that when we have driven REASON Out of Religion, we may take care to leave none of thofe abfurdities behind, which afford her fo plaufible a pretence for staying where she is, to prevent matters from growing worfe, when fhe can make them no better.

This appears to me, a defect in the learned Doctor's fcheme: but not the only one. He would have us lay afide our Reafon. In good time. But, let us firft fee, whether he can perfuade our Adverfaries to the fame complaifance. If he cannot, Why fhould the defenders of religion, throw afide their weapons. Bad arms are better than none. Oh, but the Reafon of Unbelievers is fuch adulterate ftuff, fuch very false mettle, that no great harm is to be apprehended from it. Now to my thinking, here is one cause the more, for not parting with ours in a hurry. Counters have never so good a chance of paffing current,

as

as when we have no Sterling money to confront with them.

There is ftill more behind. The fubtile Doctor has apparently communicated but one half of his Scheme and mysteriously keeps the other in referve: for we can never fuppofe his intention is to leave Religion quite defenfelefs. Human Reafon, I will beg leave to call, the FORTRESS OF FAITH; it is, you will fay, full of weak places. Be it fo. It has still its advantages ; or a a known Enemy of Revelation, (tho' in masquerade, as ufual) would never have been at all that pains to draw us out of it. This was all he wanted, to infult us, at pleasure; and he played his part well. But we can never fuppofe, that the learned Doctor, tho' he treads in his fteps, is going his way. We must conclude therefore, that tho' he has

See the book called, Christianity not founded on argument.

not

not thought fit to tell us what fecurity he has provided for Religion, yet at leaft that fomething he has in petto, ready to fupply the place of Reafon, as foon as ever we fhall be difpofed to give it up.

Now, what this fomething is, we can but guess. There are two famous Sects of nominal Chriftians, to whom REASON having given as great offence, as it has happened to do to our learned Doctor; they have both acted on his exterminating principle. The Sects I mean are the QUAKERS and the PAPISTS: but then, both of them have, in their feveral ways, provided for the fecurity of Religion, in the abfence, or during the captivity of Reafon.

The Quakers have fubftituted the SPIRIT in its ftead. And, indeed, fuppofe them not to have juggled with us, and they have made no ill exchange for us.. "Why fhould you wretched earth-worms (fay these men

to

to us) keep groping out your way by the weak and feeble glimmering of human Reason, when you have the light within; the glorious light of the Spirit rifing in your fouls ? Reafon indeed is good, when nothing better can be had. It ferved the Philofophers. But fhall their old ftale ware ferve the Saints? Purge out, for fhame, this old leaven, that you may be a new LUMP." Now, thefe Illuminati afcribing fo much more to human REASON than our Oxford Divine, and indeed talking fo much more foberly concerning it, I conclude that the thing which he keeps in referve, and is fo fhy of producing, is not the SPIRIT.

It remains then to fee, if it be that with which the PAPISTS have done fuch wonders. I mean, the ARM OF FLESH, whether diftinguished by the titles of Inquifitions, wholefome Severities, folemn Leagues and Covenants, Acts of Conformity, or by what other name whatsoever it may be called, as differ

rent times and places hold moft commodious or falutary. Now there are many circumftances which plainly indicate the great fecret to be this, and no other. For ift. the learned Doctor agrees with them in the most lavish abuses of human Reafon; especially when it fubmits to the guidance of private judgment. 2dly, His spite and rancour, like theirs, is chiefly directed against such whom human Reason is supposed to have favoured moft. 3dly, He condefcends, as the Papists have ever done, (and which the Quakers, to do them justice, never did) to borrow aid of this Enemy of all godliness, as often as it may ferve his purpose. From the fameness in these various characteristic marks I am inclined, and I hope without breach of charity, to conclude, that the learned Doctor's prime object, like theirs, is the peace, rather than the purity, of Religion: and confequently that he has a more fubftantial fupport for the CHURCH

than