comparing Things, and by an eafy Application in many Cases, take DON QUIXOTE for a Termigant Saint, and a Termigant Saint for a DON QUIXOTE.

14. It may be objected to Mr. WHISTON, that he has advanced a Multitude of Para

doxes about very important Matters, many of which are founded on very flight Appearances of Probability; and, in particular, that he calls in Question the Integrity of our prefent Copies of the Old Testament, which he fupposes corrupted to that Degree by the Jews, in Refpect to fome of the Quotations made from thence by the Apostles, as to make their Reasonings from, and Ufe of, thofe Quotations, feem weak and enthusiastical.

To which I answer,

That Mr. WHISTON acts the Part of an honeft Man, and Lover of Truth, by thus propofing his Conjectures and Sentiments, and putting Points of Confcience in the Way of Examination, and is fo much better than all other fuch learned Divines as himself, as he exceeds them in the Liberty he takes of pro

pcfing

pofing his Conjectures and Sentiments; that the Method, whereof he fets us an Example, tends to the Information of all Men of Senfe, and both increases the Number of capable judges, and renders the Learned them felves better judges than they were before; that, in particular, the Old Teftament will appear fo undoubtedly genuine and uncorrupt in the Respect above-mention'd, when the Question is debated, that it muft unavoidably gain Ground as a genuine and uncorrupt Book, in that Respect, in the Minds of all intelligent Men, who are not wedded to an Hypothefis; and that it ought to be confider'd, that Mr. WHISTON proposes his Scheme (0) of a corrupted Old Teftament, as the best and only Method of defending Christianity, which, according to him, had a rational Dependence on the Old Teftament before it was corrupted; and that he apprehends, that the Scheme or Suppofition of an uncorrupted Old Testament really deftroys the Truth of Chriftianiry, and gives the Deifts, Jews, and Infidels, a juft Subject of Triumph over it, which, accord

fo) See alfo his Advertisement before his Supplement to his Efay, &c.

ing to him, is now in an (p) irreconcileable State with, and depends not on, the present Old Teftament; whereby this Matter amounts to no more than a Question between Christians contending for the Truth of Christianity against Unbelievers, viz. which is the beft Method of defending Christianity, whether by supposing the Old Teftament corrupted, or uncorrupted.

But Mr. WHISTON himself, in few Words, makes a juft and true Defence for Liberty, and also a noble Propofal in Behalf of Truth and Christianity, when he fays (q) "I wifh "that all Unbelievers' were openly allow'd and

invited to produce their real Arguments, fub"stantial Objections, and confiderable Doubts "without Moleftation; as being perfuaded, fays

he, they are capable of fatisfactory Answers "and Solutions." For it is fufficient, that all the Unbelievers Arguments can be answer❜d. The Answers and Solutions mention'd by Mr. W. which are now wanting, would, if produced, greatly weaken the Caufe of Unbebelievers; who can now pretend to have real

(P) Whitton's Essay, &c. p. 263.

(9) Whifton's Reflections on the Disc, of Freethinking, p. 6.

Argu

Arguments, and Jubftantial Objections unananfwer'd, and confiderable Doubts unfolved; and clamour, because they have not Liberty to speak for themselves; and who have a Pretence to say that their Adverfaries, confcious of the Weakness of their own Caufe, dare not let them fpeak or write against it. And Mr. W. is very far from being fingular in thinking, that it would be a Benefit to allow Infidels to publish their Objections against Chris tianity.

་

GROTIUS, in a Letter to PEIRESKI, fays, (r) I fend you, moft noble Sir, fome Paffages taken out of the Writings of POR

PHYRY, by the Defenders of the Chriftian "Religion; from whence you may easily fee, "how many Things might have been pro"duced out of his Books for the Purpose of Christianity, if we had them intire; thofe Books especially, which he wrote against "the Chriftians, wherein he put many Weapons into our Hands that might be employ'd against himself and the Pagans. As "to the Poifon contain'd in those Books, fuf

(r) Grotii Epift. p. 197. Ep. 599. C 4.

<ficient

❝ ficient Antidotes were to be had out of many apologetick Writings of the antient Chrif"tians, and especially out of the Books of "ORIGEN againft CELSUS, and of Cy

RIL against JULIAN. Wherefore I should "esteem it a publick Benefit to have those "Books in the Hands of fuch Men, who are "willing and able to use them.”

(5) "It were MUCH TO BE DESIRED, 'fays the great JOSEPH SCALIGER, that we "had the Books, which PORPHYRY wrote "against the Christian Religion.

LE CLERC (t) fays, that "the thirty "Books of EUSEBIUS against POR HYRY

are the greatest Lofs that could be in Re"spect to the Works of EUSEBIUS; for by "them we might have learn'd the Objections "of the ableft Philofopher of his Time a

gainst the Christian Religion, and the An"fwer of the most learned Bishop of his 'Age."

(s) Scaligerana Art. Porphyrius.

{t Le Clerc Bib. Univ. Tom. 10. p. 494.

"The