encounter great hardships and sufferings on account of it; and it would be easy to shew, that a scheme calculated for universal reformation may expose to such trials, when it made its entrance Now in this view there was an into so degenerate a world. evident necessity, that the fear of him, who after he had killed could cast both soul and body into hell*, should be opposed to the threats of cruel persecutors. It was necessary, that the danger of rejecting, deserting, or even dissembling the faith should be plainly and affectionately represented; otherwise men would have held themselves fairly dispensed with from enquiring and looking into a scheme, so likely to prove destructive to their fortunes, and even to their lives, in this world, and by its own confession, by no means necessary to avoid greater evils in another.

From all these reasonings it appears to me undeniably evident, that as some severe threatnings to those who reject it must probably in any case attend a divine revelation; so these threatnings are so evidently congruous to the peculiar nature, design, and circumstances of christianity, that had they not made a part of it, the absence of them would have been a great diminution to its internal evidence, and probably an effectual bar to its propagation in the world.

I am sensible, Sif, the grand objection against all these reasonings is taken, from the appearance of a virtuous and amiable disposition in some who disbelieve the gospel, and from the possibility that a wrong association of ideas in others, leading them to conclude those things to be contained in the christian revelation which do not indeed belong to it, may engage some to reject the whole from the apparent absurdity which they see in these spurious, though solemn additions to it; as for instance, in those vast tracts of land, in which transubstantiation and image worship are represented, not merely as consistent with christianity, but as in a manner essential to it, by those who are its established teachers, and may therefore be presumed best to understand it.

As for the latter of these cases, it must be considered, how far the person so mistaken in the idea he has formed of christianity has fallen into that mistake necessarily, and how far it may be charged on his own negligence or mismanagement. It is possible, that in some countries christianity may be so misrepresented, and the common people may be so utterly incapable of

coming at its true contents, that they may be looked upon as persons unavoidably ignorant of it; and consequently are not included in the number of those, whose case we are now considering. But if any may have recourse to the scriptures, and will not give themselves the trouble of searching them, to see whether these supposed absurd doctrines are really contained in them, or no, they must stand by the consequences of their indolence and rashness: And I fear, the nobility and gentry in popish countries, (who are the persons among whom deism probably prevails most,) are generally in this case. Such might easily have discovered so much good in christianity, and so many arguments in its favour, as might have proved it worth their while to have read over the New Testament again and again, with an honest desire of knowing what are indeed the doctrines and precepts contained in it. I question not, but such an employment would have been a much more rational and useful way of spending time, than what the persons in question have often preferred to it; and it is not so obscure, as to leave a candid reader in such a case capable of imagining, it teaches, or requires any thing absurd.

As for the supposed virtues of some who know the gospel and reject it, I fear, Sir, when they come to be tried by the great standard of true excellence in character, they will be found exceedingly deficient. Virtue is a word of a very dubious signification; and, as it is generally used, that man is denominated virtuous, who is temperate, just, and humane in his conduct, be he never so destitute of religion. Now with regard to such persons it is evident, that a wise and righteous God will never treat them, as if they had been debauched, unjust, and inhumane. Nevertheless, if such as these live without God in the world; if they cast off fear, and restrain prayer before God; if (which the very fact of their rejecting Christianity proves,) they will not set themselves to enquire

gently and impartially into the intimations of the divine will; at they are unhumbled before God for the various transgressions of their lives, and so proudly conceited of their own reasong, that they will set their preconceived opinions on particular suocets against all the weight of internal and external evidence

coding the christian revelation, when contradicting those opanions; I cannot see on what ground they can complain, if tak be finally treated as persons, who, while they have revereaccd men, have forgotten God: Nor can it be imagined, that,

the load of so much guilt, they will have any claim to ww rewards merely because they have had sense and good

nature enough, to judge rightly concerning what would generally be the best interests and enjoyments of human life, even if there were no Deity; and so have chosen to live like men rather than brutes, so far as sobriety and mutual kindness alone were in question.

Had the best of men a suitable and continual sense of the majesty and purity of the divine nature, and of that love, duty, and zeal, which a reasonable creature owes to its Creator, they would with all their human and social virtues about them, fall down into the dust before God, and say, Enter not into judgment with thy servants, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified*! and they would feel a load of guilt pressing on their consciences, and engaging them most attentively to listen to a scheme by which free and full pardon might be expected, in a way most honourable to the rights of divine government. And if no admonitions can bring those who are now insensible to such a temper, we can only lainent, that their conviction is delayed to so late, and probably to so fatal a day.

But if there be any where in a christian and protestent nation, a man not yet thoroughly convinced of christianity, who on the principles of natural religion, reverences and loves the great Author of his being; who pours out his soul before him in the exercise of private and public devotion; who humbly traces every intimation of his will which he has already received, that he may yield a constant and uniform obedience to it; and seeks illumination from the great Father of lights for the farther discovery of it: If there be a person, who though yet in the state of hesitation concerning the divine authority of the scriptures, will diligently search them, not with a view to cavil and object, but honestly to see what is the genius and design of them, and will also read and consult the ablest defenders of christianity, in order to gain a fuller information of its evidence; I will venture to pronounce, that such a man is not far from the kingdom of God, and doubt not, but that according to the declaration of our faithful Saviour, he will ere long know that the doctrine is of Godt. I cannot believe that such a one ever died an infidel; because I have abundantly stronger evidence that christianity is true, than I have of the virtue of any one who died denying it. But you well know, Sir, that the generality of our deists are quite out of the present question, being most of them such as a Roman censor would not

have borne in any of the highest ranks of their citizens, how eagerly soever any may plead for their admission into the New Jerusalem, the presence of God, and the mansions of the blessed.

Nevertheless it is possible some may object, with regard to the person, whom we described above, as making so hopeful a progress towards embracing the gospel, what will he be the better after all, when it is embraced? What can the single circumstance of believing christianity to be true, effect towards recommending a man to the divine favour, who is already supposed not only temperate, just, and benevolent, but devout too? This is a question which I have sometimes heard advanced, though I do not recollect that you mention it; but I wonder it should enter into any mind, who knows what the faith which constitutes a man a real christian is, according to the account given of it above, agreeable to the whole tenour of the New Testament: And by the way, had you, Sir, considered that, you would have found very little room to triumph (as you do, page 10.) in our being obliged to pray for its increase. Were it merely a speculative assent, your arguments on this head would be as conclusive, as they are foreign to the scripture idea of it; which is a cordial and practical acquiescence in the scheme of salvation by Christ. This, Sir, evidently includes in it a becoming affection towards the Son of God, that illustrious person, whom, venerable and amiable as he is, every infidel must necessarily neglect, and to whom, when once revealed, God may most reasonably require express homage, duty, and subjection, on pain of his highest displeasure. Faith also, in this view of it, will be the foundation of such deep humiliation before God, of such ardent love to him, and does, in one word, so illustriously ennoble, and improve, all the other branches of a lovely and virtuous disposition; that surely no one, who has either felt its power, or even studied its nature and genuine influence, can long doubt to what purpose it is demanded and insisted upon. And he that has observed the effects it has produced, and the illustrious as well as numerous victories it has gained over the world, beyond what any other principle could ever obtain, will be unable to depreciate it, without greatly debasing the nature and extent of that moral virtue, which he pretends to exalt in preference to it; as I think it were easy to shew at large, if the compass of this letter would admit it.

And thus, Sir, I have given you my deliberate thoughts on the reasonableness, justice, and necessity of the awful sentence which the gospel passes on those who reject it; and whether it may move you to gratitude, to anger, or to scorn, I cannot dis

miss the subject without solemnly and earnestly intreating you, seriously to reflect upon it, as your own concern, and to ask yourself, as an impartial creature shortly to appear at the tribunal of God, whether you have not reason to humble yourself before him in the review of this, when compared with the manner in which you have ventured to talk on this tremendous subject? Your heart may perhaps be less impressible; but I am sure that for my own part, were I to think, I will not say as an humble christian, but as a sober and religious deist in character ought, if christianity had never been heard of, I would not for the whole world presume to say, as you have in effect frequently done, that an infinitely wise God could not give a revelation attended with such rational evidence, as should render every man to whom it came*, justly obnoxious to high penalties for rejecting it." Nay, I think it would fill me with astonishment and grief, that a mortal man should be found, arrogant and petulant enough, to limit the majesty of heaven, by such an assertion; and to declare in express words, a disdain at the mention of his lifted rod, when held over those who should despise his appointed method of pardon and salvation. May the hour never come, when this ill-judged bravery shall be lamented amidst inconsolable horrors!

After so copious an examination of this important question, in which I have laboured to give you, and my other readers, all the satisfaction I could, I have not left myself room to mention many other things in your essay, which might admit and require animadversion. Of those yet remaining unhandled, your account of the agency and office of the divine Spirit seems the most considerable. I leave my reader to consult it for himself, as it stands in your 56th and following pages: In which he will find a mixture of truth and falsehood so blended together, as on the whole to amount to a scheme apparently contrary to fact; and in theory so wild, that he will not find it easy to believe, it could be seriously proposed by any who enjoyed the use of his reason; or that you in particular meant any thing by it, unless it were to expose christianity, by representing this as its doctrine, and its grand foundation.

You must at least, Sir, add the sanction of your name to your pamphlet, before you will be thought seriously to teach, (as in page 59.) "that every baptized person is inspired in a moment with an irresistible light from heaven," which yet, according to your 63d page, may be resisted, and

*N. B. I here suppose extraordinary cases allowed for, as above.