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way likely to thwart their present intereft, and to fupport and maintain any religious scheme which tends to fupport and maintain them. From these quarters I expect to have it roundly afferted, that the following Enquiry is defigned and calculated to promote and encourage Deifm, to the prejudice of Revealed Religion in general, and of Chritianity in particular. If by Deism be meant the belief of a Deity, and the governing our minds and. lives fuitably to fuch a belief, (which is ftrictly and properly Deism) then, I readily acknowledge that fuch a charge will be just, viz. that the following Enquiry is defigned and calculated to promote and encourage Deifm. But then, how this can be done in prejudice to Revealed Religion in general, and to Christianity in particular, I am at a lofs to discover. Chriftianity is, (as it must needs be if it be of God) founded

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on the eternal reafon and truth of things; and therefore, it is impoffible that reasoning justly from eternal truths, (which is the cafe of the following Enquiry) can be prejudicial to Christianity. And that Chriftianity is founded on the eternal reason and truth of things, I have already fhewed to be the cafe, by fhewing what is the True Gospel of Jefus Chrift, in a book lately published bearing that title; which book hath drawn forth many oppofers, who have employed their abilities in perplexing and diftreffing a fubject which either they do not, or will not, or cannot, understand. The true ground upon which intelligent beings may reasonably hope to obtain their Creator's favour, and upon which vicious beings may reasonably hope and expect to obtain the divine mercy, are as plain and obvious as any thing in nature or reason can be. But then, in the present cafe, men love, or at least b chufe

chufe darkness rather than light; they chufe to grope in the dark rather than attend to that light which is given to, and kindly intended to be a guide to every man that cometh into the world.

The representation I have given of the Gospel of Chrift, in the forementioned book, is taken from the words and declarations of Chrift him felf, and is founded upon the whole Scope and purport of his miniftry. And, as in that view of the cafe the Gospel of Chrift appears to be grounded on eternal reason and truth, and ftands clear of all that abfurdity and nonfenfe which fome of it's preachers and pretended advocates have annexed to, and blended with it: fo like pure gold it will bear being tried by the most curious and artful refiner. And, though the perverting Chrift's Gospel has been represented to be the ground of that great oppofition which has been made to the forementioned

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book; yet it may well be fufpected that there is fomething else at the bottom. The appendixes of pomp, and wealth, and power, which are annexed to the Chriftian miniftry, these usually awaken the concern of the Clergy, and were these to be separated from that ministry, I fear the poor Gofpel would be left to shift for itself for any aid it would receive from thefe it's defenders. I have, in the book referred to, fhewed how it comes to pass that where the Gospel has been received and profeffed, it has not generally had it's proper and intended effect upon the minds and lives of men. And, amongst other caufes, I have fhewed the Chriftian miniftry to have been one. And, tho' I offered nothing on that head of difcourfe, but what plainly appeared to have been grounded on experience and fact; yet I have hereby ftirred up the wrath and indignation of many of the Clergy against me,

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two of which, who are my opponents, have taken upon them to be their profeffed vindicators. This I apprehend to have been the principal ground of the forementioned oppofition, which as it is no more than I expected; fo thereby is made good an old proverb, touch a galled horse on the part that is galled, and it will wince. And, here I beg leave to ask those reverend fathers, (my opponents) otherwife like his Holinefs our fervants in Chrift Jefus; Who have been the great corrupters of Christianity in all ages? Who gave birth to, nourished up, and brought to perfection, that great corruption of Christianity called Popery? Have they not been those employed in the Chriftian miniftry? Yes certainly. This my reverend opponents must know to be the truth of the cafe, if they know any thing of the matter; and if they do not, then, furely, their ignorance bears fome proportion to their confidence,

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