the general vitioufnefs and debauchery of their priests and monks, will be over-forward to believe, that all those who debar themfelves of lawful marriage, do abstain from thofe unlawful pleasures.

$6. But nothing can be more impudent than what he adds, that "if we look into hiftories for experience of "what hath paffed in the world fince the first planting "of Christianity, we fhall find far more particulars failing "in propagating their kind than their faith." Do any hiftories confirm it to have been the experience of the world, that the far greatest part of the world did in any age give over propagating their kind? But hiftories do confirm, that the far greatest part of the Chriftian world did fall off to Arianifm and Pelagianifm; and confequently, as he fuppofeth, did defert and renounce tradition. Did ever whole nations and vaft territories of the world either wholly, or for the far greatest part of them, take up an humour against propagating mankind? and yet both history, and the experience of the prefent age, affures us, that a great part of Afia and of Africk, where the moft flourishing churches in the world once were, are fallen off from Christianity, and become either Mahometans or Heathens. In Africk almost all thofe vaft regions which Christianity had gained from Heathenifm, Mahometanifm hath regained from Chriftianity. All the North part of Africk, lying along the Mediterranean, where Christianity flourished once as much as ever it did at Rome, is at this time utterly void of Chriftians, excepting a few towns in the hands of the European princes. And, not to mention all particular places, the large region of Nubia, which had, as is thought, from the Apoftles time profeffed the Chriftian faith, hath, within thefe 150 years, for want of minifters, (as Alvarez, Hift. Ethiop. tells us), quitted Chriftianity; and is partly revolted to Hea thenifm, partly fallen off to Mahometanifm. So that it feems, that, notwithstanding the argument of hope and fear, the very teachers of tradition may fail in a largely extended church. As for Afia, in the Easterly parts of it, there is not now one Christian to four of what there were 500 years ago: and, in the more Southerly parts of it, where Chriftianity had taken the deepeft root, the Christians are far inferior in number to the idolaters

idolaters and Mahometans, and do daily decrease. What thinks Mr. S. of all this? Have thofe Christian nations which are turned Mahometans and Pagans, failed in their faith or not? If they have, I expect from him clear instances of more that have failed in propagating their kind. $7. But befides those who have totally apoftatized from Christianity, hath not the whole Greek church, with the Jacobites and Neftorians, and all thofe other fects which agree with and depend upon these, and which, taken together, are manifoldly greater than the Roman church; I fay, have not all these renounced tradition for feveral ages? And here, in Europe, hath not a great part of Poland, Hungary, both Germanies, France, and Switzerland; have not the kingdoms of Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, and a confiderable part of Ireland, in Mr. S.'s opinion, deferted tradition? If I fhould once fee a whole nation fail, because no body would marry, and contribute to the propagating of mankind, and fhould find this fullen humour to prevail in feveral nations, and to overfpread vaft parts of the world, I fhould then in good earnest think it poffible for mankind to fail; unless I could fhew it impoffible for other nations to do that which I fee fome to have done, who were every whit as unlikely to have done it. So that whatever caufe he affigns of herefy, as pride, ambition, luft, (p. 67.), or any other vice or interest, if these can take place in whole nations, and make them renounce tradition, then where is the "efficacy of the caufes to pre"ferve faith indeficiently entire in any?" for the demonstration holds as ftrongly for all Chriftians as for any.

§ 8. Secondly, From thefe grounds it would follow, that no Chriftian can live wickedly; because the end of faith being a good life, the arguments of hope and fear must in all reason be as powerful and efficacious causes of a good life, as of a true belief.. And that his demonftration proves the one as much as the other, will be evident from his own reafoning: for he argues in this manner, p. 62. "Good is the proper object of the will. Good propofed makes the will to defire that good, and confequently the known means to obtain it. Now, "infinite goods and harms fufficiently propofed, are of "their own nature incomparably more powerful caufes VOL. III.

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to carry the will, than temporal ones. Since, then, "when two causes are counterpoised, the leffer, when "it comes to execution, is no caufe as to the subfi"tence of that effect; it follows, that there is no cause "to move the wills of a world of believers to be willing "to do that which they judge would lofe themfelves "and their pofterity infinite goods, and bring them in"finite harms, &c. in cafe a fufficient propofal or appli"cation be not wanting :" which he tells us, p. 65. is not wanting; becaufe "Chriftianity urged to execution, gives its followers a new life and a new nature; than "which a nearer application cannot be imagined." Doth not this argument extend to the lives of Chriftians as well as their belief? So that we may as well infer from thefe grounds, that it is impoffible that those who profefs Chriftianity fhould live contrary to it, as that they fhould fail to deliver down the doctrine of Chrift; becaufe whatever can be an inducement and temptation to any man to contradict this doctrine by his practice, may equally prevail upon him to falfify it. For why fhould men make any more fcruple of damning themselves and their pofterity, by teaching them falfe doctrines, than by living wicked lives? which are equally pernicious with heretical doctrines, not only upon account of the bad influence which fuch examples of fathers and teachers are like to have upon their fcholars; but likewife they are one of the strongest arguments in the world to perfuade them, that their teachers do not themselves believe that religion which they teach; for, if they did, they would live according to it. Why fhould any man think, that thofe arguments of hope and fear which will not prevail upon the gencrality of Chriftians to make them live holy lives, fhould be fo neceffarily efficacious to make them fo much concerned for the preferving of a right belief? Nay, we have great reason to believe, that fuch perfons will endeavour, as much as may be, to bend and accommodate their belief to their lives. And this is the true fource of those innovations in faith for which we challenge the church of Rome; which any man may eafily difcern, who will but confider how all their new doctrines are fitted to a fecular intereft, and the gratifying of that inordinate appetite af

ter

ter riches and dominion which reigns in the court of Rome, and in the upper part of the clergy of that church.

SECT. IV. The fecond anfwer to his demonftration.

1.SEcondly, The main grounds of his demonstration. are apparently falfe. For,

If, This demonftration fuppofeth, that the generality of Chriftian parents, in all ages, perfectly understood the doctrine of Chrift, and did not mistake any part of it; that they remembered it perfectly, and that they were faithful and diligent to inftruct their children in it: which is as contrary to experience, as that the generality of Chriftians are knowing and honeft. It fuppofeth likewife, that this doctrine, and every substantial part of it, was received and remembered by the generality of children as it was taught, and was underflood perfectly by them without the leaft material mistake. So he tells us, p53. that "the fubftance of faith comes "clad in fuch plain matters of fact, that the most stu"pid man living cannot poffibly be ignorant of it." But whether this be reafonable to be fuppofed or no, may easily be determined, not only from every man's own experience of the world, but from a more advantageous inftance of the experience of the firft age of Christianity. Was there ever a more knowing and diligent teacher of this doctrine than our Saviour? and yet his difciples fell into many mistakes concerning it: fo that, in order to the certain propagating of it, the wifdom of God thought it requifite to endue even those who had learned this doctrine from himself, with an infallible fpirit, by which they might be led into all truth, and fecured from error and mistake; which had been unneceffary, had it been impoffible for them to mistake this do&trine. The Apoftles, who taught the world by an infallible fpirit, and with infinitely more advantage than ordinary parents can teach their children; yet in all the churches which they planted, they found Christians very apt to mistake and pervert their doctrine, as appears by their frequent complaints in moft of their epiftles. Nay, the Apostle chargeth the generality of the Hebrews with fuch a degree of dulnefs and ftupidity, that after fitting Ff2

time

time and means of inftruction, they were ftill ignorant of the very principles of Christianity. So he tells them, chap. v. 11. 12. that when for the time they ought to be teachers of others, they had need that one should teach them again which be the first principles of the oracles of God. And St. Hierom (adverf. Lucifer.) tells us, that "the pri"mitive churches were tainted with many grofs errors, "whilft the Apoftles were alive, and the blood of "Chrift yet warm in Judea." But it may be there have been better teachers fince, and children are more apt to learn now than men were then. Who knows how the world may be changed?

§ 2. 2dly, This demonftration fuppofeth the hopes and fears which Christian religion applies to mens minds, to be certain and neceffary caufes of actual will in men, to adhere to the doctrine of Chrift; and confequently, that they must neceffarily adhere to it. That he fuppofeth them to be neceffary, I have his own word for it; for he tells us, p. 75. that "he hath endeavoured to "demonftrate the indefectiblenefs of tradition, as the 66 proper and neceffary effect of thofe caufes which pre"ferve and continue tradition on foot; and what thofe caufes are, he told us before, p. 60. that " they are hopes and fears ftrongly applied." But I hope, that the indefectiblenefs of tradition cannot be a neceffary effect of the strong application of thofe hopes and fears, unless thofe hopes and fears be a neceffary cause of that effect. And indeed this is fufficiently implied in his faying, that "they are the caufes of actual will in Chri"ftians to adhere to tradition." For if thefe causes of actual will be conftant, (as he muft fuppofe), then they are certain, and neceffary, and infallible caufes of adhering to this doctrine: for whatever is in act, is neceffary while it is fo; and if it be conftantly in act, the effect is always neceffary. But what a wild fuppofition is this, that moral motives and arguments working upon a free principle, the will of man, do neceffarily produce their effect? Is it neceffary, that the hopes of heaven and the fears of hell fhould keep Chriftians conftant to the doctrine of Chrift? and is it not as neceffary, that these arguments fhould prevail upon them to the practice of it? It is in vain to go about to demon

ftrate,