PREFACE

TO THЕ

FIRST EDITION

T

in MDCCXL.

HE Author of the Divine Legation of
Mofes, a private clergyman, had no fooner

given his firft Volume to the Public, than he was fallen upon in fo outrageous and brutal a manner as had been scarce pardonable had it been the Divine Legation of Mahomet. And what was most extraordinary, by those very men whose Cause he was fupporting, and whofe Honours and Dignities he had been defending. But what grotefque inftruments of vengeance had BIGOTRY fet on foot! If he was to be run down, it had been fome kind of confolation to him to fall by favages, of whom it was no difcredit to be devoured.

Optat aprum, aut fulvum defcendere monte Leonem.

However, to do them justice, it must be owned, that, what they wanted in teeth, they had in venom; and they knew, as all Brutes do, where their ftrength lay. For reafons best known to BIGOTRY, he was, in fpite of all his profeffions, to be pushed VOL. III.

C

over

over to the Enemy, by every kind of provocation. To fupport this pious purpose, paffages were dif torted, propofitions invented, converfation betrayed, and forged letters written'.

The attack was opened by one who bore the refpectable name of a Country Clergyman, but was in reality a Town-Writer of a Weekly News-Paper; and with fuch excess of infolence and malice, as the Public had never yet feen on any occafion whatfo

ever.

Our

Amidst all this unprovoked clamour, the Author had his reafons for fparing these wretched tools of impotence and envy. His friends thought it beneath him to commit himself with fuch writers; and he himself supposed it no good policy to irritate a crew of Zealots who had, at their first opening, called loudly upon the fecular arm. Author indeed could talk big to the FREE-THINKERS; for alas, poor men! he knew their weapons: All their arms were arguments, and those none of the fharpeft; and Wit, and that none of the brighteft. But he had here to do with men in Authority; appointed, if you will believe them, Infpectors-General over clerical Faith. And they went forth in all the pomp and terror of Inquifitors; with Sufpicion before, Condemnation behind, and their two affeffors, Ignorance and Infolence on each

fide. We must fufpect his faith (fay they)-We muft condemn his book-We do not understand his argument.

-But it may perhaps be of ufe to Pofterity at leaft, if ever these flight fheets fhould happen to come down to it, to explain the provocation which our Author had given for fo much unlimited abuse and calumny. The Reader then may be pleafed to know, that the Author's first Vol. of The Divine Legation of Mofes was as well a fequel and support of the Alliance between Church and State (a book written in behalf of our Conftitution and Established Clergy) as it was an introduction to a projected Defence of Revelation. It might likewife be regarded as an intire work of itself, to fhew the usefulness of Religion to Society. This, and the large bulk of the Volume difpofed him to publifh it apart; while the prefent ftate of Religion amongst us seemed to give it a peculiar expediency," an open and profeffed "difregard to Religion (as an excellent Paftor of our Church obferves) "being become the diftinguish❝ing character of the prefent age. An evil grown

to a great height in the Metropolis of the Nation, "and daily fpreading thro' every part of it; which "hath already brought in fuch diffoluteness and

contempt of principle in the higher part of the "world, and fuch profligate intemperance and "fearlefnefs of committing crimes in the lower, "as muft, if this torrent of impiety ftop not, "become abfolutely fatal." Our Author therefore thought, that as this evil, which is now spread through the populace, began in the higher part of

Webster, Ven, Stebbing, Waterland, and others.

• Bishop of Oxford's Charge, Lond. 1738. 4to. p. 4.

the world, it must be first checked there, if ever it were checked at all. And he knew no better way to do this, than by fhewing those People of Condition (who, amidst all their contempt of religious Principle, yet profeffed the greatest zeal for their country and mankind) that Religion is abfolutely neceffary for the fupport of civil Government. He thought too, this no ill device to get the advocate of Revelation a fair hearing. For he fuppofed, that unless they could be made to fee the usefulness of Chriftianity to Society (which their contempt of Principle fhewed they yet did not fee) they would never be brought to believe its Truth, or Divinity.

These were his endeavours and defigns. What he got for his pains I have already told the Reader.

In vain had he endeavoured to deferve well of Religion at large, and of the Church of England in particular; by fixing the true grounds of morality;-by confuting the atheistic arguments of Bayle, and the flagitious Principle of Mandeville; -by explaining the natures, fettling the bounds, and adjusting the distinct rights of the two Societies; -and by expofing the impious tenet of Religion's being the contrivance of Politicians.

All this went for nothing with the Bigots. He had departed from the old pofture of defence, and had projected a new plan for the fupport of Revelation. His Demonftration (fays one of them) if be could make one of it, could never make us amends for changing our pofture of defence, and deferting our strong holds. For though they will

f Webster's Country Clergyman's second Letter.

talk,