a Prince of no Religion which none that had any Religion durst say of a King who is so great a friend to it by his Patronage and Example Mr. TOLAND was once writing an Answer to this Author but he laid aside his Papers when he understood that such able Men had undertaken him as the Reverend Dr. WAKE and the Ingenious Author of the Letter to a Parliament Man But some People not being satisfy'd it seems with all that past and thinking Mr. TOLAND should never have enough on 't concluded at last to bring his Book before the Parliament And therefore on Saturday the 14 th day of August it was mov'd in the Committee of Religion that the Book entitul'd Christianity not Mysterious should be brought before them and accordingly it was order'd that the said Book should the Saturday following be brought into the Committee That day the Committee sat not but the next Saturday which was the 28 th day of August there met a very full Committee wherein this business was a great while debated Several Persons eminent for their Birth good Qualities or Fortunes oppos'd the whole Proceeding being of opinion it was neither proper nor convenient for them to meddle with a thing of that nature But when this Point was without much Argument carri'd against them they insisted that the Passages which gave Offence in the Book should be read so those wonderful Objections were made which are clear'd in the Letter subjoin'd and then the Committee was adjourn'd till the 4 th of September That day after several Gentlemen had spoke to those Objections they urg'd at last according to Mr. TOLAND'S own desire that he should be call'd to answer in Person to declare the Sense of his Book and his Design in writing it But this favour being peremptorily deny'd an Honourable Member went to the Bar and offer'd a Letter to be read which he had receiv'd that Morning from Mr. TOLAND containing what Satisfaction he intended to give the Committee had they thought fit to let him speak for himself But this was likewise refus'd and the Committee came immediately to those Resolutions to which the House agreed after some Debate on Thursday following being the 9 th of September viz. That the Book entitul'd Christianity not Mysterious containing several Heretical Doctrines contrary to the Christian Religion and the establish'd Church of Ireland be publickly burnt by the hands of the Common Hangman Likewise That the Author thereof JOHN TOLAND be taken into the Custody of the Serjeant at Arms which he took care to prevent and be prosecuted by Mr. Attorney General for writing and publishing the said Book They order'd too that an Address should be made to the Lords Iustices to give Directions that no more Copies of that Book be brought into the Kingdom and to prevent the selling of those already imported Their Sentence was executed on the Book the Saturday following which was the 11 th of September before the Parliament-House Gate and also in the open Street before the Town-house the Sheriffs and all the Constables attending One very singular Passage we must not omit which is that the same day the Book was to be condemn'd there came abroad a printed Sheet wherein to terrify any body from appearing publickly for Mr. TOLAND were contain'd the following words Now let those consider this says the Writer of that Paper whether within doors or without and whether the Vindication or even the excusing this Book or the Author or the ridiculing or otherwise baffling the just Prosecution or Censure of it and him be not truly the denying of our Saviour before Men and whether such may not assuredly expect to be deny'd of him in the presence of his Father and the holy Angels and all the World at the last day This strange Denunciation had no effect upon those who all along appear'd in Mr. TOLAND'S behalf tho much out-number'd by those of the contrary Opinion In the Committee it was mov'd by one that Mr. TOLAND himself should be burnt as by another that he should be made to burn his Book with his own hands and a third desir'd it should be done before the Door of the House that he might have the pleasure of treading the Ashes under his feet I forbear making any Remarks here either upon the design of burning Books in general or this in particular nor will I shew as well I might how fruitless this sort of proceeding has prov'd in all Ages since the Custom was first introduc'd by the Popish Inquisitors who perform'd that Execution on the Book when they could not seize the Author whom they had destin'd to the Flames Neither will I insist upon the great Stop and Discouragement which this Practice brings to all Learning and Discoveries but without further Digression I shall now leave the Reader to peruse Mr. TOLAND'S Letter and to judg for himself whether it would have given him satisfaction had he been a Member of the House of Commons Mr. TOLAND'S Letter to a Member of the House of Commons in IRELAND c. Dublin Septemb. 3. 1697. SIR WHen the Christian Religion is attack'd by Atheists and others they constantly charge it with Contradiction or Obscurity and Mr. TOLAND'S design in the Publication of his Book was to defend Christianity from such unjust Imputations as he more than once declares in his Preface and as he thinks it every Christian's Duty to do according to his Ability or Opportunity If we might judg of his Performance by his profest Intentions we should conclude it to be extraordinary good but we must on the other hand reckon it as bad if without further Examination we regard the strange Out-cries that are made against it both from the Pulpit and the Press That a Man should be run down because it is the fashion or by Interested Persons and such as are influenc'd by 'em is nothing strange for one way or other the like happens every day but that a Book should be condemn'd by wholesale without assigning the particular Faults or Mistakes in it and by many that never read it is visibly unjust What has contributed to make Mr. TOLAND whom neither his Age nor Fortune nor Preferment renders formidable the Object of so much Heat and Noise and after what manner his Enemies of all sorts have treated him under a zealous pretence he 's like very speedily to inform such of the World as will please to concern themselves But not considering the Honourable House of Commons or your self in particular among the number of his Adversaries but as his Iudges he thinks convenient to clear those few Points which are reported to afford matter of Exception to some in the Committee of Religion But before this be done he desires that two or three Particulars may be a little consider'd Mr. TOLAND in the first place is of opinion it portends much Happiness to the Nation that the Commons who have all the right imaginable to it should take
the cognizance of such things into their own Hands And tho his Book should as it 's very probable happen to fall under their Censure yet his love to Mankind cannot but make him extremely pleas'd with the Consequences he foresees must necessarily follow from such an authentick Precedent in this Country where it was most peculiarly wanting Nor does he think it more reasonable for him to be angry at his private ill luck than it would be for some to be out of love with Parliaments themselves which is the best Constitution in the Universe because they are mistaken sometimes and that an Act is repeal'd in one Session which was establish'd in another not considering that such an Inconvenience is infinitely overballanc'd by several excellent Laws and by the Remedy that may likewise be had to this pretended Disorder from that very Court upon better Information or Temper Secondly Mr. TOLAND does not complain that he alone in the Kingdom is disturb'd for his Opinion but is heartily glad that no more are troubl'd upon that account For as he takes Persecution to be one of the chief Marks and Pillars of the Antichristian Church so he looks upon an impartial Liberty of writing and speaking whatever is not destructive of Civil Society to be the greatest advantage of any Country whether the Learning or the Commerce or the very Peace and Tranquillity thereof be consider'd Yet it cannot but look mighty odly to indifferent Persons that all the Dissenters from the Establish'd Church that the Papists who pervert Christianity it self that several declar'd Socinian ay and Iacobite Pamphlets should escape the burning Zeal of those who so furiously prosecute one young Man only for the suspected Consequences of his Book as if the very Being or Destruction of all Religion depended upon the fate of him or his Writings Thirdly As for the Errors commonly laid to Mr. TOLAND'S charge they are so various and inconsistent with one another that no Man of ordinary sense could possibly hold them all at a time and being credited by his Enemies without book he may with more Justice deny than they can affirm them He 's not therefore oblig'd to take notice of any thing but what is alledg'd in formal words or plainly inferr'd from his Book Indeed some Consequences an Author might not perceive which should render him the more excusable but Mr. TOLAND confesses he foresaw several Consequences of his Book even to part of the Opposition with which it has met tho not that after the Pulpits Presses and Juries the Commons of Ireland should likewise honour it with their Animadversion Now what is said to have been objected in the Committee is First That the very Title CHRISTIANITY NOT MYSTERIOVS is Heretical Whether the Committee decrees a new or declares an old Heresy Mr. TOLAND neither knows nor is much concern'd to understand being conscious to himself of neither If the Title be made good in the Book 't is orthodox or sound enough and if not yet he 's still to seek for the Heresy of it If it be an old Opinion others would gladly be inform'd in which Century it was first taught who the Author of it might be or by what Council it was condemn'd and if it be a new Notion they desire likewise to know whether the House of Commons alone can decree it Heresy being yet perfect strangers to any such Power claim'd by that Honourable Body But 't is affirm'd that by his Title he rejects the Mysteries of the Gospel If by Mysteries be meant the Doctrines themselves he denies none of them but that after Revelation they are not mysterious or obscure he still maintains for the Honour of Christianity A great many without doors very wisely conclude that he believes not the Doctrines because he thinks they are plain and therefore the more credible for that 's all he means by not mysterious But some People otherwise credulous enough believe no body capable of rendring that clear and easy which to themselves seems difficult or insuperable It was likewise objected that he makes a doubt whether the Scriptures be of Divine Authority That bare Expression If the Gospel be really the Word of God imports no such matter but very frequently the contrary as for example If the Gospel be true this frame of the World shall be dissolv'd which is not to question but more emphatically to assert the truth of the Proposition But this I confess is nothing to the case before us The words in the Conclusion of the Book are these Nothing contradictory or inconceivable however made an Article of Faith can be contain'd in the Gospel if it be really the Word of God for I have hitherto argu'd only upon this Supposition for the Reason to be seen towards the end of the Preface The sense of the words then must be determin'd by that Reason and the Passage referr'd to in the Preface is this viz. In the following Discourse which is the first of three c. the Divinity of the New Testament is taken for granted In the next Discourse c. I attempt a particular and rational Explanation of the reputed Mysteries of the Gospel And in the third I demonstrate the Verity of Divine Revelation against Atheists and all Enemies of Reveal'd Religion Now is it not something strange that a Man should question what he takes for granted and which the Method he follow'd would not permit him to prove before his time that is not form the Conclusion before the Premisses In one place he positively affirms the Scriptures to contain the brightest Characters of Divinity but that the force of Calumny may evidently appear let this other Passage of the same Book be consider'd What we discours'd of Reason before says he and Revelation now being duly weigh'd all the Doctrines and Precepts of the New Testament if it be indeed Divine must consequently agree with Natural Reason and our own ordinary Ideas THIS every considerate and well-dispos'd Person will find by the careful perusal of it and whoever undertakes this Task will confess the Gospel not to be HIDDEN from us nor afar off but very nigh us in our Mouths and in our HEARTS But this whole Chapter must have been transcrib'd were all that 's to our purpose in it to be nicely quoted for every word of it from N o 22. to the end is a Justification of the Method and Stile of the New Testament Yet lest any suspicion of Fallacy might remain where the Particle IF occurs I demand what Declaration can be conceiv'd in stronger terms than the following Passage for you shall be troubl'd with no more tho I might easily cite forty others relating to this Head The words are Whether or no Christianity is mysterious ought to be naturally decided by the New Testament wherein the Christian Faith is originally contain'd I heartily desire to put the Case upon this Issue I appeal to this Tribunal for did I not infinitely
prefer the Truth I learn from these sacred Records to all other Considerations I should never assert that there are no Mysteries in Christianity The Scriptures have engag'd me in this Error if it be one and I will sooner be reputed Heterodox with these only on my side than to pass for Orthodox with the whole World and have them against me It was likewise objected that Mr. TOLAND shew'd not a due Respect to CHRIST because he always stiles him in his Book barely CHRIST or at most only JESUS CHRIST If this be any Disrespect the most Orthodox Divines are as guilty of it in their Writings and the Apostles themselves speak of him without any additional Titles a great many times in the Gospel 'T is otherwise I grant when some special occasion requires them to be more express and when Mr. TOLAND was declaring the Head of his Church he says I am neither of Paul nor of Cephas nor of Apollos but of the Lord IESVS CHRIST alone who is the Author and Finisher of my Faith And here I cannot forbear admiring how Mr. TOLAND should be deem'd an Arian or Socinian seeing for ought appears in his Book he may lay a better Claim to any other Sect except the Papists than to them for these three are the only Parties he opposes by name But if his Religion is to be really discover'd by his Book 't is utterly impossible he should be either an Arian or Socinian They both of 'em from different Notions believe JESUS CHRIST to be a meer Creature God which Mr. TOLAND does not and to mend one Absurdity by a greater they join in paying their Deify'd Creature Divine Worship which Mr. TOLAND judges impious and ridiculous His own words are these Tho the Socinians disown this Practice of admitting Contradictions in Religion I am mistaken if either they or the Arians can make their Notions of a Dignify'd and Creature God capable of Divine Worship appear more reasonable than the extravagancies of other Sects touching the Article of the Trinity such as the Whimsies of EVTYCHES GENTILIS and the rest In short Mr. TOLAND had no natural occasion to declare his Sentiments relating to CHRIST's Person that and the other particular Doctrines of the Gospel being the Subject of the second and third Books he promises and by which alone his Conformity or Dissent with the Common Christianity is to be discern'd Nor had his Adversaries from the Press run into so many gross Mistakes and been at the trouble of several no less unhappy than needless Conjectures had they but Patience or Phlegm enough to attend the Publication of those Pieces It was objected also that he slighted the Sacraments which is a term he never uses by making them bare Ceremonies That he call'd 'em any where meer Ceremonies he absolutely denies tho he now affirms with all Christians that the Actions of breaking Bread and washing with Water are as much Ceremonial under the New Testament as Circumcision or the Passover were under the Old But when Mr. TOLAND had a just occasion to mention the Sacraments tho not to declare his Opinion concerning their Nature or Efficacy 't is evident he speaks there of those numerous Ceremonies of Human Institution which were added to 'em by the mistaken Zeal or Prudence of the Primitive Christians who as he says not having the least Precedent for any Ceremonies from the Gospel excepting Baptism and the Supper strangely disguis'd and transform'd these by adding to them the Pagan Mystick Rites and of these appending Ceremonies he gives a large Catalogue in that Chapter But he 's so far from making any comparison between Christianity and the Orgies of BACCHUS as was likewise alledg'd that on the contrary he severely handles those who blended such Corruptions with pure Christianity Thus says he lest Simplicity the noblest Ornament of the Truth should expose it to the Contempt of Vnbelievers Christianity was put upon an equal level with the Mysteries of CERES or the Orgies of BACCHUS To this may be added another Passage where he affirms he could draw his Parallel between Heathenism and those early Superstitions much larger to shew how Christianity became mysterious and how so Divine an Institution did through the Craft and Ambition of Priests and Philosophers degenerate into meer Paganism Here you see 't is not the Christian Religion but the unwarrantable Additions to it wherein JESUS CHRIST never had any hand which he compares with the Mysteries of CERES and the Orgies of BACCHUS And what pray is the main body of the Popish Eastern or other Superstitions but the continuance of those Rites of Heathen or Iewish Original which Mr. TOLAND justly explodes Or is any body that draws a Parallel between Heathenism and Popery thought disaffected to Christianity Indeed profest or disguis'd Papists will accuse him of such a Crime but no understanding Protestant can ever be guilty of so much Weakness 'T is possible more Exceptions were made to Mr. TOLAND'S Book in the Committee or these not all in this Order but these were all whereof he could inform himself and of which he gives the most compendious and satisfactory account he can being as ready to do the same in relation to all other Objections that shall fairly come to his knowledg The greatest Hardship he complains of is that being an Inhabitant of England he should be molested in Ireland where he was only fortuitously born for a Book he publish'd in another Country His Errand hither God knows was neither to propagate nor receive any Doctrines new or old and as he was far from ever designing to fix his constant Residence here so he thinks himself liable to be disturb'd in any other place whither his Curiosity or Business may lead him as in this Kingdom which is a way of proceeding hitherto unheard of in the World I shall give you no further trouble when I have told you that I resolve always to continue an unalterable Friend to Liberty an Advocate for Religion without Superstition a true Lover of my Country and in particular Sir your most humble Servant IOHN TOLAND THere was enough said in the preceding Letter concerning the Socinianism laid to Mr. TOLAND'S Charge and I doubt very much whether now there be any Socinians in England I am sure no considerable Body of them for the Theology of the Vnitarians who vulgarly pass under that name is very different from that of SOCINUS But these Vnitarians in one of their latest Prints disown any Service intended their Cause by Mr. TOLAND'S Book and all Sects we know are ready upon the least apparent Conformity to augment their own Numbers especially with such as they seem to value for their Learning or other Qualifications In The Agreement of the Vnitarians with the Catholick Church occurs the following Paragraph The Bishop of Worcester's eighth and tenth Chapters are employ'd in opposing and as he thinks in exposing and ridiculing some Interpretations of a few Texts
of Scripture by the Vnitarians and attacking a few Paragraphs in Mr. TOLAND'S Book Christianity not Mysterious I know not what it was to his Lordship's purpose to fall upon Mr. TOLAND'S Book But if he would needs attack the Book he should have dealt fairly He should have discuss'd the main Argument in it and not carpt only at a few Passages and those too so mangl'd and deform'd by his Representation of them that I dare to affirm Mr. TOLAND does not know his own Book in the Bishop's Representation of it I do not perceive to speak truly but that Book still stands in its full strength if it has not also acquir'd a farther Reputation by occasion of this so unsuccessful nibling at it But suppose the Bishop had disarm'd the Gentleman what is that to us Do we offer this Book against the Trinity of the Realists Was it written with Intention to serve us Does it contain any of our Allegations from Reason against the Trinity of Philoponus Joachim and Gentilis We desire him to answer to the Reasons in our own Books against the Trinity of the Tritheists But to these he says not a word but only falls upon Mr. TOLAND'S Book in which or for which we are not in the least concern'd Nor do I think the Learned and Ingenious Author will hold himself to be interested to defend that Christianity not Mysterious with which his Lordship presents us So far that celebrated Vnitarian A good Temper and sound Iudgment usually go together and if the absence of the former be no Demonstration that the latter is also wanting yet questionless it creates a very reasonable suspicion of it for a bad Cause is generally supported by Violence and ill Arts while TRUTH establishes it self only by Lenity and Perswasion This is so certain that when an undiscerning Person happens to be engag'd on the right side and employs Force or Calumny in its defence we always find he does it infinitely more harm than good That such as receive Gain or Honour by any thing should oppose those who go about to destroy it tho with design to introduce a better in the room of it is no great wonder tho it be manifestly unjust Thus the Silversmiths of Ephesus headed by DEMETRIUS rais'd a mighty Tumult against the Apostle PAUL for ruining their Trade which was solely maintain'd by Lies and Impostures at the expence of the Peoples Credulity The Primitive Christians were represented by the Heathen Priests as Atheistical Rebellious Incestuous and in a word polluted with all manner of Wickedness and Impiety by which nefarious Artifices they procur'd those innocent Persons to be cruelly persecuted with Infamy Confiscation and Death it self in all its shapes The Waldenses Wicclifists Hussites and the first Reformers were treated after the same manner by the Church of Rome and when they could not seize their Persons they never fail'd to load 'em with horrid black and monstrous Aspersions that they might not be wanting to prejudice 'em all manner of ways as if this had been the very Method prescrib'd in the Gospel to reduce the Erroneous Thus we read such accounts of LUTHER and CALVIN'S Lives publish'd by the Monks of those Times as paint 'em worse than Devils and that make their Doctrine as different from what we know it to be as the Historians were from telling Truth I am sorry to observe among us any Remains of that implacable and bitter Spirit tho such as distinguish themselves by their eminent Vertues retain no tincture of so mean and base a Disposition The Character which that most excellent Person the late Archbishop of Canterbury has left on Record of the Socinians when he was strenuously arguing against their Opinions ought to be a Model which no body should be asham'd to imitate He did not think to lessen his own Reputation or to hurt his Cause when he frankly acknowledg'd them to be a Pattern of the fair way of disputing and debating matters of Religion without Heat and unseemly Reflections upon their Adversaries They generally argue matters with that Temper and Gravity says he and with that freedom from Passion and Transport which becomes a serious and weighty Argument and for the most part they reason closely and clearly with extraordinary guard and caution with great dexterity and decency and yet with smartness and subtlety enough with a very gentle heat and few hard words Vertues to be prais'd whereever they are found yea even in an Enemy and very worthy our Imitation Yet this great Man who so candidly represents his Adversaries was himself most scurrilously and unworthily handl'd by his own and the Enemies of the Government And here I must do Justice to Dr. PAYNE lately deceas'd who as he tells the World in his Letter to the Bishop of Rochester was desir'd by his Grace the present Arch-bishop of Canterbury to answer Mr. TOLAND and why should not every body that thinks him in the wrong take the same liberty of writing against him as he did to publish his Thoughts before Now if Mr. TOLAND'S own Judgment ought to be receiv'd in this case the Doctor has in his two Sermons said more against him than the Bishop of Worcester Mr. NORRIS the Anonymous Oxonian the Author of the Occasional Paper Mr. BEVERLY Mr. GAILHARD Mr. BROWNE or any other Answerer and yet instead of treating him like a Dominican Inquisitor he uses with some little warmth such Grave and Christian Language as shews his Metropolitan's Judgment and Moderation in pitching upon him as well as his own Skill and Sincerity in the management of his Trust. We must hold this Mystery of Faith says Dr. PAYNE speaking to his Auditory with a Christian good Temper and not lose that while we are contending for the other nor let our Contentions grow so warm and intemperate so fierce and cruel as to forget and violate the plain Morals of Christianity while we are over earnestly disputing for the Faith of it or perhaps only for some false and mistaken or at least some useless Opinions and over-nice and subtle Controversies about it This has been the fault of those who have contended more for Victory than Truth and more for their own Credit and Vain-glory than the Christian Faith who tho they may be in the right as 't is ten to one that they are not for Truth seldom dwells with such a Spirit of Rage and Pride and Passion but rather with a quite other Temper yet they greatly disserve the Cause they so unduly manage And as they are never like to convince their Adversaries so they give others just ground to suspect that they supply want of better Reason and stronger Arguments with weak and impotent Calumny with undecent and unbecoming Reflections This is as Criminal and as Unchristian as the Error or the Heresy they are so zealous against and 't is to be doubted 't is rather a false Fire and a hypocritical Zeal not for the Cause of God so