ther he be a Man of Virtue, Honour, Piety, Wit, good Senfe, or Learning; the modern Question is only, whether he be aWhig or a Tory; under which Terms all good and ill Qualities are included.

Now, because it is a Point of Difficulty to chuse an exact Middle between two ill Extreams; it may be worth enquiring in the prefent Cafe, which of these a wife and good Man would rather seem to avoid: Taking therefore their own good and ill Characters with due Abatements and Allowances for Partiality and Paffion; I fhould think, that, in order to preserve the Conftitution entire in the Church and State; whoever hath a true Value for both, would be fure to avoid the Extreams of Whig for the Sake of the former, and the Extreams of Tory on Account of the latter.

I HAVE now faid all that I could think convenient upon fo nice a Subject; and find, I have the Ambition common with other Reasoners, to wish at least, that both Parties may think me in the Right, which would be of fome Ufe to those who have any Virtue left, but are blindly drawn into the Extravagancies of either, upon false Representations, to ferve the Ambition or Malice of defigning Men, without any Profpect of their own. But if that may not be hoped for; my next Wish should be, that both might think me in the Wrong; which I would understand, as an ample Juftification of myself, and a fure Ground to believe, that I have proceeded at least with Impartiality, and perhaps with Truth.

AN

ΑΝ

ARGUMENT

To prove, That the

Abolishing of Christianity

IN

ENGLAND,

May, as Things now ftand, be attended with fome Inconveniencies, and perhaps, not produce those many good Effects proposed thereby.

Written in the Year 1708.

AM very fenfible what a Weakness and Prefumption it is, to reason against the general Humour and Dif pofition of the World. I remember it was with great Justice, and a due Regard to the Freedom both of the Publick and the Prefs, forbidden upon fevere Penalties to write or discourse,

difcourfe, or lay Wagers against the Union, ever before it was confirmed by Parliament: Because that was looked upon as a Defign to oppose the Current of the People; which befides the Folly of it, is a manifeft Breach of the Fundamental Law, that makes this Majority of Opinion the Voice of GOD. In like Manner, and for the very fame Reasons, it may perhaps be neither safe nor prudent to argue against the abolishing of Christianity, at a Juncture when all Parties appear fo unanimously determined upon the Point; as we cannot but allow from their Actions, their Discourses, and their Writings. However, I know not how, whether from the Affectation of Singularity, or the Perversenefs of human Nature; but fo it unhappily falls out, that I cannot be entirely of this Opinion. Nay, although I were fure an Order were iffued out for my immediate Profecution by the Attorney-General; I should still confefs, that in the prefent Pofture of our Affairs at home or abroad, I do not yet fee the abfolute Neceffity of extirpating the Chriftian Religion from among us.

THIS perhaps may appear too great a Paradox, even for our wife and paradoxical Age to endure: Therefore I fhall handle it with all Tendernefs, and with the utmost Deference to that great and profound Majority, which is of another Sentiment.

AND yet the Curious may please to obferve, how much the Genius of a Nation is liable to alter in half an Age: I have heard it affirmed for certain by fome very old People, that the contrary Opinion was even in their Memories as much in Vogue, as the other is now; and that a Project for the abolishing Christianity would then have appeared as fingular, and been thought as abfurd, as it would be at this Time to write or difcourfe in its Defence.

THERE

are against me. The Syftem of the Gofpel, after the Fate of other Syftems is generally antiquated and exploded; and the Mafs or Body of the common People, among whom it seems to have had its latest Credit, are now grown as much ashamed of it as their Betters: Opinions, like Fashions always defcending from thofe of Quality to the middle Sort, and thence to the Vulgar, where at length they are dropt and vanish.

BUT here I would not be mistaken; and must therefore be fo bold as to borrow a Diftinction from the Writers on the other Side, when they make a Difference between nominal and real Trinitarians. I hope, no Reader imagines me fo weak to stand up in the Defence of real Christianity; such as used in primitive Times (if we may believe the Authors of thofe Ages) to have an Influence upon Mens Belief and Actions: To offer at the restoring of that, would indeed be a wild Project; it would be to dig up Foundations; to deftroy at one Blow all the Wit, and half the Learning of the Kingdom; to break the entire Frame and Conftitution of Things; to ruin Trade, extinguish Arts and Sciences with the Profeffors of them; in fhort, to turn our Courts, Exchanges, and Shops into Defarts: And would be full as abfurd as the Propofal of Horace, where he advises the Romans, all in a Body, to leave their City, and feek a new Seat in fome remote Part of the World, by Way of Cure for the Corruption of their Manners.

THEREFORE, I think this Caution was in itself altogether unneceffary, (which I have inferted only to prevent all Poffibility of cavilling) fince every candid Reader will eafily understand my Difcourfe to be intended only in Defence of nominal Chriftia

nity; the other having been for fome Time who laid aside by general Confent, as utterly inconsist with our present Schemes of Wealth and Pow

BUT why we should therefore caft off the Na and Title of Chriftians, although the general O nion and Refolution be so violent for it; I conf I cannot (with Submiffion) apprehend the Con quence neceffary. However, fince the Undertak propose fuch wonderful Advantages to the Nati by this Project; and advance many plaufible O jections against the Syftem of Christianity; I fh briefly confider the Strength of both; fairly all them their greatest Weight, and offer fuch Anfw as I think most reasonable. After which I w beg Leave to fhew what Inconveniencies may p fibly happen by fuch an Innovation, in the prese Pofture of our Affairs.

First, ONE great Advantage proposed by the bolishing of Chriftianity is, That it would ve much enlarge and establish Liberty of Confciend that great Bulwark of our Nation, and of the P teftant Religion, which is ftill too much limited t Prieftcraft, notwithstanding all the good Intentio of the Legislature; as we have lately found by severe Instance. For it is confidently reporte that two young Gentlemen of great Hopes, brig Wit, and profound Judgment, who upon a th rough Examination of Caufes and Effects, and the mere Force of natural Abilities, without t leaft Tincture of Learning; having made a Difc very, that there was no GOD, and generously con municating their Thoughts for the Good of the Pu lick; were fome Time ago, by an unparallell Severity, and upon I know not what obfolete Lav broke only for Blafphemy. And, as it hath bee

wife