New Specimen of Writing in the Moral and Philofophic Kind. When new Things are offer'd, or old ftale ones retail'd to the candid Reader, it is ufual to exprefs fome Diffidence, or offer at fome Apology; but this is fo very much in the Thrafonical Mood and Figure, tho' upon the most serious and important Subject in all the World, viz. what is the only true Religion, or, in other Words, what is the only true Chriftianity, that it can't efcape being obferved as remarkably heterogenous to the Subject. After heaping up a vaft Multitude of gracious Names upon his Adverfaries and their Tenets, for 450 Pages together (who are in truth, not the Clergy only, but the moft Pious, the most Learned, the most Honourable of every Denomination of Proteftant Christendom, and thither I suppose he would confine the Debate) such as Judaism, Superftition, Entbufiafm, Ignorance, &c. &c. And after throwing out fome fingular Darts of his Spleen against the Clergy of that, and every Diftinction with all his Spite, with the utmost of his flaying Force, allowing their well weighed and long tried Proteftant Reasoning upon Jefus Chrift and his holy faving Religion, with refpect to his being a Propitiation for our Sins, and a Mediator of Redemption and Interceffion for reconciling God to Man, as well as Man to God, no better Quarter than Raving", I can answer for myfelf, and may venture to do fo for the reft of my Brethren (if I might have the Honour to speak for them) that we are ready to turn the other Cheek, and take a fresh Rap of his Reproach, fooner than return opprobrious Language, or any one of his bafe, low I Page 415. bred, bred, virulent Epithets, Enthufiaftick. Pulpiteers, Theologafters, Syftem Mongers, Superftitious, Ignorant, Impoftors, Cheats, Hypocrites; that the clerical Religion is a Thimble and Button, or Powder le Pimp*; to oblige a Man in Preaching to talk Senfe, would be the moft unreasonable, Nonsense; that the Belief or Ufe of the intituted Means, pofitive Parts or Doctrines of Christianity, is the Clerical or Sacerdotal Chriftianity or reveal'd Religion ‡; and in this inftituted, political Religion of the Hierarchy, there is no Diftinction of Clergy, or, they are scarcely diftinguishable, with much more of the like abufive Strain which adorns our Moral Philofopher, in his immoral profligate Libel against them, and real Christianity. PRAY, Brother Chriftian, as you love to call yourself, why fo very deftitute of Temper, Meekness, and Moderation, the very Spirit and Ornament of that Religion you pretend to ? Does the Wrath of Man indeed work the Righteousness of God? Is that your way of reading our Text? You give out "no Doubt but many large elaborate Volumes will be written, and 66 thousand Sermons preach'd against this your "Book, in which my Adverfaries, (they are your own Words) especially the Judaizing Part of the Clergy (by whom you mean all who retain the Notion of Jefus Chrift being an Atonement, Sacrifice, Propitiation for Sins, or the Mediator of Redemption, and Interceffion for Mankind) "will clearly and triumphantly "confute all that I have faid, without answering * Page 95. † Page 119. Page 117. | Page 94. 66 any one Objection. 61 66 or - will fpare my Life 'till he has rais.. them up, I * fhould defire in this World no greater Blef fing." How much this is the menacing Elocution of the Gentry of the fame Place, I leave others to fay, and give their Opinion likewife, whether even the Braveft there are apt to brag the most, or who they are that generally come off with the worst: It is already decided against himself, if I may be permitted the Words of our mighty Goliah, "You may eafily perceive, "that our greatest Talkers, and most positive "Deciders, never think at all." It is well (whilft I put the Negative upon myself) if fome little David of the Defpifed Clergy does not compleatly demolish this vain Conqueror, and by the fame Affiftance, and for the fame Reason, because he defies the Divine Scheme and Apparatus of the living God reconciling the World to bimfelf by Jefus Christ. BUT I forget myself, a new fet up Oracle has the Privilege of dictating and being be bred, virulens own Word, as if Chriftianity Theologafted or fall by what he fays pro or con, rant, have no other Chance to be this, or that, cler other, but juft as his Authority, against all Other Authority, interprets and determines. Towards the Conclufion, he triumphantly foretells and pronounces out of his infallible Chair, the Spread of Deifm *. and echoes to, and will make good, as far as he is able, Theophanes's Obfervations in the Beginning. "Had this "Malady of Deifm only infected our Rakes and pretty Fellows, Men of little Sense and lefs "Virtue, it would not have much affected "me; but the Sore lies deeper, and the Ma ་ lignity feems to fpread itself thro' the whole "Body, among Perfons of all Ranks, Qua"lities, and Characters, "&c. + But while he is labouring his pernicious Point to overthrow the Holy Scriptures, the Oracles of the living God, he is fupporting the Truth of them by fulfilling what they have foretold, That in the latter Day, there fhould come Scoffers, denying the Lord that bought them. Still I truft in God, and the common Reason of his Readers, that they will not be fo complaifant as to give up their Senfes, together with the common obvious way of understanding all Writings, for the Sake of the ftrange, violent, whimfical, inconfiftent Meaning he would impofe upon them; especially, fince the literal obvious Senfe which he detefts and runs away from, is fhewn against all his Fallacies, to be perfectly confiftent with the greatest Honour of God, and Good of Men, and the Moral Truth and Reafon of Things. I, who have lived much in the Country, and fo far from London, and Opportunity of feeing New Books, muft own myself a Stranger to other Writings of this extraordinary Pen, and therefore can't tell whether, this pofitive magifterial Method is his ufual, Conftitutional way of Writing upon every Subject; if fo, he feems to be refolved upon engroffing Infallibility to himself, and allowing no Body whatfoever to be in the Right, who has the Misfortune to differ from him in Opinion, in any thing. But he is inconfiftent with himself in fhewing fo much Arrogance, and abfolute Contempt of his Adverfaries in the Body of his Book, and yet in his Preface, putting on fome Modefty and Refpect to other Perfons Judgment; as thefe are two very different Appearances of the fame Perfon, I am willing to look upon the moft favourable, and believe, that his prefix'd love of Truth, will at length prevail over him to relax from his Pofitivenefs, and relinquish that Peremptorinefs, which he can, to be fure, ill bear in other Writers; and difpofe him to fubmit willingly to be overcome with the Revenge of calm Reasoning, and found Argument, without aiming at the vaineft of all Vanities, I mean, the common Stage Prize, the Honour of the laft Word: Unhappy Difgrace of Controverfy, and inftructive Debate about Truth, arifing from any unperfuadable Litigant dealing in many Words! for towards his Conclufion, he appears to be of that very Temper by the Obftinacy of his Style, "That the Point can never be fettled, nor the religious Peace of Mankind ever establish'd upon a rational Foundation, as long as the Neceffity or Fundamentality VOL. 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