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 unmasker'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 guessing. For whereas he names Socinus, as one from whom I received my platform, and says that "Crellius gave 66 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 writings 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 design. 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 speechmaker for the atheistical rabble? But let us hear him: for though he would give the atheistical rabble the credit 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.

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"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

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chymical operator, that doth not trouble us with a "parcel of heavy drugs of no value, but contracts it all "into a few spirits, nay doth his business with a single "drop. We have been in bondage a long time to

"creeds and catechisms, systems and confessions; we "have been plagued with a tedious bead-roll of articles, "which our reverend divines have told us, we must "make the matter of our faith. Yea, so it is, both "conformists and 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

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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 treasure. It was a blessed day, when this hopeful birth "saw the light; for hereby all the orthodox creedmakers and systematic men are ruined for ever. 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

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"like such a faith, and such a religion, because it is 66 nearer to none."

He hath no sooner done, but, as it deserved, he cries out, " Euge, sophos! and is not the reader,” quoth he, "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 questions; and then it is demonstration, that by this speech he has irrefragably proved the tendency of my book to irreligion and atheism.

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I remember Chillingworth somewhere puts up this request to his adversary Knot: "Sir, I 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

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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 inconsistencies, which runs quite through his book; 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

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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 commandments, and the Lord's prayer, I know where to find in express words, set down by themselves, with peculiar

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 explained. 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

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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 hereafter, 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 article 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 consequently began this controversy; or whether it be to beguile 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

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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 article, 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 conversion and salvation of mankind; no one article whereof, which they proposed as necessary to be received by unbelievers, to make them christians, is omitted. And I ask him, Whether it be his errand, as one of our Saviour'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.

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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 article (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