it were seriously confider'd by All who wear thé Name, and were fuffer'd intirely to govern them! Nothing could contribute more to the Peace of the Church and the Good of Mankind: Nothing can be better fuited to form the Minds of Men into an Excellent Temper and Spirit; to anímate the Virtues which would beft ferve and adorn the Christian Intereft.

The ftricteft Sincerity muft grow up from fuch a Root, when People govern Themselves by a fimple Regard to the Authority of God in his Word. When They are left at Liberty, with Moderation and Temper, to profefs their real Sentiments, there would be no Temptation to double and diffemble with God and Man; or to corrupt their Honefty by Equivocations and fraudulent Subfcriptions; which muft naturally pave the Way for making light of the most folemn Affurances, and venturing on the boldest Perjuries, to the Bane of all Society. We might then hope to see Christians fteady and conftant to their Profeffion, as in the Primitive Times. When they were directed to take up their Religion from their Bibles upon mature Enquiry, and left to form their Judgments impartially upon the Evidence of Truth, without the wrong Byafs_of Secular Intereft; They would place their Religion in Matters of fo much Confequence, and have their Profeffion built on fo good a Foundation ; that they might well efteem it worth fuffering for, if they fhould fall into the Hands of perfecuting Papifts. On the other Hand, This must also produce a conftant Openness to Truth and Conviction: Which nothing can obftruct more,

than

than the want of an impartial Regard to the Authority of the Holy Scriptures; and a Sufpicion and Jealousy of Those who would endeavour to fet us right, where we may be miftaken. The Principles of a Proteftant, generally purfu'd, would remove both thefe. When a Man is us'd to refer all his Religion to his Bible; he'll fit loofe from other Confiderations which now adays commonly fway Men to Unfcriptural Opinions and Practices; and then it it will be no hard Matter to fet him right. And as long as other People treat him with Humanity, and upon the Foot of common Liberty; he'll be willing to give Them the Hearing, if they debate a Matter of Religion with him; because he can have no Room to fufpect they have any ill Defign upon him. How would Chriftian Charity then break out in the World with its Primitive Splendor! Leffer Differences would not alienate the Minds of Thofe who agree in the fame Rule of Faith and Practice; and who are brought to unite in this Principle along with it, That each of them has an equal Right and Concern to judge for Himself by that Rule. If they behave as Proteftants, One Man would charitably endeavour to inform Another better, where He thinks him in the Wrong; and the other as candidly receive his kind and Chriftian Endeavours: But Neither would allow himself to entertain a Thought (tho' he had it in his Power) of murdering, or perfccuting, or blackening his Fellow-Proteftant, because they happen not to fee all the fame Things in their Bible.

ADVERTISEMENT.

HE Title of this Paper informs the World of the Manner in which it will appear and the prefent Subject is a Second Specimen of the Author's Defign. As Occafion offers and Circumftances of Affairs require, He is refolved to do the best Service He can to the best of Causes; the Caufe of Truth, Liberty, and Catholick Chritianity

In this Defign, as he knows who are like to be his Enemies, and defies before-band the narrow foul'd Bigot, the Party-Men, the affected Sectarian, the lewd Profaner of the Name of FreeThinker: Soche promises Himself the Affiftance of thofe Gentlemen, who fhine in the Oppofite Character; the Lovers of Truth wherever they can find it, of the Liberties of Mankind and their dear Country, where Truth and Liberty are yet preferved; and of real Goodness, and Religion without Diftinction of Parties.

The Author reftrains Himself from Nothing which may either inftruct or entertain: He will Sometimes argue, Sometimes relate, Sometimes take off falfe Colours, ftating Matters of Fact as they are, and Matters of Right as they ought to be. He will Sometimes tell his own Story; Sometimes anothers; Sometimes please Himfelf; Sometimes his Reader ; Perhaps Sometimes Neither. But that he may the

oftner

.

oftner pleafe All, He feriously defires the Learned and Ingenions, would fuffer Him to infert as Little of his Own as poffible.

The Gentlemen who now and then deal in Letters, Effays, Arguments, Defcriptions, &c. their Contributions will meet with all due Regard, and he acknowledged in Juch a manner as they pleafe; Directed to the Author of the Occafional Paper, at North's Coffee-Houfe, King-Street, London. Poft paid.

Lately Publifh'd,

The Occafional Paper, Numb. 1. An Effay on Bigotry. Price 3d. Sold by R. BURLEIGH in Amen-Corner.

TH

OCCASIONAL PAPER.

NUMBER III.

CONTAINING,

I. Proteftant Principles concerning CIVIL GOVERNMENT.

II. A brief Answer to the Charge of SEDITION, urg'd by the Papists against the Proteftants in Germany. III. An Attempt to ftate Matters truly, with reference to our 30th of Fanuary.

As to Reason of State, Entity with Rome hath been reputed the Stability of England; concerning which the Duke of Rhoan hath deliver'd this Maxim, That befides the Intereft which the King of England bath common with all Princes, he hath yet one particular; which is, that he ought thoroughly to acquire the Advancement of the Proteftant Religion, even with as much Zeal as the King of Spain appears Protector of the Catholick

[The Intereft of England in the Matter of Religion, Printed in 1691.

LONDON:

Printed for R. BURLEIGH in Amen-Corner, and J. HARRISON at the Royal-Exchange. 1716.