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to say nothing of their obligations as men,to affist their neighbours, by putting them in the right way, and to deal fincerely with all men. any layman be fo ftupid and foolish as to fay, that he defires and expects it of the clergy,that they should knowingly deceive him, and lead him on in an erroneous way? Will any of the clergy be foabandon'd as to say, that they ought thus to deceive the laity; tho' the laity themselves fhould defire it, and be pleas'd 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 least suffer for teaching what they believe true.

For those learned clergymen ; who for want of this liberty are now o

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blig'd (as a great divine (d) juftly complains) to turn themselves to the Heathen Hiftorians, Poets,Orators, & Philofophers; to spend ten or twelve years upon HORACE or TERENCE; and to illuftrate billet-doux's or drunken catches, explain obscene jefts, and make happy emendations of paffages, that a modeft man would blush at; fuch learned clergymen, I fay, would then apply their fagacity and labour more HONORABLY, as well as more virtuously and religioufly, to the ftudy of religion and the fcriptures. I fay, more HONORABLY; 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 temptation of profeffing to believe,

(d) Hare's Diffi, and Difcourag. p. 28. (e) Ib. p. 29.

to believe, what they believe not, but may then act the honourable part of fincerity.

And as this proposal tends to the HONOUR of all the clergy, fo it cannot be against the interest of any: and it will be greatly for the intereft of fuch, who think themselves oblig'd in confcience to profefs opinions, which happen to be contrary to those receiv'd, and whose case seems 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 contraryto apprehend ill confequence to truth from free debate being dif allow'd. For truth propos'd 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,

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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 fubject of debate? Could that doctrine keep the ground it now has there, under free debate? Would its falfhood, set forth in the utmost light, have no effect on the underftandings of the polite and ingenious French nation ? Nay, is there any thing, that keeps up that abfurdity, and stifles the light of truth, but autority? And are not the popish ecclefiafticks so fenfible of the force of truth, and fo particularly fearful of lofing that pearl of great price, the darling doctrine of Tranfubftantiation, that no man can with fafety, where they have influence, to

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his perfon, fortune, and reputation, call it in question?

Did popery get any ground in England by the liberty the papifts had in the reign of king JAMES the fecond to publish whatever they pleas'd in behalf of their religion? On the contrary, was not popery more expos'd to fcorn and contempt by being the fubject of debate, than if nothing had been wrote in behalf of it?

Does proteftantifm decay in Holland,where not only the papifts themfelves print what apologies and controverfial treatises they please, but where the booksellers print all manner of popish books, for which there is any demand, and by confequence chuse such books chiefly, which the papifts themselves deem moft ftrenuously written?

9. If men did but confider, what infinite variety of religions have prevail'd, and do now prevail in the world; what variety of notions and practises have prevail'd, and do pre

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