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1

A

VINDICATION

OF THE

REASONABLENESS

OF

CHRISTIANITY, &c.

MY Book had not been long out, before it fell un

der the correction of the author of a Treatife, entitled, "Some Thoughts concerning the feveral Caufes "and Occafions of Atheism, efpecially in the present "Age." No contemptible adverfary, I'll affure you; fince, as it feems, he has got the faculty to heighten every thing that difpleafes him, into the capital crime of atheism; and breathes against thofe, who come in his way, a peftilential air, whereby every the leaft dif-> temper is turned into the plague, and becomes mortal. For whoever does not just say after Mr. Edwards, cannot, it is evident, efcape being an atheist, or a promoter of atheism. I cannot but approve of any one's zeal, to guard and fecure that great and fundamental article of all religion and morality, "That there is a God:" but VOL. VI. atheism

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atheism being a crime, which, for its madness as well as guilt, ought to fhut a man out of all fober and civil fociety, fhould be very warily charged on any one, by deductions and confequences, which he himself does not own, or, at least, do not manifeftly and unavoidably flow from what he afferts. This caution, charity, I think, obliges us to: and our author would poffibly think himfelf hardly dealt with, if, for neglecting fome of those rules he himself gives, p. 31 and 34, against atheism, he should be pronounced a promoter of it: as rational a charge, I imagine, as fome of those he makes; and as fitly put together, as, "the treatife of the Reasonablenefs "of Chriftianity, &c." brought in among the causes of atheism. However I fhall not much complain of him, fince he joins me, p. 104, with no worse company, than two eminently pious and learned * prelates of our church, whom he makes favourers of the fame conceit, as he calls it. But what has that conceit to do with atheism? Very much. That conceit is of kin to focinianifm, and focinianifm to atheifm. Let us hear Mr. Edwards himself. He fays, p. 113, I am "all over " socinianized :" and therefore, my book, fit to be placed among the causes of atheism. For in the 64th, and following pages, he endeavours to fhow, That "a "focinian is an atheist;" or, left that should seem harfh, "one that favours the caufe of atheifm," p. 75. For fo he has been pleased to mollify, now it is published as a treatife, what was much more harfh, and much more confident in it, when it was preached as a fermon. In this abatement, he feems a little to comply with his own advice, against his fourth caufe of atheifm; which we have in thefe words, p. 34, "Wherefore, that we may "effectually prevent this folly in ourselves, let us banish prefumption, confidence, and felf-conceit; let us extirpate all pride and arrogance; let us not lift ourselves " in the number of capricious opiniators."

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I fhall leave the focinians themfelves to answer his charge against them, and shall examine his proof of my being a focinian. It ftands thus, page 112, "When he"

*Bp. Taylor, and the author of the Naked Truth."

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(the author of the Reasonableness of Chriftianity, &c.) proceeds to mention the advantages and benefits of "Chrift's coming into the world, and appearing in the flesh, he hath not one fyllable of his fatisfying for us; or, by his death, purchafing life or falvation, or any thing that founds like it. This, and feveral other things, fhow, that he is all over focinianized." Which in effect is, that because I have not fet down all that this author perhaps would have done, therefore I am a focinian. But what if I fhould fay, I fet down as much as my argument required, and yet am no focinian? Would he, from my filence and omiffion, give me the lie, and fay, I am one? Surmifes that may be overturned by a fingle denial, are poor arguments, and fuch as fome men would be afhamed of: at leaft, if they are to be permitted to men of this gentleman's fkill and zeal, who knows how to make a good ufe of conjectures, fufpicions, and uncharitable cenfures in the cause of God; yet even there too (if the cause of God can need fuch arts) they require a good memory to keep them from recoiling upon the author. He might have taken notice of these words in my book, (page 9. of this Vol.) "From this eftate of death, JESUS CHRIST RESTORES "all mankind to life." And a little lower. "The life

"which Jefus Chrift reftores to all men." And p. 109, "He that hath incurred death for his own tranfgreffion,

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cannot LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR ANOTHER, as our Sa"viour profeffes he did." This, methinks, soUNDS SOMETHING LIKE "Chrift's purchafing life for us by "his death." But this reverend gentleman has an anfwer ready; it was not in the place he would have had it in, it was not where I mention the advantages and benefits of Chrift's coming. And therefore, I not having there one fyllable of Chrift's purchafing life and falvation for us by his death, or any thing that founds like it: this, and feveral other things, that might be offered, fhow that I am "all over focinianized." A very clear and ingenuous proof, and let him enjoy it.

But what will become of me, that I have not mentioned fatisfaction!

Poffibly, this reverend gentleman would have had

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charity

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charity enough for a known writer of the brotherhood, to have found it by an "innuendo," in those words above quoted, of laying down his life for another. But every thing is to be ftrained here the other way. For the author of "the Reafonablenefs of Chriftianity, &c." is of neceffity to be represented as a focinian; or else his book may be read, and the truths in it, which Mr. Edwards likes not, be received, and people put upon amining. Thus one, as full of happy conjectures and fufpicions as this gentleman, might be apt to argue. But what if the author defigned his treatife, as the title fhows, chiefly for thofe who were not yet thoroughly, or firmly, chriftians, propofing to work on thofe, who either wholly difbelieved, or doubted of the truth of the chriftian religion? Would any one blame his prudence, if he mentioned only thofe advantages, which all chriftians are agreed in? Might he not remember and obferve that command of the apostle, Rom. xiv. 1, "Him "that is weak in the faith, receive ye, but not to doubt"ful difputations;" without being a focinian? Did he amifs, that he offered to the belief of thofe who stood off, that, and only that, which our Saviour and his apoftles preached, for the reducing the unconverted world: and would any one think he in earnest went about to perfuade men to be chriftians, who should use that as an argument to recommend the gofpel, which he has obferved men to lay hold on, as an objection against it? To urge fuch points of controverfy, as neceffary articles of faith, when we fee our Saviour and the apostles, in their preaching, urged them not as neceffary to be believed, to make men chriftians, is (by our own authority) to add prejudices to prejudices, and to block up our own way to thofe men, whom we would have accefs to, and prevail upon. But fome men had rather you fhould write booty, and cross your own defign of removing men's prejudices to christianity, than leave out one tittle of what they put into their systems. To fuch, I fay, convince but men of the miffion of Jefus Chrift, make them but fee the truth, fimplicity and reasonablenefs, of what he himself taught, and required to be believed by his followers; and you need not doubt, but,

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