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mistakes and injurious mifrepresentations, it will become him publicly to own and retract them and I now call upon him, in my turn, to do it. If he doth not, they will lie heavy upon him in another world, to whomfoever he may have recommended himself, in this, by the means of

them.

After I had finished this Preface, and a great part of it was printed, there came to my hands an Affize Sermon, preached lately in the Cathedral at Winchester, by Mr. Richard Weft, Prebendary of that Church, He hath, I find, stept a little out of his way, to give his peremptory opinion in the points controverted between me and the Letter-Writer; and withal, to prove himfelf no competent judge of them. For, after affirming, "That the PRACTICE of Chriftian "virtues, though we fet afide the confideration "of a future reward, HAVE a fairer title to "present happiness than their contrary vices" (which is better Divinity than Grammar); he proceeds to fay, "Nor does it appear that the "Pharifees themselves ever denied it, THO' a "Notion hath been invented of late, that prefers "brutish pleasures (for the more brutish, it "feems, the more preferable) to thofe of "religion." Serm. p. 7, 8.

It is a fhrewd remark which this fagacious writer here makes, that "though a notion hath ❝ been invented of late," yet it doth not appear that the Pharisees of old had the fame notions; he might with as great acutenefs of judgment have obferved, that the art of printing doth not appear to have been known to the antients, tho'

But to

it hath been invented fince their times. pafs by this judicious cbfervation-if Mr Weft pleases to read over my fermon and this preface, he will eafily fee, that he hath mistaken my notion, of which he here gives a very injurious account, in very unfeemly language; to fay no worse of it. He is ftill more mistaken in thinking that to be a late invention of mine, which hath been afferted by fo many pious and eminent pens of our own and other communions; to whofe sentiments a man, that profeffes to dedicate himfelf to the study of divinity, ought not to have been altogether a ftranger. And I am very apt to think alfo, that he hath, in this paragraph, mistaked the Pharifees for the Saducees. The Saducees, indeed did "fet afide the confideration of a future reward," and yet pretended to fupport the practice of virtue upon the foot of prefent happiness as Epicurus likewife did; from whom they are fometimes called Epicureans, in the Jewish writings. Neither Epicurus nor Zadok declared openly for vice and immoralty, though they denied a future ftate; but held happiness to be attainable in this life by our own conduct and virtues. But it no way appears, that the Pharifees had any fuch notions or difputes as thefe ftirring among them, or any occafion to deliver their opinion about the title, "which the practise of virtue hath to present happiness; setting afide the confideration of a future reward:" And why, therefore, their authority fhould be vouched to this purpose, I do by no means comprehend.

Much lefs can I imagine, why a Jewish fect [whether of Pharifees or Saducees] fhould be rek 2

prefented,

prefented, as delivering their judgment about the confequence of practising Christian virtues; a point in which they had as little reafon to concern themselves,as Mr Weft hath to interpofe in this difpute, unless he were better acquainted with the true ftate and grounds of it, and with the opinions of thofe who have gone before him in the argument, I hope, this was not one of the correct paffages, which Mr Jervife and the other gentlemen had in their view, when they "defired him to print his most excellent fermon-Of which I am tempted to fay fomewhat more, but fhall forbear; having, I hope, fufficiently prevented whatever this gentleman hath faid, or can fay, against any part of my doctrine. And fome attacks are fo harmlefs, that nothing but a defence can make them confiderable.

What gave rife to this civil digreffion of Mr. Weft, and at whofe fhrine he offered his incenfe, is too plain to admit of any doubt; and carries in it a reflection, fo much to the difadvantage of religion, that, could it poffibly be concealed, I fhould think myself obliged to pafs it over in filence. How muft it afflict good men, to confider, that our unhappy difputes about Rights and Privileges fhould, fpread themselves into points of a foreign niture, and of the most facred importance: and be purfued to the very horns of the altar, witheut any regard to the interefls of our common Chriftiinity! What! can we not differ about adjournments, without differing alfo about the evidences of a future ftate; and managing our contefts on that head, in fuch a manner as even to take part with, and make sport for, unbelievers ?

Are

Are these the bleffed effects of that moderation and temper, of which we have heard fo much in their writings, and feen fo little in their practices? How long fhall the best words in the world be thus perverfely applied to the worst purposes; and made ufe of to cover and advance defigns, widely distant from our fpecious pretenfions? Can we look upon it as one inftance of that moft amiable virtue, to ftand by cool and unconcerned for the great truths of religion? neither to defend them ourfelves, nor yet fuffer them to be defended by others? and, when we chance to fpy an Egyptian finiting an Hebrew, one of our brethren, to be fo far from avenging the wrong, as to encourage and affift the doer of it? What is this, but to imitate the wicked policy of our worst enemy, which we have so often complained of? For now eloquent have fome men been in their investives gainst a neighbouring prince (the fubject of tar panegyricks on fome other occafions) for making fcandalous leagues with Mahometan

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ing Chriftians in conjunction with the great en mies of Christendom? And is their compét lefs liable to reproach, who are not afh in d 10 poufe the caufe even of infide ity itfit, rather then mifs an opportunity of expreffing their refenments against men they do not has, indoi koe: ing up their little party-integels and quarro When opery was at our doors in a did we take this way of k-e i

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pital doctrines, which we all equally embrace, and are alike concerned to maintain: Nor let our perfonal views and prejudices (if we will not be perfuaded to part with them) ever lead us to do any thing, that may expofe religion itself to the laughter and fcorn of profane men; who boot out the lip, and shake the head, faying, Aha! So we would have it.

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