It is very easie to cavil and find fault with any thing; and to start Objections, and ask Questions, is even to a Proverb efteemed the worst fign that can be of a great Wit, or a found Judgment. Men are unwilling to believe any thing to be true, which contradicts their Vices; and the weakest Arguments, with ftrong Inclinations to a Caufe, will prove or difprove whatever they have a mind it fhould. But let Men first

practise the Vertues, the Moral Vertues, which our Religion enjoins, and then let them difprove it, if they can: nay, let them difprove it now, if they can, for it ftands in no need of their favour; but, for their own fakes, let them have a care of mistaking Vices for Arguments, and every profane Jeft for a Demonftration. I wish they would confider, whether the Concern they have, to fet up Natural against Revealed Religion, proceed not from hence, that, d 3

by

by Natural Religion, they mean no more than just what they please themselves, or what they judge convenient in every cafe and occasion : whereas Revealed Religion is a fix’d and determined thing, and prefcribes certain Rules and Laws for the Government of our Lives. The plain truth of the matter, is, that they are for a Religion of their own contrivance, which they may alter as they fee fit; but not for one of Divine Revelation, which will admit of no change, but must always continue the fame, whatever they can do. Unless that were the cafe, there would be little occafion to trouble them with Books of this kind; for the Arguments brought against the Christian Religion, are indeed fo weak and infignificant, that they rather make for it; and it might well be faid, as M. Pafchal relates, by one of this fort of Men, to his Companions, If you continue to dispute at this rate, you will certainly

certainly make me a Chriftian. I shall venture, at least, to fay of this Trea tile, in the like manner as he doth of his, That if these Men would be pleafed to spend but a little of that time, which is fo often worfe employed, in the perufal of what is here offered, I hope that fomething they may meet withal, which may fatisfie their Doubts, and convince them of their Errors.

But though they should defpife whatever can be faid to them, yet there are others, befides the profefs'd Adverfaries of Revealed Religion, to whom a Treatise of this nature may be ferviceable. The truth is, notwithstanding the great Plainnefs of the Chriftian Religion, I cannot but think, that Ignorance is one chief cause why it is fo little valued and efteemed, and its Doctrines fo little obeyed: A great part of Chriftians content themselves with a very flight and imperfe& Knowledge of the Religion d 4 they

they profess; and are able to give but very little Reason for that, which is the most Reasonable thing in the World; but they profess it rather as the Religion of their Country, than of their own choice; and because they find it contradicts their fenfual Defires, they are willing to believe as little of it as may be; and when they hear others cavil and trifle with it, partly out of Ignorance, and partly from Inclination, they take every idle Objection, if it be but bold enough, for an unanswerable Argument. Whereas, if Chriftians were but throughly acquainted with the Grounds of their Religion, and fincerely disposed to believe and practise according to them, they would be no more moved with thefe Cavils, than they would be perfuaded to think the worse of the Sun, if fome Men fhould take a fanfie to make that the Subject of their Railery. To have the more doubtful and wavering

thoughts

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thoughts of Religion, because it is exposed to the corn and contempt of ill Men, is as if we fhould despise the Sun for being under a Cloud, or fuffering an Eclipfe; not knowing that he retains his Light, and Re- | ligion its Excellency ftill, though we be in darkness the Light may be hid from us, but can lofe nothing of its own Brightness, though we fuffer for want of it, and lie under the fhadow of Death.

The Confideration of the Grounds and Reasons of our Religion is ufeful to all forts of Men: for: if ever we would be seriously and truly Relis gious, we muft lay the foundation of it in our Understandings, that, by the rational conviction of our Minds, we may (through the Grace of God affifting us) bring our Wills to a fubmiffion, and our Affections to the obedience of the Gospel of Chrift; and the more we think of, and confider these things, the more we fhall

be