their own complaints of the prevalency of atheism, on the one hand, and the number of Deists on the other, sufficiently show."

I have set down this passage at large, both as a confirmation of what I said but just now; and also to show that the reflection I there made needed some other answer than a bare profession of his "regard to the salvation of men's souls." The assuming an undue authority to his own opinions, and using manifest untruths in the defence of them, I am sure is no mark that the directing men right in the way to salvation is his chief aim, And I wish, that the greater liberties of that sort which he has again taken in his Socinianism unmasked, and which I have so often laid open, had not confirmed that reflection. I should have been glad, that any thing in my book had been fairly controverted and brought to the touch, whether it had, or had not been confuted. The matter of it would have deserved a serious debate (if any had been necessary) in the words of sobriety, and the charitable temper of the Gospel, as I desired in my preface: and that would not have misbecome the unmasker's function. But it did not consist, it seems, with his design. Christian charity would not have allowed those ill-meant conjectures, and groundless censures, which were necessary to his purpose: and therefore he took a shorter course than to confute my book, and thereby convince me and others. He makes it his business to rail at it, and the author of it, that that might be taken for a confutation. For by what he has hitherto done, arguing seems not to be his talent. And thus far, who can but allow his wisdom? But whether it be that

"wisdom that is from above; first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy, and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy," I shall leave to other readers to judge.

His saying nothing to that other reflection, which his manner of expressing himself drew from me, would make one suspect it savoured not altogether of the wisdom of the Gospel; nor showed an over-great care of the salvation of souls. My words, Vindication, p. 173, are: "I know not how better to show my care of

his credit, than by entreating him, that when he takes next in hand such a subject as this, wherein the salvation of souls is concerned, he would treat it a little more seriously, and with a little more candour, lest men should find in his writings another cause of atheism, which in this treatise he has not thought fit to mention. Ostentation of wit in general, he has made a cause of atheism, p. 28. But the world will tell him, that frothy light discourses, concerning the serious matters of religion, and ostentation of trifling misbecoming wit, in those who come as ambassadors from God, under the title of successors of the apostles, in the great commission of the Gospel, are none of the least causes of atheism." But this advice, I am now satisfied, (by his second part of the same strain) was very improper for him; and no more reasonable, than if one should advise a buffoon to talk gravely, who has nothing left to draw attention, if he should lay by his scurrility.

The remainder of this fourth chapter, p. 61-67, being spent in showing why the Socinians are for a few articles of faith, being a matter that I am not concerned in, I leave to that forward gentleman to examine, who examined Mr. Edwards's exceptions against the Reasonableness of Christianity; and who, as the unmasker informs me, page 64, was chosen to vindicate my attempt, &c.

If the unmasker knows that he was so chosen, it is well. If I had known of such a choice, I should have desired that somebody should have been chosen to vindicate my attempt, who had understood it better. The unmasker and examiner are each of them so full of themselves, and their own systems, that I think they may be a fit match one for another: and so I leave these cocks of the game to try it out in an endless battle of wrangling (till death them part) which of them has made the true and exact collection of fundamentals; and whose system of the two ought to be the prevailing orthodoxy, and be received for Scripture. Only I warn the examiner to look to himself: for the unmasker has the

whip hand of him, and gives him to understand, p. 65, that if he cannot do it himself by the strength of his lungs, the vehemency of his oratory, and endless attacks of his repetitions; the ecclesiastical power, and the civil magistrate's lash, have, in store, demonstrative arguments to convince him, that his [the unmasker's] system is the only true Christianity.

By the way, I must not forget to mind the unmasker here again, that he hath a very unlucky hand at guessing. For whereas he names Socinus, as one from whom I received my platform, and says that "Crellius gave me my cue;" it so falls out, that they are two authors of whom I never read a page. I say not this, as if I thought it a fault if I had; for I think I should have much better spent my time in them, than in the writings of our learned unmasker.

I was sure there was no offending the unmasker, without the guilt of atheism; only he here, p. 69, very mercifully lays it upon my book, and not upon my design. The "tendency of it to irreligion and atheism, he has proved in an eloquent harangue, for he is such an orator he cannot stir a foot without a speech (made) as he bids us suppose, by the atheistical rabble. And who can deny, but he has chosen a fit employment for himself? Where could there be found a better speech-maker for the atheistical rabble? But let us hear him for though he would give the atheistical rabble the credit of it, yet it is the unmasker speaks. And because it is a pity such a pattern of rhetoric and reason should be lost, I have, for my reader's edification, set it all down verbatim:

"We are beholden to this worthy adventurer for ridding the world of so great an incumbrance, viz. that huge mass and unwieldy body of Christianity, which took up so much room. Now we see that it was this bulk, and not that of mankind, which he had an eye to, when he so often mentioned this latter. This is a physician for our turn, indeed; we like this chymical operator, that doth not trouble us with a parcel of heavy drugs of no value, but contracts it all into a few spirits,

nay doth his business with a single drop. We have been in bondage a long time to creeds and catechisms, systems and confessions; we have been plagued with a tedious bead-roll of articles, which our reverend divines have told us we must make the matter of our faith. Yea, so it is, both conformists and nonconformists (though disagreeing in some other things) have agreed in this, to molest and crucify us. But this noble writer (we thank him) hath set us free, and eased us by bringing down all the Christian faith into one point. We have heard some men talk of epistolary composures of the New Testament, as if great matters were contained in them, as if the great mysteries of Christianity (as they call them) were unfolded there: but we could never make any thing of them; and now we find that this writer is partly of our opinion. He tells us, that these are letters sent upon occasion; but we are not to look for our religion (for now, for this gentleman's sake, we begin to talk of religion) in these places. We believe it, and we believe that there is no religion but in those very chapters and verses which he has set down in his treatise. What need we What need we have any other part of the New Testament? That is Bible enough, if not too much. Happy, thrice happy shall this author be perpetually esteemed by us; we will chronicle him as our friend and benefactor. It is not our way to saint people, otherwise we would certainly canonize this gentleman; and when our hand is in, his pair of booksellers, for their being so beneficial to the world, in publishing so rich a treasure. It was a blessed day, when this hopeful birth saw the light; for hereby all the orthodox creed-makers and systematic men are ruined for ever. In brief, if we be for any Christianity, it shall be this author's: for that agrees with us singularly well, it being so short, all couched in four words, neither more nor less. It is a very fine compendium, and we are infinitely obliged to this great reformer for it. We are glad at heart, that Christianity is brought so low by this worthy penman; for this is a good presage, that it will dwindle into nothing. What! but one article, and that so brief too! We like

such a faith, and such a religion, because it is nearer to none."

He hath no sooner done, but, as it deserved, he cries out "Euge, sophos! And is not the reader," quoth he, "satisfied that such language as this hath real truth in it? Does not he perceive, that the discarding all the articles but one, makes way for the casting off that too?" Answ. It is but supposing that the reader is a civil gentleman, and answers, Yes, to these two questions; and then it is demonstration, that by this speech he has irrefragably proved the tendency of my book to irreligion and atheism.

I remember Chillingworth somewhere puts up this request to his adversary Knot: "Sir, I beseech you, when you write again, do us the favour to write nothing but syllogisms. For I find it still an extreme trouble to find out the concealed propositions, which are to connect the parts of your enthymems. As now, for example, I profess to you I have done my best endeavour to find some glue, or solder, or cement, or thread, or any thing to tie the antecedent and this consequent together. The unmasker agrees so much in a great part of his opinion with that Jesuit, (as I have shown already) and does so infinitely outdo him in spinning ropes of sand, and a coarse thread of incon sistencies, which runs quite through his book; that it is with great justice I put him here in the Jesuit's place, and address the same request to him.

His very next words give me a fresh reason to do it: for thus he argues, p. 72, " May we not expect, that those who deal thus with the Creed, i. e. discard all the articles of it but one, will use the same method in reducing the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer, abbreviate the former into one precept, and the latter into one petition ?" Answ. If he will tell me where this creed he speaks of is, it will be much more easy to answer his demand. Whilst his creed, which he here speaks of, is yet nowhere, it is ridiculous for him to ask questions about it. The Ten Command. ments, and the Lord's Prayer, I know where to find in express words, set down by themselves, with peculiar