against the fuppofition itself, than the inference that I drew from it. This is not a proper place to justify that suppofition; thus much only I thall fay at present concerning it. I am fo far from retracting it, that I look upon it to be a moft clear and indubitable truth; and think myself to have expreffed it with more wariness and reserve than was neceffary. My words are—I fee not but that might be efteemed the true measure of happiness and mifery: Whereas this might not only be efteemed, but would really be, the true measure of happiness and misery, to the far greater part of mankind, if they were not educated under the hope and fears of future rewards and punishment. The objects of fense would then determine the views of most men; of all fuch, to be fure, who converfed perpetually with them, and wanted the opportunities and capacities that were requifite towards withdrawing their thoughts from these things, and fixing them on more refined and reafonable pleafures. And even among those few who were better qualified, ftill fewer would be found, who, without the hope of another life, would think it worth their while, to live above the allurements of sense and the gratifications of this world, as far as was neceffary towards attaining the heights of Chriftian perfection. Nor could any argument be urged, fufficient to induce those so to do, who were otherwife refolved and inclined, The rule of good and evil would not then appear uniform and invariable; but would feem different, according to men's different complexions, and inclinations; and whatever they judged to be, upon the whole, C 2 moft most agreeable or disagreeable to them, that they would be fure (nay they would look upon them. felves as obliged) to purfue or decline, without being restrained by any speculative reasonings, concerning the nature of virtue and vice, and the obligations men are under, univerfally, to prac tife the one, and efchew the other. But this, I am fenfible, lics without the com pafs of my immediate defign, which is only to reckon up the feveral restrictions, under which what I have laid down in that fermon ought to be understood; restrictions, not now first devised to qualify my doctrine, but plainly propofed together with it, and interwoven into the body of thofe few fhort reflexions, which I had room to make concerning it. And yet the author of the letter, in à very grave and folemn manner, argues throughout, as if no one such restriction had been made. Let his caufe be as good as he pretends it to be, yet furely it is not at all beholden to him for his way of maintaining it. He that talks thus deceit. fully, even for truth itself, must needs hurt it more by his example, than he promotes it by his arguments. But to fet afide thefe reftrictions, important as they are, for the present, and take my doctrine at large, even as the letter-writer himfelf hath reprefented it; that is, as briefly contained in (what he calls) my two pofitions *, and "the notions "on which they are founded +:" Let us fee how far the firft charge of novelty can, even upon this foot, be made good against it. I. My pofitions are thefe; That, "were there "no life after this," Firit," Men would be reals "ly more miferable than beafts ;" and Secondly, "the best of men would be often the moft mifer "able." The notion on which they are founded is, That, "fuppofing the present to be the only "life we are to lead, I fee not but that pleasing "and painful fenfations might be efteemed the "true measure of happiness and misery.” Against both the one and the other, the letter writer exclaims in a moft tragical manner: He is " forry to fee fuch conceffions made to the cause "of vice by any preacher of righteoufnefs *; he never yet heard, nor never expected to hear, "any thing like this from the pulpit +; he knows "not fuch that affertions have been ever, before "this, ferioufly maintained by any perfon of vir"tue and understanding, much lefs folemnly "dictated as undoubted truths from the pulpit‡: he thinks, that all, who have any refpect for "the clergy, muft lament that fuch ftrange doc"trine fhould be recommended to the world by "one of that body; and all, who have any regard 66 to the honour of Chrift, must lament to see it folemnly backed and confirmed by one of his " apostles *." The charge of novelty is here urged with fo much warmth and gravity, and fuch an air of affurance, that even a wary reader would be apt to think it well founded; and yet never was there a cenfure more rafhly vain, or more entirely deftitute of all colour of truth. For firft, as to the P. 17. † p. 32 L. p. 19. "P-45. pofitions pofitions themselves, they are fo far from being new, that they are commonly to be met with in both antient and modern, domeftic and foreign writers; particularly in the works of our English divines, which are in every one's hands, and with which the author of the letter, I believe, is best acquainted. I begin with archbishop Tillotfon, who cannot be fufpected to have made "conceffions to the caufe of vice," either through weakness or a worse reason: and yet these are his expreffions: "The condition of men in this pre"fent life is attended with fo many frailties, liable ter, to fo great miferies and fufferings, to fo many "pains and diseases to such various causes of "forrow and trouble, of fear and vexation, by "reafon of the many hazards and uncertainties, "which not only the comforts and contentments "of our lives, but even life itself is fubject to, "that the pleasure and happiness of it is by these much rebated: fo that were we not fo trained up with the hopes of something better hereaflife itself would be to many men an unfupportable burden. If men were not fupported "and born up under the miferies of this pre"fent life, with the hopes and expectations of an happier ftate in another world, mankind would be the most imperfect and unhappy part of God's creation. For altho' other creatures be fubject"ed to a great deal of vanity and mifery yet "this hrppinefs, that, as they are made for a "fhort duration and continuance, fo they are "only affected with the prefent; they do not fret " and difcontent themfelves about the future; they are not liable to be cheated with hopes, "nor tormented with fears, nor vexed at difappointments, as the fons of men are. But if "our fouls be immortal. this makes abundant "ammends and compenfation for the frailties of "this life, and all the tranfitory sufferings and "inconveniencies of this prefent state: Human "nature, confidered with this advantage, is in"finitely above the brute beafts that perifb." Serm. vol. ix. pag. 68, 69. Again, "What "would a man gain by it, if the foul were not "immortal, but to level himself with the beafts "that perifb, [nay] to put himself into a worfe " and more miferable condition thin any of the "ereatures below him?" Ibid. p. 72. The fame thing is faid more fhortly, but as fully, by the prefent Lord Bishop of Rochester; "Without that belief [of the joys of another life] "as Chriftians of all men, fo men of all creatures. were most miferable." Sermon on Jan. 30. p. 14. To the like purpofe Mr. Glanville. "If this life "be all, we have the fame end and happiness "with the brutes; and they are happier of the two, "in that they have leffer cares and fewer disappoint "ments." Serm. p. 294. Dr. Moor, whom my Reprover must allow to have been "a perfon of virtue and understanding," expreffes himself on this occafion, in very fignificant terms. "If (fays he) there be no life hereafter, the worst of men have the greatest fbare "of happiness; their paffions and affections being "fo continually gratified, and that to the height, " in thofe things that are fo agreeable, and, right |