Christian Church, gain them over to a good opinion of that religion, which is fitted to produce fuch excellent fruits.

These are reflections which naturally arife upon this fubject, But I fhall not infift farther upon them at prefent; efpecially as I fhall have occafion to resume fome of them in an addrefs to Deifts and professed Christians, which I fhall here fubjoin as a proper conclufion of the whole work.

THE

CONCLUSION,

In an ADDRESS to

DEISTS and Profeffed CHRISTIANS.

Those are inexcufable who reject Christianity at a venture without due examination. Deiftical authors unsafe guides, and fhew little fign of a fair and impartial enquiry. Several of their objections fuch as cannot be reasonably urged against Christianity at all. Those objections only are of real weight which tend to invalidate its proofs and evidences, or which are drawn from the nature of the religion itself, to fhew that it is unworthy of God. The attempts of the Deifts on each of thefe beads fhewn to be infufficient. An expoftulation with them concerning the great guilt and danger of their conduct, and the ill confequences of it both to themselves and to the community. Those profeffed Chriftians highly culpable, who live in an habitual negligence and inconfideration with regard to religion, or who flight public worship and the Chriftian inftitutions, or who indulge themfelves in an immoral and vicious practice. A wicked Chriftian of all characters the most inconfiftent. Advices to thofe who profefs to believe the Gospel. They fhould be thankful to God for their privileges. They should labour to be well acquainted with the holy Scriptures. And above all, they should be careful to adorn their profession by a holy and virtuous

life. A Chriftian acting up to the obligations of Chrifianity forms a glorious character, which derives a Splendor to the most exalted station. This illuftriously exemplified in a great perfonage of the highest dignity. The vast importance of a careful education of children, and the bad effects of neglecting it. And here alfo the fame eminent example is recommended to the imitation of all, efpecially of the Great and Noble.

H

AVING endeavoured to give as clear a general view as I was able of the principal Deiftical Writers of the last and prefent age, and having made large and particular remarks on the two moft noted authors who have appeared of late among us in that caufe, I fhall now as a conclufion of this work, take the liberty to addrefs myself, both to thofe that take upon them the character of Deifts and Free-thinkers, and who reject the Chriftian revelation; and to those who are honoured with the name of Chriftians, and who profefs to receive the religion of Jefus as of divine authority.

The former may be ranked principally into two forts. They are either fuch as taking it for granted, that Christianity has been proved to be an impofition on mankind, reject it at a venture, without being able to affign a reafon for rejecting it, or at moft take up with fome flight objections, and content themfelves with general clamours of prieftcraft and imposture, without giving themselves the trouble of making a diftinct enquiry into the nature of the religion itself, or examining its proofs and evidences; or, they are fuch as pretend to reject Christianity, because upon a due examination and enquiry, they have found it to be deftitute of fufficient proof, and have discovered in it the marks of falfhood and impofture, which convince them that it cannot be of divine original. There is reafon to apprehend, that the greater part of thofe among us who pass under the name of Deifts, come under the former of these characters. But the conduct of fuch perfons is fo manifeftly abfurd as to admit of no excufe. For what pretence have they to glory in the title of Free-thinkers, who will not be at the pains to think clofely and feriously at all, even in matters of the highest confequence? There are few therefore who are willing to own that this is their cafe. Whether they have really given themfelves the trouble of a free and diligent examination and enquiry or not, they would be thought to have done fo, and not to have

rejected

rejected the Chriftian revelation without having good reasons for their unbelief. It is therefore to fuch perfons that I would now addrefs myself.

Of this fort profeffedly are thofe that have appeared among us under the character of Deistical Writers. They have made a shew of attacking Chriftianity in a way of reafon and argument. But upon the view which hath been taken of them, it may, I think, bé fafely declared, that whatever they have offered that had the face of argument, hath been folidly confuted, the evidences of Chriftianity have been placed in a fair and confiftent light, and their objections against it have been fhewn to be vain and infufficient. Though there never were writers more confident and affuming, or who have expreffed a greater admiration of themfelves, and contempt of others, it hath been fhewn that, taking them generally, they have had little to fupport fuch glorious pretences: That no writers ever acted a part more unfair and difingenuous: That though they have fet up for advocates of natural religion in oppofition to revealed, yet many of them have endeavoured to fubvert the main articles even of natural religion, and have used arguments which bear equally against all religion, and tend to banish it out of the world: That they have often put on a fhew of great regard for genuine original Chriftianity, whilft at the fame time they have used their utmost efforts to deftroy its evidences, and subvert its authority: That inftead of reprefenting the Christian religion fairly as it is, they have had recourfe to misrepresentation and abuse, and have treated the holy Scriptures in a manner which would not be borne, if put in practice against any other antient writings of the leaft reputation, and which is indeed inconsistent with all the rules of candour and decency: That with regard to the extraordinary facts by which Chriftianity is attefted, they have advanced principles which would be accounted perfectly ridiculous if applied to any other facts, and which really tend to deftroy all moral evidence, and the credit of all paft facts whatfoever: And finally, that never were there writers more inconfiftent with themselves and with one another, or who have discovered more apparent figns of obftinate prepoffeffion and prejudice. And fhould not all this naturally create a fufpicion of a caufe which ftands in need of fuch managements, and of writers who have been obliged to have recourfe to arts fo little reconcileable to truth and candour? And yet it is to be apprehended, that many of thofe who laugh at others for relying upon their teachers, are ready to refign themselves to their Deifical leaders, and to take their

pre

pretences and confident affertions, and even their jefts and farcafms, for arguments.

Many of the objections which have been produced with great pomp, and which have created fome of the strongest prejudices against Christianity, are fuch as cannot be properly urged against it with any appearance of reafon at all. Such are the objections drawn from the abuses and corruptions which have been introduced contrary to its original defign, or from the ill conduct of many of its profeffors and minifters. For whilft the Christian religion as taught by Christ and his Apostles, and delivered in the holy Scriptures, may be demonftrated to be of a most useful and admirable nature and tendency, whilft the proofs and evidences of it ftand entire, and the truth of the facts whereby it was attefted is fufficiently established, the reason for embracing it ftill holds good: And to reject a religion in itself excellent, for abuses and corruptions, which many of thofe that make the objection acknowlege are not justly chargeable upon true original Christianity, is a conduct that cannot be juftified, and is indeed contrary to the dictates of reafon and good fenfe. The fame obfervation may be made with regard to fome other objections which have been frequently urged against the Christian revelation, as particularly that which is drawn from its not having been univerfally promulgated. For if the evidences which are brought to prove that Christianity is a true divine revelation, and that this revelation was really given, are good and valid, then its not having been made known to all mankind will never prove, that fuch a revelation was not given. And fuch a way of arguing in any other cafe would be counted impertinent. It is arguing from a thing, the reasons of which we do not know, against the truth and certainty of a thing that we do know, and of which we are able to bring fufficient proofs.

The only objections therefore or arguments, which can really be of weight against Christianity, are thofe which either tend to invalidate its proofs and evidences, and to fhew that the divine atteftations which were given to it are not to be depended upon, or which are drawn from the nature of the Revelation itself, to fhew that it is abfurd and unworthy of God. And accordingly both these have been attempted. But whofoever will impartially confider the writings of the Deiftical authors, and compare them with thofe of the advocates for Christianity, will find how little they have advanced on either of these heads that is really to the purpose. The atteftations given to Chritianity are of fuch an extraordinary nature, and carry in them

fuch