim to 
 work Miracles before them with this very View, 
 that they might be thereby brought to believo 
 in him. But it will be faid, that our Saviour 
 here reproves the Jews for not believing in him 
 wirliout Miracles. But neither could this be 
 his Intention 5 fince he himfelf declares, that if 
 he had not done Works among them ivkich no- 
 ether Man did, they had not bad Sin, But what 
 he defigns here to reprove is the Temper of 
 thofe, who though they had fufficient Evidence 
 of his Miracles from Teftimony that might be 
 fafely depended on, yet would not believe in 
 him, except they -themfelves faw them with, 
 their own Eyes. This feems to have been the. 
 Cafe of this Nobleman. We are told John iv. 
 45. that the Galileans who had been at the 
 Feafl: at 'Jeriifalem and had feen the Miracles 
 Chriffc had done there, received him upon his 
 Return into Galilee. This Nobleman had not 
 been there, but had been informed of all this ; 
 and when he heard that 'Jefus <was come into 
 Galilee^ he went and befoiight him that he would- 
 come down and heal his Son. He was in hope that 
 Chriil might heal his Son, if he ca?ne down and 
 touched him, but not otherwifc. His i'aith feems 
 to have been very imperfe(fi:, probably becaufe he 
 
 himfcif 
 
38 Remarks on a Pamphlet ^ entitled, 
 
 himfelf had not feen any of the mighty Works 
 Chrift had wrought, though he hud fufncient 
 Realbn to be alTured of the Truth of them. 
 Then faid Jefus unto him, Except ye fee Sig?i5 
 and Wonders^ ye will not believe. And he did 
 not go down to his Houle, as he defired, to 
 heal his Son, but faid. Go thy way, thy Son liveth. 
 The Nobleman feems to have been fenfible of 
 the Reproof, ?.nd he believed the JVord that yefus 
 kadfpoken, and went his way. And upon rind- 
 ing that his Son began to recover the very Hour 
 that jefusjaid unto him, thy Son liveth, he him- 
 felf believed, with his whole Houfe. He then 
 fully believed Chrift's divine Miffion, of which 
 he had doubted before. 
 
 As this Gentleman does what he can to make 
 it appear, that Chritt himfelf never intended his 
 Miracles as Proofs of his divine Miiiion, fo he 
 endeavours to fhew, that in themfelves the)r are 
 no way fitted to be fuch Proofs or Evidences. 
 
 A.nd firfl, he thinks he may *' not unplaulibly 
 ** fuge;eft, what has been fo often urged upon 
 " this occafion, that Miracles have, time out of 
 *' mind, been undoubtedly performed, as well 
 *' in favour of falle Doftrines, and therefore they 
 ** can never be fingly, and of themfelves alone, 
 " any certain Marks of a true, p. 46." He 
 fpeaks of it here aspaft all doubt, that Miracles 
 have been done in favour of falfe Dodrines, 
 tho* very probably he believes nothing of the 
 matter. For he fcruples not to call the Popifli 
 Miracles, wJiich he afterwards nicntions, falfe 
 
 and 
 
Chnftianity not founded on Argument, 3^ 
 
 ^ndfiBitiGUSy tho' thefe are as much to be de- 
 pended on as other Miracles pretended to be 
 wrought in favour of falfe Doctrines. But if he 
 would offer any thing to the purpofe, in order 
 to run a Parallel between the Atteftations pre- 
 tended to be given to any falfe Dodlrines, and 
 thofe given to the Chriftian Difpenfation, let him 
 flievv, 
 
 1. That the Miracles wrought or pretended 
 to be wrought in favour of falfe Doftrines, or of 
 Impoftors, were Works plainly above all the Power 
 or Art of Man to perform. For many wonder- 
 ful things may. be done by human Art or Skill, 
 and a dextrous Application of natural Caufes; 
 which cannot properly be called Miracles. 
 
 2. That thefe things were done, not in a 
 fingle Inftance, or in a very few Inftances, in 
 which cafe there might be fome Sufpicion of 
 Management ; but that there was a Succeffion 
 of them in many Inftances, and for a Courfe of 
 Years together. 
 
 3. That thefe Miracles were wrought \\\ 
 profeffed Attefiation to the Divine Miffion of 
 the Perfons by whom, or in favour of v/honi 
 they were wrought, and to the Truth of the 
 Dodlrines they delivered. For ftrangc things 
 have happened from time to time in all 
 Ages and Countries, from which no Confe- 
 quence can be drawn, as not being wrought in 
 declared Attefiation to any Dod:rines, or to the 
 Divine MilTion of any Perfons, 
 
 3 ' 4. That 
 
4© Remarks on a Pamphlet ,. entitled, 
 
 4. That they were wrought not in fecret oj 
 before a few only, but in an open publick 
 manner ; wrought not merely in favour of the 
 reigning Religion, when a very nice Examina- 
 tion would not be very fafe j but in favour of 
 a Religion contrary to the mod inveterate Pre- 
 judices, and in the view of fubtil and malicious 
 Enemies, who had the Power in their hands, 
 and who had all the Opportunities that could be 
 deli red to have deteded the Impofture, if there 
 had been anyj and were flrongly carried by 
 their Inclinations and Interefts to do it. And 
 yet were not able upon the mod diligent Exa- 
 mination to deted: Fraud or Impofture in any 
 one Inftance, in which cafe it might have in- 
 duced a Sufpicion of the reft, that they were all 
 Qwing to the fame Caufes. 
 
 5. That the Accounts of thefe Miracles 
 were delivered by Perfons, who themfelvcs faw 
 and knew him, and who by their whole Condud: 
 gave all the Marks of difinterefted Probity and 
 Sincerity, and perfifted in their Teftimony with 
 i^n unfliaken Conftancy, without ever faliifying 
 in any one In (lance, tho' they thereby expofed 
 ihemfelves to the mofl: grievous Perfecutions and 
 Suiferings. 
 
 6. That even fome of the moH: obftlnate 
 Adverfaries that lived neareft thofe Times did 
 not pretend abfolutely to deny the Fads, tho' 
 they endeavoured to attribute them to wrong 
 Caufes ; and that great Numbers of Perfons 
 iirongly prejudiced againll the Religion thus 
 
 attefted. 
 
ChriJIia?2ity not founded on Argument. 41 
 
 attefled, embraced it upon the Credit of thofe 
 miraculous A tte Nations, in oppofition to their 
 former Prejudices, and to their worldly Intcrefts, 
 as well as to their favourite Appetites and Paf- 
 fions; and this in the very Age in which the 
 Fads were done, and in Places where they had 
 the beft Opportunities of enquiring imo the 
 Truth of thofe Facts, and detecting them if they 
 bad been falfe * . 
 
 * The "Jewijh Story concerning yefus's performing his 
 wonderful Works by virtue of the ineffable Name which 
 he dole out of the Temple and hid in his 7'high, is well 
 known. And many both of ihcjews and Heathens afcrib- 
 ed his Miracles to his extraordinary Skiil in Magick : 
 And among others, Celfus^ as appears in feveral Pailages 
 of Origens Work againfl him. All that can be truly 
 gathered from hence is. That the Truth of the miracu- 
 lous Fails was fo evident, that they were not able to> 
 deny it. For as to the Clnrgo itfelf, it is manifeftly ab- 
 furd and ridiculous, whether we conlider the Nature and 
 Circumltances of the Works themfelve?, or the End for 
 vi'hich they were wrought, or the Character of Jefus, and 
 the Nature and Defign of the Religion he publifhed to 
 
 the World. Pliny obferves, that never was any Man 
 
 fonder of Magick tlian Nero, or did mere to encourage 
 and countenance it, and that he Tent for the ablell Ma- 
 ilers of it from all Parts, and yet that never was the 
 Vanity and Falfhood of it more plainly difcovercd than 
 
 in his Time. Plln. HiJL Nat. Lib. 30. Cjp. 2. And 
 
 if the Favour and Encouragement given to it by a mighty 
 Emperor could not hinder the Fallacy of it from being 
 detected ; can it be imagin'd, that if the Tlnngs done by- 
 cur Saviour and his Apojiles^ who had no Authority to 
 c<3untenance them, and fo many v/atchful Enemies to 
 obferve them, had been of no higher kind \.\\z\\ Magical 
 Operations, the Folly and Impofture would not have been 
 foon detected and expofed ? 
 
 Lett. IL G If 
 
42 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled. 
 
 If this Writer will pleafe to produce any falfe 
 Religion that had fiich Tefiimonials, and to 
 whom all this may be applied, it {hall be confi- 
 dered. In the mean time I affirm, that it is 
 abfolately out of his power ; and that therefore 
 this Part of the Evidence for Chriftianity ftands 
 upon a firm and immoveable Bafis j fince it may 
 be clearly iLewn, that all the above-mentioned 
 Circumftances concur in it, in which it can 
 never be equal'd by any falfe Religion. And 
 tho' the Scripture warns us (as he obferves) of 
 lyijig Wonders and falfe Chrifts, and to take the 
 iitmofl care of what we give credit to of this 
 kind ; yet it certainly never fuppofes, that any 
 falfe Chriils fliould arife, who {liould be able to 
 work fuch a Succeffion of glorious Miracles, as 
 were wrought in atteflation of Chriftianity. 
 
 The wonderful Works wrought by our Lord 
 yefus Chrift in avowed Confirmation of his di- 
 vine Miffion were of fuch a nature, and fo ma- 
 nifeflly tranfcending all the Art and Power of 
 Man, fuch as the reftoring perifhed Limbs in a- 
 Moment, healing the moft defperate Difeafes 
 by a Word, commanding the Winds and the 
 Seas, and even raifing the Dead ; that they might 
 be alone fufhcient, as they were circumflanced, 
 to give a convincing Proof of his divine Miffion : 
 but they received a wonderful Confirmation by 
 his Refurredion from the Dead, which he him- 
 felf had foretold, and to which he appealed, and 
 of which there was all the Evidence that could 
 
 I be 
 
Chriftiantty not founded on Argument. 43 
 
 be reafonably dehrcd *. And thib^ was followed 
 and farther conilrrried by his Afcenlion into 
 Heaven in the view of his gazing Dilciples j 
 and both were placed beyond all reafonable doubt, 
 and received a mighty additional Force, by the 
 extraordinary Effuhon of the Holy Gliod foon 
 
 after 
 
 * Our Author gives a hint, that if our Saviour had but 
 taken one Turn in the Markct-placs after his Refurre6tion, 
 this would have been a more effe£lual Convi(flion to the 
 'Jews than all the Evidence that was offered, and jnighthava 
 fparedhoth the pahifulLives and Labours of fo many holyVouchers^ 
 who -perifned merely by the thing s being done in a Corner^ P- ^7' 
 But certainly the Proof ah'eady given of CZ;n//"3 Refur- 
 reclion was a much i1:ronger Evidence of it, than mere- 
 ly his taking a Turn or two thro' the Market-Place 
 would have been, before a Croud of People, few of whom 
 could be fuppofiid to be {o intimately acquainted with 
 him as to be abfolutely fure that it was he : or if they 
 had believed that it was like him, they would have been 
 ready to think, as the Difciples at firfl did, that they 
 had feen a Spirit^ or fome unaccountable Appearance in 
 his Form and Shape. Whereas, as the Cafe is wow cir- 
 cumftanced, he fueived hhnj'clf all-oc after his Refurreition 
 by many infallible Proofs^ to l^erfons to whofn he was per- 
 fectly known, and who could not be impofed upon in this 
 matter. They themfelves were not forward to believe 
 it, till they could no longer doubt of it without renounc- 
 ing theTeflimony of all their Senfcs. They faw him, 
 they handled him, they eat and drank with him, they 
 converfed familiarly with him on many Important Sub- 
 jects for forty Days together. If it had only been the 
 eleven Apoltles that teftified this, the Number of the 
 Witnefles would have been very fufRcient ; but there were 
 many others that faw him, and converfed with him. 
 And at laft he uns j'ecn^ as St. Paul in his firfl Epiftle to 
 the Corinthians atfirms, by above five hundred at once^ molt 
 of whom vjerg alive when he writ that Epiftle. It can- 
 G 2 not 
 
44 Refjurrks on a Pamphlet, ejttitkdy 
 
 after his Afcenlion, in conreqncnce of his own 
 Predidion and Prpmiv;. And this again was 
 proved to the World by the mofi. fxtraordinary 
 Gifts and Powers abiding with his Difciples, 
 who went thro' all Nations teaching the things 
 which he had commanded them, and were 
 
 enabled 
 
 not without thegreateft Abfurdity be fuppofed, that there 
 fhould have been a Combination among fo many Perfons 
 to put an Impcflure upon the World in that matter ; or 
 if there had, it is fcarce poiVible but that it muft have 
 been deteclt-d, and that among fuch a Number one or 
 other would- have been prevaiTd upon by Bribes or 
 Threatnings, to difcover and acknowledge the Impofture. 
 "VVhereas they all perfdled uniformly in their Teltimony 
 with an unfliaken Conftancv, and many of them fealed 
 it with thiir Blood. But that v/hich gave the moft re- 
 4iiarkab{e Confirmation to their Teflimony, and which 
 was never ecj'Kird in any otlier Cafe, was, that God bore 
 them witnefs by Signs and Wonders, and divers Miracles 
 ^nd Gifts of the Holy Gholf, poured forth upon the 
 Difciples in the Name of a rifen "fejus. 
 
 Xhe Story ftt about by the Jezcs, that his Difciples 
 (lolc him by Nigi)t \vhiiit the Soldiers flept, was a plain 
 Acknowledgment that his Bcdy was gone out of the Se- 
 pidclue; and {ince it was pretended the Soldiers were 
 afiecp, lie might have rifen of himfelf for any thing they 
 could tell to the contrary. But if they had really be- 
 lieved that the Difciples ftole him, whilft: a Guard of 
 Soldiers v/ere purpofely fet to watch the Body ; can it 
 |>e imagined that they would not have made a ftri£l En- 
 quiry, and have got the Soldiers feverely puniflied for 
 fo criminal a Negle<Sl: of their Duty, which could fcarce 
 be fuppofed without a Combination between them and 
 the Difciples ? W'hy did they not take pains to fearch 
 out and feize the Difciples, to confront them with one 
 another, and with the Guards? Wjiy did they not call 
 ynfeph oi Jrinaihca to an account, to get, if poflible, to 
 i'iic bottom of the Imppfture, and to ftifle all Reports of 
 
 his 
 
Chrijlianity not founded on ArgumeTrt. 45 
 
 enabled for many Years together in the Name 
 and by ihe Power of a rifen "Jcfus, to perform 
 the mod illufLrious Miracles, fuch as he himfelf 
 had done whilfl: on Earth j all which came in 
 
 aid 
 
 bis Refurreclion in the very birth \ This is the Method 
 that common Senfe would have direded to in this cafe; 
 and which they would undoubtedly have taken, confider- 
 ing how zealous they were in the Caufe, and that they 
 had the power in their hands. But inftead of this, all 
 was huddled up ; the Centinels were unpuniftied, their 
 Evidence ftiflcd, no farther Enquiry made. And when 
 the Difciples openly avowed that Chri/i was rifen from 
 the Dead, of which they were Witnefl'es, they durft not 
 enter into a particular Difculnon or Examination of that 
 matter, but contented thcmlelves with commanding 
 them not to fpeak in his Name, who boldly declared to 
 their faces, that they v/ould do it. In a word, it is 
 plain from their whole Management on this occafion, 
 that it was not for want of fufficient Evidence of ChrijTs 
 RefurreiSion, that the Rulers of the Jews did not be- 
 lieve in him ; and that as they were difpofed, they would 
 not have acknowledged him as the Meffiah, whatever o- 
 ther Evidence had been ofFcred ; fo M'hen they could 
 not deny that J ejus had raifed Lazartis from the Dead, 
 inflead of being convinced by it, they only took counfel 
 how they might deftroy them both. 
 
 But it the Rulers and Body of the Jeiviflj Nation had 
 believed- in a rifen Jefus^ and embraced his Religion, 
 would thofe, who now make their not believing an Ar- 
 gument againft the Truth of C6ny/'s RefurretSlion, have 
 been convinced ? No. It is probable they would have 
 taken ftill greater advantage of this, and rcprefented it 
 as a national AlTair, in which the Jezvs joined out of 
 that Attachment to the Honour and Intereft of their Na- 
 tion, for which they were fo remarkable. Such is tlic 
 true Spirit of Infidelity, always to find fault with the E- 
 yidence that is already offered, and to infifi: upon fome 
 other or farther Proof, which if it were granted wouli 
 be as far from giving fatisfadlion as before. 
 
46 "Remarks on a Famphlef^ enfitledy 
 
 aid of theiiTeflimony, and gave it a force which 
 no other Teflimony ever had. Here is fuch a 
 Concurrence of the mod extraordinary divine At- 
 teftations, fuch a Concatenation of Evidences, one 
 fupporting another, that the Apoltle had reafon 
 to fay to the Chriftian Converts, that \i an An- 
 gel from Heave?! had endeavoured to turn them 
 to another Gojpel, they were not to regard him. 
 Where he does not put a Cafe that he fuppofed 
 might realiy happen, but ufes a ftrong Manrer 
 of Expreffion to fignify, that no Pretence what- 
 foever ihould turn them from a fteady Adhe- 
 rence to the Gofpel of Chrijl. And tho' our 
 Author feems to think that an Angel's appearing 
 from Heaven would have been the higheft E- 
 vidence polTible, p»ii. yet I believe anyone 
 that impariially confiders this matter, will be apt 
 to conclude, that the Appearance of a fingle 
 Angel would have fallen vaflly fhort in Strength 
 of Evidence, of that amazing Succeffion of il- 
 luftrious divine Atteftations that were given to 
 Chrillianity ; the like to which never was in 
 proof of any falfe Religion, nor can be fuppof- 
 ed to be in coniiiiency with the Wifdom and 
 Goodnefs of divine Providence. For this would 
 be to lay too great a Temptation in the way of 
 his frail Creatures ; fnice we cannot conceive, 
 that fuppofing a Revelation really to have come 
 from God, it could have been attended with 
 more iiluftrious confirming Evidences of a di- 
 vine Original, than all thefe taken together do 
 form. And when to thefe external AtteftaUons 
 
 is 
 
Chrtjlianity not founded on Argument, 47 
 
 IS added the exemplary Purity of the great 
 Founder of this Religion, the excellent Charac- 
 ter of his Difciples, fo remote from that of Im- 
 poftors, and from all worldly Views and carnal 
 Intcrefts ; and the Nature and Tendency of the 
 Religion thus attefted, which is defigned to re- 
 claim Men from Idolatry, Vice, and Wicked- 
 nefs, to the Love of God, to his pure Worship, 
 to the Pradice of univerlal Holinefs and Virtue, 
 and to the heavenly Mind and Life, it carries 
 the Evidence as far as it can go. For this an-ain 
 furnifhes a new Proof, that as tlie Miracles were 
 fuch as vaftly exceeded all human Power, {o 
 were they not owing to the Agency of fuperior 
 evil Beings ; fmce it can never be imagined, that 
 they would contribute their Affiftance to the 
 performing fuch wonderful Things in favour of 
 a Religion fo diredtiy oppofite to all their In- 
 terefls, and to the Deligns evil Beings mufl be 
 fuppofed to have in view. And therefore they 
 mufl: have been wrought by the immediate Af» 
 fiftance and Agency of God himfelf, or, which 
 comes to the lame thing, by the Affiftance of 
 good Beings fuperior to Man, ading under him, 
 and by his Direction, and who would never have 
 thus given their Atteftation to Fraud and Im- 
 pofture. 
 
 There is another thing which the Author 
 offers, p. /Lj, and which he feems to defign as 
 an Argument. I would anfwer it if I under- 
 ilood it, but I confefs I cannot well make fenfe 
 of it myfelf, nor have met with any body that 
 
 could. 
 
48 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 could. But as far as I am able to apprehend it, 
 the Drift of it feems to be this ; that fuch Mi-* 
 racles as v/ere wrought at the firft Eftabliiliment 
 of Chriftianity were to be expected as the na- 
 tural Effeds of fuch a benevolent Religion as 
 the Chriftian, and therefore could not be Evi- 
 dences of its Truth and Divinity : As if the 
 fame wonderful Works mi2:ht not be both In- 
 fiances of great Benevolence, and the Effeds of 
 a divine Power, and confequently Proofs of a 
 divine Interpoiition. And certainly if any Re- 
 ligion could be iuppofed to be of fuch a nature, 
 as neceffarily to bring along with it fuch glorious 
 EfFeds of a divine Power and Benevolence, this 
 would be a plain Evidence that it came from 
 God. 
 
 This Gentleman having made an Attempt ta 
 fhew that Miracles can in no cafe be any Proofs 
 at all, afterwards feems willing in his great Li- 
 berality to grant, that Miracles might be Evi- 
 dences to thofe that adiually faw them ; but he 
 denies they could be Evidences to any other Per- 
 fons. He affirms, that they could not be Proofs 
 evefi to the Me?i of that Generation that were 
 ?jot a5iiially and perfonally prefent, when they 
 'were done, and that for the fa?ne evident Rea-' 
 fon they can he none to us now ; p. 51. He goes 
 on to declaim in many Words after his manner, 
 and all that he urges here depends upon this 
 Principle, that no Accounts of pail Faits can 
 at all be fafely depended upon, and that no Man 
 isi to believe any thing but what he actually fees 
 
 widi 
 
Chrijliaiiify not founded on Argument. 49 
 
 with his own Eyes 5 That the TeJlifnoJiy of Sight 
 is by its Nature an Evidence ?jot to be communi- 
 cated. And that the Light ofConviLiion ichich 
 
 is thus received can extend no farther than to 
 tloe EyC'witncfs himfef loft and extinguift^cd the 
 firfl Aloment it is offered to be imparted -y p. 52, 
 c^i^. A way of talking completely ridiculous, 
 and thefe Gentlemen themfelves would efteem 
 it fo, if applied to any other Subjed:. And tlie 
 Reafou he gives for it is no Icfs ridiculous • that 
 allthe yijfurance in the World of another s feeing 
 can never have an equal EffeSl upon my Senfes^ 
 or make me fee a Thing where J ivas not a^ually 
 prefe?it. But tho' no Affurance of another Man's 
 ieeing a thing can make me fee it, and who 
 ever was fo abfurd as to pretend it could have 
 that Effed ? yet it may lay a jufl Foundation 
 for my believing it, and in fome Cafes the Af- 
 furance may be fo flrong, that I can no more 
 reafonably doubt of it than if I had feen it my 
 felf. 
 
 In oppofition to all this loofe Harangue, it is 
 fufficient to obferve, that if the Miracles ori- 
 ginally wrought in Attcftation of Chrirtianity 
 were Proofs to thofe that actually faw them, then 
 they are Proofs to us too, provided we have E- 
 vidence reafonably fufficient to convince us, that 
 thefe extraordinary Fads were really done. So 
 that ftill the Quellion returns to this, whether 
 we have fufficient reafon to think, that the Ac- 
 counts given us of thofe Fads are to be depend- 
 ed upon, and tliat thofe Fads were really per- 
 tett. II. H formed, 
 
50 Remarks on a Pa?nphlet, entitled, 
 
 formed. For if fo, they are as truly Evidences to 
 us of the Truth and Divinity of that Revelation, 
 in Attefiation of which they were wrought, as 
 they were to thofe that faw them, or lived in the 
 Age in which they were performed. If it be 
 faid, none that live in fucceeding Ages can have 
 the lame Evidence that thofe of the firfl had ^ 
 I anfwer, they cannot have ocular Evidence, 
 and fo it muil be faid of all paft Fads, or all 
 Fads done at a diflancc from us j but yet they 
 inay have Evidence fufficient to convince any 
 conlidering Perfon that they were done 5 and an 
 Evidence fo ftrongly cricumftanced, that no 
 Man can reafonably deny it, without going 
 upon the above-mentioned Principle, that he 
 cannot fafely believe any paft Fads at all, or any 
 thing but what he fees with his own Eyes. And 
 the Man that is obliged to take refuge here, is 
 driven to as great an Abfurdity as can well be 
 fuppofed 'j and plainly fhevv-s, that he has no- 
 thing reafonable to fay again ft the Credit of thofe 
 Fads. And yet this is the Shift this Writer is 
 plainly reduced to. And this feems to be the 
 Principle on which his Infidelity refts 5 a mani- 
 feft Proof that it is not founded on Reafon or Ar- 
 gument. 
 
 It is on this Principle that he tells us, />. 52. 
 That " that Divine Demonflration to By- 
 " ftanders, the Voice of God himfelf, T^his is 
 '' my beloved Son, has been by one intervening 
 ^* Age dwindled long lince to human Tradi- 
 ** tion. God no longer bears witnefs to his 
 
 ** Son, 
 
Chrijiianlty not founded on Argument. 5 1 
 
 ** Son, but Men only bear witnefs to God.'* 
 This may pals for a pretty Jingle. The Anti- 
 thefis founds well enough, between Men's bear^ 
 ing ivitnefs^ and God's hearing witnejs ; but the 
 Reafoning is poor, and the Sentiment falfe. For 
 if the wonderful Glory of Chrift at his Transfi- 
 guration, and the Voice that then came to him 
 was to be regarded as the Teftimony of God to 
 his Son in that Age, it is to be regarded as fuch 
 ilill, provided we have fufficient Evidence of 
 the Reality of the Fa(5l ; and tho' we ourfelvcs 
 did not fee the Glory, nor hear the Voice, yet if 
 we have good reafon to believe that the Account 
 of thofe, who themfelves faw and heard it, is to 
 be depended on, it ought in all reafon to have 
 an Iniiuence upon us as really as if we had been 
 prefent ourfelves. For the manner in which 
 we come to know a thing does not alter the 
 cale ; it is fufficient, if we know it in fuch a 
 way as to have a reafonable Conviction that it is 
 true. And it is certain that in many cafes we 
 can no more reafonably doubt of things which 
 we have by Informadbn from others who Ihw 
 and heard them, than, if we faw and heard them 
 ourfelves. And particularly it may be Ihewn, 
 and often has been {hewn with great Strength 
 and Clearnefs, that there never was a Tellimony 
 more to be depended on than that of the Apoiiles, 
 and firft Witnelfes of Chriitianity. 
 
 I need not take much notice of what he 
 urges, p, 52. and which he backs with the Au- 
 thority of the Roniijh Church, that jf Miracles 
 H 2 were 
 
52 Remarks on a Tamphkt^ entitled^ 
 
 were neceffary at firft in the Infmicy of the Go^ 
 J'pel^ they are Jo fiill^ and ought to be continued 
 in the Church. For fuppofing the Authority 
 of a divine Revelation fufficiently confirmed by 
 a Series of the mofl extraordinary divine Attes- 
 tations at its firft Eftablifhment, it would be an 
 idle thing to expe(ft that there fliould be new 
 Atteflations and Miracles in every Age. It is 
 futiicient, that the Accounts of thofe firft origi- 
 nal Atteftations are tranfmitted to us in a manner 
 that may be fafely depended upon. To de- 
 mand new Signs and Wonders to be continually 
 done before our Eyes, would be perfedly unrea- 
 fonable. As juflly might it be demanded, that 
 all the extraordinary Fadts that were done in the 
 firft Age, in Atteftationof the Gofpel, fliould 
 be done over again in every Age. And as one 
 Man, in one Age, and in one Country, hath as 
 much right to exped: and demand it as another, 
 all thefe things muft be repeated in the View, 
 and for the Satisfaction of every lingle Perfon in 
 every Age, and in every Country. And what 
 a ftrange Scene of things this would introduce, 
 how unfit and unbecoming the divine Wifdom, 
 is very evident ! At that rate, nothing were to 
 be feen but Signs and Wonders j and, by being 
 fo common, they would ceafe to be extraordi- 
 narv, and this very thing would hinder the 
 Effed. 
 
 Our Author having endeavoured to fliew, 
 that our Saviour never appealed to the Under- 
 ftandings of Men, or laid before them any Evi- 
 dence 
 
Chrijlianity not founded on Argument. 53 
 
 dence to convince them of his Divine MilTion ; 
 that his Miracles were no Proofs of this at all, 
 nor v^^ere ever intended by him as fiich ; and 
 that the Accounts of them that are tranfmitted 
 to us are not to be depended upon ; tl:j.t is, 
 having endeavoured to remove every thing that 
 could be fuppofed to lay a rational Foundation 
 for believing, proceeds, p. 56, Off. to fliew 
 what it is that is defigned in the Gofpel as the 
 true Principle of our Faith ; and this he re- 
 folves entirely into the immediate Revelation of 
 the Holy Ghoft imparted JeparateJy and j'uper- 
 naturally to every Individual^ as he expreffes it, 
 p. 112. which irradiates the Souls of Believers 
 at once, with an irre/ijlible Light from Heaveny 
 that fafjes Convi5iion in a Moment ; and thus 
 our Faith is co?npleated in an inflant^ and the 
 7noJl perfeB and finifded Creed produced at once^ 
 ivithout any tedious Progrefs in DeduBions of our 
 civn J p. 59. This he reprefents as of fuch 2^ 
 nature, as to render all outward Infl:riid:ions en- 
 tirely needlefs \ fo that we mult not be left to 
 •take any the leajl Fart of our Infrudiions front 
 one another. Nor need we have recourfe to the 
 holy Scriptures, which he calls Manufcript Au- 
 thorities and Paper RevelationSy or concern our 
 fclves at all about the Credit of ancient Mira- 
 cles ^ or other Fads there recorded *". The Spi- 
 rit alone is to do all without our own Rcafon, or 
 
 the 
 
 * See the feveral Paflagcs relating to this laid together in my 
 former Letter, />. ii, <^\-. which therefore I uecd not particu- 
 larly repeat here. 
 
54 Remarks on a Famphlef^ entitled^ 
 
 the Ufe of any Means on our parts. He aiTerts, 
 that this Influence of the Spirit is promifed to 
 abide with all Chriflians to the end of the World, 
 to guide them infallibly in all Truth, fo that 
 they fliould not be left liable one Mojnent to a 
 Fojfibiltty of Error and Impofition, That it is 
 nniverlal ; it /i the Light which enlightneth every 
 Man that comcth into the World : That it caufes 
 Men to think all alike ; and that on this Scheme 
 alone, Men may be juftly punifhed for Herefy 
 and for Unbelief; fince this mufl be owing to 
 a rebellious Oppofiiion of the Influence of the Spirit ^ 
 and a wilful rcjc6ling his Pollicitations^ and a 
 Ktfii/alof his offered Grace, 
 
 But I do not fee how our Author can con- 
 fidently talk of Perfons refilling the Spirit, or 
 what room there is left upon his Scheme for 
 Unbelief, or for Herefies at all. For fince he 
 fuppofes this Influence to be an irrefiftible Light, 
 inlfantanecus in its Effeds, infallible in its Gui- 
 dance, and the Eited; of it to be the completing 
 Faith at once, and infuling the whole Creed in 
 an inftant, .engaging Men to think all alike , and 
 freeing them from all Pcffibility of Error end 
 Impojition ; and fince he at the fame time fup- 
 pofes this Influence of the Spirit and inf dlible 
 Ini'piration to be univerfal, imparted to every 
 Individual, and extending to every Man that 
 cometh into the World j it manifeftly follows, 
 that every Chrifl:ian, yea, every Man that 
 cometh into the World, is irrefiftibly enlightned, 
 has his Faith abfolutely completed, is free from 
 
 all 
 
Chrijiianity not founded on Argument, 55 
 
 all PofTibility of Error, and thinks exadly in all 
 Points of Faith the fame way with every other 
 Man ; and that therefore there can be no Un- 
 belief, no Error, no Herefy, no Difference of 
 Sentiment among Men or Chriflians. 
 
 Nothing can be more contrary to plain and 
 undeniable Fadl, more con trad i(ftory in all its 
 Parts, and more evidently fubverfive of itfdf, 
 than the Scheme here advanced by this Writer. 
 I am fenfible this Gentleman will be ready to 
 fneer at the Charge. For undoubtedly he does 
 not intend that the World {hoiild look upon it 
 as a thing which he himfelf believes. It is the 
 true fcriptural and revealed Account of the Mat- 
 ter, and the Scripture alone muft anfwer for it. 
 And therefore the more Contradictions are 
 proved upon his Scheme, the better it will an- 
 fwer his Defign, which is to expofe Chriflianity 
 to the Derifion and Contempt of Mankind. 
 
 But if it be made appear, that this is all grols 
 Mifreprefentation j that the Account he is 
 pleafed to give us is as contrary to Scripture, as it 
 is to Reafon and Common Senfe, then the Con- 
 tradidions and Abfurdities are to be charged 
 upon the Author himfelf, and he is juftly ac- 
 countable for them. And this Attempt of his 
 muft only pafs for a Proof of his readinefs to take 
 any Methods, how unfair or difingenuous fbever, 
 to expofe the Religion of yefus. 
 
 In order to anfwer his Defign, he heaps together 
 a number of Texts, without any regard to their 
 particular Meaning and Intention, as they lie 
 
 in 
 
^6 Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitled^ 
 
 in the facred Writings, and applies them all pro- 
 mifcuoufly the fame way. He every where 
 confounds the extraordinary and ordinary In- 
 iiuence of the Holy Spirit j that which was pe- 
 culiar to the Apoltles, or to the firft i^ge, he 
 applies to Chriftians in every Age ; and if any 
 thing extraordinary was done in fome particular 
 Cafes, he urges it as if it was deiigned to be the 
 ftanding Rule in every Cafe. Thus, to (hew 
 that the Holy Ghoft operates 'without delay ^ by 
 an irrefiflible Light from Heaven^ that jiajloes 
 Conviciion in a moment ; he inftances in the 
 happy Mefamojphofis of an officious Perfeciitor 
 into as zealous an Apojile J p. 58, 59. Buttho' 
 the Converfion of St. Paul^ taken in all its Cir^ 
 cumftances, was a lignal Atteftation to the 
 Truth of Chriilianity, it would be very abfurd 
 to pretend to draw an Argument from fuch an 
 extraordinary Inliance, to fliew what are the 
 ordinary Methods of God's dealings with Men 
 in bringing them to the Faith of Chrill:. That 
 Apoftle declares concerning himfelf, that he did 
 not receive the Gofpel^ which he preached, of 
 Man^ neither ivas he taught it, but by the Re- 
 'velation o/' Jefus Chrift, Gal. \. 12. But can 
 it be concluded from thence, that every Chri- 
 ftian receives the Gofpel in the fame immediate 
 way from Chriil himfelf, without any human 
 Inllrudion? As well might it be faid, that 
 when he declares concerning himfelf, that he 
 was a?i Apojlle, not of Man, nor by Man, his 
 Intention was to fignify, that all others wer^ 
 
 Apoilles 
 
ChrijVtamty not founded on Argument. 57 
 
 Apoftles as well as he. Yet this is the Courle 
 of our Author's reafoning, than which nothing 
 can be more abfurd and ridiculous. And even 
 with regard to this Cafe of the Converfion of 
 St. Paul^ his Faith in Chrilt though fuddenly 
 wrought was not unreafonable, or without Evi- 
 dence. His Underftanding and Reafon was 
 fully convinced by what he heard arid law of 
 the divine Power and Glory of a rifen Jefus. 
 And the Influence of the Holy Spirit upon his 
 Mind, enduing him with extraordinary Gifts 
 and Powers, was not a blind Impulfe to engage 
 him to believe he knew not why (which is tiiq 
 Reprefentation this Gentleman is pleas'd to make 
 of the Influence of the Spirit) but enabling him 
 clearly to difcern the Gofpel-evidence, and giv^ 
 ing him a right Knowledge of the Chriltian 
 Religion, the whole Scheme of its Dodjines 
 and Laws, its Proofs and Evidences, fo that his 
 Faith was in the ftridteft Senfe rational. 
 
 It is readily granted, that there was an ex- 
 traordinary Influence of the Holy Ghofi: upon 
 the Apoftles, who were chofen to be the iirfl: 
 authorized Witnefles of Chriftiunity, and had 
 an immediate Commiffion from Chrift himielf 
 to publnh his Religion to the World ; I fay, 
 there was an extraordinary Influence of the Ho- 
 ly Ghofl: upon them, both for enabling them to 
 perform the mofl: illufl:rious Miracles, and for 
 enduing them with fpiritual Gifts, and infalli- 
 bly guiding them in the Doctrines and Laws 
 they were to deliver to the Church in the Name 
 
 Lett. II. I of 
 
58 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 cf Chrifl:. And there is nothing in this but 
 what is highly renfonable. For fuppofing God 
 to give an extraordinary Revelation of his Will 
 for the Inftrudtion and Diredion of Mankind, 
 it was very proper that thofs to whom he ori- 
 ginally gave that Revelation to be by them pub- 
 lifhed to the World in his Name, Ihould have 
 their Minds extraordinarily illuminated in the 
 Knowledge of the Doctrines and Laws they 
 w^ere to deliver as from him, fo as to be kept 
 from Error in delivering them ; and that they 
 fliould alio be enabled to produce fufficient Cre- 
 dentials of their divine Million, to convince 
 Mankind that he fent them. God's doing this 
 in the Cafe of the Chriftian Revelation has a 
 nianifeft Propriety in it, and is an Inftance of 
 his great Wildom and Goodneis. And it would 
 be a Arange thing to pretend to argue from this 
 that Chriitianity is not on a rational Founda- 
 tion, or that the Faith of the Gofpel cannot be 
 an AlTent founded on rational Convidion; 
 when this very Thing is part of the Evidence on 
 which Chriftianity is founded, and which makes 
 the AfTent to it reafonable. And yet this ex- 
 traordinary Influence of the Holy Ghoft, pro- 
 mifed to and conferred upon the Apoftles for 
 thefe valuable Purpofes, is what feveral of the 
 Texts mentioned by this Writer refer to. Par- 
 ticularly thofe Texts which he produces with 
 fo much Pomp, p. ^y. The Spirit of Trufhy 
 which proceedeth from the Father and the Son, 
 bsjhall teftify of me» And again, The Spirit 
 
 whom 
 
Chrijliantfy not fotmded on Argument. 59 
 
 ijDhom I jhall fe7id Jhall lead yoii into all Truth. 
 The former of thefe Palfages, The Spirit of 
 Truth Jl.mll teftify of me^ relates particularly ta 
 the Teiiimony given to Chrifl: by the extraordi- 
 nary Gifts and Operations of the Holy Spirit in 
 that firft Age. And accordingly our Lord after 
 thofe Words immediately adds, fpeaking to his 
 Apoftles, And ye alfofl:all bear Witnefs^ becaufe 
 ye have been with me from the Begimiing. John 
 XV. 26, 27. The other Text relates to the in- 
 fallible Guidance promifed to the Apoflles to 
 aflift them in the executing of their Office. 
 And accordingly, after faying, The Spirit whom 
 I Jhall Jend Jhall lead you i?2to all Truths he 
 adds, and he will fiew you Things to come. Ch« 
 xvi. 13. And before this, in the fame Difcourfe, 
 he had promifed, The Comforter^ which is the 
 Holy Ghofl — 'fiall teach you all Thi72gs, and bring 
 all Things to your 'Remembrance^ whatjbever I * 
 have [aid unto you. Thefe Texts which plainly 
 relate to the Apoftles, and which in that View- 
 have nothing in them but what is proper and 
 necelTary, and highly for the Honour of Chri- 
 flianity, are applied by this Gentleman, as if 
 they contained a Promife of an infallible Gui- 
 dance of the Spirit to all Chriftians in every 
 Age*i that they might not be lejt liable one 
 
 Moment 
 
 * In like manner he endeavours to draw an Argument 
 tor that univerfal Infpiration of all Chriftians which he 
 contends for, from the Promife made by our Saviour to 
 his Apoftles, Matt. x. 19, 20. where having to] J them 
 
 I 2 of 
 
6o Remarks on a PampMet^ entitled^ 
 
 Moment to a PoJjibiUty of Error and Impojition, 
 as he exprefTes it, p. 60, A thing which is evi- 
 dently abfurd and falfe in Fad. But then this 
 Faldiood and Abfurdity is not chargeable on the 
 Scripture Scheme, or upon the New Teftament, 
 but on our Author himfelf and his Mifreprefen- 
 tation of it. 
 
 Befides 
 
 of the Perfccutions to which they fliould be expofed, and 
 that they fhould be brought before Governours and Kings 
 for his fake^ he bids them take no T^hought how or what 
 they {hould ^(?ff,^ ; that is, not to be anxioufly follicitous 
 about it, which otherwife they might be apt to be j for 
 that it fhould be given them in that fame Hour what they 
 fhould y/)^t7>f J and adds. For it is not ye that fpeak, but the 
 Spirit of your Father that fpeaketh in you. By which, 
 though our Saviour does not intend to fignify, that all 
 ufe and exercife of their own Reafon was to be entirely 
 fuperfeded, as if they were not to havey^ much as afingle 
 Thought or Suggejiion of their own^ as our Author glofl'es 
 it ; yet he certainly defigns to fignify that on fuch Oc- 
 cafions they (hould not be left merely to themfelves, and 
 their own Thoughts and Expreffions, but that the Spirit 
 fiiould afTift them in both in an extraordinary manner : 
 and this was wifely and gracioufly provided for the En- 
 couragement of the Apoftles under the amazing Difficul- 
 ties they were to encounter with in the firft Promulgation 
 of a Religion that v/as to meet with fo much Oppofition 
 in the World. Yet from this extraordinary Cafe our 
 Author feems willing to infer, that the Spirit dictates 
 Sentiments in fecret to the Underfandings of all Chriftians 
 in every Age, and miraculoufy fpeaks to them for their 
 Inflru^iony and gives them what to think as well as what ta 
 fay. p, 108, 109. And with equal Strength and Juftice 
 he might argue, that all Chriftians have the Power of 
 working Miracles, of healing the Svck, cleanfng the Lepers ^ 
 and raifing the Dead-, becaufe our Saviour in that Chapter 
 igmmiffions ajid empowers his Apoftks to dp fo, 'uer. 8, 
 
Chriftianity not founded on Argument. 6l 
 
 Befides the extraordinary Influence of the 
 Holy Ghofl upon the Apoftles to endue them 
 with miraculous Powers, and to guide them in- 
 fallibly in delivering the Dodrine of Chrift 5 
 there was alfo a plentiful Effufion of the Spirit 
 upon the firft Chriftians, though not in the fame 
 degree with the Apoftles, which contributed 
 mightily to the fpreading and propagating the 
 Chriftian Faith. And confidering that the 
 Chriftian Religion at its iirfl Publication had 
 almofl infuperable Obftacles to encounter with 
 in a World funk in Idolatry, Superftition, and 
 Vice, there was then great need of an extraordi- 
 nary Meafure of divine Influences to accompany 
 the preaching of the Gofpel among thofe ta 
 whom it was publifhed. And its making la 
 fpeedy and wonderful a Progrefs as it did in face 
 of the greatefl Oppofition, when it had the in- 
 veterate Prejudices, the corrupt Appetites and 
 Paflions of Men engaged againfl: it, and no world- 
 ly Advantages on its fide, furnifheth an addi- 
 tional Proof of its divine Original, and (hewed 
 a lignal Interpofition of Heaven in its favour, 
 and a divine Light and Power accompanying it. 
 And if a Revelation that was at iirft propagated 
 in a way that befpoke an extraordinary divine 
 • Power and Prefence, is alfo of fuch a nature, 
 that it will bear the cooleft Examination ; if its 
 Proofs and Evidences approve themfelves to our 
 impartial Reafon, and its Dodlrines and Laws 
 appear to be worthy of God and of the moft 
 excellent Tendency, there is every thing that 
 
 can 
 
-62 Remarh on a Pamphlet, entitled'^ 
 
 can juflly be defired to make our AiTent to it 
 rational and well-founded. AnS this is the Cafe 
 of the Chriftian Revelation. 
 
 I doubt not, that upon a critical Examination 
 of the Texts produced by this Writer, it would 
 appear that ieveral of them, be (ides thofe al- 
 ready mentioned, relate to the firfl Chriftians, 
 and to the extraordinary EfFufion of the Holy 
 Qhoft in that Age. Of this kind that Text ap- 
 pears to me to be, which he mentions in the 
 iirft place, and on which he feems to lay a par- 
 ticular Strefs, No Man can J ay that "J ejus is the 
 Lord but by the Holy Ghoji. It is taken from 
 I Cor. xii. 3. where St. Paid is profelTedly dif- 
 courfing concerning the extraordinary Gifts of 
 the Spirit poured forth in that iirft Age, and 
 the Perfons endued with thofe Gifts. And af- 
 ter declaring, that No Man /peaking by the Spirit 
 of God calleth Jejiis accurfed, which relates to 
 thofe Jewifh Teachers that went about anathe- 
 matizing the Name of Jefus, and at the fame 
 time made high Pretenfions to the Holy Ghoft, 
 which they would not allow any Gentiles could 
 be Partakers of; he adds, No Man can fay that 
 'Jefus is the Lord but by the Holy GhoJi, where 
 he probably refers to thofe who in that firft Age 
 preached the Gofpel, and confirmed it by Mi- 
 racles, and the extraordinary Gifts conferred upon 
 them ; which fhewed fuch Perfons were Par- 
 takers of the Holy Ghoft, though feveral of 
 them had been originally Gentiles, without 
 whofe divine Affillance and Influence they could 
 
 not 
 
Chrijlianity not founded on Argument. 63 
 
 not have done this: This feems to be the pro- 
 per Intention of this PafTage. Though if it 
 were taken in a more general ^t\\{^^ to fignify 
 that the gracious Affiftance of God's holy Spirit 
 is necelTary to our believing and acknowledging 
 Chrift in a right manner, fo as heartily to re- 
 ceive and fubmit to him as our Lord (for no 
 body can fuppofe that the bare faying in Words, 
 that yefin is the Lord is all that is intended) 
 there is nothing abfurd in fuch an Interpreta- 
 tion. I freely grant w^hat Chriftians have ge- 
 nerally acknowledged, that there is an Influence 
 of the divine Spirit ftill communicated for affix- 
 ing Men of fincere and upright Minds in the 
 Knowledge and Belief of the Chriftian Religion, 
 and in the Pradlice of the Duties there required. 
 Nor is there any thing in this, but what is per- 
 fedlly agreeable to right Reafon, and the jufteft 
 Notions we can form both of Man's prefent 
 Weaknels and Infirmity, and of the divine 
 Wifdom and Goodnefs ; provided we take this 
 along with us, that thefe gracious Affiftances 
 are communicated in a way perfedly agreeable 
 to the juft Order of our Faculties, and with- 
 out offering Violence to the Freedom that belongs 
 to us as reafonable Creatures, moral Agents, 
 and fo as not to render our own Endeavours 
 needlefs, but to afTill and animate our Endea- 
 vours *. And it is manifeft,' that fuch is the 
 
 Repre- 
 
 * That God can communicate his gracious Affiftances 
 to the human Mind in a manner perfedly well accom- 
 
 jnodated 
 
64 "Remarks on a Pamphlet y entitled^ 
 
 Reprefentation made to us in the facred Wri- 
 tings of the Influence of the Holy Spirit, ordi- 
 narily communicated to Chriftians. 
 
 The Author produces fome Paflliges to fhew, 
 that Believers are reprefented as the temples of 
 God, and as having his Holy Spirit dwelling and 
 abiding in them. Thefe are noble Paffages, 
 which do honour to the facred Writings. They 
 are full of Confolation, and capable of being im- 
 proved to the mod excellent Purpofes. For 
 what can be a greater Encouragement, or a 
 more powerful Incentive to the Pradice of Vir- 
 tue, than to be allured that God is gracioully 
 prefent with good Men, ever ready to affift, 
 guide, and comfort them by his Spirit r But then 
 it is extremely evident, from the Vv^hole Tenour 
 oi the Scriptures, that this is fuppofed to be flich 
 
 a 
 
 modated to our Nature, and fo as to leave us the juft 
 Exercife of our own Reafon and Freedom, no Man that 
 has a right Notion either of God or i\ian can reafonably 
 doubt ; and it can as little be doubted that it is agree- 
 able to his Goodncfs to do fo. And if we cannot di- 
 flinclly explain the manner of this divine Influence, 
 •which is chiefly difcermble in the EfFecls, (and I readily 
 grant this Author, that our Saviour feems to intimate 
 this in the Texts produced by him, p. 107, 108.) he 
 muft be a fmall Proficient in Philofophy, that would 
 look upon this to be a fuflicient Objedion againit the 
 Reality of it. Since no Man that has fearched into the 
 Nature of Things needs be told, that there are many 
 Things the Certainty of which cannot reafonably be doubt- 
 ed, tho' the manner of their Exiftence and Operations be 
 ■what we are not able to explain. And this particularly is 
 the Cafe with regard to God's providential Concourfc 
 witli bis Creatures. 
 
Chrijilanlty not founded on Argument. 65 
 
 a Prefence and Influence, as not to exclude the 
 Ufe of proper Means on our parts, or the Exer- 
 cife of our own rational and moral Powers. 
 So when the Spirit is repreiented as witnejjing 
 ivith our Spirits^ which is another Pafuige re- 
 ferred to by this Writer; the very Manner of 
 Expreffion plainly fliews that the Concurrence 
 of our own Spirits, the Exercife of oar own 
 Reafon and Confideration is neceiiarily fuppofed* 
 And in like manner when St. John laith, that 
 he that believeth on the Son of God hath the 
 Wit7iefs in himfelf i John v. 10. this is not 
 defigned in oppofition to all outward Teftimony. 
 For he begins his Epiftle with patting thofe, to 
 whom he writes, in mind of the Teltin.ony of 
 him and the other Apoftles concerning the 
 Things they had heard and feen, as what had 
 a great iniiuence in engaging them to believe. 
 Nor does it by any means exclude rational Ar- 
 guments and Evidence. All outward Helps and 
 Means are taken in, in order to the producing 
 that inward Witnefs or TelHmony in a Man's 
 own Breaft, vvhich is then efpecially completed, 
 when belides the external Evidences and A (tes- 
 tations given to the Truth of Chridianity, the 
 Believer has a flrong Senfe and Perception of 
 the great Excellency of tlie Religion of Jfus^ 
 and of the Characters of divine Wifdom, GfX)d- 
 nefs and Purity (liining forth in it, and feels its 
 happy Intluence upon his own Soul in purifying 
 his Heart, and reforming his Life. Such a Per- 
 fon may not untitly be faid to have the Wit- 
 Lett. II. K nefj 
 
66 Remarks on a Tciviphlet^ entltJedy 
 
 nefs in himfelf; and furely this is perfedlycon- 
 liftent with his having a rational Convidion of 
 the Truth of Chridianity. 
 
 If Faith is reprefented, as this Gentleman ob- 
 ferves, to be not of our J'elves^ but to be the 
 Gift of God, this is agreeable to the devout 
 Language of the ficred Writings, which teach 
 us to aibribe every good thing that is in us emi- 
 nently to God, fro?n whom every good Gift doth 
 defend. Thus we are told, that it is God that 
 worketh in us to will and to do of his own good 
 pleafure : yet it is evident, that this is not to be 
 underftood fo as to exclude our own Endeavours, 
 For we are at the fame time exhorted to work 
 out our own Salvation with Fear and Trembli7ig, 
 So we are to apply to God to jtiake us perfeSl 
 in every good Work to do his Will, working in 
 us that which is well-pleafing and acceptable in 
 his fight', but it is manifeft from the whole 
 Tenour of the New Teflament, that we muft 
 give all Diligence that we may grow in Grace 
 and Virtue, and mufl ufc our utmoft Care and 
 earneH; Endeavours, to ftir up our own Powers 
 to the Performance of our Duty, and to culti- 
 vate and improve good Affections and Diipofi- 
 tions in our Souls. In like manner, with refpedt 
 to Faith, it is fo the Gift of God as not to ex- 
 clude the Concurrence of our own rational 
 Powers, or the Ufe of proper Arguments fitted 
 to work a rational Convidlion in the Under- 
 ftanding. Chriilians are exhorted to buildup 
 thimflves in their mofl holy Faith j and when 
 
 they 
 
Chrtjliamty not foimded on Argument. 67 
 
 they do not grow in Faith, this is ftill fuppofed 
 to be their own fault, and to be owing to the 
 Negligence and Indifpofition of their own 
 Minds. 
 
 With regard to thofe PafHiges, where our Sa- 
 viour declares, No Man can come unto ?nt\ ex^ 
 cept the Father y which hathfent me^ draw htm ; 
 and e'oery Man that hath heard^ and hath learn- 
 ed of the Father^ cof?ieth unto me : And again, 
 No Man can come unto me, except it were^riven 
 him of my Father : Not to inlill on the different 
 Explications that have been given of them, let 
 us grant that they are defigned to fignify the 
 Neceffity of a divine Afhllance in order to a 
 fincere Belief and Acceptance of ye/i/s Chrift^ 
 ilTuing in a dutiful Obedience to his Laws, and 
 a hearty Compliance v/ith the Terms of the 
 Gofpel-Covenant ; yet flill it is manifeil, that 
 this divine Affiftance implies the Ufe of proper 
 Means and Endeavours on our parts, and the 
 Exercife of our own Reafon, and a careful at- 
 tending to the Evidence that is offered. Our 
 Saviour all along in his Difcourfes with the^t'icj 
 fuppoics there was fufficient Evidence to engage 
 Men to believe, and he fairly lays that Evi- 
 dence before them ; appealing to the Scriptures, 
 to the mighty Works which the Father had 
 given him to do, and the excellent Dodrine 
 which he fent him to teach. And thole who 
 with teachable Minds received tlie convincing 
 Evidence and Teftimony that God gave to his 
 Son, fo as to be thereby effedually engaged to 
 
 K 2 believe 
 
68 Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitled, 
 
 believe and to obey him, might be properly faid 
 to be drawn and taught of God, and to have 
 heard and learned of the Father. And on the 
 other hand, when our Lord declares concerning 
 the unbelieving Jews, that it was not given to 
 them of the Father 16 come to him ; his Inten- 
 tion is not to excufe their Infidelity by cafting 
 the Caufe of it upon God, but rather to ag- 
 gravate their Guilt, in not receiving and attend- 
 ing to the Evidence and Teftimony that the Fa- 
 ther had given to him, which was owing to the 
 bad Difpofi lions of their Minds. For he every 
 where charges their Unbelief upon their own 
 perverfe Wills, and corrupt AfFe6tions, and their 
 hardning their Hearts and fhutting their Eyes 
 againil Evidence *. In whicli cafe it was juft 
 with God to give them up to their own Hard- 
 nefs and Obftinacy. 
 
 Upon the whole, allowing all that can be 
 juflly demanded, that in the preient Darknefs 
 and Corruption of Mankind a divine Affillance 
 is neccilary the more efFedlually to recommend 
 Religion, and engage us to believe and embrace 
 it, and give it its due Weight and Influence 
 upon our Minds; which AfTiflance God is 
 ready to impart to thofe who humbly apply to 
 him for it, and who are fincerely defirous to 
 know and do his Will ; this indeed is a very 
 good Reafon for our applying to God by Prayer 
 for his divine Aids, as good Men have always 
 done ; but no Argument can be drawn frora it 
 
 to 
 
 ^ Sec Matt xiii. 15. John iii. ip, 20. v. 40, 44. 
 
Chrijlianify not founded on Argument. 69 
 
 to prove, that it is needleis for us to ufe our own 
 Endeavours j fince this divine Affiftance is not- 
 intended to exclude, but rather to encourage 
 the Ufe of proper Means and Endeavours on 
 our parts. Nor dodi it in any wife follow from 
 it, that Religion is not in it felf a reafonable 
 thing. For all the Arguments and Motives of 
 Religion are ftill maintained in their full Force. 
 And the gracious Proviiion God hath in his great 
 Goodnefs made for affifting our prefent Weak- 
 nefs and Infirmity by the Aids of his Holy Spirit, 
 Ihould make us more diligent to ufe our beft En- 
 deavours to underftand Religion and to pra(flife it ; 
 in which cafe this divine Affiflance will be an in- 
 eftimabie Advantage to us. Bat if by oui Pride and 
 Obilinacy, and bud Diibofitions, we rejed: the 
 Evidences of Reliy-ion. and refift the Methods of 
 his Grace towards us, this muft greatly heighten 
 our Guilt, and expole us to a more aggravated 
 Condemnation. This Gentleman himfelf feems 
 in Words to acknowledge this. How he can 
 do it in coniilrency with his Scheme, I do not 
 fee.. But f^ppofing the Account now given of 
 the Nature and Dcfign of this Influence to be 
 true, what he faith on this head is juft and rea- 
 fonable. That "the Tender of this Conviction, 
 " however potent in its Influence, muft yet de- 
 " pend greatly upon the proper Difpoiition of 
 ** our Minds to give it reception for its EfH- 
 ** cacy, and fo far will afford ample Matter for 
 '* Trial and Probation." That " a rebellious 
 *' Oppofuion of the gracious Influence of the 
 
 " divine 
 
7© Remarks OJt a Pamphlet ^ enflfled^ 
 
 ** divine Spirit deferves a fevere Refentment ;" 
 and that " with all Juftice we may in that cafe 
 " be call'd to a ftric^ Account for our Obfti- 
 '* nacy, Impiety, and Perverfenefs." />. 63, 64. 
 And again he talks of " a fevere Reprehenfion 
 *' juftly due to a rebellious Refufal and Difclaim 
 *' of proffered Grace j" p. 66. and of "God's 
 " withholding; Light from fuch as chufe to fit 
 " in Darknefs, and by their Ingratitude and 
 '' Negle<fl have rendered themfelves unworthy 
 " of all farther SoUicitations." Thefe Excrel- 
 lions, tho' not in the Senle intended by this 
 Writer, contain awful Truths, which I heartily 
 wifh he \yould ferioufly confider, tho' it is very 
 likely he will not thank me for any Concern I 
 can be under on his account. 
 
 Thus I have confidered the Account this 
 Gentleman gives of the Influence of the Holy 
 Ghoft, which proves nothing but his own Un- 
 fairnefs, and the great Liberties he allows him- 
 felf in mifreprefenting the Scriptures, and ridi- 
 culing the moft Sacred Things. For no two 
 things can be more oppofite to one another 
 than the true Scriptural Account of this Matter ^ 
 and that which this Writer v/ould put upon us 
 as fuch. The Influence of the Spirit, according 
 to his Reprefentation of it, fuperfedes the Exer- 
 ciie of our own Reafon, and the Ufe of our 
 own Endeavours j but it is evident, not merely 
 from one or two Paffages feparately confidered, 
 but from the general Courfe andTenour of the 
 
 Nevy 
 
Chrijiianity not founded on Argument » yx 
 
 New Teftament, that the divine Affiftanccs 
 there promifed are confiftent with the Exercife 
 of our own Reafon and Underilanding, and 
 are defigned to take in the Ufe of all proper 
 Means and Endeavours. The Spirit, as he re- 
 prefents it, renders the Scriptures entirely ufe- 
 lefs, and leads to a Negled: or Contempt of 
 them *j but it is not the good Spirit of Chrift 
 that infpires a Contempt of the Scriptures, which 
 are every where referred to by Chrijl and his 
 Apoftles, as of great Authority and Ufe, and 
 are reprefented as able to 7nake us wife unto Sal- 
 'uation, and to make the Man of God pefeB^ 
 &c. According to his Account of the Spirit, it 
 has no regard to the Miracles and other extraor- 
 dinary Fafts and Atteftations recorded in the 
 Gofpel, as of any Ufe or Signiticancy ; but it 
 is undeniably evident, that in the New Tefta- 
 ment a great ftrefs is laid upon thefe things, as 
 illuftrious Proofs and Evidences of Chriftianity, 
 and that the Accounts of them were written for 
 this end and purpofe, to engage us to believe. 
 The Spirit communicated to all Chriilians, if we 
 may believe him, excludes all outward Teach- 
 ing ; fo that we are not to receive the leaf part 
 of our Knowledge or Inftru5lion from one anO' 
 ther J whereas, according to the Gofpel, the In- 
 fluence 
 
 * He calls the Scriptures by way of Contempt, Manu- 
 fcript Authorities and P.^per Revelations ; as if a Revelation 
 loft its Authority and Ufe by being committed to Writ- 
 ing. He may, if he pleafes, call our Laws and publick 
 Records, Paper-Laics and Authorities \ but I queftion, 
 whether this would be thought fuificient to dcftfoy their 
 Authority. 
 
72 Remarks on a Pamphlet ^ entitled^ 
 
 fluence of the Spirit does not render outward 
 Teaching needlefs, which is all along ther-e fup- 
 po(ed to be of great ufe and neceffity ; and there 
 is Provifion made for its flanding Continuance 
 in the Church for theInftru6tionand Edification 
 of Chriftians in all Ages. The Spirit, according 
 to his Reprefentation, engages Perfons to believe 
 at once, by a ftrong and irrefiftible Impulfe, 
 without Reafon or Evidence, fo that Faith is 
 completed in an inftant. But in the New Tef- 
 tament, the Faith of Chriftians is not fuppofcd 
 to be ordinarily begun and completed at once, 
 or to be produced without any Reafon that could 
 lay a juft Foundation for believing ; but to be 
 founded on fiifficient Evidence, and capable of 
 continual Growth and Improvement. He re- 
 prefents the Holy Ghoft as abiding with all 
 Chriftians as their infallible Guide, fo as to pre- 
 ferve them from all Fojjibility of Error and Ini- 
 pojition 3 and to caufe them to think all alike ■^, 
 
 According 
 
 * To ftiew that the Influence and infallible Guidance 
 of the Spirit is univerfal, our Author prod'jces that Text, 
 This is th?. Light tvhich li^htcth every Man that cometh into 
 the tVorlcl^ which lias no relation to any fuch infallible 
 Guidance of the Spirit at all. The Evangelift is there 
 {peaking of our Lord yefus Chri/i^ that he is the true 
 Light .f 7v'nch coming into' the World enlighineth every Many 
 as the Words might be very properly rendered; which 
 fignifies no more than our Saviour himfelf intends, when 
 he faith, / am the Light of the IVorld. The Defign of fuch 
 Exprefllons is to fignify, in oppofition to the narrow No- 
 tions of the Jeivs, who were for confining the Ben'efit 
 of the Mefliah to their own Nation, that he was defign'd 
 to be an univerfal Blefling j that he came to inftrucft and 
 
 enliffhtea 
 
Chrijlianlfy not founded on Argument. 73 
 
 According to which Scheme, it is impofllble there 
 lliould be any Errors or Differences of Opinion 
 among Chrillians. Whereas in the Gofpel it is 
 all along fuppofed, that Perfons may be weak 
 in the Faith, tho' fmcere 5 that they may differ 
 from one another, that they are liable to Errors 
 and Miftakes ; and it is exprefsly foretold, that 
 there fliall be Herefies among them. 
 
 I need not take any particular Notice of the 
 Infinuations he makes, />. 61. that the facred 
 Writings are corrupted 5 a Charge which has fo 
 often been refuted and expofed with great 
 Strength and Clearnefs. And as to what he 
 talks of, p. 62, 63. as if no Man could under- 
 ftand the Scriptures without a great deal of 
 Learning and Criticifm, and being well read in 
 profane Hiftory, it will be readily own'd that 
 thefe are good Helps for a better underllanduig 
 many Pailages of Scripture j and it is our great 
 Advantage that w^e have many fach Helps in 
 our own Language, which the L^nlearned may 
 
 enlighten Gentiles as well as Jews. He was to be a Light 
 to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the GLry of his People 
 Krael. This alfo is the Intention of that other Pallage 
 he produces, the Grace cf God ivhich hringeih Salvation 
 (by which we are there evidently to ujiderftand the Gofpel 
 of Jefus) hath appered unto all Men ; in which (tn(e St. 
 Paul elfewhere declares, that the Gofpel %vas gone into all 
 the JVorld^ and that it was preached to every Creature 
 which is under Heaven. Tiiefe are ftrong ExpreHions to 
 fignify, that the Gofpel is defigned for the Bcntfit of all 
 A^ankind, that tlie Offers of it are univerfal, and that 
 it aiStuaily made a v.'onderful Progrefs in a (hort time 
 thro' a great Part of the then known World. 
 
 Lett. II. L have 
 
74- Remarks on a ^Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 have the benefit of. But the main Principles 
 and Duties of Chriftianity are fo frequently re- 
 peated and plainly inculcated, that a Man of 
 common Underftanding may, without any nice 
 Criticifm or Acquaintance with Hiftory, by a 
 careful confidering the Scripture, underftand 
 them as far as is really neceflary for Faith or 
 Pracflice. 
 
 -This Gentleman having affigned what he calls 
 the true Principle oj Gojpel-E'vidcnce, proceeds in 
 the remaining Part of his Pamphlet to heap up 
 many things without much order, to fliew that 
 Faith is not only not founded in Reafon, but di- 
 rectly contrary to it ; and that there is an irre- 
 concilahlc Oppofition, as he exprciles it, bctiveen 
 the Faith of Grace and the Faith of Rea/bn, 
 
 The Proofs he pretends to bring of this from 
 Scripture are very weak, and indeed fcarce de- 
 ferve a particular Confideration. Thus he ar- 
 gues from our Saviour's declaring that no Man 
 can rccei've the Gofiel except he receive it as a 
 little Childj which he explains as if Chrift re- 
 quired that Perfons in order to their receiving 
 his Religion fliould be Children in Underftand- 
 ing ; when it is manifeft, that what he intends 
 is, that they fliould be like Children in Humi- 
 lity and Innocence, and a freedom from Pride 
 and Ambition, and from carnal vicious Preju- 
 dices *. Tliofe Words of the Apoflle Paul ef- 
 fedtually obviate fach Miiconliru6tions ; Bre- 
 thren, be not Children in Underjlanding : how- 
 
 hcit 
 • Matt, xviii. 5, 4. 
 
Chrlfitanlty not founded on Argument, y^ 
 
 belt in Malice be ye Children^ hut in Underhand' 
 ing be Men *. In like manner St. Peter ex- 
 horts us to receive the Word as Babes^ but 
 what he intends by it he himfclf explains, that 
 it is a lay i fig a fide zll Malice, and all Guile and 
 HypocrifieSy a?id E?rjies and E''jil-fpeakifig -j-. 
 And on the other hand, being Babes in refpedl 
 of Knowledge, or unjkiljul in the Word of 
 Righteoi/fnefSj is reprefented as a Fault in Chri- 
 flians, for which they are reproved J. 
 
 If the Apolfle defcribes Faith to be the Evi^ 
 dence of things not feen^ this does not prove that 
 there is an Inconfiflency and Oppofition between 
 Faith and Reafon, though this Gentleman at- 
 tempts to bring an Argument from it to ferve 
 his purpofe, p. yy. On the contrary, it appears 
 from this very Defcription of Faith, that tho' 
 the Object of it be Things not feen, yet Faith 
 gives fuch an Evidence of them (and the Word 
 there ufed properly fignifies an argumentative 
 Evidence) as is fufhcient to fatisfy the Mind of 
 their Truth and Reality. The hrll Inilance of 
 Faith there produced is this, that by Faith we 
 underjland that the Worlds were framed by the 
 Word of God J fo that Things which are feen were 
 7i0t made of Things which do appear, ver. 3. 
 And it is reprefented as the main Principle of 
 Faith, that he that cometh to God mujl believe 
 that he is, and that he is the Rcwarder of them 
 that diligently feek him. ver. 6. And in both 
 
 * iCor. xiv. 20. 7 Pet. ii. 1,2. t Hcb. v. 15. i Cor- 
 iii. 1, 2. 
 
 L 2 thefc 
 
76 Remarks on a Fa?nphlety entitled^ 
 
 thefe Cafes, though the Things to be believed 
 are Things reaioved from our bodily Senfes, yet 
 the believing them is no way inconfiftent v^^ith 
 Reafon, but perfedlly agreeable to it. The 
 other In fiances of Faith recorded in that Chap- 
 ter are high Inftances of Trufl in God, and 
 Reliance on his Promife and Faithfulnefs, his 
 Power and Goodnefs, even in very difticult 
 Circumftances. But in none of them was 
 Faith contrary to Reafon. Our Author in- 
 deed would fain have the Faith of Abraham 
 pafs for an unreafonable one, becaufe it is faid, 
 that againji Hope he believed in Hope ; the 
 Meaning of which is no more than this, that he 
 believed a Thing which feemed very improbable, 
 and contrary to the common Courfe of Things : 
 yet he did not believe againft Reafon j for as he 
 had fufficient Affurance that God had promifed 
 it, fo he ivas fully perfuaded that what he had 
 promifed he was able alfo io perform. And there 
 was nothing in this way of judging, but what 
 right Reafon muft approve. See Rom, iv. 18, 
 20, 21. 
 
 Our Author thinks it a hard Cafe, p. 78. that 
 Zachariah ihould be flruck dumb for hefitating 
 about a Thing contrary to the common Courfe 
 of Nature; but fuppofing him to have believed 
 that it was an Angel that came to him with a 
 Meflage from God, Reafon ou^ht to have led 
 him to conclude, that it was a Thing not be- 
 yond the divine Power J and his being llruck 
 dumb for a time, was both defi2:ned as a Chaf- 
 
 tilement 
 
Cbrifiiamty not fou7ided on Argument, 77 
 
 tifement for his Fault in hefitating, and as a 
 Sign to himfelf and others too of the Certainty 
 of the Event foretold. And whereas he alio 
 thinks our Saviour was in the wrong to reprove 
 his Diftiples as of little Faith ^ becaufe they 
 thought they ivere going to be drowned when the 
 Ship vi;\^ jinking under them, and it would have 
 been a Sin againfi common Senfe to have thought 
 other wife ; it is manifeft the Reproof was juft. 
 For if their Faith had been as rtrong as in rea- 
 fbn it ought to have been, confidering the many 
 illuflrious Proofs they had feen before this of 
 Chrift's divine Power, they needed not to have 
 been afraid of perifliing, when they had him 
 with them. 
 
 When our Saviour faid to Tloomas, becaufe 
 thou ha fi feen J thou hafl believed-, blefjed are they 
 which have not feen, and yet have believed j he 
 did not intend to pronounce thofe blefled who 
 fliould believe without any Reafon at all, as this 
 Gentleman infinuates ; but he blames Thomas, 
 for not believing that he was rifen from the 
 dead, except he himfelf fav/ him with his own 
 Eyes i though he had Reafon fufficient to believe 
 it, both becaufe he knew that it was what 
 Chrill himfelf had foretold and promifed whilil: 
 alive, and becaufe it was confirmed to him by 
 the concurring Teftimony of thofe who had 
 feen him after he was rifeii. So that our Sa- 
 viour here condemns the Principle of thofe who 
 are not for believing a Thing, however well at- 
 tefted, except it be conlirm'd to them by the 
 
 Tefliiiiony 
 
7^ Remarks on a Vajnphlet^ entitled, 
 
 Teftimony of their own Senfes ; which is th§ 
 very Principle this Gentleman proceeds upon ; 
 a Principle perfeiflly unreafonable, and which 
 all the World owns to be fo in every other 
 Cafe. 
 
 He produces with great Pomp that Palfage 
 "Rom. X. 6 — 10. T^he Right eotijhejs which is 
 by Faith fpeaketh on this wife j Say not in thine 
 Hearty who JJ?all afcemi up into Hea^ven ? (that 
 isy to bring Chrijl down from above) Or^ who 
 Jhall defcejid into the Deep F (that is, to bring 
 up Chrijl again from the dead.) But what faith 
 it ? 7he Word is iiigh thee, even in thy Mouth, 
 and in thy Heart, that is, the Word of Faith 
 which we preach. For with the Heart Man 
 helieveth unto Right eoifnefs, and with the Mouth 
 Confeflon is made unto Salvation. I am not io 
 clear- lighted as this Gentleman, who fees in this 
 Text a full Pemonftration that the Faith re- 
 quired in the Gofpel is not a rational one. To 
 me the contrary appears here to be luppofed, viz. 
 that the Gofpel does not infill upon imprad:ica- 
 ble Conditions, and that the Faith of the Co- 
 mpel is founded upon Evidence not very abftrufe, 
 and above our Capacity, but f.ich as is clear 
 and obvious to a lincere and well-dilpofed 
 Mind. 
 
 It would be more to his purpofe, if it were 
 true, what he alled;j,cs, p. 84. That *' there is 
 *' no one LelTcMi, that the holy Writings have 
 ** taken more Care to inculcate, than that of 
 *'^ denying our Rcdbn to give cur Faith Scope." 
 
 For 
 
Chrijiianity not founded on Argument. y<^ 
 
 Tot a proof of this, he only brings one Text, 
 and that he ftrangely mifreprefents. He afks, 
 *^ Are we not ftridly enjoin'd to captivate Rea^ 
 *' fon to the Obedience of Faith .^ " And his 
 Comment upon it is this, " To captivate, to 
 " lay it under the mOil abfolute Reflraint and 
 *' Prohibition, not to permit it the leaft Op- 
 " portunity or Freedom to exert itfelf, or in- 
 '* terpofe on any Occafion whatever." The 
 Pafliige he refers to is 2 Cor. x. 5. where St. 
 Paul exprefles himfelf thus, 'Though we walk in 
 the Flejh, we do not war after the Fleflj. For 
 the Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal, but 
 mighty through God to the pulling down offirong 
 Holds, cafiing down Imaginations or 'ReaJbnlngSy 
 and every high thing that exalteth itfelf a- 
 gainfl the Knowledge of God, and bringing into 
 Captivity every Thought to theObedicjzce ofChrift, 
 His Intention is not to iignify, that what he 
 taught was contrary to right Reafon, or that 
 when he converted Perfons to the Faith, he 
 obliged them to renounce their Under (landings, 
 or to believe without Reafon or againfl: it ; but 
 his Delign is plainly to fhew the great Succels 
 of his Minlftry, in fubduing all oppofite Pre- 
 judices and Reafonings ; which he expreflcs by 
 cajling them down and bringing them into Cap- 
 tivity, to carry on the Metaphor, becaufe he 
 had compared his Miniftry to a Warfare. But 
 liill this Succefs was owing to fuperior Evidence, 
 which carried a greater Convidion than any 
 Reafonings that could be brought againfl it. 
 
 Thus 
 
8o Remarh on a Pamphlet, entitled. 
 
 Thus this PalTage, which is only defigned to 
 fliew the flrong and convincing Evidence, and 
 the Proofs of a divine Power and Original 
 whereby the Gofpel was eftablifl^ied, is ufed by 
 our Author to fhew, that the Faith of the Go- 
 fpel is contrary to Reafon. And though there 
 be no InjunBion here at all of any kind, yet he 
 improves it into a general ftriifl InjunSiton to all 
 Chriilians, ne'ver to exert their Reafon upon any 
 Occafion ivhatfoever. 
 
 It is with the fame Candour that he obferves, 
 that " the Scripture-Teft and Standard for find- 
 " ing out the Spirit of Truth is no more than 
 *' this : Hereby ye Jhall know them — Every one 
 " that confejfeth that Chrifl Is come In the Flefi 
 ♦* Is of God. Now this is evidently what Phi- 
 *' lofophers call arguing in a Circle, and begging 
 *' the Queftion. But in Faith it is a necclfary 
 " Preliminary, He that cometh to Chriji fjinji 
 " believe that he is." p- j'^- 
 
 Here he reprefents it, as if the Scripture pro- 
 pofed to us to believe that Jcfus is the Chrift, 
 without any Proof at all, but only the bare 
 Word of thofe that firfl preached and publifhed 
 it 'j and that the firft Principle of Faith is a tak- 
 ing for granted the very Thing that is to be 
 proved. Can any thing be more unfair and 
 difmgenuous, when the Defign of the whole 
 Gofpel is to fliew that ChrilVs divine Miffion 
 was confirmed by the moft illuftrious Evidences, 
 and divine Atteftations ? And it is manifeft, that 
 in the Pailaeies here referred to by this Writer, 
 ' ^ all 
 
Chnftuviity not founded on Argument. B I 
 
 all thefe Evidences are fuppofed. The Apoftle 
 John is here writing to thole who were already 
 Chriftinns upon full convincing Evidence, and 
 whom he liippofes to be well appriz'd of the 
 main Doiflrines of Chriftianity *< And to fuch 
 Perfons he might juAly lay it down as a Mark 
 or Tell, by which they might dilHnguifh thole 
 falfe Prophets or Teachers, which he tells theni 
 were then gone out into the Worlds that they 
 denied Jefus to be the Chriftj or confeff'ed him 
 not to be come in the Flejl.\ whofe divine Mif- 
 fion had been confirmed by fuch lignal Attefla- 
 tions, and convincing Evidences. For it is in 
 all Cafes allowed reafonable, when a Truth has 
 been fufficiently eftablilh.ed, to make uie of it 
 as a Principle by which to deted: and expofe 
 Falilioods. 
 
 Our Author, who has a knack of applying- 
 Scripture in a way that no Man but himfdf 
 would have thought of, would fain extrad: a, 
 fort of Proof that Faith is not a rational thing, 
 from our being required to hold the Faith^ not 
 in Unity ofUnderjianding^ as he gloffes it, but 
 in the Bond cf Peace, and Unity of the Spirit^ 
 p. j^. He plainly refers to that admirable Paf- 
 fage of the Apolliie P^z//, Eph.'iw. 2, 3. where 
 we are exhorted- to keep the Unity of the Spirit 
 in the Bond of Peace j a Paifage that does ho- 
 nour to the iacred Writings, and which is de- 
 figned to fignify that we iliould be united in 
 Peace and Love, tho* not in all things cxadly of 
 
 Lett. IL M ^ 'the 
 
 * Sec I Joiin i, i. i, 5. ii. 13, z\y 24. .:-. 
 
82 Rmiarh on a Pamphlet^ entitled, 
 
 the fame Opinion ; concerning which fee my 
 former Letter, p. ig. He allb infmuates, p.yt. 
 that the Apoftle approves the Diftinction be- 
 tween Faith and Under Jfanding, when he af- 
 firms of the Cafe ** of repeating Prayers in an 
 •* unknown Tongue, that we may pray with 
 •' the S pit-it, tho' not with the Underjlanding" 
 As if the Apoftle's Meaning was, that he that 
 pray'd with the Spirit did not himfelf underftand 
 what he pray'd j whereas it is extremely evi- 
 dent to any one that examines that Chapter, 
 that the Apoftle there plainly fuppofes, that the 
 Perfon that pray'd in an unknown Tongue did 
 himfelf underftand what he pray'd, and was 
 edified by it, but that if he did not interpret 
 what he pray'd, others did not underftand 
 him. 
 
 He would alfo Improve it as a Prefumption 
 againft the Reafonablenefs of Chriftianity, that 
 not ma7iy 'wife Men after the Flejh, not many 
 mighty y not many noble, ivere called, p. 79. and 
 he frequently obferves, that the iirft Publifliers 
 of it were illiterate Perfons, no Proficients in 
 any Science. And probably, if many of the 
 iirft: Publiftiers of Chriftianity, or the firft Con- 
 verts to it, had been Perfons of Eminence foe 
 Riches and Power, and for their Station in the 
 World, or had been great Philofophers, re- 
 nowned for Learning and Eloquence, thofe who 
 now afte6t to defpife Chriftianity for the Mean- 
 nefs of thofe who firft publiftied and embraced 
 U, would have regarded this as a flrong Pre- 
 fumption, 
 
Chriftianity not founded on Argument. ^^^ 
 
 fumption, that the Chriftian Religion was a 
 Contrivance owing to the Genius and Policy, or 
 Interell of its firfl: Publifliers; and that the Pro- 
 grefs it made was to be attributed to thefe Ad- 
 vantages. But it pleafed God in his Wifdom io 
 to order it, as to leave no room for Pretences of 
 this kind. The Charad:er and Circumftances 
 of thofe that were iirft employed in publifliing 
 the Gofpel, afford a convincing Argument, that 
 the Religion they publiflied was not of their 
 own Invention, nor was the Succefs they met 
 with owing to human Power or Authority, or 
 to their own Learning and Eloquence, or to any 
 worldly Advantages, but to the Force of Evi- 
 dence, and a divine Prefence and Bleffing ac- 
 companying it. 
 
 But he urges farther, that '' if Chriftianity 
 ** had proceeded upon rational Principles, it 
 " could never certainly have laboured under 
 " all that Contempt in the eye of the 
 *' learned World, which it did." /». 71. And 
 here he breaks out into a high Encomium of 
 the Age in which Chriftianity nrif appeared ; 
 that " Realbn was then fure to have the faireft 
 " play imaginable 5 never were her Friends, 
 " the profefs'd Searchers for Truth, more coun- 
 ** tenanced and encouraged ; and the World 
 ** was never better difpoled to attend the can- 
 " vaffing things by Argument, if that had been 
 " the ground they went upon." 
 
 It v/ill be acknowledged, that at the time 
 
 when Chrifiianity appeared, the Knowledge of 
 
 M 2 the 
 
84 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 the Arts, Eloquence and Politenels, had fpread 
 conliderably j and Men in general, it is to be 
 prefumed, were better qualified for examining 
 and judging, than in a lefs learned and civilized 
 Age they would have been. And the Chri- 
 flian Religion's making fo great a Progrefs as it 
 did, in fuch an Age as this, and in the Roma?i 
 Empire, the molt knowing and civilized Part 
 of the World, is a Circumftance very much to 
 its Honour, more than if it had been at tirft 
 preached among rude and barbarous Nations, 
 quite uncultivated, and deftitute of all Learning 
 and Improvement. It is true, it did not meet 
 with a ready Reception among thofe who then 
 took upon them the Name of Philofophers ; nor 
 ought this to be turned to its diladvantage ; 
 fince there were no Perfons lefs difpofed for an 
 unprejudiced Enquiry into the nature of this 
 Religion, than they were. Some of them, as par- 
 ticularly the Epicureans, which was then the 
 rnoft numerous and prevailing Sedt, denied a 
 Providence, and ridiculed all Religion as Super- 
 iliition. Others of tliem, with the Scepticks, 
 bent the whole Force of their Wit and Subtilty 
 to fubvert all Evidence of Reafon, and fliew 
 that Truth and Certainty is not any where to 
 be found. And with regard to the ieveral other 
 Sed:s of Philofophers it may he obferved, that 
 they generally thought themfelves in honour 
 obliged to fland up for what were looked upon 
 as the diftinguifhing Tenets of their particular 
 %^t\j i^nd tl]e Dictates of their feveral FovJi^ders, 
 
 Such 
 
Chrijlianity not founded on Argument. ^^ 
 
 Such Men blown up with* vain Conceit of their 
 own fuperior Wifdom and Learning, would be 
 apt to think it beneath them to rank themfelves 
 among the Difciples of a crucified J ejus ^ or to 
 receive Inftrudions from the lirft Preachers of 
 Chriftianity : Men not bred up in the Schools of 
 Philofophers, and who made no Oifentation of 
 their Learning and Eloquence. Any Man of 
 common Underftanding, and good Difpofitions, 
 not liiled into any Party of Philofophers, was 
 certainly in a fairer way of judging impartially 
 of Truth than they generally were. If therefore 
 the Apoflle warns thofe to whom he writes, to 
 beware left am (liould fboil them thro Philojbphy 
 and vain Deceit j this Caution is very recon- 
 cilable widi the Suppofition of tlie Chriitian Re- 
 ligion's being agreeable to Reafon. And it is 
 with great Juftice that he pronounces concern- 
 ing many of thofe that were then called Philo- 
 fophers, that profeffifig themfehes to be ivife they 
 became Fools : They became vain in their Imagi- 
 nations, a?id their foGliJJj Heart was darkned. 
 
 If there were Perfons of eminent Parts and 
 Learning, and ftrong Reafon, that were Ene- 
 mies to Chriftianity, both at its firll Appearance, 
 and afterwards, it may be juftly prefumed to 
 have been very much owing to their not taking 
 pains to examine into that Religion, and con- 
 fider the Evidence brought for it. This may 
 well be fuppoled, when fuch Men as Tacitus 
 and Suetonius, io exad: in other matters, iliew 
 themfelves fo llrangely negligent and ignorant 
 
 ii\ 
 
86 Remarks on a Pamphlet ^ entitled^ 
 
 in what relates to the Jews and Chridians, and 
 fpeak of them according to popular Reports and 
 Prejudices; without ever, as far as appears, 
 giving themfelves the trouble to get any certain 
 Information concerning them, or the Principles 
 they profefTed. And tho' Pliny with more 
 Candour gives an honourable Teftimony to the 
 Probity of the primitive Chriftians, yet it is very 
 evident from the Account he gives, that he did 
 not concern himfelf to make any diftindt En- 
 quiry into the Nature of their Religion, its Doc- 
 trines and Principles, or the Evidence that could 
 be produced for it. This feems to have been 
 the general Difpofition of the Heathens with re- 
 gard to Chriftianity j and no wonder that thofe' 
 who were fo negligent and fuperficial in their 
 Enquiries, did not embrace a Religion fo con- 
 trary to that which was eftablilhed, and to their 
 worldly Reputation and Interefts. But yet it is 
 certain, that there were many excellent Philofo- 
 phers, and other Perfons of Note and Eminency, 
 that overcame all their Prejudices, and em- 
 braced the Chriftian Faith, before it had the 
 Countenance of the Civil Authority. Many of 
 the ancient Apologifls for Chriftianity were Per- 
 ions of confiderable Learning and Eloquence, 
 and extremely well verfed in the Pagan Wri- 
 tings and Philofophy *. And with regard to 
 
 moft 
 
 * ArnobluSy who had himfelf been a rigid Pagan, and 
 a Man of confiderable Learning and Acutenefs, and wha 
 turned Chriftian, even in the perfecuting Reign of Dio- 
 
 cktiariy 
 
Chriftiatiity not founded on Argument, 87 
 
 moft of them, it appears from the Accounts 
 they give us of themfelves, that they had been 
 flrongly prejudiced in favour of Paganifm, in 
 which they had been educated, and which had 
 all worldly Advantages on its fide : and it was 
 by expmining into the Chriftian Religion, and 
 confidering the Excellency of it, and the Evi- 
 dences brought for it, that they were convinced ; 
 and that at a time when they had the beft Op- 
 portunities of enquiring into the Truth or Falie- 
 hood of the original Facts of Chrifiianity j and 
 when, if there had been any Counter-Evidence 
 to be produced, they might eafily have known 
 it ; yea, and at a time when by embracing it 
 they expofed themfelves to the moil bitter Re- 
 proaches, and mod grievous Sufierings. 
 
 It was a thing fo well known, that many of 
 the Chrifliaas were eminent for their Learning 
 and Knowledge in Philofophy, and had made 
 an advantageous ufe of it in defence of Chrifii- 
 anity, and in refuting and expofing the Pagan 
 Superftition and Idolatry, that the Emperor Ju- 
 lian thought it one of the beft Methods he could 
 take to fubvert Chriftianity, to Ihut up the 
 
 Schools, 
 
 cletiariy taking notice of the wonderful Progrefs of the 
 Chriftian Religion, obferves, that Men of great Parts, 
 Orators, Grammarians, Lawyers, Phyficians, and Phi- 
 lofophers, relinquifhing the Sentiments in which they had 
 
 been educated, embraced the Chriftian Faith. Mag- 
 
 nis ifigeniis praditi Oratoresy Grammaiuij Rhftores., Con- 
 fulti-juris ac Medici^ PhiUfophia etiam Secreta nmantej, 
 Magijleria hac expetuntj fpretis quibiis paulo a'nte fidebant, 
 Arnob. adverf, Gentes, Lib, 2, 
 
88 Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitled.^ 
 
 Schools, and hinder the Chrlftians from Learn- 
 ing. This Gentleman indeed takes upon him 
 to blame his Politicks in this, and could, it feems, 
 have dire6led him to a better Method of putting 
 a ftop to the Progrefs of Chriftianity, -viz. by 
 opening to the Chriftians the Schools of the Phi- 
 lofophers, />. 74. But whatever Opinion! may 
 have of our Author's great Sagacity, I appre- 
 hend ^Julian and his Advifers underftood the 
 State of things at that time much better than he 5 
 and were more capable of judging from their 
 own Obfervaticn, what was the moft likely 
 way to efFedl a Deiign they had fo nearly at 
 heart. 
 
 I need not take any particular notice of this 
 Gentleman's Declamation, from />. 70, to/>. ^ ^. 
 to (hew the Inconliifency there is between Chri- 
 ftianity and Philofophy. It certainly argues a 
 very peculiar degree of AlTurance in this Writer, 
 in the fame Pamphlet in which he takes occa- 
 lion to mention the illuftrious Names of Lord 
 Bacoriy Mr. Boyle *, Mr. Locke, and Sir Jfaac 
 Newton, the greateft Philofophers of this, or 
 perhaps any Age, to take upon him to pronounce 
 with {o much Confidence, that there is an irre- 
 concilable 
 
 * This excellent Philofopher, Mr. Boyle, has written 
 an admirable Treat ife, call'd the Chri/iian Virtuofo^ on. 
 purpofe to (hew the good Agreement there is between 
 Experimental (/'. e. the beft and foundeft) Philofophy 
 and Chriftianity ; And what a Tendency a good Ac- 
 quaintance with the former hath to difpofe a Man for re- 
 ceiving and believing the latter, and difcerning and ac- 
 Jcnowledging the Force of its Proofs, 
 
Chrijiiantfy not founded on Argument, 89 
 
 concilable Oppofition between the Chriftlan Re- 
 ligion and Philofophy, and that no Man can be 
 a good Chriftian and Philofbpher at once. They 
 were Chriftians that have fet Philofophy on the 
 nobleft Foundation, that have carried it to the 
 greateft Height, and enrich'd it with the mofl 
 important Difcoveries. And tho' he infinuates, 
 that thofe of the meaneft Underftandings are 
 beffc qualified for believing, and have moft of 
 true Zeal, and Acute fiefs of Spiritual Difcern- 
 ment, and feems willing to claim the brightefi 
 Votaries of the rational Clafs on the lide of Infi- 
 delity ; yet nothing is capable of a clearer Proof, 
 than that the moft diftinguidied Names in the 
 Republick of Letters, thofe that have difcovered 
 the greatell Strength of Reafon, and Compals 
 of Knowledge, have been Perfons that have 
 fhewn a high Efleem for Chriftianity. And it 
 has been no fmall pleafure to me to obferve 
 within the compais of my own Acquaintance, 
 that Men of the beft Underflandings, and moft 
 generous way of thinking I have ever known, as 
 well as of the beft Characters, and moft exem- 
 plary Morals and Virtues, were the firmefl 
 Chriftians. And I mufl confefs it has given me 
 fome Emotion, when I have feen Perfons every 
 way their Inferiors, no way remarkable for the 
 Goodnefs of their Morals, or any extraordinary 
 Strength of Genius, and that did not feem to 
 give themfelves much trouble in clofe think- 
 ing, affume a kind of Superiority, merely on 
 Lett. II. N account 
 
90 Remarks on a Fajnphkt^ entitled, 
 
 account of their pertly rejeding the Faith of the 
 Gofpel. 
 
 There is one thing in his Harangue about the 
 Oppofition between the Chriftian Religion and 
 Philofbphy, which it niay be proper to take no- 
 tice of, to fliew the great Confiftency of this 
 Writer. He had in the former Part of his Let- 
 ter reprefented Reafon as in an eternal FJudua- 
 tion and Uncertainty 5 that the Decrees of a hu- 
 man JJnderJlanding can in their nature have no 
 pretenjion to be irreverfible \ and that the Philo- 
 fopher cannot be certain of his own Conjiancy or 
 lajling Attachment to any Pri?2ciples s nor that 
 his fudgment JImll be inviolably fixed to one 
 Toint'-, p. 25, 26. But here he reprefents it as 
 the Charader of a Philofopher, that he has con- 
 traBed an inviolable Attachment to certaiti 
 ejlabli/hed Tejls, ajid will hear of nothing that 
 does not fall in exadlly "ivith what he calls the 
 Laws of Nature J which he has already trrever- 
 fibly determined ; and that, he makes moral Re- 
 lations the Touch/lone for the 'Trial of all Truths ; 
 p. 73. What he here offers, fhews a great In- 
 confiilency between this Author and himfelf, 
 but none at all between Ciiriftianity and Philo- 
 fophy ; fmce it is certain, and has often been 
 fliewn, that the Chriltian Religion is perfedly 
 confillent with thofe Laws and Relations ; and 
 they that have treated thofe Laws of Nature 
 and Moral Relations with the greateft Strength 
 and Clearncls, and to whom the World is moit 
 obliged on this head, have been Chriftian 
 Writers. This 
 
Chrijlianity mt founded on Argument. ^V 
 
 This Gentleman takes occafion in his Pam- 
 phlet to mention feveral great Men, and their 
 Performances. Stillingfeefs Origines Sacra^ 
 Dr. Clark's Demonjlration, Sec. Mr. Addijb?i*s 
 Treatife of the Chrijlian Religion ; 'The Trial of 
 the Witnejjh ; The Analogy ofReafon and Revela^ 
 tion : And by jufl: mentioning them in a fneering 
 way, has no doubt done enough to convince 
 his Readers that they are very infignificant 
 Things, and that It v^ould be loft pains to con- 
 lider them. So extraordinary a Man is this 
 Author, that one Dafh from his lucky Pen fhall 
 be of more force than all their learned Writings. 
 
 It is pleafant enough to hear him expreffing 
 his Concern for the great Prejudice that is done 
 to Chriflianity, by the carrying on of Boyle's 
 Led:ures, which he cannot a-void regarding as a 
 very principal Caufe of the prefent pre'vailing 
 Difpofition and Turn to Infidelity ; p. 85, 86. 
 And I believe every body is convinced, that if 
 this had really been the Cafe, this Gentleman 
 would not have been fo forward to complain of 
 it. All that one can gather from what he fays 
 on this Subjedt is, chat he and his Friends would 
 be very well pleafed to have thofe Lectures laid 
 down, which I muft own with me is a very 
 good Rcafon for their being continued, and a 
 llrong Prefumption of their Excellency and Ufe- 
 fulnefs '*. 
 
 N 2 He 
 
 * As thefe Le(5lures are defigned for the Defence of 
 Natural Religion as well as Rcveal'd, it fcems, according 
 to our Author, Rcafoning is equally an Enemy to both. 
 
52 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled. 
 
 He declaims very rhetorically, p. 87— -94, 
 on the Inconfiftency of the Gentlemen employ'd 
 in carrying on thofe Ledures, in urging Perfons 
 to a free Examination and Enquiry j and at the 
 fame time exhorting them to embrace or adhere 
 to the Chriftian Faith, and fetting before them 
 the Guilt and Danger of Unbelief. He is pleas'd 
 here to make Speeches for them, which, as he 
 manages the matter, look odd enough ; and it 
 would be very eafy, if any Man were difpofed 
 to fuch an Employment, to make a Speech for 
 this Gentleman himfelf drawn out of the Prin- 
 ciples of his Book, that would be much more 
 inconfiftent and ridiculous. The Principles 
 upon which this Part of his Declamation pro- 
 ceeds, and on which the whole Ridicule is 
 founded, are fach as thefe ; that the being edu- 
 cated in any Religion, or baptized into it, abfo- 
 lutely precludes all future Enquiry or Examina- 
 tion ; that there can be no fair Examination, 
 where there is not an abfolute Neutrality or In- 
 differency with regard to the Principles enquired 
 into ; and that all Examination neceflarily fup- 
 pofes at lead a temporary Diibelief ; that what- 
 ever is propofed to Examination or Enquiry may 
 be innocently rejected ; and that if a Man may 
 doubt or fufpend his Aflent for a while, he may 
 doubt always 5 that no Man can without claim- 
 ing Infallibility exhort another to embrace the 
 Principles he himfelf judges to be true and im- 
 portant, or Ipeak to him of any Danger in re- 
 jedting them, Thefe are the Principles here 
 
 fuppofed. 
 
Chrijlianity not founded on Argument, gj 
 
 fiippofed, and which he had laid down in the 
 former Part of his Pamphlet. I have diftindly 
 confidered them in my former Letter, and fhall 
 not now repeat what I there offered. I fhall 
 only at prefent obferve, that notwithftanding 
 this Gentleman's curious Harangue, it is obvious 
 to common Senfe, that when a Man upon the 
 moft mature Confideration is fatisfied by Argu- 
 ments which he judges good and valid, that 
 fuch and fuch Principles are of great importance 
 to the Happinefs of Men, and to the Caufe of 
 Religion and Virtue in the World, this muft na« 
 turally make him delirous both to confirm thofe 
 in the Belief of them, and in a fuitable Pradtice, 
 that profeis to believe them already, and to bring 
 over others to the Belief and Acknowledgment 
 of thofe Truths, by all the fair Methods of 
 Reafon and Argument in his power. If he looks 
 upon thofe Truths to be of great importance, 
 on which much depends, he cannot but repre- 
 fent them as fuch ; and if he be a Perfon who 
 has himfelf carefully examined, and upon an at- 
 tentive Confideration of the Argument has found 
 the Evidence rife up flrong to his view, it is na- 
 tural for him to recommend Enquiry to others, 
 in hopes it will have the fame happy effe6l upon 
 them. And if he thinks he has reafon to con- 
 clude, that the true Caufe of their not believing 
 thofe Truths is their want of confidering them 
 fairly and impartially, or that it is owing to vici- 
 ous Prejudices and faulty Difpofitions of Mind ; 
 then it is very reafonable for him to warn them 
 
 ferioully 
 
'gj(. Remarks on a Tamphlet^ entitled^ 
 
 feriouily and earneftly of the bad Confequences 
 of fuch a Conduct, in a Matter that he looks 
 upon to be of the highefl: importance. This a 
 Man may confiflently do, without claiming the 
 Privilege of abfolute Infallibility. 
 
 With regard to this Writer himfelf, any Man 
 that thinks he difcerns in his way of treating 
 this Subje(3: many Things very unfair and difin- 
 genuous, and unbecoming an impartial Enquirer 
 after Truth ; many Things that argue a great 
 Want of Candour, and a mighty Willingnefs to 
 mifreprefent and fubvert Chriftianity at any rate, 
 tho' with it he fhould fubvert all Religion ; any 
 Man that thinks thus, (and whofoever carefully 
 confiders the Tendency of this Pamphlet, and the 
 grofs Mifreprefentations with which it abounds, 
 will be naturally led to think fo,) might very 
 confiflently, without pretending to Infallibility, 
 admonilli this Gentleman of the Unjuflifiablenefs 
 of fuch a Temper and Condud, and earneftly 
 recommend to him a more equal and attentive 
 Examination of the Nature of the Chriftian Re- 
 ligion and its Evidence j efpecially confidering 
 the Declarations made in the Gofpel, concerning 
 the Guilt and Danger of thofe who, when it is 
 made known to them, difbslieve and rejedl it. 
 
 Our Author himfelf often mentions thofe De- 
 clarations, but it is manifeft, that it is only with 
 a dengn to expofe them, and Chrifiianity on the 
 account of them. And in order to this, he puts 
 the Cafe of Perfons continuing Unbelievers with 
 the beft Difpofitions in the World, after the fulleft 
 
 and 
 
Cbrijlianltj 7iot founded on Argument. 95 
 
 and moft impartial Confideration, and whofe 
 Unbelief is not owing to any Fault on their 
 parts, but is abfolutely unavoidable and invin- 
 cible. But this is not the Cafe the Golpel puts. 
 On the contrary, it is fliil fuppofed, that the Un* 
 believers there condemned are fuch as love Dark- 
 nefs rather than Light, becaufe their Deeds are 
 evil ; that their Unbelief is owing to faulty 
 Caules, to vicious Prejudices and wrong Affec- 
 tions and Difpofitions of Mind, to their hardning 
 their Hearts, and fhutting their Eyes againfh E- 
 vidence. This is rhere fuppofed to be the ge- 
 neral Cafe of Unbelievers ; and their Guilt and 
 Condemnation is reprefented as highly aggravat- 
 ed. If there be any particular Exceptions, they 
 muft be left to the Mercy and Equity of the 
 fupreme Lawgiver, but fuch Exceptions could 
 not be properly taken notice of in the Gofpel- 
 Law. It would not be wife or fit, fuppofing a 
 well-attefled Revelation to have been really given 
 from Heaven of great importance to Mankind, 
 to put the Cafe of any Perfon's being excufable 
 in not believing or receiving it, when fairly laid 
 before him. This would foon be abufed ; the 
 believing and receiving it would be looked upon 
 as a Matter of Indifferency, and fo the Defign 
 for which that Revelation was given, would be 
 in a great meafure defeated. 
 
 The remaining Part of his Pamphlet has 
 little in it that deferves Confideration. He de- 
 claims againft the Methods made ufe of by Ma- 
 giilrates, and in the Univerfities, for promoting 
 
 the 
 
^6 Remarks on a Pamphlet, entitled, 
 
 the Chriftian Faith, and difcouraging free En- 
 quiry, p, 95 102. And if any wrong or 
 
 mifkken Methods have been made ufe of for 
 promoting the Interefls of Religion, which no 
 doubt has often been the Cafe, I don't fee that 
 Chriftianity can be made accountable for them, 
 or by what Logick it can be concluded from 
 thence that it is not a rational Religion. But 
 I think it cannot reafonably be denied, that fup- 
 pofing the Principles of the Chriftian Religion 
 to be beneficial to Society, tending to promote 
 the Practice of Piety, Fidelity, Virtue and good 
 Morals, and that Infidelity tends to fet Men 
 loofe from Reftraints, and to encourage Licen- 
 tioufnefs. Immorality and Vice, a Magiftrate 
 that is perfuaded of this may very jullly en- 
 courage the one by all prudent Methods confift:- 
 ent with Liberty and the publick Rights, and 
 difcountenance the other. Nor can the Uni- 
 verfities, that have the Care of educating Youth 
 committed to them, be blamed for endeavouring 
 to train them up by Reafon and Argument, in 
 thofe Principles, which are moft for the Good 
 of their Country and of Mankind, and for pro- 
 moting Religion and Virtue. The fame may 
 be faid with regard to Parents, that have any 
 Concern for the Good of their Children. Nor 
 can any thing be more abfurd than what this 
 Gentleman infinuates, p. 102. as if Parents 
 could not breed up Children in the'Principles of 
 Religion, without arrogating to themfelves In- 
 fallibility. For if they had only a Probability 
 
 3 0^ 
 
ChrifJanity not founded on Argument, 9 7 
 of the Truth and Excellency of the Principles 
 of Religion, it would be their Duty to endea- 
 vour to inRil thofe Principles betimes into the 
 tender Minds of their Children, and would be 
 a very wrong thing to leave them at large in a 
 World, where they are liable to be led into 
 Principles and Pradices of the moit pernicious 
 Tendency, without endeavouring to guard them 
 by good Inn:rud:ions againll thofe Piinciples and 
 Pradices. 
 
 It is not neceiHiry to take particular Notice 
 of the Quotations he produces with fo much 
 Pom.p from Biiliop Beveridge ; fince whatever 
 Efteem we may have for the Learning or Piety 
 of any particular Writer, if he has fallen into 
 any improper Sentiments or Exprelilons, it would 
 not be fair to turn ihem to the Difadvantage of 
 Chriflianity, which is in no wife accountable for 
 them. The Book from which our Author 
 quotes thefe Paffages was written when the Bi- 
 fliop was very young, and it is not much to be 
 wondered at if there are feveral things in it not 
 well digefted, and written in an unguarded and 
 hyperbolical manner. But fmce in that Book he 
 gives an Account at length both of what he be- 
 lieved and of his Heafons for believing, it appears 
 that he was far from looking upon tiie Influence 
 of the Spirit to be, what this Gentleman repre- 
 fents it, a blind irrational Impulfe, or to be at 
 all inconfiftent with believing upon Rcafon and 
 Evidence. 
 
 Lett. II, O Our 
 
9? • Remarks on a Pamphlet^ entitled. 
 
 Our Author concludes his Pamphlet with 
 recapitulating and applauding his own Perform- 
 ance, which I hope however will not have the 
 Effed: that feems to be intended by it. That 
 Man muft certainly be already very flrongly 
 prejudiced in favour of Infidelity, who can be 
 brought to think worfe of the Chriftian Reli- 
 gion, for the Reprefentations he is pleafed to 
 make of it. He undertakes indeed to fhew 
 that Chrijlianity is not Joutided on Argument^ 
 but any one that reflects on the unfair Arts 
 made u':e of by this Gentleman, and others that 
 have appeared on that Side, and how little of 
 folid Reafoning they have been able to oppofe to 
 the Defences that have been made for Chrifti- 
 anity, will be apt to think, that it m.ay with 
 much greater Juftice be faid, that lujidelity is 
 not founded on Reajbn or Argument ; and that 
 if it fpreads among us, which this Writer feen^s 
 to glory in, though I doubt not he mightily 
 exaggerates it beyond the Truth and Reality of 
 the Cafe, it muft be owing to fomc other Caufe 
 than fair and impartial Enquiry. Some have 
 been preiudiced againft Chriflianity on account 
 of the Ill-condu6l of many of its Minifters and 
 ProfefTors, or of the Abfurdities that have been 
 taught, and the Corruptions that have obtained 
 among thofe that call themf elves Chriftians. But 
 if this were all, a calm and impartial Confide- 
 ration of the Chriftian Religion in its genuine 
 Purity and Simplicity as laid down in the holy 
 Writings, would be an eftcd:ual Preicrvative a- 
 
 gai nil: 
 
Chrljiiamty noifoufidcd on Argument. 99 
 
 gainft this Prejudice. But befides this, there is 
 in fome Tempers a ftrong Affecftation of ap- 
 pearing to be Perfons of fuperior Genius, able to 
 break through the Force of Education, and 
 common Prejudices ; and this I doubt not has 
 carried many who were not able to diAinguifli 
 themfelves to advantage by their fuperior Vir- 
 tues or Abilities, to endeavour to do it by oppo- 
 fing and rejeding the Faith of Chrillians, and 
 on this account afTuming to themfelves a Judg- 
 ment and Penetration above the Vulgar, as if 
 they could fee farther than the reft of Man- 
 kind. But the mofl powerful Prejudice of all 
 againft Chriftianity, and which has a much 
 flronger Force to incline fome Perfons to reie(5t 
 it, than any or all the Prejudices in its favour 
 to incline Men to embrace it, is that which a- 
 rifes from the Byafs of their corrupt Lufts and 
 Paffions. When Men are devoted to any of 
 thofe Sins, which the Gofpel forbids under the 
 fevereft Penalties, they muft either renounce the 
 Scriptures, or condemn themfelves. A Man 
 that is under the Power of ftrong vicious Incli- 
 nations and depraved Habits, will of courfe be 
 prejudiced againfl a Religion, which if it be 
 true obliges him to counteract and mortify his 
 darling Appetites, and will not fuffer him to be 
 eafy in his licentious Courfes, and teaches him 
 to expedl a dreadful Punifhmcnt in a future 
 State, as the Effedl of his 111- conduct in this. 
 His Interefl and Inclinations naturally bribe his 
 Judgment to pronounce againfl fuch a Religion, 
 O 2 they 
 
loo Remarks on a Pamphlet, entttkdy 
 
 they give force to every Objeftion, and will 
 hardly admit him calmly to confider its Proofs. 
 And therefore in an Age of growing DifTolute- 
 nefs and Corruption of Manners, it is not very 
 lurprizing to fee an Increafe of Infidelity too. 
 
 On the other hand, a Man of real Piety and 
 Virtue, one who is a devout Adorer of the 
 Deity, who endeavours to govern his Paflions, 
 and is regular in his Life, can fcarce help ap- 
 proving and wifliing well to a Religion of fuch 
 an excellent Tendency, that raifes him to the 
 mofl: fublime Hopes, that gives him the moft 
 ravifliing Difcoveries and AfTurances of God's 
 rich Grace and Mercy, and of his wonderful 
 Love to Mankind, and of the Glories prepared 
 in a future State, as the Reward of a Life of 
 iincere Piety and Virtue in this. I will there- 
 fore readily own, and let our Author make the 
 moft of this Concellion, that a good Man will 
 be apt to be prejudiced in favour of the Chri- 
 ftian Religion. But then this Prejudice, if it 
 muft be called fo, is a jufl and reafonable one. 
 When a Man difcerns the Charadlers of divine 
 Wifdom, Goodnefs and Purity in the Gofpel, 
 when he feels its Suitablenefs to his own Cafe, 
 the happy EfFedl it has upon himfelf in purify- 
 ing his Heart and governing his Life, in ftreng- 
 thening good Difpofitions, and ingaging him to 
 abound in every good Work, this hath a natural 
 Tendency to convince one of a fincere and up- 
 right Mind, that die Gofpel is not the Work 
 of Impoftors, that it is worthy of God, and 
 
 came 
 
Chriflianity not founded on Argument. 1 1 
 
 came from him. And it is a great Proof that 
 the Chriftian Religion is founded in Reafon and 
 Evidence, when it has both fuch obvious Cha- 
 ra<5ters and Proofs of its Excellency and Divinity, 
 as ftrike the Minds and internal Senfe of thofe 
 who are not fo well able to carry their Views 
 through a long Chain and Series of Reafonings ; 
 and when it is alfb confirmed by fuch a Variety 
 of Arguments and Evidences^ as taken in a 
 more extenfive View are capable of giving Satif- 
 fadion to thofe of the greateft Leifure and Pe- 
 netration. Thefe Reafons and Evidences have 
 often been reprefented to the World with gi*eat 
 Strength and Clearness, nor do I find this Wri- 
 ter has offered any thing to prove thofe Reafons 
 infufticient. 
 
 I have now obeyed your Commands in com- 
 municating my Thoughts to you upon this 
 Pamphlet, and have not left any thing in it un- 
 examined, that feemed to me to deferve Notice. 
 And as this Writer makes fome (liew of treat- 
 ing the Subjed he has undertaken in a metho- 
 dical Way, I have, that he might not complain 
 of having his Arguments mangled or not repre- 
 fented in their full Force, followed him in the 
 Order which he himfelf has chofen. But tho' 
 I will not deny him the Praife of Wit and A- 
 bility, yet upon the mod impartial Confidera- 
 tion o{ his Performance, I cannot help faying, 
 that an Author that in any other Cauie would 
 give himfelf fuch a Liberty of mifreprefenting 
 
 Things, 
 
102 Remarks on a Pamphlet, &c. 
 
 Things, and endeavour to impofe upon his 
 Reader at the rate this Gentleman has done, or 
 that would treat any other Book as he has done 
 the Scriptures, would be juflly regarded, as hav- 
 ing forfeited all his Credit and Reputation as a 
 fair and candid Writer ; and it certainly aggra- 
 vates it highly, v^hen it is done with a View to 
 miilead Perfons in a Matter of the higheft Con- 
 fequence. If you think the Remarks I have 
 offered may be of ufe, I Ihall not repent the 
 Pains I have taken in them. I am with a real 
 Efteem 
 
 Tour faithful hu?nbk Servant, 
 
>/ FubUJh'd, 
 
 The Fifth Edition of the two following 
 Books [For the Ufe of Families.] 
 
 Written by the Lord Bishop of Sodor 
 AND Mann, and fold by John Oiborn, at 
 the Golden Ball in Pater-nofter-Row, 
 
 I. THE 
 
 Knowledge and Practice of Christi- 
 anity madeeafy to the Meanefc Capacities, 
 ^c. — defigned for the Buneiit and Inftradioa 
 of fuch Christians, as have not well con- 
 fidered the Meaning of the Religion they pro- 
 fefs J Or, — Who prcfejl to know God, but ia 
 JVorks do deny him. 
 
 In fe'ueral fljort and plain Dialogues. 
 
 ^cjether with Family and private Meditations 
 and Prayers. 
 
 II. A 
 
 Short and Plain Inftrudion for the better 
 Underflanding of the 
 
 L O RO'.S S U PPE R, 
 
 With the necefTary Preparatioi) requir'd for the 
 Benefit of Y.OU.NG Communicants : And 
 of ftich as have •;not' weihconfidered this Holy- 
 Ordinance. 
 
 To vv/hich is annex'd- The Office of the 
 
 Holy Communion : With proper Helps 
 and Directions for joining in every Part 
 thereof with Underftanding and Benefit. 
 
 N. B. Great Allowance will be made by John 
 Ojlorn to iach Perfons as take Numbers of 
 tliefe Books, to difperfe at home, or in 
 our Plantations and Colonies abroad. 
 
Books Tnntedfor R. Hett, in the Poultry. 
 
 1. A ChrlftianLiturgy, or a devout and rational Form 
 of divine Worfhip ; compofed chiefly out of the devotio- 
 nal Parts of the facred Scriptures, and the moft antient 
 liiturgies of the Chriftian Church, efpecially thofe in the 
 Apoftolical Conftitutions. To which is prefixed, fome 
 Obfervations on the Liturgy of the Church of England ; 
 upon the prefent Way of Worfhip in the Church of Scot- 
 land^ and among the Proteftant DilTenters of all Denomi- 
 nations. Together with an earneft Recommendation of 
 pre-compofed Forms of divine Worfliip to the latter. By 
 a Proteftant Diflenter. Price i s. 
 
 2. A Difcourfe concerning, I. The true Import of the 
 Words Eledion and Reprobation ; and the Things figni- 
 fied bv them in the Holy Scriptures. 11. The Extent of 
 Chrifc's Redemption. III. The Grace of God ; where it 
 is inquired, whether it be vouchfafed fufficiently to thofe, 
 who improve it not, and irrefiftibly to thofe who do im- 
 prove it ; and whether Men be wholly paflive in the 
 Work of Regeneration ? IV. The Liberty of the Will 
 in a State of Trial and Probation. V. The Perfeverance 
 or Defeclibilicy of the Saints; with fome Reflections on 
 the State of Heathens, the Providence and Prefcience of 
 God. By Daniel IVhlthy^ D. D. The fecond Edition, 
 corrected. 
 
 3. Chriil: the Righteoufnefs of his People ; or the Doc- 
 trine of Juftification by Faith in him. Reprefented in fe- 
 veral Sermons preach'd at the Merchants Lefture at 
 Pinners-Hall. By Richard Rawlm. Publifti'd at the Re- 
 queft of the Committee of the Ledure. 
 
^^Zl. 
 
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