the common People (I mean the common People as to Understanding) devoted to them; who can never want able Men among themfelves (to fay nothing of their Followers and Dependants,) either in the Way of Banter or Serioufnefs, Poetry or Profe, Dialogue or Difcourfe, Declamation or Argument, to answer and expose whatever can be alledged in Behalf of Falfhood by Men, who cannot pretend to match them, without Truth on their Side; and who have the fole Privilege of speaking frequently to the People from the (c) Pulpit; where, as Mr. WHISTON observes, they may dogmatically affert, and earnestly press what they would hardly venture at all to justify elsewhere, in any learned Converfation, or, as BOILEAU expreffes it, c'eft la que bien ou mal on a Droit de tout dire. Sat. I. V. 149.

5. The grand Principle of Men, confider'd as having a Relation to the Deity and under an Obligation to be religious, is, that they ought to confult their Reafon; and of Chrifians, and Proteftants, that they ought to

(c) Papers relating to Mr. Whifton's Caufe, &c. p. 170.

confult

confult the Scriptures as the Rule of their Faith and Practice. But how can these,

which are practical Principles, be duly put in Practice; unless we be at Liberty, at all Times and in all Points, to confider and debate with others, (as well as with ourselves) what Reafon and Scripture fay, and to profess and act openly, according to what we are convinced they fay? How can we be better inform'd than by using the beft Means of Information; which confift in confulting Reafon and Scripture, and calling in the Aid of others? Of what Ufe is it to confult Reafon and Scripture at all, as any Means of Information, if we are not, upon Conviction, to follow their Dictates? And what Principles of Religion are Men to profefs (which all fay muft be) openly, and act upon, but thofe, whereof they are convinced?

6. Clergymen, by being devoted to the Service of Truth, and to preach the Gospel of Truth, are under a particular Obligation to inquire into the Mind of God, and to impart the Discoveries they make to the World, and, as Succeffors of the Apostles, to go and teach all Nations. And they cannot act more effectually against the Design of their own Profefion,

fefion, than either by being filent as to the Discoveries they make, or by preaching and writing contrary to their own Light; to fay nothing of their Obligations as Men to affift their Neighbours by putting them in the right Way, and to deal fincerely with all Men. Will any Layman be so stupid and foolish as to say, that he defires and expects it of the Clergy, that they fhould knowingly deceive him, and lead him on in an erroneous Way? Will any of the Clergy be fo abandon'd as to fay, that they ought thus to deceive the Laity ; tho' the Laity themselves fhould defire it, and be pleased to be thus deceived? And yet This ought to be the State of the Cafe, if Clergymen are not to declare, what they take to be the Will of God, to the People.

7. Nothing can tend more to the true Honour of the Clergy, than that they should have full Liberty; That is, that they should be under no Impediments in their Inquiries after Truth, nor in the leaft fuffer for teaching what they believe true.

For thofe learned Clergymen; who for Want of this Liberty are now obliged (as a great

great Divine (d) justly complains) to turn themselves to the Heathen Hiftorians, Poets, Orators, and Philofophers; to spend ten or twelve Years upon HORACE or TERENCE; and to illuftrate Billet-doux's or drunken Catches, explain obscene Jests, and make happy Emendations of Paffages, that a modeft Man would blush at; fuch learned Clergymen, I fay, would then apply their Sagacity and Labour more HONORABLY, as well as more virtuously and religiously, to the Study of Religion and the Scriptures. I say, more HONOURABLY; becaufe fuch Application is honourable in itself, and any other is difhonourable in them, whatever Degree of (e) Reputation it may now give them.

And at the fame Time, other learned Clergymen, who may think it their Duty to inquire after religious Truth, will be under no Neceffity of profeffing to believe what they believe not, but may then act the honourable Part of Sincerity.

And as this Propofal tends to the HONOUR of all the Clergy, fo it cannot be against the (d) Hare's Diffic. and Difcourag. p. 28. (c) Ib. p. 29.

Interest

Intereft of any; and it will be greatly for the Intereft of fuch, who think themselves obliged to profess Opinions, which happen to be contrary to those received, and whofe Cafe feems to be worthy of Confideration; for they will then be in no Danger of lofing Preferment on Account of their Integrity.

8. Men have no Reason to apprehend any ill Confequence to Truth (for which alone they ought to have any concern) from free Debate; but on the contrary to apprehend ill Confequence to Truth from free Debate being: difallow'd. For Truth propofed to the Understanding is like Light to the Eye; it must distinguish itself from Error, as Light does itself from Darkness. And while free Debate is allow'd, Truth will never want a Profeffor thereof, nor an Advocate to offer fome Plea in its Behalf; and it can never be wholly banish'd, but where human Decifions, back'd with Power, carry all before them.

Would Tranfubftantiation pafs in France. without an Attack made upon it, if Men could freely write against it? Would Truth fuffer there, if that Doctrine were allow'd to be a

Subject

+