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 10. ^^o C/rd^i^h/- (A/te/rty 
 
 
I THREE 
 
 LETTERS 
 
 CONCERNING 
 
 SYSTEMATIC TASTE, 
 
 Exemplified, in 
 The Centaur not Fabulous: 
 
 L/i I CU S' s Letter o£ jfune 7th, 1755. 
 London Evening-Pofl. 
 
 AND 
 
 ^ The Bifliop of LONDON'S Second 
 Volume of Discourses. 
 
 Faith! Mystery! Church! 
 Where Myftery begins, Religion ends. 
 
 Foster. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 I Printed and Sold, by C. Hendkrson, under the Royal 
 Exchange, 1 755. 
 
 Price One Shillin?. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/threelettersconcOOflem 
 
q->„ ******* E{a* 
 
 SIR, 
 
 CJ^H E plot of the Centaur not fabulous, is 
 
 laid to remove infidel prejudice and reconcile 
 to the revelation. But where the poetic genius 
 difdains the confinements of reafon, and fcruples not 
 to leap the hounds of nature, there will be co- 
 pious matter of criticifm. 
 
 Little more needs he faid of Laicus, than that 
 of his having caught the college infe5iion, or his 
 being educated in the art of railing at the unity 
 cf God, and reviling the unitarian. None with 
 him can he found in the faith, who do not fwallow 
 ahfurdity, in deference to prieflly authority ; and are 
 content to fuhfcrihe thofe creeds, which men have 
 conftituted the Jlandards of orthodoxy. He who can- 
 not fuhfcrihe the i /i^th Article of Pope Pius'j- creed, 
 is no good churchman, viz. *^ I do adtnit the holy 
 fcriptures in the fame fenfe that holy mother Church 
 doth, whofe hufinefs it is to judge of the true fenfe 
 and interpretation of them.^^ 
 
 Both thefe writers fpeak of the Socinian, in 
 
 terms of difagreeahle dijiance. And hecaufe St. 
 
 John has given us defer ipt ions of the divine mif- 
 
 on of Jefus, delivered in the prophetic Style, in 
 
 figures 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 figures taken from heaven, afcending, defcenu- 
 ing, or coming down from heaven^ ufed to fig- 
 nifyy authority^ dignity^ power^ and the changes 
 of condition; they have concluded thefe tropes had 
 a literal fenfe : and accordingly^ will infift on the 
 pre-exiftence of Chrijl^ as an ejjential of the chrif- 
 tian's faith. Tho^ the facred Books of the. old 
 tejlament^ would have otherwifc taught them ; which 
 nfe the pbrafe, of afcending into heaven, to de- 
 note, " a divine acquaintance with heavenly things, 
 er a more ferfcdi knowledge of the truths of God."* 
 
 But it is of the nature of fyflematic tafte, to 
 interpret arbitrarily, and to determine confidently, 
 which renders this confideraticn infinitely folacing, 
 *viz~. thaj the God of our fpirits has not left the 
 fate of any man, at the capricious mercy of a 
 fallible mortal, or to the deftination of ar^ num- 
 ber of them. 
 
 The third Letter was occafioned by fome con^ 
 fiifions, which f hade the fecond Volume of the pre- 
 fent Bifhop of London's difcourfes. That ce^ 
 lebrated pen, has fuch firokes of inconfiflency and 
 coniraditiion, as prefent us with the malignant 
 effects of fyflematic tafte. 
 
 Dcuhtlefs, the prelatical eye may pour contetnpt, 
 end the clerical fneer may proceed to damn an en- 
 deavour to expofe myfiery and prieficraft. This 
 matters not, fince we have full evidence, that their 
 labours to clofe the human eye, and prejudice the 
 
 conceptions 
 
DEDICATION. 
 
 ionceptions of mankind^ cannot rejle5i much 'honour 
 upon them. And whatever may be the temporal 
 advantage, the fcenes of more perfect day can ne» 
 vcr approve fuch labours, 
 
 'True it is they row with the tide, and have 
 the rapid fir earn in their favour ; but neither rea- 
 fon, nor religion, nor truth can ptomife them a 
 final reward ; becaufe no man is religious, but ly 
 the ufe of his own under/landing, and in the ap- 
 plication of his own abilities to difcern, canvasy 
 and judge of evidence. 
 
 The fyftematic tafle is vicious-, whether of 
 this, or that, or the other complexion: fince it 
 wou'd determine chara^er, by opinion or faith ; ra- 
 ther than faith or opinion, by chara5ler. The 
 healthy, natural divine tafte, eflimates the found- 
 nefs of a man's creed, by the regularity of his 
 life. And determines him the genuine chrifiian, 
 whofe fpirit is benevolent, and whofe deportment 
 is jufi and friendly : " And who has no bias, but 
 what he receives from truth.''' 
 
 To fet men free from the delufions of popular 
 prejudice -, to alarm, if poffble, the wild myftic, 
 entrenched in the fable coverings of night and dark- 
 nefs; to repel the efforts ^/ Enthufiafm, Church- 
 ifm, and Rome, was the defign of this publica- 
 tion. And to do one's utmofi in this divine fer- 
 vice, is, to prepare to quit thefe fcenes with a 
 full fijare of tranquility ■, having no rcafon of bit- 
 ter 
 
DEDICATION, 
 
 ter remorfe^ throughout lifers great and critical 
 
 i^eview. 
 
 In fuch reference, thefe Letters had their ex- 
 ijiencey and with much veneration they are thus 
 thrown before you. But as they freely cenfure the 
 ^popular prejudice, they neither ajk^ nor expect any 
 quarter from the bigot. 
 
 I am. 
 
 Sir 
 
 Tour, Sec. 
 

 LETTER the Firft, 
 
 O N 
 
 Systematic TastS, 
 
 H E Author of the Centaur not 
 fabulous^ has, undoubtedly a 
 claim to the public efteemi, 
 from his very benevolent defign 
 to lalh the reigning vices of the 
 age : for in his freedoms with the 
 greats there is difcoverable, a zealous endea- 
 vour to remove from the vulgar eye, illuftrious 
 examples of abfurdity and cririie. But notwith- 
 {landing the general fpirit of the piece, there 
 are very obnoxious fentiments and defcriptions 
 fcattered in it \ which not only admit, but re- 
 quire fome animadverfioh. 
 
 His Heroic faith, which the Socinian re- 
 
 jecls, he pretends to lliew the moral effefls 
 
 of i p. 25, 26. — " from faith in thefe myfte- 
 
 ries of a trinity^ &c. man neceffarilv, and more 
 
 B ^ juftly 
 
2 Letter the frjl^ 
 
 juftly adores the incomprehenfible majefly o^ 
 God •, and more juftly and perfeflly contem- 
 plates his own litticnefs, and difproportion of 
 thought to thofe truths that are vouchfafed toi 
 his taith, hence he heartily renders to God a 
 due honovir for his teftiniony •, and a due ac- 
 knowledgment of his profefTed care of his 
 Chur<ih ; and a due thankfulnefs for the mercy 
 of his' revelation, he renders- a due obedience 
 to his proper government, as a Chriftian, that 
 is, the authority of the Church -, and a due 
 afTiftance to the public peace, which is never' 
 fately built but on unity of judgment.'* 
 
 Enough, of all confcience, to fhev/ the mo-' 
 ral effeds of faith in myftery. but as certainly 
 too much for a man endowed with reafon, and 
 in any degree confiftent with himfelf. for, 
 what or how is myftery concerned, in our ado- 
 ration of the incomprehenfible majefty of God? 
 a trinity of perfons, and the majefty, the peer- 
 lefs majefty of God^ are, in nature and reafon, 
 irreconcileable. It will- not,, it does not help 
 the adoration •, but greatly forwards the confu- 
 i\&!\. how do we center our reverence in uni- 
 ty, when there is no unity, but a plurality .? 
 which way do we give God all the heart, and' 
 foul, and mind, and ftrength, if there are 
 three perfons, equal claimants of the homage ? 
 and which way does the myftery conduce to a- 
 more juft and perfedc contemplation of our lit- 
 ticnefs, and difproportion of thought .? not 
 more aptly, than any other jargon, abfurdiry, 
 
 oi- 
 
On fyfiematic fa fie. 3 
 
 ^r contradi<5lion can tend to humble the fenti- 
 ment. 
 
 And what can pofTibly be .meant- " by 
 Tendering God a due acknowledgment of his 
 
 profeiled care of his .church ?" This indeed is 
 •immediately explained, by our rendering a due 
 , obedience to our proper governrnent, as Chrifti- 
 
 ans, that is, to xht Authority of the Church — Here 
 the fecret .burfls open, and though it is im- 
 pofllble the myftery of the trinity fliould ever 
 '^ave this moral effedl, vi^^. to excite in us a 
 due thankfulnefs for the mercy of a revelation ; 
 yet, the franknefs, the unrefervednefs of the 
 Author, lays us under no trifling obligation to 
 him for not keeping us in fufpenfe j but fo fea- 
 'ibnably removing the obfcurity of his own 
 ground of reverence for myftery : .lince we, at 
 once, perceive the vaftemolument of power and 
 influence arifmg from ic, which is, *' an ini- 
 plicite obedience to the ecclefiafiical Authority ^ 
 — and yet, when a Chriftian renders due cbe- 
 dience to his proper Government, as a Chrifti- 
 an, that is, to the authority of the Church ; I 
 fhould imagine, this v/riter more precif^ly mean- 
 cih^ ]\\s parijh priejl . forafmuch ss p. 26: he 
 fais, " It would be moft reafonable in us to 
 believe ? unlefs we, who think it right to 
 believe implicitly in thofe on whom owx for- 
 tune depends, think it v/rong to believe impli- 
 citly in HiMjOn whom depends our Salvation.^* 
 
 B 2 Some 
 
1^ Letter the Jirjl, 
 
 Some might be inclin'd to underftand the fin- 
 gular pronoun, Hm, of Jesus Christ : but I ani 
 pretty confident, when the reasoning is exami- 
 ned, it will not appear to be — his ienfe. The 
 ekurchy the Clergy is intended, the proper go- 
 vernment ; for J.'fus Chriit never once enjoyns, 
 or encourages any to believe implicitly on him. 
 he requires, on the other hand, that men ufe their 
 underftandings, and exe^cife diligently their 
 rational faculties, in all the articles oi their re- 
 ligious credence. Befides, he was a reveaier of 
 truth. " and a myftery explained, is a myftery 
 dellroyed : for what is a myftery, but a thing 
 not known." p. 27. 
 
 There Is one page however would feem an 
 exception, wherein this writer fpeaking of the 
 joy celeftial, arifmg from a delightful hope of 
 immortality, fais, — "by our church, moft 
 properly ftiled the peace of God. ^^ p. 177. which 
 inchnes a reader to conclude, he could have 
 almoft fancied to intimate, by the Churchy the 
 new teftament writings, or the facred fcriptures. 
 — But even then, there is no lefs obfcurity; thick 
 clouds return upon us : for where does the 
 Church, i. e. the y^<?/y *S<:n^/z<r^J require an im- 
 plicit faith in them ? do they not expefl every 
 man, who wou'd be made wife to falvation, 
 jfliould fearch and examine for himfelf into their 
 faving contents ? yes, certainly they do. — 
 How is it then, that our Church has Ililed the 
 celeftial joys, the peace of God^ — has any ecclefi- 
 
 aftical 
 
On fyjlcmatic tajie. 5 
 
 aftical community, or conftitution, the folc 
 keeping of the facred records ? or, is there one 
 fuch enclofure poflefled of the celeftial keysy 
 that open the fenfe of thefe writings ? Or, arc 
 the fcriptures as able to make one man wife to 
 falvation, as they are another ? if the latter 
 be the true ftating, then i-mplicite faith, or obe- 
 dience to church authority, is quite apocryphal; 
 and favours too much of the papal fpint : nay, 
 in very fadl, is no other than the language of 
 adulterous Rome. — And yet methinks, this 
 mufl be the fenfe of our Author, who will havp 
 it, " that a due affiftance to the public peace, 
 is never fafely built, but on uxity of judgment." 
 
 For arguments fake, we will allow him to 
 mean, by the Churchy the Englifh Ecclefiafli- 
 cal eilablifhment ; which requires an exprefs 
 aflent and confent to her thirty nine articles of 
 faith, as the qualification for her religious fer- 
 vants, or rather, confecrated officers. — But is 
 there unity in thefe articles ? is there any confif- 
 tency found among them ? or, is there any fuch. 
 thing as unity ^ in the judgment of the men who 
 fubfcribe them ? — Let us, for example, com- 
 pare the opinions of this poetical, this pafiionatc 
 declaimer, and the doctrine of thofe articles, 
 )n one or two particulars. 
 
 Art. 9. " Original fm ftandeth not in the 
 following of Ada-ray but it is the fault or cor- 
 ruption of every man, that naturally is engen- 
 dered of the off-fpring of Adam, v/hereby man 
 
 is 
 
6 Letter the Jirjl^ 
 
 is — of his o--jon nature inclined to evil an(| 
 
 this infection of nature doth remain j yea, in 
 them that are regenerated" - 
 
 Art. lo. ^' The condition of man after the 
 fall is fuch, that he cannot turn and prepare him- 
 felf by his own natural ftrength and good works 
 to faith and callina; on God. Wherefore we have 
 no power to do good works pleafant and accep- 
 table to God, without the grace of God byChrift 
 preventing us, that we may have a good will, 
 and working with us when we have that good 
 will/' 
 
 What fais our autlior, fuppofed to be in 
 frieji^s orders^ " Reafon and virtue are the fole 
 beauty and fole falvation of all. Thro' all her 
 realm creation groans without it. The Deity 
 is all reafon in his nature, conduft, and com- 
 mands. The great, invariable, eternal alter- 
 jiative throughout his creation, is, or reason, 
 OR RUIN." p. 107. 
 
 And again, " highly reverence thy own na- 
 ture i more profoundly adore the divine, and 
 thus to glad all heaven, alfert, refcue, ennoble, 
 and with bhfs eternal crown thy felf : for with- 
 out thee, in theconftitutedorder of things, hea- 
 ven is unable to do it without thee, thou 
 
 great being ! (pardoned be the word fo boldj 
 there is impotence in heaven.*' p. 292. 
 
 Neidier 
 
On fyjlemaiic tape. *f 
 
 Neither are thefe to be deemed hafty ftarts, or 
 hOLldings and trippings of the judgment, the 
 meer effefts of an abfent or interrupted hour : 
 for p. 324. " a maxim moft true and ufeful 
 it is, no man ever thought too highly of 
 HIS NATURE, or too meanly of himfelf.'* 
 
 Paflages full to my purpofe, which prove to 
 a demonilration, there is no unity, no agree- 
 ment between the articles, and the fixed judg- 
 ment of this fon of the church, for the arti- 
 cle affirms, the nature of man corrupt and de- 
 praved ! this writer affirms, the nature of man 
 is fuch, as demands to be highly reverenced ! 
 and that no- man has ever thought too highly of 
 his nature.' The article affirms, the im- 
 becility of man, that he has no power to da 
 good, without the grace of God by Chrift pre- 
 venting us, that we may have a good will. 
 This writer affirms, that reafon and virtue are 
 the fole beauty and fole falvation of all — the 
 great alternative, throughout his creation, is, 
 OR REASON, OR RUIN. Nay, to glad heaven^ 
 he exhorts and enjoyns, that we alTert, refcue, 
 ennoble, and with blifs eternal crown ourfehes : 
 for without us, in the conftitiited order of things, 
 heaven is unable to do it. without us, there is 
 impotence in heaven. — 
 
 Do not the fentiments clafh and militate 
 
 extremely ? nay, do they not irreconcileably 
 
 ■oppofe.^ and where then is the unity of 
 
 judge- 
 
j2 Letter the Jirjl, 
 
 judgment, necelTary to the public peace ? — But: 
 alas I altogether as inconfiftent is this dfeclaim- 
 er with liirnieif, as he is with the articles of his 
 own church : fince in the point of myftery and 
 impiicite faith, already noticed, for which he fo 
 warmly contends, he confronts that noble declara- 
 tion, " ofreafon arid virtue being the fole beau- 
 ty and fole falvation of all. The Deity is all 
 reafon in his nature, conduct and commands.'* 
 Myftery is thus nothing in all the realm of creati- 
 on : becauie, reafon^ Ihe groans without, all 
 the while, myftery gives faith all her figure, and 
 determines all her fignificance. 
 
 One thing more has fullied the face of the Cen^ 
 taur not jahuloiis \ I mean, the grave arrogance, 
 the folemn prefumption of the pen, that could 
 dare to write the following lines, " None ever 
 fully complied with thefe (the moral precepts, j 
 but was eafily reconciled to the myfteries of the 
 Gofpel.'* He does not mean the revealed myf- 
 teries of the Gofpel, but what he himfelf has 
 called myfteries. and he brands tht Jocinians as 
 heretics, who have, in a manner^ rejeftedthcm 
 all. p. 24. And yet, ^'■faitb'm thefe myfteries, 
 he^lltcll yoii^ is more acceptable to God, than" 
 faith in lefs abftrufe articles of our religion j be- 
 caufe it pays that honour which is due to his 
 teftimony; and tht more mcr edit? le the matter is 
 which we believe, the more refpecl we fliew to' 
 
 the RELATOR."-^ 
 
 Could 
 
On fyjl^matic tajie. 9 
 
 Could the imagination bf man, the mod ac- 
 ciiilomcd to rejveries and ravings, ever have 
 given fo extravagant a rep refentation of religi- 
 ous faith ? whatever this Author may be able 
 to fay, he v/ill never, Upon his principle, dif- 
 countenance the infallibility oi Rome^ or, explode 
 the mad whim of tranfubjiantiation. It, on thfc 
 contrary, bids fair, upon his axiom, to do the moft 
 honour to God-, " becaufe the more incredible 
 the matter is which we believe, the more refpedl 
 we ihew to the relator." Let him, if he can, give 
 lis a fample of his fkill, or fagacity, in diflodg- 
 ing the enemy from this redoubt^ he has built for 
 him with his own hands. I call it fo, becaufe' it 
 has all its ftrength or defence in its front. — He 
 may rally all his force, and feed all his nre with 
 what pabulum he pleafes -, his attempts will be 
 no better than ftriking the Oak with the Ofier, 
 or putting his finger at the foot of the moun- 
 tain, in order to its diQodgment. 
 
 Allow hirri his notion of religious faith, the 
 plain and fimple, the infinitely interefting and 
 important articles of our religion, lofe all their 
 glory •, they vail to the rhummery of non-fenfe 
 and abfardity. Such a faith is furely more fit 
 tor fools and madmen, than for the ratiorial, the 
 fenfible and fober parts of God's creation.' — for 
 I afk , what pofTible idea can be fixed to the terms ? 
 — " it pays that LoHoirr which is due to the teili- 
 mony." — -v/hat is the honour I pay any being, in 
 giving credit to a tefiimcny, becaulc the matter is 
 C in- 
 
lo Letter the Jirjly 
 
 incredible, do I not, in doing (o^ difcover the mod 
 irrational frentic ufe of all my powers ? or, the 
 extremely perverfe application et them ! I'd believe 
 a matter^ becauje it ts not to he believed -, is a very 
 ftrange and unaccountable way, of doing honour 
 to any teftimony. — Such indeed feems to be the 
 cafe of tranfubjlantiation^ and fome other like fort 
 of my fteries, which contain mathematical contra- 
 diiflions : but who, in his fenfes, ever could 
 once difcover the leaft honour done to God, in 
 fuch a ridiculous, fuch a romantic faith ? 
 
 What is the definition he gives ol faith " It 
 is a fubmiflion of our underftandings, an oblati- 
 on of our idolized reafon, to- God ; which he re- 
 quires fo indifpenfably, that our whole will and 
 afieflions, tho' feemingly a larger facrifice, will- 
 not, without it, be received at our hands." p. i6. 
 
 What now is the apoftolic definition oi faith ? 
 " It is the fubflance of things hoped for ; and 
 the evidence of things not feen." — i. e. it con- 
 verfeth with the evidence of invifible things. 
 Thus it is faid, " that the invifible things of 
 him from the creation of the world are clearly 
 feen, being underftood by the things that are 
 made." — How very contradictory thefe defini- 
 tions ? one, facrificeth the underllanding and 
 reafon of man, and abfolutely difchargeth them 
 from any religious iundioft or operation : the 
 other, requires their mod vigorous^adlivity and 
 conllant energy, in converfing with evidence ; 
 in directing and animating the volitions and re- 
 
 folution-i 
 
On Jjj}ematic tafte, 1 1 
 
 Solutions of the human heart. The one defini- 
 tion would fuppofe, an utter fuppreflion of all 
 •the efforts of reafon and underltanding, in or- 
 der that the will and affedlions may become 
 an acceptable oblation : the other, would in- 
 fift on their utmoft liberty and freedom, in 
 all their enquiries and examinations ; in or- 
 der that the compliance of the will, and the ap- 
 probations of the heart, may conftitute a reafo- 
 jiable, or an acceptable fervice. — 
 
 Dr, IVhichcot was certainly much nearer the 
 ■truth, than this 'Divine^ when he faid, " we 
 have nothing to give to God, but our confent, 
 our will, or volition." This he thought the 
 only facrifice, whilfb this writer imagines, " that 
 the underftanding and reafon being lacrificed, 
 give all the value and virtue to the volitioiis." 
 I cannot conceive of it, as either the more or 
 the lefs abfurd, than it is to fiippofe, that God 
 having given us abilities of difcerning, examin- 
 ing, and diflinguifhing objects, in order to a 
 determination of our judgements, and a choice 
 about them ; he will only approve us if we 
 firft put out our eyes, difcharge or difmifs 
 thefe difcerning powers of and from all thei^- 
 offices •, and then, in ths dark, play the fool 
 at blind man's buff, and run our heads againft 
 a wall, or a poll. 
 
 This feems to be a juft illuft ration of that 
 
 definition of /^j/'/ij, which fais, "■ it is a fub- 
 
 mifTion of our underftandings, an oblation of 
 
 C 2 our 
 
1 2 Letter the firjl, 
 
 our idolized rcafon, to God ; which he requires 
 fo indifpenfably, that our whole will and af- 
 feftions, tho' feemingly a larger facrifice, will 
 not, without it, be received at our hands." 
 
 A reader will take no offence, at .the repetiti- 
 on of fuch fingular declarations, for every time 
 one takes a review, they adminifher frefh occa- 
 fion of aflonilliment ! and carry along with 
 them, marks of a lively genius, in their very 
 fabrication. It is owing to this, that we can, at 
 any time, dwell on that other entertaining ro- 
 mance, which gives us the adventures of Don 
 QuixoTTE, and his man Sancho. — 
 
 An chlation of our idolized reafon to Gcd.—^ 
 "What can be the idea I an oblation of idolized 
 rcafon, would feemingly be an idolatrous chla- 
 tion. The terms naturally lead to this conclu- , 
 fion. But I am as much puzzled to conceive, 
 in what power and ability of the human mind, 
 faith has its inherence or refidence, v/hilH the 
 underftanding is thus fubmitted, and the idoliz- 
 ed reafon thus offered •, . and whilft the feeming- 
 ly larger facrifice of the whole will and affecfli- 
 ons, are thus diftinguiflied, as having no m.an- 
 ner of hand in thefe exercifcs of faith. 
 
 Myflical writers furely muff have myftical 
 powers and faculties, quite different to thofe we 
 are favoured withal, who have no higher abilities 
 of /perception, than the intelligent ar.d rational 
 
 ones. 
 
On fyftematic tajle. 
 
 13 
 
 oi\es. They muft: finceweare told, " the fuffici- 
 encY of human reafon is the golden calf which 
 thefe men fet up to be worfliipped, and in the 
 frenzies of their extravagant devotion to it, they 
 trample on venerable authority", p. 14- 
 
 Did this writer but diftinguifli, and preferve 
 any confiftency, we might allow him fomc 
 meaning : e. g. when any prefume to exclude all 
 divine information being given to the underftand- 
 ings of men; fuppofmg, " that he who at firft gave 
 the rational powers, to the human mind, could 
 not reveal himfelf, as well by infpi ration conti- 
 nued or repeated, as he did by the firft in- 
 fpiration :" — fuch may furely bs chargeable 
 v/ith the frenzies of an extravagant devotion, as 
 they trample upon a venerable authority. Eut 
 fhould he again defire to be underftood, to in*-' 
 tend, by venerable authority, that oixh^Church^ 
 in his fenfe of the word, there will be unfur- ' 
 mcuntable difficulty in fupporting his opinion. 
 
 The fufHciency of human reafon, for the" 
 purpofes of human virtue and of hum.an happi- 
 nefs, may not be denied, without infinite haz- ' 
 ard and danger \ becaufe, in all parts of the ' 
 l\abitable globe, it is the only ability in man of 
 ufing thofe varied micans of information, which 
 are the allotment of different climes ard coun- 
 tries. For has God left himfelf without witnefs, ^ 
 of his benevolence to any ? and to what' does' 
 bis teftimony appeal, if not to human reaibn r 
 
 Neither 
 
14 Letter the Ji?jl, 
 
 Neither the foot-fteps of Deity, in his works, 
 ways, or word, can be either feen or underllood, 
 as fuch, but by the exercifes and operations of 
 human reafon. what elfe enables man to dif- 
 diftinguifh divine infpiration, from impofture ? 
 or the genuine lines of divine truth and love, 
 from the aflTumed airs of church authority ? what 
 elfe can enable us to diftinguifh between the 
 compaffions of Deity, and the contrivances of 
 prieftly care and commifleration ? e. g. would 
 one be able to do other, than to look grave at 
 the abfolution ofMANDRiN, the late famous 
 French Robber, if reafon, human reafon did 
 not lend her aid ; and enable one to rally the 
 delufion? — 'To the bar of human reafon, the 
 divine Jefus made his appeal, when he faid, ye 
 Relieve inGod, believe alfo in me, — believe me for the 
 very works fake. Jf I do not the works of my father, 
 believe me not. If I had not done among them the 
 works which none other man did, they had not had 
 fin. — Evident appeals arc made to human reafon-, 
 and the faith of men, in his miflion, expedled 
 only from the fblnefs of the evidence. He that 
 has ears to hemr, let him hear, not he who has 
 refigned his underllanding, and made an ob- 
 lation of his reafon •, but he, v/ho has in lively 
 ufe, all his rational powers ; he is the man, 
 who is expedled to receive the doftrine of this 
 heavenly teacher. — On the contrary, no pofTible 
 tonour ca.n be done to God, bv the fcheme cf 
 faith, that rifes in myftery, and fets in obfcuii- 
 ty. He is light, and the father of lights. — The 
 darknefs of night, is, for the roaming of beafts 
 
 of 
 
On fyjlematic tafte. 15 
 
 of prey •, not for the aid of human labours : ra- 
 ther, for the cefTation of them, 
 
 Faiib is fanciful, as it is poetical, fitted to 
 perform the mod wonderful exploits, only in 
 Egyptian, palpable darknefs. affrighted at the 
 fcattered rays of light ! with the moie^ inftant- 
 ly burrows again ; and returns to the impene- 
 trable paths of deep concealment. And yet, 
 in truth, and facl, Faiib is a non-entity with- 
 out evidence, faifb in any report, that re- 
 proaches reafon, is not, cannot fuftain any de- 
 gree of religion. I know not of one being it 
 could pofllbly fuit, unlefs a Centaur; fome 
 unnatural, fome imaginary production : for, 
 " reafon and virtue are the fole beauty and fole 
 falvation of all. Thro* all her realm, creation 
 groans without it. and the Deity is all reafon 
 in his nature, condud and commands. And 
 becaufe the great, invariable, eternal alternative, 
 throughout his creation, is, or reafon^ cr ruin !*' 
 hence the believing myftery or things incre- 
 dible, is an outrage committed, a real infult on 
 God's nature, conduct and commands. And 
 will dreadfully expofe the human mind to dark- 
 nefs, and the difmal dreary glooms of delufion. 
 
 This writer would do well to review his ad- 
 drefs to infidels ; he fhould as Pope faid of 
 Young, reverfe his night-thoughts ; for thefe 
 are not likely lines to draw the wanderer from 
 his diftance, and recover him to his duty, 
 much, I fear, of the ofl^ence at chrillianity, is 
 
 from 
 
1 6 Letter the Jirfiy 
 
 from the antic Church-drefs ; the very quamt 
 features, which fquint a thoiifand ways, here 
 delineated, as the eye of faith. And is there 
 tkit extreme vanity in the end to be ferved by 
 it ? namely rendering due obedience to proper 
 •government, i. e. church authority, Vv'iil not the 
 Infidel adv, and reafonably aflv too, the mean- 
 ing? what has the great and good God put 
 my falvation into the hands of any man, and 
 made it depend on an imphcite belief in hirri ? 
 what notion muft I have of divine v/ifdom, 
 what of divine benignity and goodnefs, in the 
 delegation of fuch fpiritual pov/er in fallibk 
 men ? furely it is impoflible, when reafon and 
 virtue are thefole beauty, and the fole falvation 
 of all. and when the Deity is all reafon in his 
 nature, conduft, and commands. — Prune then, 
 in the name of truth, prune thefe exuberances, 
 jop off thefe excreffences from the Centaur not fa- 
 htloiis I and ref^ore to your lucubrations the 
 primitive features of fiith and religion. In the 
 zeal of your heart for God, lie not for him. 
 In the zeal of your heart for the reformation of 
 the world, lay afide the rooted prejudice that 
 "warps your fchcme, and fpoils all its confiftency. 
 In other words, corrcii ycur fyflematic taste. 
 
 • Nor let the pious writer imagine, thefe, the 
 remarks of a carping Infidel. — They are made 
 by one v/ho religioully believes that Jesus is 
 the Chrifl •, and who is folkitous for the rights 
 of private inds-ment, in all matters of faith and 
 pra<fticc. one, vvho, as cordially as he can do, 
 
 wifherh 
 
 I 
 
On fyftematic t(ffte. ly 
 '-vlfheth the reformation of the age : but cannot 
 defir-: it may be attempted by myftery and non- 
 r^nf?. They are mideby one that kno^-vs, the 
 fyftematic pen C£:n never be conrften:, tliat 
 the fyftematic pen is rarely or never Cdtholic. 
 — for the man who holds opinions reverfe to the 
 current orthodoxy, muft be arraigned, and f^n- 
 tenccd as immoral : becaufe not reconciled to 
 myftery. " None ever fully complied v/ith 
 the moral precepts, but was cafily reconciled 
 to the myfteries.'* An amazing aflbciation of 
 ideas ! q. d. A man's heart cannot be honeft, 
 fmcere and holy, unlefs his faith be heroic ; i. e. 
 unlefs the matter he believes be incredible j and 
 the more incredible the better his faith, poor 
 SociNiAN 1 hdv4 unhappy thy ..vendition ! how 
 fatal thy doom !*deftined to deftruclion, con- 
 figned over to perdition for want of a romantic 
 faith, that would convert a windmil into a Gi- 
 ant i or that can tranfmute mathematical falfe- 
 hoods into theological truths ! But aiafs ! thou 
 haft no humility, for thou doeft not render due 
 obedience to proper government, the Amho- 
 rity of the Church ; neither doeft thou lend 
 aftiftance to the public peace -, becaufe with 
 thee and the Church, there is no unity of judg- 
 ment. Hence thy want of conformity to the 
 precept, even becaufe of this obftinate unbend- 
 ing to myftery. But in fpite of all thy ratio- 
 nality, one Jhall be, no lefs than three \ and three 
 jhall be no more than one. The credit given to 
 this fmgle article, the matter of which is fu- 
 perlatively incredible, pays the honour due 
 D to 
 
1 8 Letter the firj}, 
 
 to Church tejlimony -, the fafe and fliort way to 
 Church-favour, and to Church-falvation. But 
 if thou choofefl to open thine eyes, and to rea- 
 fon on the matter or object of thy faith, thou 
 art fpiiitually proud, and vainly daring! and 
 becaufe not heroical, from that moment thou 
 commenceft heretical; and art in the high road 
 to damnation. 
 
 Thou art verily in this tremendous conditi- 
 on, tho' reafon and virtue are tlie fole beau- 
 ty, and fole falvation of all. and the Deity 
 is all reafon in his nature, condufl, and com- 
 mands. Ay; and tho' the great, invariable, 
 eternal alternative, throughout his creation, is, 
 
 OR REASON OR RUIN. 
 
 How unfathomable the deeps of churchifml 
 how impenetrable her myfberies ! and how 
 much more than fupremely adorable, her 
 authority I fhe has the faculty of cre::ting con- 
 tradiclions in confiltence. and of confecrating 
 abfurdity and falfhood. what omnipotence 
 cannot do, flie has done ; and we have the telli- 
 mony of one of her moft pathetic Itriking pens, 
 to conciliate our reverence of her fupreme fu- 
 premacy, and our credit to her iiiper-almighti- 
 nefs. 
 
 If, after all, we fhould make the bold adven- 
 ture of with-holding the homage fne claims of 
 an heroic taith •, we muil e'en be content to be 
 
 damn'd 
 
On fyjlejiiatic tafle. 19 
 
 damn'd by the Church, for the fake of having 
 falvation only from him whofe nature, conduft, 
 and commands are all reafon. • 
 
 On this rock, Honoured Siry let you and I 
 build our expectations of the felicity, that is 
 final. 
 
 I am 
 
 Yours &c. 
 
 D 2 
 
 A Second 
 
20 
 
 A fecond Letter 
 
 A Second LETTER, 
 
 O N 
 
 Systematic Taste 
 
 SIR, 
 
 ^^^^ Letter in the London Evening Poft, 
 
 ^"^A ^ ^^ J^"^ 7^'^^ ^755- ^i^ed Laicus, 
 >'![2l tho' void of reafoning, was declama- 
 
 Csfei.^\a^ tory. It is not very uncommon for 
 writers, to ftudy the art o'l alarming the pafiions. 
 They faften on thefe, the more effeftually to a- 
 bufe and miilead the human underftanding : ef- 
 pecially, fhould reHgion, or politics furnilh the 
 
 them.e. In traffic or commerce, the meafure 
 
 would be obnoxious : men v/ould merit uni- 
 verfal contempt, who flic u Id affeft to a(Hx names 
 to things, without any fort of agreement. 
 
 And can it be lefs criminal in any, to cre- 
 ate prejudices againft perfons or opinions, by 
 an arbitrary and groundlefs aflbciation ? Such 
 as that of clafling together, Jeii's, Athetfls, Tie' 
 ifis and Socinians ? Were we to afic Laicus 
 the reafon of this affortment ? it would be no 
 g.eat prefumption to conclude him unable to 
 aiTign a more plaufible reafon, than that, 
 " he had heard or read of thefe different 
 
 appcl- 
 
On fyjlematic tajle, 2 1 
 
 appellations given to men of different opini- 
 ons." But after all, he never knew a man 
 of common fenfe, pretend an affinity between 
 them. For, a Jew^ is confefTedly one who 
 owns the exiftence of a God \ and is of opinion, 
 that the Mofaic Difpenfation docs yet remain 
 unabolilhed. A Deift^ in modern phrafe, is 
 one v/ho believes in the being of a God, but 
 denies any exprefs divine revelation, or a par- 
 ticular providence. An Atheift holds opinions 
 which deny a God and a providence. A Soci- 
 nian believes in one God, and owns both a di- 
 vine revelation, and a providence. Thus va- 
 rious and inconfiftent, are the fyftems of thefe 
 feveral denominations. 
 
 As well might Laicus have thought of uniting 
 fire and water, and of eflablifhing a communi- 
 on between light and darknefs. neverthelefs, 
 with him, they are alike the enemies of truth *, 
 and at much the fame remove from the chrif- 
 tian faith. They are all of them dangerous to 
 the Conftitution. But if any has the lead, in 
 its formidable tendency, it is that of the Socman. 
 " Pvcligion, however the Church, would be ex- 
 pofed to certain deflruflion, if once the ad- 
 miniflration of a Chriftian Kingdom Ihould 
 fall into fuch hands." 
 
 Bigotry thus amazingly blinds the eye, and 
 manacles the reafon of man. Had Laicus ever 
 ufed his underftanding, or made any extenfive 
 enquiry into hiftory, he muft have known, that 
 
 in 
 
22 A fecond heiter^ 
 
 in Charles the II'" time, [one of his fa- 
 vourite princes,] WiUiam Penn^ the conftituted 
 Governour of Penfylvania, obtained this firft 
 article m xht Charter of Privileges^ March 4th, 
 1680. " That all perfons living in this pro- 
 vince, who confefs and acknowledge the one 
 almighty and eternal Gcd, to be the Creator, 
 Upholder, and Ruler of the world : and that 
 hold themfelves obliged, in confcience, to live 
 peaceably and juftly in civil fociety, lliall in no 
 ways be molefted or prejudiced for their religi- 
 ous perfuafion, or pradice in matters of faith or 
 worfhip •, nor (hall they be compelled at any 
 time to frequent or maintain any religous 
 
 worfliip, place or miniflry whatever. And 
 
 ail perfons who alfo profefs to believe in 
 Jefus Chrift, the Saviour of the world, fhall 
 be capable, (notwithftanding their other per- 
 fuafions and pratftices in point of confcience 
 and religion^ to fcrve this Government in 
 any capacity, both Icgiilatively and execu- 
 tively, he or they folcmnly promifmg, when 
 lawfully required, allegiance to the King as fo- 
 vereign, f!s?f." — compare laws agreed upon in 
 England, april 25, 1682. or the Charter of Li- 
 berty to the people of Penfylvania^ to the fame pur- 
 pofe J refpe6ling the univerfal toleration, and 
 the unreHrained rights of confcience. 
 
 o 
 
 If a government of fuch complexion, could 
 fuppofe this plan mod conducive to the benefit 
 of an infant Colony, and the proper bafis of its 
 
 growth 
 
On JyfiemaUc tcfie. 23 
 
 groYv'th and advancement to perfe(5i:ion and glo- 
 ry •, Tmuus is as blind as a beetle, if he does 
 not fee his own abfurdity, in fuppofmg religi - 
 on at all expofed to danger, by the adminiftrati- 
 on of a Kingdom falling iiito the hands of a 
 Socinian: unlefs he was able to Cacw, that the 
 Socifiian tenets have more tendency to abridge 
 men of the rights of confcience, than the Atha- 
 nafian^ or the Arian. But if, on the other 
 hand, it iliould be manifcft, that of all rhe dif- 
 tinguifhing opinions, that of the Unitcriayis bids 
 the faireft for encouraging an univerfal tolera- 
 tion, and an unlimited freedom of mind in all 
 religious profelTion and pradice -, then, his ap- 
 prehenfions are all chimerical, and his panic 
 childifh and fanatical. 
 
 If any evils could arife, to the juft and equal 
 meafures of civil government, from an uni- 
 verfal toleration ; there was more reafon to ap- 
 prehend it in a Colony, remote irom the cen- 
 ter of flipreme power, and to be peopled from 
 
 various nations and Kingdoms. But Pexn 
 
 was fagacious and di fcsrning-, he aimed at the 
 llandard of reafon and nature, in the firft prin- 
 ciple of the conflitution : and he found the ad- 
 vantage, unknown to unreafonable and intole- 
 rant fbates and communities, where the fyflem 
 throws in, befides negative difcouragements, 
 other tokens of capricious pov/erj or rather, the 
 v.'e^kneflcrs of rule and fovereignty. — 
 
 I will 
 
24 ^ Second Letter^ 
 
 I will endeavour to point out the origin of 
 the Bigotry, by the afliftance of Monfieur nayk ; 
 who, if I underftand him aright, has finely 
 rallied the Mystic, in t-he reafons he has af- 
 figned for the admifllon of myftery in religion. 
 ** The fpeculative myfteries of religion, fais he, 
 are little troublefome to the people •, they will^ 
 indeed, tire a profeflbr of Divinity very intent 
 upon them in order to explain them, and an- 
 fwer the objeftions of the Heretics, fome other 
 ftudious men who examine them with great cu- 
 riofity, may be alfo troubled by the refiftance of 
 their reafon -, but all other men are at perfeft 
 eafe about it : they believe, or fancy they be- 
 lieve, all that is faid of them, and quietly refl 
 in that perfualion. wherefore he would not be 
 far from fanaticifm, who could imagine that 
 citizens and peafants, foldiers and gentlemen, 
 would be freed from an heavy yoke, if they 
 were difpenfed from believing tht Trinity^ and 
 the Hypojlatical union. They like much better a 
 doflrine that is myfterious, incomprehenfible, 
 and above reafon : they are more apt to admire 
 what they do not comprehend ; they form to 
 themfelves an idea of it more fublirhc, and alfo 
 more comfortable.'** 
 
 Thus artful are the niyftics. they have the 
 addrefs to manage the weaknelTes, and footh the 
 Vanities and extravagancies of mankind. The 
 
 fchemc 
 
 * Sec his note ^H) on Socinus. 
 
On fyfiematlc tafte. 2 5 
 
 fcheme of policy, fuits with the great aim of 
 popularity: for the more the glare of thefe con- 
 fecrated meteors, their vifionaiy preternaturciis, 
 the more certain the infatuation, fo that myfte- 
 ry in religion, is of the very elTence oiwihhcraft, 
 forcery, or incantation ; as it bereaves a man 
 of his underftanding, deludes his fenfes, and ac- 
 cuftoms him to thofe irrational and wild exer- 
 cifes of the mind, which will prepare him for 
 the extraordinary fervices of the prieft, or for 
 thofe of the prince^ who would gladly exercife a 
 fovereignty over his faith and his confcience. 
 
 The footfteps of Bigotry^ in all its ftrange and 
 allonifhing effeds on the human foul, may, per- 
 haps, be thus traced with more certainty to its 
 fource, than any other way. The plaufible 
 pretence, is, " that God, out of his infinite 
 wifdom has accommodated himfelf to the ftate 
 of man, by mixing darknefs with light in his 
 revelations." -f But what it Cesar faid this, 
 it is not the nearer to truth, for being his opi- 
 nion. One much more wife and knowing 
 
 than Cefar^ has contradivfled the apothegm, by 
 afTuring us, " that fo far from being worthy of 
 any revelation from God-, no rational man would 
 fo much as light a candle in order to put it under a 
 cover, or bujhel." Butwould not this be charge- 
 able on a revelation, if darknefs was defignedly 
 mixed with its light ? or will any fay, that 
 darknefs can be defigned to guide the operati- 
 
 E ons 
 
 t Bavle ibid. 
 
26 A Second Letter, 
 
 ODS of the human rr;iiid, or affiil any of its la- 
 bours ? Thofe who walk by it, will neceirariiy 
 flumble. and their condemnation mull be this, 
 " they chofj it rather than lif2:ht." Thro' an 
 ahe^-tcd indolence, and a vicious ilupidity they 
 f.inGicd rather to amiife themfelves with the ima- 
 gery of nightly vifions, than with thofe objefts 
 which couit the examination of open day. 
 
 The myilic fyfiem v,ill necelTarily have a fa- 
 vourable glance from the Lady, who had a- 
 dopted tnis maxim, " We efteem thofe men 
 moft, tlic extent of whofe ability we know not v 
 tor we always prefume t\\Q belt of what we fee 
 but by half." J A maxim worthy the pen of 
 Mndtzm de S.wli', or ot any other woman, who is 
 moil dtiighted with the refveries of imagination. 
 But, by no means, does it agree with the operati- 
 ons of reafon, which are flow, gradual, cool and 
 foher. which fupprefs i\-\^ fallies, and reitrain the 
 flights of the roving fancy '. and which gives rules, 
 too rigid and feverc lor fuch lively fpirits, much 
 hap],:ier in. their wild excurfions, and who only 
 enjoy themfclves in their extaric tranfports ! — 
 We, neverthelds, juftlv venerate men, as well 
 as do confide in thcni, from the excellencies wc 
 actually difcc rn in them •, and not becaufe of 
 what we guefs may poffibly be their accompiifn- 
 mencs., but arc abfolutely hidden from us. — the 
 latter may bell fuiit the tafte of a fine L.?Aj, whofe 
 erudition has been in Novel and Romance -, or 
 
 %\hoic 
 
 X Bayle ihld. 
 
Oh fyfiematic ta/le, 2 J 
 
 v/hofe devotions have been in vifions, raptures, 
 and abdracftions •, but the former v/iil ever guide 
 the honours, which are paid by reafon and jucU^e- 
 nient. 
 
 I am ahnoil conftrained to cite a ^araairrph, 
 from a brother of liis, of Brazcr. N-je., Ox- 
 1 oiiD ; — " ?vly{leries would undoubtejiy never 
 have been revealed, unlefs they were defigned 
 to be enquired into ; but then, as they are 
 myileries, that fliould be futncient to admo- 
 nifh us, fuch inquiries fhoald always be attend- 
 ed with reverence, and profound humility : 
 wherefore it may and ot:en docs happen, where 
 the unlearned is fatisfted and content with a ge- 
 neral account, that his conception of a divine- 
 ly revealed truth is clr-arer than that of the 
 more learned, avIio will not rctl eafy without 
 divine: for conviiftion incO particulars." * 
 
 I fhould imagine, this doughty defender of 
 iiiyilery, miftcok Bayle ; in his inter.ding to 
 make f.ich an a::)Dlication of, and improvement 
 upon him. But how much like bhakefpeeys 
 bafclefs fabric ? how exrremt'lv ridiculous the 
 account of myilery ? *' vvii-ch would never 
 have been revealed, unlefs defigned to be in- 
 quired into. And yet, thofj who are fatisfied 
 and content v/ith a general account ; in other 
 words, thofe who enquire not at all, have clear- 
 er conceptions than thc-y who do enquire." — 
 E 2 this 
 
 .* i'cc/Vi*.' flxteer.tri SeriT;. p. lU. i 755. piintcd by iV<.rifj. 
 
28 A Secojid Letter^ 
 
 this is what he has virtually faid, and is nearly 
 the very fame thing with Bayle's faying, 
 " fpecLilative myfleries of religion are little 
 troabiefome to the people : they will, indeed, 
 tire a profejfor of Divinity very intent upon them, 
 in order co explain them, and anfwer the ob- 
 jections of the Heretics." — 
 
 I Ihould fuppofe, Laiciis had his fentiments 
 from Bayle. Yet, what is a myilery revealed ? 
 what is it, but a myflery opened, explained 
 and done av/ay; all its obfcurity being removed ? 
 And if it be, the difficulty of knowing what it 
 means, is no m.ore ; and the unlearned may un- 
 derftand it full as well as the learned. — No, but 
 fais the fame Oxonian^ " Myfleries were re- 
 vealed to be enquired into, and embraced, but 
 not to be difcovered or comprehended, for then 
 they would ceafe to be fuch ; neither are they 
 the lefs important for being obfcure, as our ad- 
 verfaries would infmuate, but fometimes the 
 mere fo upon that very account." — * 
 
 So inconfiflent are thefe trinity defenders ; for 
 before, he gave the preference to the unlearn- 
 ed; becaufe fatished and content with a general 
 account, and as having clearer conceptions than 
 the learned enquirer, whereas now it ihould 
 feem, that the more a learned enquirer can 
 puzzle the fubjed, the more obfcure he can 
 make it, fon^etimes it will be the mere impor- 
 tant. — No doubt, the very learned Univerfity^ 
 v/as extrem.cly honoured and divinely edified, 
 
 by 
 
 * Ibid. p. 17, 18, 
 
On fyflematic tafle. 29 
 
 by the matchlefs rcafonings and heavenly in- 
 ftrudions of this preacher ! 
 
 What, in the name of truth, do thefe my- 
 fiics aim at ? would they again involve us in the 
 darknefs of Egypt ! and Ipread the fable vail of 
 popery once more over us ^ There is, in the 
 defence and illuftration of myftery, fo much of 
 the effrontery of a prefuming fpirit; and always 
 fo much cenforioufnefs, with fo little charity, 
 or benevolence, that one would be inclined to 
 reje6l the tenet, from the very fpirit of the ad- 
 vocate. Sociniis and Arius, with all their fol- 
 lowers, are appointed their portion in outer 
 darknefs, by thefe very confident fons of myf- 
 tery. 
 
 It is beyond meafure aflonifhing! that perfons 
 who confult the facred teachings of Jefus and 
 his Apoftles, fhould ever once imagine, " that 
 any U'uth can be held in righteoufnefs, which is 
 not held in charity." Chriftian faith and love 
 can no more be feparated in the moral, than 
 light and the meridian ray of the fun, can be in 
 the natural world. No criterion of truth is fo 
 convincing as that o^ gcodnefs. Love is the end 
 of the commandment. So that to want bene- 
 volence, is to fall Ihort of the grace of the Gof- 
 pel. The Bigot fhould tremble, v/hilft he reads 
 his new teftament. how heavy, how tremendous 
 the weight of judgment, that hangs over the 
 cenforious fpirit ! fince, with isjhat meafure he 
 meteth, it fhall he meafured to him a?nin ! 
 
 Theft; 
 
30 ^ Second Letter, 
 
 Thefe fyflematics plead very fpecioudy for 
 unity in the faith •, out never conceive ol the 
 unity^ as having no other tenure, than tbe tend 
 of peace. So furely is the fyflematic taite, a vi- 
 ciated one-, that either corrupts th^ truth, or 
 clie holds it in unris-hteoufnefs : i. e. with bit- 
 ternels, wrath, envy, and nTalice \ v/ith evil- 
 fpeaking and calumny, and with injurious ufagc 
 of perfons and charaders. And, without con- 
 troverfy, that zeal is unhallowed, which is not 
 of the charitable and benevolent coinplexion to- 
 wards all men. 
 
 The late Dr. Jeremiah Hunt has finely and ef- 
 fedually expofed Bigotry and Prieftly power, 
 in an aphorifm or two. — " Of all the rights of 
 men, none are fo facred as thofe of confcience. 
 — God is the only moral governour of the uni- 
 verfe •, if we could give up theie our rights, it 
 v/ould be great impiety to difpofe of his.-—AYi 
 affeftation of dominion over the confciences of 
 men, is abfurd and wicked, all fubmifiion to 
 fuch unrighteous ufurpations, is bafe and fer- 
 vile." — See Serm. Vol. IV. 
 
 To return from this dlgreffion, to the Lctter- 
 v/riter. Laiciis^ as if aware of his inability of 
 rcafoning, would gladly give weight to his no- 
 tion, by making it the bafis of religion and of 
 the Church's fafety. And in his panic cries our, 
 *' ruinl dejlruuionl if ever the adminiftration ot 
 a Chriilian Kingdom lliould fal- into tlie hands 
 
 of 
 
Om fyftematic tajlt. 3 1 
 
 of Jtheijls, Socinians or Je-ws."' Strange, he 
 fiiould be under apprehenfion from the Jew f 
 But aias ! there once was a Bill for rendering 
 
 ea y th;"ir Na'.Uiaiization. Laicus is not lefs 
 
 terrified from ihe fcheme of the candid Difqtiift- 
 tc.s ? which led me to refemble him to an infa- 
 mous Divvfte^ I once heard curse them, in one 
 ef our city -pulpits. I mean, the man whom 
 Orcaor Henley did very pertinently reprefent, as 
 having advanced the abfurdity of Muggleton, 
 in his Sclf-exijlence of Jefus. — a man of this cafi- 
 will rail and ramble, abufe and calumniate, 
 without any remorfe. Jews and Atheijis^ Deifts 
 and Socinians, are, with him, men of the very 
 
 fam.e religious complexion :-* and yet, poor 
 
 wretch ! there is no man who ufeth his under- 
 ftanding, and has formed any juft ideas of opi- 
 nions, and of the nature and reafon of things, 
 but would prefer even atheifm itfelf to his 
 chriilianity, — Nor is there the leaft danger of 
 miilake, when v/e aflirm, that to fuch extrava- 
 gant fpirits, bloated with vanity, unfuffcrable 
 vanity, the divine and rational Scheme of the 
 Gofpel, has b'^en mad-c obnoxious to the fneer 
 of the indolent fuperficial enquirer. But this 
 will be the cafe, whilfl men choofe to form a 
 judgm.entof chriilianity from church-men, from 
 hum.an fyftems, or from popular names ; ra- 
 ther than from the Gofpels themfelves. 
 
 Religicn^ that of the chriftian, has nothing 
 at all to do with the fancies, dreams, and whim- 
 fies of men, whofe heads ai-e giddy with myf- 
 t-ery, with notions of fpiritual dominutior, and 
 
 with 
 
32 A Second Letter^ 
 
 with civil emoluments of title, rank, and reve- 
 nue. Such clergy, would contend as earneftly 
 lor the peculiar notions of Arminim^ as of CaJ- 
 'cin ; for thofe of Socinus as of Athanafms -, if 
 the temporalities did but happen to be annexed 
 to articles of fuch complexion. — The bounce of 
 Laicus on the Liturgy and Articles of our 
 church, is extremely ridiculous, as it would 
 infmuate, there is no chriftianity without its 
 pale 5 tho' the very fame civil power which has 
 given her epifcopal conflitution its exiftence, e- 
 qually countenanceth and protects an anti-epif- 
 copal one beyond the T'-jueed. — 
 
 This bigotted churchm.an is confoundedly a- 
 fraid of Socimamfw, notwithftanding. and fuch 
 are his paroxifms, as would incline one to think 
 him bit by a mad dog j and that the virulence 
 of the poilbn, inftead of exhibiting the hydro- 
 pboMa, has taken this unhappy turn, and vents 
 itfelf on Sociniamfm. 
 
 The examination I have been able to make, 
 into the peculiar tenets of thefe obnoxious peo- 
 ple, has inform'd me of their hypothefis dif- 
 fering from thofe of other chriftians, princi- 
 pally, in their deiiying the Pre-existence of 
 Jefus Chrijl. They confider him as truly and 
 properly man*, tho' conceived in the womb of 
 the virgin, by an immediate divine energy thus 
 made of a woman^ of a Jewifh family, and fa 
 under the law. They underftand his being sent 
 from God., to mean, his divine commiflion, at- 
 
 tefted 
 
On Jyftematic tnjle. 33 
 
 tefled by a prefence of divine wilciom and pow- 
 er, that was with him. They underfLand, that 
 the glory he had with the father before the wd ids 
 "jjere^ was, in the fcheme only of the divine 
 purpole ; and that the exiftence he had be- 
 fore Abraham^ only was in the promife and pro- 
 phecy. And that, the world's being made by 
 hiniy intends no more than the difpofition of the 
 ages, and his having pre-eminence over all, 
 in confequence of his obedience unto the death. 
 
 They are of opinion, that Godhead, does 
 not import, any number of perfons -, but only 
 the majefty and dominion of one. And hence 
 conclude it altogether abfurd, to afl-;, " how 
 many perfons are there in the Godhead ?" 
 when reafon and revelation agree, " there can 
 be none other than one God. whofe eternal 
 power and godhead are made known, in the 
 works of creation and providence. And per- 
 haps, it will be more difficult to affix abfurdity 
 to this hypothefis, than thefe heated fpirits ima- 
 gine. I fliould rather undertake a defence of 
 their tenets, than either that of the athayiqfian^ 
 or of the arian. for it appears, to me, that 
 the notion of /^VY^diftindtperfox'^s of equal per- 
 fe6lion and glory, is incompatible and inconfif- 
 tent with the unity of God. v/hich yet is the 
 chief corner flone of the Aihariafan. And as 
 to the other hypothefis, which reduceth the 
 claims of two of the three perfons, in point of 
 unorigination and independence ^ by givi=,g thefe 
 perfeclions only to one \ at the fame time, le- 
 F tairsing 
 
34 A fecond Letter, 
 
 taining to the other two, an eternal generation 
 and proceeding ; this furely is but a very fmall 
 and unfatistactory reBnement upon, or an im- 
 provement of the tritheilical fyftem. For which 
 reafon, 1 have been tempted to conclude, the So- 
 cinians bid full as tair for a near approach to truth, 
 as either the t7'inic avians or the arians. nay, the 
 unity feenis to be much better fecured with them-, 
 becaufe in their interpretation the myfiery does 
 totally vaniili — . 
 
 As to moral deduflions, cr practical ufc- 
 ful influences from opinion or fentiment, the 
 Socinian may bo?.ft far m.ore fupericr advantage : 
 becaufe his apprehenfions oi the Deity are more 
 fimpie and clear, and the unity of the objed: of 
 his adoration much more diflindl. Befides, his 
 corxeptions of the merits and right eoufnefs^ the 
 obedience and fulferings of Chrift , are far lefs 
 perplexed and conruled, than they can be in the 
 op-nion of hispioper Deity, or of his half deity 
 and compounded humanity. The very excil- 
 taticn of Jefus, as a reward of his obedience 
 to the death, the Socinian better can conceive 
 of and account for, than if he had fuppof- 
 ed him to have exifbed with God for ever, 
 and rhat all the worlds were aelually made by 
 him : fnce fuch dignity of nature, does not 
 feeni at all capable either of the metarncrpho- 
 fis of humanity, or the yipcihecfis of divinity. 
 And in the article of his exemplary obedience, 
 there is great contufion in both the trinitarian 
 and arian hypothefis : whereas, in the Socinian, 
 
 Jefus 
 
On fyjiematic fafte, 3 5 
 
 Jefus Chriil: was capable of temptation, and in 
 all points was formed like unto man \ and there- 
 fore became a proper and encouraging example 
 of piety and virtue. 
 
 It would be well if the protean Ldcm^ in fome 
 lucid interval, would fhew himfeil capable of 
 reafoning on the fubjed;, fo as to favour the 
 world with a better ground ot dhlike to the So- 
 cijiian tenets, than his own dogmatical decla- 
 mation, if he does not, there is a quantity of 
 fhame and confufion, that is righteouily his due, 
 and muft one day pour down on the head of 
 his ftupidity and infolence. — I fhall only add, — 
 
 There is no longer any fecret, in the great 
 averlion that church- m>en have to Socviianijm. 
 for what Hobes faid of fome men, ^vi-z. " they 
 are againft reafon, becaufe reafon is againlt 
 them :" may be faid in the cafe before us, 
 *' The CRY is loud and padionate againil the 
 Sccinian^ only becaufe his tenets are fo irrecon- 
 cileable to myftery and church-fyftem." It is 
 not becaufe of its abfurdity -, but becaufe oi its 
 unyeilding obilinacy. It v/ili net mingle with 
 creeds, with litanies, with articles of eiiablifh- 
 ed, current orthodoxy : and is an enemy to all 
 fpiritual power and tyranny. Perfuaded, Sir, 
 you will adm.it of nothing as religious, but 
 what is rational : 
 
 / nm, 
 
 F 2 Tour, i£c. 
 
36 A third Letter^ 
 
 L E T T E R the Third, 
 
 O N 
 
 Systematic Taste. 
 
 SIR, 
 
 ^^r^ HERE are not any, I fhould ima- 
 ^' T % gine, who read the difcourfes of the 
 e^^"^ prefent Biftjop of London, that can, 
 with a good grace, deny him the re- 
 putation of a line pen. His language is mufi- 
 cal, his periods flowing, his ityle eafy and en- 
 gaging : veiy fprightly mixtures of wit embel- 
 lifh and enliven them. Neither are fome of 
 them, without merit in their reafoning, theo- 
 logy, and morality. 
 
 True it is, notwithfuanding, th.a.t this Chinhman 
 has not written always, either with peifpicuity or 
 confiftency. A remarkable point of doclrine 
 we fnali pitch upon, in which he has very pre- 
 fumptuoufly lliut his eyes, waded out of his 
 depth, and fadly plunged in obfcurity and con- 
 tradiction : I mean, that of the operations and 
 ' influences of the Spirit. Vol. lid. Difc. lid. 
 
 The Bifijop and Jjv. Sherlock, fhall be placed 
 in two diilinit columns, by as diflinCl cita- 
 tions from the very fame volume. 
 
 Eifliop 
 
On fyftematic tnjle. 
 
 37 
 
 BiJJjop of London. 
 I. 
 
 IF men were able of 
 themlelves to do the 
 whoie will of God, and 
 {o to apply to him as 
 to enga^T-e his favour 
 and mercy, and to ob- 
 tain falvaiion for them- 
 felves at his hands ; 
 you will find it very 
 hard to account for 
 
 the REASONABLENESS 
 
 of the chriftian reli- 
 gion, which provides 
 ■preternatural ajjijlances 
 to enable us to do that 
 which nature can do 
 without them. p. 32. 
 
 Dr. Sherlock, 
 
 I. 
 
 Ascribing faith to 
 the operation 
 of the fpirit, does not 
 make our faith ceafe to 
 be a reafonable act of 
 the mind. p. 54. 
 
 II. But 
 
3B A third Letter, 
 
 Bijhop of Londo7i. Dr. Sherlock. 
 
 I do not remember 
 that God ever pro- 
 mifed to force or fab- 
 due our reafon to the 
 beliet ot the gofpel by 
 his fpirit. p. 57. 
 II 
 
 But tho* reafon, up- 
 on due application, 
 can difcern the truth, 
 yet it cannot govern 
 the corrupt v ill • and 
 therefore it is one thing 
 to judge with reafon, a- 
 nother thing to act with 
 reafon : and the grace 
 cf obedience is given us 
 by the fpirit, that we 
 may not only thixik, 
 but act like reafona- 
 ble creatures, p. 58. 
 
 III. The 
 
 II. 
 
 Reafon is the com- 
 mon rule by which we 
 judge of the adions of 
 all reafonable beings, 
 and of our own. p. 
 
 Reafon 
 
On fyjlematic fajle. 39 
 
 Bl/f:op of London. Dr, Sherlock. 
 
 Reafon will not al- 
 ways Jlrive with man\ 
 but if often fubdued 
 by corrupt affedions, 
 it will at laft give over 
 the conteft, and grow 
 hard, ftupid, and void 
 of feeling, p. 20 j. 
 
 Since God has given 
 lis reafon and under- 
 ftanding to moderate 
 and direcfl our pafli- 
 ons, it is in vain tx> 
 plead our paflions in 
 defence or excufe of 
 fenfuality ; unlefs at 
 the fame time we could 
 plead that we were 
 void of reafon, and 
 had no higher princi- 
 ple than paflion to in- 
 fluence our a6lions. — 
 It is the v/ork of rea- 
 fon then to prefide o- 
 ver the paflions. p. 
 178, 179. 
 
 Reafon is given to 
 
 man to govern the 
 
 lower appetites, and to 
 
 keep 
 
4C> A third Leffery 
 
 Bifiop of London. Dr. Sherlock, 
 
 keep them within their 
 proper bounds-, in this 
 confifts the virtue of 
 man : this is the tri- 
 al to which he is call- 
 ~ ed ; and the prize con- 
 tended for is no lefs 
 than, immortahty p. 
 190^ 
 III. 
 
 The fpirit dwells 
 with the faithful, to 
 guide and direct them, 
 to fecond and encou- 
 rage their good defires, 
 to help them in over- 
 coming their infirmi- 
 ties, in a word, to 
 labour together with 
 them, in the work of 
 their falvation, to make 
 their calling and elec- 
 tion fure. p. 33- 
 
 Our Saviour's doc- 
 trine, is, that without 
 the affiftance of the 
 fpirit ive can do nothings 
 but with it we may 
 bring forth fruit. To 
 bring 
 
 III. kn 
 
0;? fyjlcmattc tajle. 41 
 
 Biff:cp of London. I^r, Sherlock, 
 
 bring forth fnilt, — is 
 to be obedient to the 
 laws of God, and to be 
 employed in the works 
 of righteoufnefs : fo 
 that faith cannot be 
 perfected, or become 
 the governing princi- 
 ple of our lives, wiih- 
 cut the ajjljlance of the 
 fpirit^ to fubdue our 
 wills to the law of 
 holinefs. p. 53. 
 
 This is an argument 
 for immediate care and 
 induflry •, God 'ujork- 
 eth in us "jobsn he thinks 
 fit. ,p. 74; 
 
 For this very rea- 
 fon we are careful and 
 diligent, becaufe of our 
 felves 'iL'e can do no- 
 thing, p. jy. 
 
 IV. Faith 
 
 III. 
 
 An internal proof 
 
 of Deity arifing from 
 
 Confcience, ana the re- 
 
 G jleccion 
 
42 A ^hird Letter^ 
 
 Bijhop of London. Dr. Sherlock. 
 
 flection of the mind 
 upon the good or evil 
 we do, amounts to the 
 fulleft declaration of 
 the power of God, and 
 is the compleateft pro- 
 mulgation of his law 
 to mankind that can 
 be defired or expected, 
 with refpect to the au- 
 thority of God, and the 
 common laws of mo- 
 rality, fuch care is tak- 
 en, that the promulga- 
 tion is made at every 
 man's door^ nay, in his 
 very heart, p. 394. 
 
 Morality not being 
 founded primarily up- 
 on the authority of re- 
 velation, but upon that 
 reafon which is a com- 
 77ion gift to mankind, 
 every man mult an- 
 fwer for the ufe of 
 his own reafon : and 
 where reafon fhews him 
 the difference of good 
 and evil, he is with- 
 out 
 
On fyftematic tajie. 43 
 
 Bifiop of London. Dr. Sherlock. 
 
 out excufe. Reafon 
 
 was given for the very 
 purpofe, to govern 
 paflion, and the fub- 
 mitting to paflion and 
 temptation againfb the 
 lio-ht of reafon is the 
 very depravity and cor- 
 ruption of heart that 
 calls for vengeance, p- 
 
 121, 122. 
 
 This Senfe of good 
 and evil, ^v/hich is 
 natural to rational 
 minds and is thus 
 guarded agaipift falfe 
 and corrupt interpre- 
 tations by the power 
 of confcience, is a g'eat 
 juftification of the 
 goodnefs and equity of 
 God, in taking care 
 to promulge his laws 
 fufficiently to all who 
 are bound to obey them, 
 and to make their du- 
 ty clear and evident to 
 them ; without which 
 we fhould not be able 
 to difcern him to be 
 the righteous judge of 
 the world, in which 
 G 2 character 
 
% 
 
 44 -^ Third Letter, 
 
 Biflcop ofLondoit. Dr. Sherlock. 
 
 charader vje are chiefly 
 concerned to know him. 
 p. 398. 
 
 We may obferve 
 what care the author of 
 nature has taken, not 
 only to manifeft him- 
 felf and his laws to us, 
 but Hkewife to fecure 
 our obedience, and 
 thereby our eternal 
 happinefs and welfare. 
 
 P- 399- 
 IV. 
 
 - Faith is afcribed to 
 
 tliis difpofition wrought 
 
 by the Spirit of God. 
 
 p. ni, 
 
 ^ ■" IV. 
 
 The affent of the 
 mind to the truth of 
 religion is an act ot 
 REASON, and muft be 
 lb notwithftanding the 
 f^ifts and affiftances 
 of the fpirit which are 
 previous to the afient 
 of the mind •, fo I hope 
 it will not be thought 
 it can be influenced by 
 thofe 
 
 J 
 
On fyftcmatic tajle. 45 
 
 BiJJxip of London, Dr, Sherlock, 
 
 thofe that are confe- 
 quent to it. Faith is 
 not perfected but thro* 
 obedience. The pow- 
 er to obey and to 
 love God, we afcribe 
 to the fpi/it. Now 
 you cannot obey God 
 'till you know what is 
 the will of God; there- 
 fore you muftfirft judge 
 of religion, before this 
 gift can operate : and 
 therefore this gift can- 
 not affect your reafon 
 one way or other. Af- 
 ter you have proved 
 and confented to the 
 truth of the Gofpel, it 
 is highly reafonableyou 
 iliould obey it. p. ^j. 
 
 If any man is willing 
 to do the will of God, 
 he fhall know of his 
 doctrine : and if fo, 
 then to be willing to 
 do the will of God, 
 muft amount to the 
 {luiie thing with being 
 of 
 
46 
 
 A I'hird Letter , 
 
 Bijhip ofhondon. 
 
 Dr, Sherlock, 
 
 V. 
 
 But tho' reafon up- 
 on due application, can 
 difcern the truth, yet it 
 cannot govern the cor- 
 rupt will : and there- 
 fore it is one thing to 
 judge with reafon, a- 
 nother to act with rea- 
 fon : and the grace of 
 obedience is given us 
 by the fpirit, that we 
 may not only think, 
 but act like reafonable 
 creatures, p. ^y. 
 
 of God, and being 
 drawn by God. p. 50. 
 
 To do the will of God, 
 is to walk in his laws, 
 is to work out our 
 own falvation. this to 
 do, under the afliftance 
 whichGod has given us, 
 depends upon cur felves : 
 we can mifcarry in no 
 point, but in this which 
 is left to our felves. p. 7 8 . 
 Natural 
 
On Jy ft email c taftc. 47 
 
 Bifhop of London » Dr. Sherlock, 
 
 Natural religion is 
 the foundation and fup- 
 port of revelation. — 
 which may call new 
 light upon the dictates 
 ojf reafon, but can ne- 
 ver contradict them. 
 I cannot liften to re- 
 velation but in confe- 
 quence of the natural 
 notion I have of God, 
 of his being, his wif- 
 dom, power and good- 
 nefs : deftroy then the 
 principle of reafon, and 
 there is no room left 
 for revelation, fhall I 
 believe it a Ipirit come 
 from God, when I 
 know that the fpirit hn 
 ■placed within me, fpeaks 
 the contrary ? In which 
 cafe, there is only this 
 choice, either to dif- 
 own God for my Cre- 
 ator, or to rejed the 
 fpirit which contra- 
 dicts the law of my 
 creation, and the light 
 of 
 
48 A Third Letter, 
 
 Bifiop of Londo?u Dr. Sherlock. 
 
 of reafon which God 
 has placed in the minds 
 of men. p. 424. 
 
 How then dees this 
 uncertainty fof a fu- 
 ture flate) affect the 
 practice of virtue, fince 
 the certainty requires 
 nothing of us but what 
 our reafon and prefent 
 interefb will teach us 
 without it. p. 402. 
 
 You fee then that the 
 common fenfe and ex- 
 pectation of mankind, 
 with refpect to the re- 
 wards and puniihments 
 of another life, is fo 
 far from being the ef- 
 fect of weaknefs and 
 fuperftition, that it is 
 the immediate refult of 
 that reafon which God 
 has given us : fo flron^ 
 a refult is from our rea- 
 fon, that it is not pof- 
 fible to JLiIlify God, 
 and the methods of his 
 pro- 
 
On fyjfematic tajle. 49 
 
 Bipop oj LondoHi Dr. Sherlock. 
 
 providence by the rea- 
 fon he has given ns, 
 without maintaining 
 the certainty of a fu- 
 ture ftate, in which fin 
 Ihall be punifhed and 
 rie;hteoufnefs reward- 
 ed p. 419. 
 
 Whether the extra6ls made, are oppofed in 
 the b'eft manner, I will not fay : but they are 
 fo contrafted, as to enable any reader, of com- 
 mon fenfe and careful attention, to conclude 
 with me, 
 
 I. That there is not only obfcurity, but contra- 
 dittion in the Bishop's difcourfes. for he would 
 place the operations and influence of the fpirit 
 in a light which does not confift, at all, with 
 what he has faid of the fufficiency and fuprema- 
 cy of reafon, in all matters of religion and mo- 
 rality. 
 
 II. He has endeavoured to convey an idea of 
 the Spirit^s agency, repugnant to that freedom 
 and fulnefs of the human powers of volition 
 and adion, which he himfclf has flrongly af- 
 ferted. for he fais, that of ourfelves 'u:e can do 
 nothing; and has, abfurdly enough, afligned 
 this as a reafon, why we are careful and dili- 
 
 H gent 
 
50 A third Letter, 
 gent, page 77. all the while, he has made the 
 whole efficacy of tlie Spirit's operations and in- 
 fluences to depend upon our f elves, page 78. And 
 not content with this extravagance, in urging 
 this reafon of care and diligence, becaufe of our 
 inability to do any thing •, he moreover points 
 the motive for immediate care and induftry, 
 from " God's working in us, when he thinks 
 fit." Than which, lurely nothing can burlefque 
 more the hum^an underftanding ; or more dil- 
 honour the divine volitions. 
 
 III. It fhould feem as if the Bifliop had an 
 infinitely more clear and confiflent notion of 
 7iatt{ral^ than lie has, or ever had, of revealed 
 religion. Since he has advanced many excel- 
 lent obfervations upon the offices and functions 
 -of reafon and confcience •, whilil he has repre- 
 fented revelation as inveloped in involved myf- 
 tery^ and iu fable darhiefs." Unpardonable is his 
 plea if he would have us think, " that there is 
 'religions niyjiery v/hich comes not within the pro- 
 vince of reaibn." He ablblutely condemns the 
 plea in the following paragraph 
 
 " We do not teach that nature and reafon 
 canncr lead to the fpeculative knowledge of di- 
 vine truths i for the evidence of all divine 
 truths refolves itfelf ultimately into either fenfe 
 or reafon •, which are the common gifts of God 
 io mankind ; by the principles of which the 
 truth of all things, depending upon the de- 
 ductions of ftwi^c and reafon, may be proved 
 
 and 
 
On fyjlematic tajle, 5 1 
 
 and examined. From the exercife of realbn we 
 come to know God, and the elTcntial difference 
 between good and evil ; and by theie principles 
 are enabled to judge of any dodlrine, whether 
 it be agreeable to the pure and holy nature of 
 God ; which is the firft pr^efumptive argument 
 
 for the truth of any divine revelation from 
 
 reafon we learn the unlimited power of God — and 
 can diflinguifli between the works which the 
 power or policy of man can perform, and the 
 works which can flow only from the unbound- 
 t^d power of God.'* page 46. 
 
 Thus has the Doctor at one fmgle ftroke dif- 
 armed the Bijhof^ myfiery, of all its enchant- 
 ment ; and difabled Enthufiafrn of all ics plea 
 of fuperiour ability, in any of the religious or 
 m.oral departments ot human agency. 
 
 And yet, in this cenfure of him, we mean 
 not to fay, that the Father of lights is unable to 
 convey inflrucflion, or throw incitements a 
 thoLifand v/ays before the eye of man, in order to 
 excite to the exercife of his reafon, and the im- 
 provement of his virtue: Still, the rank absur- 
 dity, of man's inability to ufe any divine 
 means, and the neceflity of impulfive fuperna- 
 tural impulfe, both to will and to do, remains 
 
 unmoveable. This hypothefis about the 6^/- 
 
 nV, is not compatible with the prom.ulgation of 
 law, its moral obligation upon us, and our be- 
 ing chiefly concerned to knov/ God, as our 
 judge. — It is quite inconfiftent with that autho- 
 H 2 rity, 
 
52 A third Letter :, 
 
 rity, made known at the door of every human 
 heart. 
 
 I cannot forbear the recital of page 58. 
 " grace of obedience given us by the fpirit, that 
 we may not only think, but adl hke reafonable 
 creatures." — methinks, I fee the laugh burft 
 through the lawn (leeve. — The pen of fuch a 
 genius, could not furely be grave and ferious. — 
 grace of obedience! a fpark fpan nev; one, now 
 added to the lifb of graces. Created by the right 
 reverend the Bifhop of London.. Tiiis grace of 
 obedience o-fivw by the Spirit — and not a whit more 
 unintelligible is it, than the Holy Ghost given 
 by the ntJfDcp. — yet, how may we conceive of a 
 fovereign, giving the grace of obedience to a 
 fubjecb ; when, at the fame time, all tht grace 
 of his fubjecfl's obedience, is confeffedly found, 
 in his chofen and cheerful fubjedtion r Or, what 
 idea can we form of a prince, granting his fub- 
 jecl the favour of obeying his own injunftions ? 
 Much difficulty is upon the face of this prelati- 
 cal dodlrine. And we muft fubmit to the myf- 
 tery, from an utter inability of faying, what 
 can poflibly be meant by, " the grace of obe- 
 dience given us by the fpirit, that we may not 
 only think but a6l like reafonable creatures." — 
 It is well Bijhops are not called Teachers ; a 
 reproachful term applied to Diflenting minifters. 
 Happy for the conforming laity, that they are 
 not under fiich apprehenfions about them. If 
 they were, they would foon call in queftion the 
 reafonablenefs of the Chriftian religion, becaufe 
 
 of 
 
On fyjie matte tajle. 53 
 
 of it's providing preternatural ajjiftances to enable 
 us to do that, which the Bifhop has fhewn, 
 nature can do •■without ihem. 
 
 His Lordship fliall not have reafon to fuf- 
 pe'ft partiality, iii thefe animadverfions -, for 
 h -^A'ever flagrant is his fyftematic tafte, there 
 ib not lefs extravagance daily found among 
 men, who diffent from the Eftablifhment, and 
 would be denominated, Protestants. Ma- 
 ny of thefe talk of the Spirit's affijlances, and 
 of free grace^ in the moft carnal and gracelels 
 manner. Even with rancorous refentments 
 towards thofe, who affert the freedom of the 
 human ::• ind, in its moral volitions and deter- 
 minations ! It is, v/ith them, to be unfound m 
 the faith, fhould any plead for the ufe of rea- 
 fon, in matters ot religion, and none are a- 
 lo..ed to be Gofpd preachers^ but only fuch, 
 \; Xi can folemnly veil their bonnets to myftery; 
 and confefs themfelves, the moft impotent and 
 vile of all the workmanfhip of God ! 
 
 Where ever a people or congregation, are 
 under the miniftrations of a Teacher, who is la- 
 bouring to recommend the ufe of reafon in all 
 religious matters, and v/ould perfuade his charge 
 to confider themfelves as m^oral agents and ac- 
 countable, if xhtkfyftematics have but opportu- 
 nity and folemn artifice enough, they will 
 quickly fow tares in this promifmg field, they 
 will alarm weak minds, and unfettle them, with 
 notions of unjoimdnefs in their teachers ! And 
 
 fuch 
 
54 ^ third Letter, 
 
 fuch is ufually their fuccers, that they fplit and 
 (divide, they break in pieces, churches^ that were 
 edifying on the principles of everlalling truth 
 and reafon. 
 
 Not a few of thefe zealots, under pretence of 
 doing honour to the grace of God, and of hav- 
 ing a zeal for Go/pel preachings have done un- 
 fpeal<:able mifchief to the caufe of reUgion •, and 
 have fadly weakened the hands, of the molt ra- 
 tional and worthy labourers in all Chrift's vine- 
 yard. What the end of thefe things will be, 
 God only knows, but the profpedt is very 
 gloomy ! and cannot be otherwife, fo long, as 
 the bufy-body, the wild Enthiifiaft is thrufting 
 his foul fingers into the eye of human under- 
 ftanding, and difabling the efforts of reafon, in 
 tlte fervices of piety and religion. 
 
 Whether the Bishop has not given too much 
 countenance to the fpread of this dreadful de- 
 lufion, in his inconfiftent account of the Spi- 
 rit, and its influences on the human mind, 
 may pofiibly deferve his more clofe and ferious 
 confideration. for I would, moil humbly ob- 
 ferve, that every method made ufe of, to dif- 
 unite and divide, to difcountenance and weak- 
 en the advocates for the rights of private judg- 
 ment, in all maticrs of faith and woifhip, will, 
 in its own nature and tendency, infallibly un- 
 dermine and inevitably ruin the Protestant 
 caufe, either in this, or in any other country. 
 
 Very 
 
On fyflematic tajlc, 5^ 
 
 Very confident I am, that fuch abfurdities, 
 fuch palpable contradi6lions, as we have found 
 in the BiJJoop^s difcourfes^ could never have drop- 
 ped from fuch a pen, were it not that fyftem, 
 church-fyftem, under the fmile of civil fanftion, 
 does Itrangely warp the judgment 5 and enables 
 a man to blend and compound flagrant difpa- 
 ratesj the moft dill*greeing things in all na- 
 ture. — When I fay, jyftcm^ I would intend to 
 be underilood, that of Church-Theology^ which, 
 has a magic power of infatuation. — Caft your 
 eye on page 41. where this Prelate has pre- 
 ferred the authority of the Church, to that of 
 the Old 'Tejlament writings : " Let us therefore 
 work whilft we have the light, and continually 
 pray, in the words of our Church, Lord^ take 
 ■not thine holy Spirit from z/r." A petition, ori- 
 ginally feen in Pfalm li. II. But becaufe made 
 ufe of in the eilablillied Liturgy, the prayer is 
 faid to be in the words of our Church ! Of much 
 more authority, to be fure, than if he had faid, 
 in the ivords of holy Scripture ? 
 
 And becaufe of the church, or clerical drefs 
 of the fentiment, 2 Cor. iv. 18. we have a 
 like finilning of Difcowfe xvth. page 367. 
 *' And as our Church has taught us to pray, 
 "jne may fo pafs through things temporal^ that we 
 finally lofc not the thi?7gs eternal." No doubt, the 
 citation from St. Paul, [look we noi at the 
 things which are feen^ but at the things which are 
 not fen ; fr the thingi ''Jihich are feen are tempo- 
 ral. 
 
'56 A third Letter, 
 
 raly hut the things which are not fcsn are eterrwi^j 
 would have a difrelifjiing fiatriefs in it, "hen 
 
 compared with the teaching cf our Churc ;. 
 
 A novice in Church-Tlieoiogy, however veil 
 acquainted he was with his Bible, would be apt 
 to flinch, and put an inpertinent queftion or 
 two, viz. what is meant by ourChu/chf and 
 who invefted her with authority, to teach men 
 to pray ? Does the new teftament writings ever 
 once fuppofe any church fo qualified ? and who 
 can be meant by them who are taught by hery 
 thus to pray ? If a dignified Prelate fhould be 
 thought a principal pillar of the Church, then 
 the Church teacheth herfelf. She exercifeth a 
 fpiritual authority over her own felf-fupremacy. 
 But if a Bifliop is a ruler and Governour, a 
 church -legillator -, how improperly does he 
 mention xht Church., as teaching him to pray? — 
 Or, if he would not be underftood to include 
 himfelf, but the unfanftified Laity only, and 
 them exclufively of all others, then they fhould 
 not be conceived of as any part of that Church, 
 who thus teacheth them to pray, the confe- 
 quence would then be, that the laity are no part 
 of the Church, but taught by her. 
 
 Might I form a conjefture, from the ac- 
 quaintance I have had with the New Teftament, 
 the term, Church, when ufed to fignify the 
 people of God, over whom Jefus is head and 
 Lord, will precifely include and comprehend, 
 " every fmcere Chriftian throughout the world, 
 in any and every age, from the commencement 
 
 to 
 
0?i Jyjlematic fajle. $7 
 
 to the finilhing of his reign and dominion." So 
 that it is abfolutely impoffible, that the Church 
 fhould have ever exercifed any one finglc ad of 
 legiriation, or authoritative rule, in any mat- 
 ter or thing, relative either to laith or worfhip. 
 and that of confequence, the noticm or imagi- 
 nation of the Church's teaching tis to p'ay, is 
 no better than a devout prelatical dream, that 
 may amufe, but can never inform or edify the 
 Chriftian. 
 
 It is more than time, that a proteftant Clergy- 
 did lay afide the arrogant airs of Authority; 
 and never more prefume to mention the word. 
 Church, in exclufive terms, would not they 
 think the Style very ridiculous, ii they Ihould 
 read fuch language in the Sermons of any Dif- 
 fenting- Teacher? and yet, why might not he, 
 with as much propriety, harrangue, " let us 
 continually pray in the words of our Church, 
 or, as fhe has taught us, Lord^ take not thine 
 holy Spirit from us " — Is not the Authority which 
 gives, him this inftru6lion, in every refpedl as 
 divine and obliging, as when the language and 
 ftyle is ufed by the mouth, or the pen of a 
 Diofcefan-Bijhop or a pariJJd-priefi ? If it be ; 
 and yet, in the eye of thefe Gentlemen, w^ould 
 be reckoned affeftation, and infuflerable vanity: 
 can it belefs vaninty in themfelves,to ufe thefe 
 groundlefs and unmeaning airs of Authority. 
 For whatever they have, or ever will be able to 
 fay, in the church or kingdom cfChrifi^ there is nofu- 
 periority^ no pre-eminence -, no power af domination^ 
 
 I n9 
 
58 AThird Letter, &c. 
 
 no kgijlation invejl^d in any. Rank, Title, Ho- 
 nours, civil difti nations and emoluments have 
 nothing at all to do with the Kingdom of 
 Chrift, which is not of this world. 
 
 There is but one more remark I jfhould 
 choofe to make, and with which I will con- 
 clude ; whatever thefe Church-JVriters may de- 
 fign, they have done more to fubferve the 
 caufe of infidelity, than ever they will do to 
 weaken and expofe it. They would firfl fup- 
 port myjiery •, and to do it, they egregioufly re- 
 vile reafon. So it is they build or conllruft 
 their theological fyilem. But when they have 
 to do with moral obligation, and are difen- 
 tangled from their church-tenets, they then 
 give reafon and confcience, thofe natural pow- 
 ers of man, all their fcope, energy and honours, 
 maintaining with great eclat their fupremacy. 
 
 If this be not the cafe with the BiJIocp and the 
 Author ot the Centaur not fabulous, my miftakes 
 are extravagantly wide of the truth. If I am 
 right, thefe Letters may have their ufe, infome 
 degree deteding and preventing the fpread of 
 delufion, from fyllematic tafte. 
 
 I am. 
 
 Your, &c. 
 The E N D. 
 
^ 
 

 
 J .. . /J