A LETTER To the AUTHOR of the DISCOURSE OF THE GROUNDS and REASONS OF THE Chriftian RELIGION, In ANSWER to Mr. GREEN's LETTERS, &c. With a POSTSCRIPT Occafion'd by Dr. LOBB's BRIEF DEFENCE, &c. If my [novel] Senfe of the Prophely [Behold a Virgin fhall conceive, &c.] will not ferve, fome other Sense may in Time be found out. GREEN's Letters, p. 85. Thou mayft be fure it is true, tho there should be ten thousand Difficulties objected to thee, which thou art not able to answer. LOBB's Brief Defence, p. 97. LONDON, Printed in the Year 1726. Re-printed in the Year 1737. apag PREFACE. HE Delay of the Publication of the following Letter, &c. gives me an Opportunity to add fomething in this Place on Occafion of a new Book of Mr. GREEN'S, intitled, A Difcourfe proving the Refurrection of Chrift, and fhewing that it is a fufficient Demonftration of the Truth of Christianity. I. Mr. GREEN, after obferving that the (a) Reader will find a Reflection or two on fome Paffages in a Discourse of the Grounds, &c. adds, that his taking Notice of this Book, after having lately made fome Remarks upon it in five Letters to the Author, does not proceed from any Difrefpect to that Gentleman, but a Regard to Truth. And therefore, having been told that I (b) infinuate, fays Mr. GREEN, that the faid Author is an Enemy to natural Religion, I freely own, that had I been fenfible, that my Words would have borne fuch Conftruction, I should have expreffed myself in a different Manner, (a) Preface. (b) Letters, p. 26. S 2 Upon Upon which I think it proper to make the following Obfervations. 1. Writing against a Book, we conceive erroneous, is fo reasonable a Thing, has fo direct a Tendency to the Information of Men, and is alfo fo kind, civil, and humane in itfelf, (as implying Good-will to the Author of the Book and to all the World,) that to make an Apology for fuch Writing, as not proceeding from Difrefpect to the Author, is either charging others with being ridiculously offended, or fuppofes fome difrefpectful Design or Conduct, which needs an Affurance in Words, that no Difrefpect was intended, in order to qualify what would probably be deem'd difrefpectful. But however This be, Mr. GREEN had no Necd to make any Apology on Account of the Author he oppofes; that Author being, I am perfwaded, not in the leaft concern'd about any Dif respect fhewn him, who could not publish fuch a Work, as he has done, without fuppofing and defpifing Difrefpect; which I own I am furprized to find injures not him in the World's Opinion, but only those, who use it, infomuch, that for their own Sakes they are forced to make Apologies. 2. Profeffions (and even the most folemn Affeverations) are of no Weight, when Men are under Accufations of Guilt; and Men are to be tried by the Facts, upon which the Accufations are grounded, and not by Profeffions fubfequent to thofe Accufations. Is there any Difficulty in fuppofing, that a Man, who 4 |