Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

Virtue of their Enquiries, what Enquiries will it be allow'd Men fafely to make? What Marks, except the Dictates of Dr. LOBB, or others like him, are there, whereby to know, what Opinions may be innocently affented to, in Virtue of Enquiries, and what not? And will not any one, who is fo weak as to be terrify'd with the Fear of Danger in embracing Opinions, which are the Effect of Enquiry, naturally lay afide all Enquiries, and take up with the Authority of a LOBB for the Opinions he receives? And indeed, if through Fear of Danger in Enquiries you lay afide Enquiries, and yet think it neceffary to have Opinions, nothing remains but to follow fome of the different LOBBS, who will all affure you, that if will follow their Method, you may be fure (n) of being in the right, and of being in a fafe State; but that if you take another Method, you will certainly be mistaken, and be in a dangerous State.

you

But what can be more abfurd, than for any Man to take fuch fuperior Airs to himself, and to affume to himself the fole Right of maintaining and publishing Opinions, and to pretend himself to be guilty of no Fault, but praife-worthy in maintaining and publishing his Opinions, and to charge others with Guilt for maintaining and publishing their Opinions; who have an equal Right with him, to think for themselves, and who have an equal Right to be thought to purfue Truth, and to be upright

(n) Ibid. p. 97.

in their Enquiries, and ought not to be deem'd lefs upright in their Enquiries, and worse Purfuers of Truth, for fubjecting themselves to the Reproach of the Mob, the Bigots, and the Interested, and defpifing the common (quack) Methods, which are vifibly the Way to Power and Wealth? And let me add, that when Men, who are all equal in the Matter before us, pretend to give themselves fuperior Airs, they lay as juft a Prejudice in their Way from being liften'd to, as others do, who pretend to have infallible Medicines, and blame thofe, who will not receive their infallible Medicines. Modefty 'claims Attention, but Confidence in the Cafe juftly produces Contempt; and the best and most favourable Conftruction, that can be put upon all (o) folemn and pathetical Expoftulations and Exhortations in the Cafe, is to deem them the Effects of Enthufiafm, as undoubtedly they fometimes

are.

(0) Ibid. p. 83. 114.

April 30, 1726.

Addition

Addition to the Poftcript.

Y

May 11.

Efterday was brought to me a Review of the Controversy between the Author of the Difcourfe of the Grounds and Reafons of the Chrif tian Religion and his Adverfaries, in a Letter to that Author; which, I am told, is written by a Minister of the Gofpel in the West of England. And I take the Occafion now offer'd me to recommend this Gentleman to you and to introduce him into your Acquaintance. For, in my Opinion, whoever reads him, will be improved in his Morals by converfing with fo polite a Person, and in his Notions of Things by attending to the many judicious Obfervations, which occur throughout his Book. And I cannot but hope for great Good from his Work; as it puts [pofitive] Religion upon the Foot of Enquiry and Reafon, and allows all Men to have an equal Right to publish their Thoughts, in the following remarkably reafonable and equitable Obfervation offer'd to I am, fays he, (p) fo far from grudging you the Liberty of propofing any Dif"ficulties relating to Chriftianity, that I hearર tily wish it encreased. I think it very unbecoming to claim a Liberty for ourselves,

you.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

(P) p. 268.

" which

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"which are not willing to indulge to others. If Christianity be not from God, I fhould rejoice to fee its Impofture detected; but as "This is a Matter of great Confequence, and as it must be allow'd, that there are confi"derable Things to be faid for, as well as against it; fo it is but fair to fuffer the Evi"dence on both Sides to be brought into open Light, and to let the whole Matter be carefully and impartially confider'd. If Christianity be a divine Doctrine, you will do a great Service to it, by giving learned Men Opportunity of carefully weighing thofe ઠંડ Difficulties, that do attend it. If it be not "a divine Doctrine, upon a thorough Ex"amination of the Matter, This will appear

་་

to all; Mankind will be undeceived, the "divine Honour will be retrieved, and you “will have a fair Opportunity of fetting Religion on a true and folid Foundation; in

[ocr errors]

which you will be affifted by all candid, "honeft, and difinterested Perfons." To these most just Thoughts, he fubjoins a no less just Expectation from you; who, I am sure, intirely concur with him in the Sentiments therein contain'd, concerning the Excellency of original, primitive Chriftianity; Chriftianity as deliver'd in the Scriptures, and the Difference between That and Chriftianity as taught by fome modern Priefts and in the Roman Church. "I am fenfible, Sir, fays he, that the vicious, "the idle, and the interested Part of Chriftians

[ocr errors]

are against such a free and impartial Ex"amination of Things as I here propofe; but

"I

"I hope you will be fo candid as to judge of "the Genius and Spirit of Christianity from "its own Rules, laid down in the original

Writings of the first Disciples of our Lord, "and not from the corrupt Notions, which "Anti-chriftianifm has introduced, and the "Practice of a great Number of weak and

wicked Men, in these latter Ages, calling "themselves Chriftians. I hope what you "have seen of the Knavery of modern Priests "will not breed a Jealoufy in you, concerning the Designs of the Antients. I hope

[ocr errors]

you will not judge of Chriftianity by the "Genius and Defign of Popery, any more "than of natural Religion, by Heathenifm, "which are alike Corruptions of true Religion."

[ocr errors]

I have, in my foregoing Papers, cited the ingenious Dean SHERLOCK against Mr. GREEN and Dr. LOBB, for his Approbation of your Allertion concerning Miracles being no Proof of Christianity of themselves without Prophefy; which Affertion they have both thought fit to attack, as anti-chriftian. Let me add two Paffages out of the no less ingenious Author of the Review, who fays to you, "that he (9) foon submitted to that clear

.

Evidence, which you produced for Miracles not being of themselves a fufficient Proof "of Christianity; and now freely owns that "he is more throughly convinced of the

Strength of your Reafonings on that Head, from the Weakness of your Adversary's;

(2) P. 2.

« ForrigeFortsæt »