If the reading and study of the scripture were more pressed than it is, and men were fairly sent to the bible to find their religion; and not the bible put into their hands, only to find the opinions of their peculiar sect or party; Christendom would have more Christians, and those that are, would be more knowing, and more in the right, than they now are. That which hinders this, is that select bundle of doctrines, which it has pleased every sect to draw out of the scriptures,, or their own inventions, with an omission (and, as our unmasker would say, a contempt) of all the rest. These choice truths (as the unmasker calls his) are to be the standing orthodoxy of that party, from which none of that church must recede, without the forfeiture of their Christianity, and the loss of eternal life. But, whilst the people keep firm to these, they are in the church, and the way to salvation: which, in effect, what is it but to encourage ignorance, laziness, and neglect of the scriptures? For what need they be at the pains of con stantly reading the bible, or perplex their heads with considering and weighing what is there delivered; when believing as the church believes, or saying, after, or not contradicting their domine, or teacher, serves the turn?
Further, I desire it may be considered, what name that mere mock-show, of recommending to men the study of the scripture, deserves; if, when they read it, they must understand it just as he (that would be, and they are too apt, contrary to the command of Christ, to call, their master) tells them. If they find any thing in the word of God, that leads them into opinions he does not allow; if any thing they meet with in holy writ, seems to them to thwart, or shake the received doctrines, the very proposing of their doubts renders them suspected. Reasoning about them, and not ac quiescing in whatever is said to them, is interpreted want of due respect and deference to the authority of their spiritual guides; disrepute and censures follow: and if, in pursuance of their own light, they persist in Reasonableness of Christianity > $C. 295 what they think the scripture teaches them, they are turned out of the church, delivered to Satan, and no longer allowed to be Christians. And is thus a sincere and rightly directed study of the scriptures, that men may understand and profit thereby, encouraged? This is the consequence of men's assuming to themselves a power of declaring fundamentals, i. e. of setting up a Christianity of their own making. For how else can they turn men of as unblameable lives as others of their members out of the church of Christ (for so they count their communion) for opinions, unless those opinions were concluded inconsistent with Christianity? Thus systems, the invention of men, are turned into so many opposite gospels; and nothing is truth in each sect, but what suits with them. So that the scripture serves but, like a nose of wax, to be turned and bent, just as may fit the contrary orthodoxies of different societies. For it is these several systems, that to each party are the just standards of truth, and the meaning of the scripture is to be measured only by them. Whoever relinquishes any of those distinguishing points, immediately ceases to be a Christian.
This is the way that the unmasker would have truth and religion preserved, light and knowledge propagated* But here too the different sects, giving equal authority to their own orthodoxies, will be quits with him. For as far as I can observe, the same genius seems to in fluence them all, even those who pretend most to free dom, the socinians themselves. For when it is ob served, how positive and eager they are in their disputes; how forward to have their interpretations of scripture received for authentic, though to others, in several places, they seem very much strained; how impatient they are of contradiction; and with what disrespect and roughness they often treat their opposers: may it not be suspected, that this so visible a warmth in their present circumstances, and zeal for their orthodoxy, would (had they the power) work in them as it does in others? They in their turns would, I fear, be ready with their set of fundamentals; which they would be as forward to 296 A Second Vindication of the impose on others, as others have been to impose con trary fundamentals on them.
This is, and always will be, the unavoidable effect of intruding on our Saviour's authority, and requiring more now, as necessary to be believed to make a man a Christian, than was at first required by our Saviour and his apostles. What else can be expected among chris- tians, but their tearing, and being torn in pieces, by one another; whilst every sect assumes to itself a power of declaring fundamentals, and severally thus narrow Christianity to their distinct systems? He that has a mind to see how fundamentals come to be framed and fashioned, and upon what motives and considerations they are often taken up, or laid down according to the humours, interests, or designs of the heads of parties, as if they were things depending on men's pleasure and to be suited to their convenience; may find an example worth his notice, in the life of Mr. Baxter, part II. p.
Whenever men take upon them to go beyond those fundamental articles of Christianity, which are to be found in the preachings of our Saviour and his apostles, where will they stop? Whenever any set of men will require more, as necessary to be believed,, to make men of their church, i. e. in their sense, Christians, than what our Saviour and his apostles proposed to those whom they made Christians, and admitted into the church of Christ; however they may pretend to recom mend the scripture to their people, in effect, no more of it is recommended to them, than just comports with what the leaders of that sect have resolved Christianity shall consist in.
It is no wonder, therefore, there is so much igno rance amongst Christians, and so much vain outcry against it; whilst almost every distinct society of chris- tians magisterially ascribes orthodoxy to a select set of fundamentals, distinct from those proposed in the preach ing of our Saviour and his apostles; which, in no one point, must be questioned by any of its communion. By this means their people are never sent to the holy Reasonableness of Christianity, 8$c. 297 scriptures, that true fountain of light, but hood-wink ed: a veil is cast over their eyes, and then they are bid to read their bible. They must make it all chime to their church's fundamentals, or else they were better let it alone. For if they find any thing1 there against the re ceived doctrines, though they hold it and express it in the very terms the Holy Ghost has delivered it in, that will not excuse them. Heresy will be their lot, and they shall be treated accordingly. And thus we see how, amongst other good effects, creed-making always has, and always will necessarily produce and propagate ig norance in the world, however each party blame others for it. And therefore I have often wondered to hear men of several churches so heartily exclaim against the implicit faith of the church of Rome; when the same implicit faith is as much practised and required in their own, though not so openly professed, and ingenuously owned there.
In the next section, the unmasker questions the sin cerity of mine, and professes the greatness of his con cern for the salvation of men's souls. And tells me of my reflection on him, upon that account, in my Vindi cation, p. 165. Answ. I wish he would, for the right information of the reader, every-where set down, what he has any thing to say to, in my book, or my defence of it, and save me the labour of repeating it. My words in that place are, " Some men will not bear, that any " one should speak of religion, but according to the " model that they themselves have made of it. Nay, " though he proposes it upon the very terms, and in " the very words, which our Saviour and his apostles " preached it in; yet he shall not escape censures and " the severest insinuations. To deviate in the least, " or to omit any thing contained in their articles, is '• heresy, under the most invidious names in fashion; " and it is well if he escapes being a downright atheist. " Whether this be the way for teachers to make them- " selves hearkened to, as men in earnest in religion, " and really concerned for the salvation of men's souls, " I leave them to consider. What success it has had, " towards persuading men of the truth of Christianity, 298 A Second Vindication of the " their own complaints of the prevalency of atheism, " on the one hand, and the number of deists on the " other, sufficiently show."
I have set down this passage at large, both as a con firmation of what I said but just now: and also to show, that the reflection I there made needed some other an swer, than a bare profession of his " regard to the salva- " tion of men's souls." The assuming an undue autho rity to his own opinions, and using manifest untruths in the defence of them, I am sure is no mark, that the di recting men right in the way to salvation is his chief aim. And I wish that the greater liberties of that sort, which he has again taken in his Socinianism unmasked, and which I have so often laid open, had not confirmed that reflection. I should have been glad, that any thing in my book had been fairly controverted and brought to the touch, whether it had or had not been confuted. The matter of it would have deserved a serious debate (if any had been necessary) in the words of sobriety, and the charitable temper of the gospel, as I desired in my preface: and that would not have misbecome the unmasker's function. But it did not consist, it seems, with his design. Christian charity would not have al lowed those ill-meant conjectures, and groundless cen sures, which were necessary to his purpose: and there fore he took a shorter course,, than to confute rny book, and thereby convince me and others. He makes it his business to rail at it and the author of it, that that might be taken for a confutation. For by what he has hither to done, arguing seems not to be his talent. And thus far, who can but allow his wisdom? But whether it be that " wisdom that is from above; first pure, then " peaceable, gentle,. easy to be intreated, full of mercy, <( and good fruits, without partiality, and without hy- " pocrisy;" I shall leave to other readers to judge.
His saying nothing to that other reflection, which his manner of expressing himself drew from me, would make one suspect, it savoured not altogether of the wisdom of the gospel; nor showed an over-great care of the salvation of souls. My words, Vindication, p. 173, are: " I know not how better to show my care of Reasonableness of Christianity^ 8$c.
" his credit, than by entreating him, that when he takes " next in hand such a subject as this, wherein the sal- " vation of souls is concerned, he would treat it a " little more seriously, and with a little more candour, " lest men should find in his writings another cause of " atheism, which in this treatise he has not thought fit <: to mention. Ostentation of wit in general, he has " made a cause of atheism, p. 28. But the world will " tell him, that frothy light discourses, concerning the " serious matters of religion, and ostentation of trifling " misbecoming wit, in those who come as ambassadors " from God, under the title of successors of the apos- " ties, in the great commission of the gospel, are none " of the least causes of atheism/' But this advice I am now satisfied (by his second part of the same strain) was very improper for him; and no more reasonable, than if one should advise a buffoon to talk gravely, who has nothing left to draw attention, if he should lay by his scurrility.
The remainder of this fourth chapter, p. 61 — 67, being spent in showing, why the socinians are for a few articles of faith, being a matter that I am not concerned in; I leave to that forward gentleman to examine, who examined Mr. Edwards's exceptions against the " Rea- " sonableness of Christianity;" and who, as the un- masker informs me, page 64, was chosen to vindicate my attempt, &c.
If the unmasker knows that he was so chosen, it is well. If I had known of such a choice, I should have desired that somebody should have been chosen to vin dicate my attempt, who had understood it better. The unmasker and examiner are each of them so full of themselves, and their own systems, that I think they may be a fit match one for another; and so I leave these cocks of the game to try it out in an endless battle of wrangling ('till death them part) which of them has made the true and exact collection of fundamentals; and whose system of the two ought to be the prevail ing orthodoxy, and be received for scripture. Only I warn the examiner to look to himself: for the unmasker has the whip hand of him, and gives him to under- 300 A Second Vindication of the stand, p. 65, that if he cannot do it himself by the strength of his lungs, the vehemency of his oratory, and endless attacks of his repetitions; the ecclesiastical power, and the civil magistrate's lash, have, in store, demonstrative arguments to convince him that his [the imrnasker's] system is the only true Christianity.
By the way, I must not forget to mind the unmasker here again, that he hath a very unlucky hand at guess ing. For whereas he names Socinus, as one from whom I received my platform, and says that " Crellius gave " me my cue;" it so falls out, that they are two authors of whom I never read a page. I say not this, as if I thought it a fault if I had; for I think I should have much better spent my time in them, than in the writ ings of our learned unmasker.
I was sure there was no offending the unmasker, without the guilt of atheism; only he here, p. 69, very mercifully lays it upon my book, and not upon my de sign. The " tendency of it to irreligion and atheism," he has proved in an eloquent harangue, for he is such an orator he cannot stir a foot without a speech (made) as he bids us suppose, by the atheistical rabble. And who can deny, but he has chosen a fit employment for himself? Where could there be found a better speech- maker for the atheistical rabble? But let us hear him: for though he would give the atheistical rabble the cre dit of it, yet it is the unmasker speaks. And because it is a pity such a pattern of rhetoric and reason should be lost, I have, for my reader's edification, set it all down verbatim.
" We are beholden to this worthy adventurer for " ridding the world of so great an incumbrance, viz. " that huge mass and unwieldy body of Christianity, " which took up so much room. Now we see that it " was this bulk, and not that of mankind, which he had " an eye to, when he so often mentioned this latter. " This is a physician for our turn, indeed; we like this " chymical operator, that doth not trouble us with a " parcel of heavy drugs of no value, but contracts it all <e into a few spirits, nay doth his business with a single " drop. We have been in bondage a long time to Reasonableness of Christianity, $c. 301 " creeds and catechisms, systems and confessions; we " have been plagued with a tedious head-roll of articles, " which our reverend divines have told us, we must " make the matter of our faith. Yea, so it is, both " conformists arid nonconformists (though disagreeing " in some other things) have agreed in this, to molest " and crucify us. But this noble writer (we thank " him) hath set us free, and eased us, by bringing down " all the Christian faith into one point. We have heard " some men talk of epistolary composures of the New " Testament, as if great matters were contained in " them, as if the great mysteries of Christianity (as they " call them) were unfolded there: but we could never " make any thing of them; and now we find that this " writer is partly of our opinion. He tells us that " these are letters sent upon occasion; but we are not " to look for our religion (for now, for this gentleman's " sake, we begin to talk of religion) in these places.
" We believe it, and we believe that there is no religion " but in those very chapters and verses, which he has " set down in his treatise. What need we have any " other part of the New Testament? That is bible " enough, if not too much. Happy, thrice happy shall " this author be perpetually esteemed by us; we will " chronicle him as our friend and benefactor. It is " not our way to saint people, otherwise we would " certainly canonize this gentleman; and when our " hand is in, his pair of booksellers, for their being so " beneficial to the world in publishing so rich a trea- " sure. It was a blessed day, when this hopeful birth " saw the light; for hereby all the orthodox creed- " makers and systematic men are ruined for ever. In " brief, if we be for any Christianity, it shall be " this author's: for that agrees with us singularly " well, it being so short, all couched in four words, " neither more nor less. It is a very fine compendium, " and we are infinitely obliged to this great reformer " for it. We are glad at heart, that Christianity is "brought so low by this worthy penman; for this is " a good presage, that it will dwindle into nothing.
" What! but one article, and that so brief too! We 30£ A Second Vindication of the " like such a faith, and such a religion, because it is " nearer to none."
He hath no sooner done, but, as it deserved, he cries out, " Euge, sophos! and is not the reader," quoth he, f< satisfied that such language as this hath real truth in " it? Does not he perceive, that the discarding all the " articles but one, makes way for the casting off that " too?" Answ. It is but supposing that the reader is a civil gentleman, and answers, Yes, to these two ques tions; and then it is demonstration, that by this speech he has irrefragably proved the tendency of my book to irreligion and atheism.
I remember Chillingworth somewhere puts up this re quest to his adversary Knot: " Sir, 1 beseech you, when " you write again, do us the favour to write nothing but " syllogisms. For I find it still an extreme trouble to " find out the concealed propositions, which are to con- " nect the parts of your enthymems. As now, for " example, I profess to you I have done my best en- " deavour to find some glue, or solder, or cement, or " thread, or any thing to tie the antecedent and this " consequent together." The unmasker agrees so much in a great part of his opinion with that Jesuit, (as I have shown already,) and does so infinitely out-do him in spinning ropes of sand, and a coarse thread of incon sistencies, which runs quite through his bock; that it is with great justice I put him here in the Jesuit's place, and address the same request to him.
His very next words give me a fresh reason to do it: for thus he argues, p. 72, " May we not expect, that " those who deal thus with the creed, i. e. discard all " the articles of it but one, will use the same method " in reducing the ten commandments and the Lord's " prayer, abbreviate the former into one precept, and " the latter into one petition?" Answ. If he will tell me where this creed he speaks of is, it will be much more easy to answer his demand. Whilst his creed, which he here speaks of, is yet no-where, it is ridiculous for him to ask questions about it. The ten command ments, and the Lord's prayer, I know where to find in express words, set down by themselves, with peculiar Reasonableness of Christianity, <$c. 303 marks of distinction. Which is the Lord's prayer, we are plainly taught by this command of our Saviour, Luke xi. 2, " when ye pray, say, Our father," &c. In the same manner and words, we are taught what we should believe, to make us his disciples, by his command to the apostles what they should preach, Matt. x. 7> " As ye go, preach, saying," (What were they to say? Only this) " The kingdom of heaven is at hand." Or, as St. Luke expresses it, chap. ix. 2, They were sent " to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the " sick:" which, what it was, we have sufficiently ex plained. But this creed of the unmasker, which he talks of, where is it? Let him show it us distinctly set out from the rest of the scripture. If he knows where it is, let him produce it, or leave talking of it, until he can. It is not the apostles creed, that is evident; for that creed he has discarded from being the standard of Christian faith, and has told the world in words at length, That " if a man believes no more than is in " express terms in the apostles creed, his faith will not " be the faith of a Christian." Nay, it is plain, that creed has, in the unmasker's opinion, the same tendency to atheism and irreligion, that my summary has. For the apostles creed, reducing the forty, or, perhaps, the four hundred fundamental articles of his Christian creed to twelve; and leaving out the greatest part of those necessary ones, which he has already, and will here after, in good time, give us; does as much dispose men to serve the decalogue, and the Lord's prayer, just so, as my reducing those twelve to two. For so many, at least, he has granted to be in my summary, viz. the ar ticle of one God, maker of heaven and earth; and the other, of Jesus the Messiah; though he every-where calls them but one; which, whether it be to show, with what love and regard to truth he continues, and conse quently began this controversy; or whether it be to be guile and startle unwary, or confirm prejudiced readers; I shall leave others to judge. It is evident, he thinks his cause would be mightily maimed, if he were forced to leave out the charge of one article; and he would not know what to do for wit or argument, if he should call 304 A Second Vindication of the them two: for then the whole weight and edge of his strong and sharp reasoning, in his " Thoughts con- " cerning the causes of atheism/' p. 122, would be lost. There you have it in these words: " When the " catholic faith is thus brought down to one single ar- " tide, it will soon be reduced to none; the unit will " dwindle into a cypher." And here again, it makes the whole argument of his atheistical speech, which he winds up with these convincing words: " We are glad " to hear, that Christianity is brought so low by this " worthy penman; for this is a good presage, that it " will dwindle into nothing. What! one article, and " that so brief too! We like such a faith, and such a " religion, because it is so near none." But I must tell this writer, of equal wit, sense, and modesty, that this religion, which he thus makes a dull farce of, and calls " near none," is that very religion which our Saviour Jesus Christ and his apostles preached, for the conver sion and salvation of mankind; no one article whereof, which they proposed as necessary to be received by un believers, to make them Christians, is omitted. And I ask him, Whether it be his errand, as one of our Sa viour's ambassadors, to turn it thus into ridicule? For until he has shown, that they preached otherwise, and more than what the Spirit of truth has recorded of their preaching in their histories, which I have faithfully collected, and set down; all that he shall say, reflecting upon the plainness and simplicity of their doctrine, however directed against me, will by his atheistical rabble of all kinds, now they are so well entered and instructed in it by him, be all turned upon our Saviour and his apostles.
What tendency this, and all his other trifling, in so serious a cause as this is, has to the propagating of atheism and irreligion in this age, he were best to consider. This I am sure, the doctrine of but one ar ticle (if the author and finisher of our faith, and those he guided by his Spirit, had preached but one article) has no more tendency to atheism, than their doctrine of one God. But the unmasker every-where talks, as if the strength of our religion lay in the number of its Reasonableness of Christianity > S$c. 305 articles; and would be presently routed, if it had been but a few; and therefore he has mustered up a pretty full band of them, and has a reserve of the Lord knows how many more, which shall be forth-coming- upon oc casion. But I shall desire to remind this learned divine, who is so afraid of what will become of his religion, if it should propose but one or a few articles, as necessary to be believed to make a man a Christian; that the strength and security of our religion lies in the divine authority of those who first promulgated the terms of admittance into the church, and not in the multitude of articles, supposed by some necessary to be believed to make a man a Christian: and I would have him remember, when he goes next to make use of this strong argument of " one dwindling into a cypher," that one is as re mote as a million from none. And if this be not so, I desire to know whether his way of arguing will not prove pagan polytheism to be more remote from atheism than Christianity. He will do well to try the force of his speech in the mouth of an heathen, complaining of the tendency of Christianity to atheism, by reducing his great number of gods to but one, which was so near none, and would, therefore, soon be reduced to none.
The unmasker seems to be upon the same topic, where he so pathetically complains of the socinians, p. 66, in these words; " It is enough to rob us of our " God, by denying Christ to be so; but must they spoil " us of all the other articles of Christian faith but one? " Have a better heart, good sir, for I assure you nobody can rob you of your God, but by your own consent, nor spoil you of any of the articles of your faith. If you look for them, where God has placed them, in the holy scripture, and take them as he has framed and fashioned them there; there you will always find them safe and sound. But if they come out of an artificer's shop, and be of human invention, I cannot answer for them: they may, for aught I know, be nothing but an idol of your own setting up, which may be pulled down, should you cry out ever so much, u Great is Diana of the " Ephesians!"
x 306 A Second Vindication of the