counted for in Mofes's Hiftory; when he relates this as a Punishment for the Difobedience of our firft Parents. I could yet urge farther, in behalf of this Hiftory of the Fall, the Slowness of the Education of Children, and their natural Imbecillity above all other Creatures, the Subjection of the Woman to the Man, our Antipathy to viperous Animals, if you can have Patience to hear them; and which can never be accounted for but by the Mofaick History.

Phil. You need not befpeak my Patience, Sir, at any Time for your Difcourfe; but I think by the Arguments you have brought upon this Subject, you have proved it ftrenuoufly enough: And the Night draws on, and therefore I must haften away. My hearty Thanks, Sir, for the Pains you have taken towards converting a poor Infidel; and at your Leifure I will take another Opportunity to be farther Catechifed.

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REDENTIUS thinking himself ob liged to return the Vifit which Philologus had lately given him, after a fmall Walk of half a Mile, his Houfe lying from Credentius's, but at that Diftance; he very opportunely hears that Philologis was retired to his Study after Dinner, and not fuffering the Servant to give him the Disturbance of calling him down, he with his wonted Familiarity, enters upon him there. The Room it felf was adorned with all the beautiful Paint and Figures which a skilful Hand could add, and the Books were methodically ranged into various Claffes, under the Images of ancient Philofophers Images

and

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and Poets, and fome other celebrated modern Writers. Nor was there wanting any Greek philofophical, or philological Writer down from Homer to Pletho; and all the Latin Clafficks ftood in the exacteft Order, and the moft curious Binding; and what yet commended them moft, they were chiefly of the charming Editions of Aldus, the Stephani, and Vafcofanus. Here were all the learned Adverfaria, Differtations, &c. of the famous Philologers of this, and the last Age, Trapezuntius, Valla, Volateranus, the Scaligers and Cafaubons; here was a Collection of every Thing curious in the Philofophy of the Moderns up to Petrarch and Mirandula; all the Wits of our own and the neighbouring Nations, every Thing ufeful and delicate in the Mathematicks and Poetry, moft fingular Sets of the modern Hiftory, Maps, and Travels; in fhort, a wellchofen Collection of the moft refined and pleafing Authors, which may tend to render the Study of a Gentleman agreeable, and to heighten his Genius. Philologus drawing a Chair for him to fit down, according to his wonted Pleafantnefs, tells Credentins, he was heartily glad to fee him; but for Entertainment he muft expect the fame that he gave him the other Day, endeavouring always to write after fo good a Copy as Credentius, fo that he must expect to be treated only with Difcourfe: Adding withal, that the Entertainment too of that Nature would be very mcan, and be no tolerable Recompence for that inftructive Difcourfe he was pleafed to afford him the other Day which he protefted had made him ever fince both wifer

and better.

Cred. I perceive, Sir, you retain ftill fo much of the complemental Strain, that I have not yet brought you up to the plain Sincerity of that Religion I am Advocate for. And if you find any forcible Conviction in the Arguments I then urged, you must attribute that to the evident Truth of our Religion, and not to my Manage

ment.

Phil. I would not have you, Sir, conclude too faft neither, my Head is not fo full of Revelation yet, as to fwallow the whole Doctrine of the Bible without chew

ing. Truly, Sir, I am a Kind of an obftinate Heathen; I thall hold out my Infidelity to the laft, and Faith must gain me by Inches, or not at all. You indeed have defended ftrenuously enough the Hiftory of the Creation and the Fall; but this tends no more to make a Man a Chriftian, than to make him a Jew. I expect to have the Reasonableness of the New Covenant, as you call it, made clear to me, and the Mediatorship in all its Particulars. I must demand an Account, why fimple natural Religion, fhould not perform as acceptable a Service to God Almighty, as when 'tis cumbered with Jewish and Christian Rites; why God fhould not as well be pleafed with a Man's doing his Duty himself as for the fake of a Mediator; and to what Purpose a Man must be forc'd to believe the Infpiration of a few Books wrote I know not when, and by I know not whom; and which, for the most Part, tell us no more but what natural Religion told us before. Therefore by your Leave, Credentius, I will attack you, 1. With the Sufficiency of natural Re- Particulars ligion in general towards the Worship of God, and a of the Con good Life. 2. In Oppofition to the Mediatorship of ference 3. In Oppofition to the Writings of the

Chrift.
Bible.

Of Natural Religion.

And now, Credentins, have at you upon the first Head.

I think I need not deduce Arguments for this out of the Depth of Philofophy; for I dare fay you will never be able to anfwer thefe four Verfes of our English Poet.

Natural Religion, eafy, first, and plain,

Riddles made it Fabulous, Priests they made it Gain ;
Offerings and Sacrifices next appear'd,

The Pricfts eat Roaft-meat, and the People star'ds

I proteft the cunning Blades had a brave Time of it, when they could fill their Bellies at the People's Charge,

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who