knowledge that I wish I was fully perfuaded of the Truth of your Religion; which feems indeed, upon farther Confideration, to be a rational Institution, and well laid together, which lays down the Laws of Morality more exactly and fully, than the ordinary Reafon of Mankind; which gives an Account of the grand Periods and Revolutions of the World, and God's providential Difpenfations, beyond common Philofophy, and the Light of Nature; and if I could get rid of fome other Doubts, which I beg you will at your Leifure fatisfy, then I hope you will make a thorough Convert of me.

A CON

T was now the declining Time of the Year, and the Summer was well nigh fpent; when in a Morning which was as curious and delightfome, as poetical Fancies are wont to defcribe it, Philalogus had a Mind betimes to take the Air, as well to receive the pleasant Refreshments of fo fine a Day, as to enjoy the Satisfaction of a folitary Walk, which would the better entertain his ftudious

ftudious Thoughts. From the back Part of his House he had a Row of Trees, which led down directly to the River's Side, along which, for the Space of almost a Mile, Nature had thrown up a curious green Bank, fomewhat refembling an artificial Terrace; which adapting it felf to the natural Winding of the River, did afford at the fame Time a very agreeable Profpect, and a delicious Walk. Philologus had no fooner come to the River's Side, but he efpies at a Distance, upon the fame Bank, Credentius, with a Book in his Hand, walking foftly and reading. Philologus with more than ordinary Hafte makes up towards him, whom when he came pretty near, he accofts in this manner.

Phil. O my dear Catechift, good Morrow to you. I find your Divinity is up before our Humanity. I am afraid thefe ill-natured Fathers, Credentius, will not let you either eat or fleep.

Cred. Good Morrow to you, kind Sir. I find both Morning and Evening you are in a pleafant Vein, and that you can make merry with your Friends as foon almoft as you are up. I affure you, Sir, my Study feldom fpoils my Stomach, or hinders my Repofe; and this Book I have in my Hand, is none of thofe formidable Fathers you are fo fcared at. It is a Book wrote by a foreign Divine, a very ingenious and learned Man; it is Monfieur Le Clerc's Caufes of Incredulity; wherein he has handsomely fhewn, that the Chriftian Religion is no Ways to blame, as not affording fufficient Reasons of its Credibility; but that the Gentlemen of your Way are in the Fault, who carry fuch Vices or Prejudices within your felves, as do eftrange you from that admirable Religion, which otherways you could have no Exception againft. I will not trouble you with a parti cular Abstract of that excellent Book; I fhall only recommend it to your diligent Perufal, which I doubt not, will afford you confiderable Advantage, and will fave us both fome Words in the Progrefs of our Conference, if you think fit that we shall proceed therein. And if you will be fo kind as to accept it, the Book is at your Service.

Phil. I thank you, Sir, for your Prefent, and for your Sake I will give it a careful Reading. But in the mean Time I muft beg a little more of Credentius's Tutorage, if he has any Thoughts of making a Chriftian of me; but truly, I think, I have got fuch weighty Arguments to urge against your Religion, that if you would but lay afide your Prejudice and Bigotry, I should not defpair of making you an Infidel. Hitherto we have had only fome little Skirmishes with you, and have made only Attacks upon the Out-works of Chriftianity, but now you must expect that we fhall affault the very Heart and Vitals of it. Though the World should not be eternal, nor Mofes's Hiftory of the Creation and Fall ridiculous; though natural Religion fhould be a lefs per fect Rule of Morals, and Prophefy not Enthufiafm, nor Chrift's Satisfaction and Interceffion fubject to feeming Abfurdities; yet if there be Reason to fufpect the Grounds of Chriftianity, and if I can make out, that the Proofs which it pretends to, are weak and fhallow, that the Sincerity of the firft Propagators of it is to be queftioned, that the Body of its Doctrines is contrary to Reafon and common Senfe, and thofe Books which are faid to be of divine Inspiration, cannot be thought to be wrote by Men of good Understanding; I fay, if I can make out all this, I hope I may have the Liberty to be an Unbeliever ftill; but if you have the Luck to convince me, Credentius, I will affure you, your Religi. on fhall be mine. And indeed it will be my great Honour to fubfcribe to his Opinion, which in every Thing elfe, befides Religion, I would blindly follow.

Cred. I pray God give that Iffue to our Endeavours; not that I am fond of the Honour of a Victory over fo great an Adverfary as Philologus, but that you may be delivered from the Danger of thefe ill Opinions, and that the Example of your Converfion may draw in (as I doubt not but it will) a Swarm of other little retailing Unbelievers, who do pin their Infidelity upon your Sleeve.

Of

Of the Authority of SCRIPTURE:

Phil.

AND FIRST,

Of the Predictions of CHRIST.

B

BUT

OUT to spend no more Time in Preamble, that we may make an End of our Difpute this Day, I will tell you in what Method I defign to range the Objections, which I fhall confront your Religion with. I now come in Order to speak to the Authority of the Scriptures; and all that I fhall fay upon this Subject, I fhall reduce to thefe two general Heads : Speaking firft of the fubject Matter contained in these two Books: And fecondly, Of the Books themselves, their Stile, reputed Authors, and the like. Nor fhall I go about, to take to Task all the Books of the Old Teftament, under the firft Head, but confine my felf only to fome Particulars of the New; As the ancient pretended Predictions of the Meffias, the Hiftory of the Lives of Chrift and his Apostles, the fuppofed Miracles done by them, and the Doctrines they preached. I fhall begin with the Predictions of the Meffias.

Now thefe, which many of you Chriftians take to be ftrong Proofs of your Religion, I look upon to be the greatest Weakneffes in Chriftianity. For there are ma ny Places of the Old Teftament, which you quote for Prophefies of Chrift, which bear no more Relation to him, than if you capped as many Verfes out of Home: or Virgil. You make a mighty Stir with God's threatning the Serpent, in the third of Genefis; and yet that does not feem to me to be more a Prophefy of the Meffias, than the Story of Cadmus; the plain Senfe of it seems only to be, that when the Serpent was doomed to creep on the Ground, Men fhould tread upon it; which is all can reasonably