that may not have recourse to vent themselves in fome of thofe orders; which are fo many retreats for the fpeculative, the melancholy, the proud, the filent, the politic, and the morose, to spend themselves, and evaporate the noxious particles : for each of whom, we, in this ifland, are forced to provide several fects of religion, to keep them quiet. And whenever Chriftianity fhall be abolished, the legislature muft find fome other expedient to employ and entertain them. For, what imports it, how large a gate you open, if there will be always left a number, who place a pride and a merit in refusing to enter ?

Having thus confidered the most important objections against Christianity, and the chief advantages proposed by the abolishing thereof; I fhall now, with equal deference and fubmiffion to wifer judgments, as before, proceed to mention a few inconveniencies that may happen, if the gofpel fhould be repealed; which, perhaps, the projectors may not have fufficiently confidered.

And, first, I am very fenfible how much the gentlemen of wit and pleasure are apt to murmur, and be fhocked at the fight of fo many daggledtail parfons, who happen to fall in their way, and offend their eyes. But, at the fame time, these wife reformers do not confider, what an advantage and felicity it is, for great wits to be always provided with objects of scorn and contempt, in order to exercise and improve their talents, and divert their spleen from falling on each other, or VOL. II.

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on themselves; efpecially when all this may be done without the leaft imaginable danger to their perfons.

And, to urge another argument of a parallel nature: If Chriftianity were once abolished, how could the free-thinkers, the ftrong reasoners, and the men of profound learning, be able to find another subject fo calculated, in all points, whereon to display their abilities? What wonderful productions of wit fhould we be deprived of, from thofe, whofe genius, by continual practice, hath been wholly turned upon raillery and invectives against religion, and would therefore never be able to fhine, or distinguish themselves upon any other fubject? We are daily complaining of the great decline of wit among us; and, would we take away the greatest, perhaps the only topic we have left? Who would ever have fufpected Afgil for a wit, or Toland for a philofopher, if the inexhauftible stock of Christianity had not been at hand to provide them with materials? What other fubject, through all art or nature, could have produced Tindal for a profound author, or furnifhed him with readers? It is the wife choice of the fubject, that alone adorns and distinguishes the writer. For, had an hundred fuch pens as thefe been employed on the fide of religion, they would have immediately funk into filence and oblivion.

Nor do I think it wholly groundless, or my fears altogether imaginary, that the abolishing of Chriftianity

Christianity may perhaps bring the church in danger, or at least put the fenate to the trouble of another fecuring vote. I defire I may not be mistaken. I am far from prefuming to affirm, or think, that the church is in danger at prefent, or as things now stand; but we know not how foon it may be fo, when the Chriftian religion is repealed. As plaufible as this project seems, there may be a dangerous design lurking under it. Nothing can be more notorious, than that the Atheifts Deifts, Socinians, Antitrinitarians, and other fubdivifions of free-thinkers, are perfons of little zeal for the prefent ecclefiaftical establishment. Their declared opinion is for repealing the facramental test; they are very indifferent with regard to ceremonies; nor do they hold the jus divinum of Epifcopacy. Therefore, this may be intended as one politic step towards altering the conftitution of the church established, and fetting up Prefbytery in the ftead; which I leave to be further considered by those at the helm.

In the last place, I think nothing can be more plain, than that, by this expedient, we shall run into the evil we chiefly pretend to avoid; and that the abolishment of the Christian religion, will be the readieft course we can take to introduce Popery. And I am the more inclined to this opinion, because we know it hath been the conftant practice of the Jefuits, to fend over emiffaries, with inftructions to perfonate themfelves members of the feveral prevailing fects among

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mong us. So it is recorded, that they have, at fundry times, appeared in the guife of Presbyterians, Anabaptifts, Independents, and Quakers, according as any of these were moft in credit: fo, fince the fashion hath been taken up, of exploding religion, the Popish miffionaries have not been wanting to mix with the free-thinkers; among whom, Toland, the great oracle of the Antichriftians, is an Irish prieft, the fon of an Irish prieft; and the most learned and ingenious author of a book called the rights of the Chriflian church, was, in a proper juncture, reconciled to the Romish faith; whofe true fon, as appears by a hundred paffages in this treatife, he ftill continues. Perhaps I could add fome others to the number: but the fact is beyond difpute. And the reafoning they proceed by, is right: for, fuppofing Chriftianity to be extinguished, the people will never be at ease till they find out fome other method of worship; which will as infallibly produce fuperftition, as superstition will end in Popery.

And therefore, if, notwithstanding all I have faid, it still be thought neceffary to have a bill brought in for repealing Christianity, I would humbly offer an amendment, that, instead of the word Christianity, may be put religion in general; which, I conceive, will much better answer all the good ends propofed by the projectors of it. For, as long as we leave in being a God, and his Providence, with all the neceffary confequences which curious and inquifitive men will

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be apt to draw from fuch premifes; we do not strike at the root of the evil, though we should ever fo effectually annihilate the present scheme of the gofpel. For, of what ufe is freedom of thought, if it will not produce freedom of action; which is the fole end, how remote foever in appearance, of all objections against Christianity? and therefore, the free-thinkers confider it as a fort of edifice, wherein all the parts have fuch a mutual dependence on each other, that, if you happen to pull out one fingle nail, the whole fabric must fall to the ground. This was happily expreffed by him, who had heard of a text brought for proof of the Trinity, which, in an ancient manufcript, was differently read; he thereupon immediately took the hint, and, by a fudden deduction of a long forites*, most logically concluded, Why, if it be as you fay, I may fafely whore and drink on, and defy the parfon. From which, and many the like inftances, eafy to be produced, I think nothing can be more manifeft, than that the quarrel is not against any particular points of hard digeftion in the Chriftian fyftem, but against religion in general; which, by laying reftraints on human nature, is fuppofed the great enemy to the freedom of thought and action.

A forites differs from a fyllogifm, in that it takes only the minor proposition. An example of this figure may be seen, Vol. VII. in John Bull, part 2. chap. 17. near the end. Hawkef