ner or language of any one party; otherwife there is laid the foundation of everlafting difputes and displeasure, fo contrary to the defigns of true Christianity. And if fuch a comprehenfive Service were inftituted, this would, ftill, leave every man to enjoy his own private opinions, and the whole Society be united in the Bonds of Mutual Love and Forbearance.

WE all obferve that the Proteftant Religion gains but very little upon Popery. The Reason feems to be, that the Papifts are confiftent with themselves, in refolving the whole of their Religion into the Decifions of their Clergy, whom they call the Church; whereas Proteftants who profefs to found all their Religion in the Right of Private Judgment to interpret Scripture, are not consistent with themselves in this profeffion. The Authority of their Clergy, whom they too call the Church, is fuppofed to determine

on

on the true meaning of it amongst almost every Sect of them. So that the fame Arguments which they use against this affumed power of Popery, are often with a greater force, retorted upon themfelves.

SEVERAL of our good Bifhops fee. and feel this to be the cafe, and wish that they were not obliged to infift upon a Subscription and Declaration of an unfeigned Affent and Confent from the Clergy, to what has been authoritatively determined for them beforehand. And many of the Clergy complain that they are thus precluded from the right of judging in these important matters for themselves, and are, by law, obliged to take up and defend the opinions of Men who were dead long before they themselves were born; and for no other reason, but because these were their opinions.

ALMOST

ALMOST every body fees that these. things are wrong. Should not every body then strive to fet them right? The undertaking is indeed arduous. It may be followed by the Lofs of worldly honors and preferment, and by an enraged perfecution of empaffionated zealots, with numbers of whom every party abounds. Therefore this Cause however glorious, is prudently declined. How few venture to speak out their real Sentiments! Archdeacon Orr, in the Preface to his Excellent Book on the Theory of Religion, has thefe remarkable words, To complete the

Scheme which the Author had fome • time revolved in his mind, another • Tract should be added to this, upon the External and Political State of Religion. But though he had made fome progress in sketching out a general plan of fuch a work, yet as he forefaw that the profecution of it would lead him into a wide field of contro

• verfy

verfy, where very wife and good men • would be found to differ greatly, he chofe to drop the defign; and will not hereafter probably refume it.' But I heartily wish fomething may happen to make him alter his refolution.

THE Author of these sheets hopes it will appear, to any one who fhall read them, that he is not an enemy to any Man's Perfon. He declares himself a Friend to all his Fellow Creatures: And indeed defires nothing in this world fo much as to promote their happiness, by uniting them in the strongest bonds of kindness and mutual Good-will.

A N

ATTEMPT

TO EXPLAIN THE

Words REASON, &c.

T

HE ufe of words is to convey the ideas of one person to another, and thus to carry on a communication of fentiments, which is the foundation of all intercourse among focial beings. Words may be communicated to the eye by certain characters which we call writing; or to the ear by certain articulate founds which we call fpeech. Now as thefe characters or founds have not any thing in them which naturally exprefs ideas, feveral people and nations have invented feveral kinds of them