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system of religion which supports them, whether it be true, or false, this being a propofition, the truth of which is fupported by univerfal experience and fact; fo this exhibits an obvious reafon to us, carefully to examine what comes from that quarter, because it is by them we are in the greatest danger of being mifled, by implicitly fubmitting to their dictates, as they are the ministry we are immediately concerned with, whether Mahometan, or Christian, whether popish, proteftant, or otherwife. For example, fuppofe a Man, in a Mahometan country, to be under fome doubt, as to the divine original of the Coran, and fuppofe it concerns him to be fatisfied, whether the Coran be a divine revelation, or not; the queftion is, who is proper to be applied to? And the answer is most obvious, not to a Mahometan Priest, because he stands engaged, by office and intereft, to defend the divinity of the Coran, and therefore will do it; and confequently, he, of all others, is the most unfit to be applied to, or depended upon; and this, furely, will be allowed, by all Chriftians, as the cafe is not their own. In like manner, fuppofe a man, in a popish country, fhould be doubtful of

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the doctrine of tranfubftantiation, and suppofe he has a right to enquire into the truth of it; the question is, who is proper for him to apply to, and depend upon? not, furely, to a popish priest! because he is obliged, by office and intereft, to fupport popery, at all adventures, of which the doctrine of tranfubftantiation is a part; and therefore, this he will do, as popery is the religious conftitution he is immediately related to, and is supported by ; and, confequently, every Proteftant will allow, that truth is not likely to meet with fair play from that quarter. Again, suppose a man, among us, should be doubtful of the truth of fome article, or branch, of the conftitution of the church of England; for inftance, let it be that of Infant-Baptifm; and let it be admitted, that the doubtful perfon ought to pursue truth; the question is, who is proper to be applied to, and to be depended upon? And here the general vote, no doubt, will be for the parish-priest; whereas, were men to be as impartial in judging in their own cafe, as they are in that of others, then the general vote would be against the parish-priest, for the reafons before mentioned. And this is not arraigning the abilities and integrity

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of the English clergy, but only observing, that they act upon the fame principles that all other bodies of clergy do, and which, moft certainly, is the cafe. Every parishpriest is pre-engaged and pre-determined, by office and interest, to support and maintain the doctrines and conftitution of the Church of England, as it is what fupports and maintains him; and, therefore, when any arti cle of it is impeached, he becomes concerned to make use of all the arguments and evidence, that his abilities and reading can furnish him with, to fupport and maintain it, and, as a true fon of the church, may think it his duty so to do. And tho' Infant-Baptifm must needs appear, to an attentive mind, to be a mere bauble or infignificant ceremony, that can answer no wife and good end, (except the promoting good eating and drinking be confidered as fuch) as it cannot poffibly have any moral influence on the fubject; yet how infignificant and ufelefs foever it be, when once it is become a part of the conftitution of any church, the true fons of that church will do their best to fupport and maintain it, and which is our cafe. And this has been, and is, and always will be, the cafe, whilft man continues

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to be the fame creature that he now is. For tho', perhaps, at the opening of any new dif peniation, or the founding any new fect, a great furplus of religious zeal ufually boils in the breafts of it's first converts, which ardent zeal produces much greater degrees of mortification, felf-denial, and a contempt of this world, than ordinarily takes place among men ; yet, constant experience hews, that fuch trains of zeal, except they are kept up by a violent opposition, gradually decay, and, by degrees, wear off; tho', perhaps, the name, and the outward appearance, may remain. This, furely, hasbeen exemplified, in many inftances, and this may, perhaps, have been the cafe of Christianity itself, whatever reform upon mankind may, at first, have been intended, or even produced thereby. And, fuppofing any body of clergy should infift, that the religious fyftem they recommend, is the only true religion, and should urge it's being fuch, as a reason why they ought to be depended upon, in their promulgation of it, and in their preachments about it; as this is what all bodies of clergy affume, with respect to the religious conftitution they are in pay to maintain; fo this is a reason why they ought not to be trufted,

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with relation thereto, becaufe, if it fhould be an error, (of which the ipfe-dixit of any fuch body does not shew, or prove, the contrary) it is what they ftand engaged, by of fice and intereft, to fupport, under the character they have ftamped upon it; and this they will do, to the utmost of their power, as it is what supports and maintains them; ; as thereby they execute the trust repofed in them, by their mother, the church; and as thereby they are true to their principles, which, otherwife, they would not be confidered to be. And if the religious conftitution, that any body of clergy are thus engaged to fupport, fhould happen to be wholly founded in truth, which is not very likely to be the cafe; then fuch clergy ought to fhew, or plainly make it appear to be so, and not authoritatively impose it upon any ; because man ought to be dealt with suitably to his intelligent and manly nature, and not like the brute beasts, that have no underftanding, but must go whitherfoever their leader, or driver, pleases.

THE fum of the arguments is this; the Bible is a collection of writings, which, to appearance, at least, are greatly confused; which holds forth examples for us to copy

after,

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