that it directly leadeth us to the Scripture and leaveth us to be directed by it by which it confesseth it self ought to be guided It is very well the Gent. hath confest that Reason must direct us to the Rule but stay the Bells Sir when I come thither how shall I understand to take my Measures by that Rule that is how shall I use it if Reason do not still direct me For the Question is not amongst Christians whether the Scripture be true or no but this what the meaning is of particular Texts therein or if any man can shew me any other way to understand it but Reason I shall be very thankful if then there be no other way but the Mediation of Reason Reason and bare Reason is to be followed Which Demonstrative Method lately generally embrac'd by the most Learned Divines in London and elsewhere hath certain I am brought more Fixation upon men's Spirits to Truth than all the Canting of many years before if I should say many Ages it were no Hyperbole This may serve for Explication of the Author and to exempt him from the Aspersion which the Gentleman endeavoureth to cast upon him as if his Design had been to deter any man from conforming to the Church of England because if it be rational to comply he that doth not being convinc'd it is so is brutish and he that doth it unconvinc'd is an Hypocrite but if any Dissenter whatsoever from the Church have collected other things than the Book will bear it is not the Fault of the Author but the Ignorance of the Collector Here I might add the inestimable Benefit accruing to all rational men in those vast Tracts of Land where the Scripture was never publisht and where probably the very Name of Christ is unknown from their natural and instinctive Adorations of a Deity whereunto and consequently to Morality very Reason doth invite And I could wish the Gent. who pretendeth so much to civil Education and to be so dutiful a Son of the Church would be a little more charitable to men of tender Consciences who cannot conform without offering Violence to their Reasons for that it was not long since a very great Politician and rational man said There is nothing which is not made necessary by Divine Precept but is eligible But saith the Gent. I would have the Author when he writeth next shew us more of his honesty though less of his Ingenuity how that Confession of the Authors Ingenuity doth consist with the Gentleman 's often future Endeavour to expose him to the Censure of Folly though weakly enough God knoweth will appear afterwards in this Reply for like the good Cow that spills her Milk with her Heels he immediately repenteth of the Character so giv'n to the Author of Ingenuity by telling of us he is resolved Step by Step to lead us out of those Errors which the Treatise of Humane Reason hath lead us into by shewing us the way back again by the same Steps we were first led into them And I am resolv'd to follow the Gent. till he looseth himself or meets with some Ignis fatuus and there it will be fit for me in all our March ever to retire to my Center which is Reason whose Guide if I follow I am sure to be very near the Road unto Happiness this being I think taking of things by the right Handle And now the Author answering the Objection supposible viz. That many of the greatest Wits by following their own Opinions have encreased the Catalogue of Heresies thus that those men either followed not their own Reason but their Wills or first hudwinckt their Reason by Interest Prejudice or Passion escapes the Gentleman's Censure it is very well how then What shall we think of that frightful Word Heresie Which the Scripture hath not defin'd that one Church calleth Piety another Impiety which must be in the World and which hath occasion'd the Effusion of so much Christian blood but this that the Tares must grow up with the Wheat till the time of Harvest and that Experience hath more than once made it evident that men of fiery and blind Zeal have for haste pluckt up the Wheat also But the Gent. groweth angry with the Author for saying it is no great matter for falling into Heresies so called by the Weakness of their understandings for they are neither hurtful to themselves nor others and I cannot choose but add Coals to his Wrath being of the Author's Mind as understanding nothing else by the Term Heresie but Opinion for how can it hurt others what I think Nor my self for I do nothing which I can avoid while I think so as the last Dictate of my Understanding and when I am convinc'd by Reason I must think and believe otherwise Ay! But saith the Gent. is it not the best way for the Magistrate since the Number of Fools exceedeth the Wise in Number by Penalties to restrain these Fools within the Pale of the Church thereby to prevent Heresyes Irreligion and Atheism Grotius was of another Opinion and I believe ten parts of twelve in London are of Opinion that to punish for a bare Opinion is something against the Hair and abhorrent to the English Nation indeed it is not practicable now here nor consistent with Trade which is preferrible much to the Humour of a few violent men Nor do I believe Irreligion getteth any Ground by the Peoples not conforming nor Immorality neither for they that do but pretend to Religion are for the most part careful at least outwardly to appear honest men Probably it were better in several considerable respects if the People would conform but it will not do nor is it some think as of absolute necessity for the Peace of England nor for any individual Mans Salvation unless he doth believe himself oblig'd in Conscience to conform But the Gent. is displeas'd highly with the Author for saying That every man's Soul hath so much Light in it self as is requisite for it's Travel towards Heaven apprehending it to be down-right Pelagianism I am perswaded Pelagius is not very well understood but what if it be Pelagius his Opinion If it be Truth it is not the worse for being his Opinion Certainly every man is capable to consider God as in the course of Nature which is the way he is pleas'd to govern the World by in the Scripture which is the History of the divine Providence and his Duty and the Consequence of Sin Why is it not then proper to say every man hath so much Light in his Soul as will lead him to Happiness for I take Light Reason and Conscience to be the same thing so that notwithstanding the Gentleman's Objection the Text standeth impregnably firm And seriously methinks the Gentleman trifles in excepting at the Author who saith That we must search for Truth in the Center of our selves it being an Assertion worthily memorable from so judicious a man Where should we search for
presume to add or of none at all for I know nothing hath more augmented the unreasonable Folly of Atheists than that very gross Doctrine which diverted the great Arabian Philosopher from Christianity not to mention their Claim to Infallibility and our own Persecution of one another who pretend not to it yet endeavour to lock up the only way left us to vanquish Atheists Heathens Papists or any other in the magisterial positive and implicite Breasts of that sort of Men who give the greatest Blow to Religion it self by such Preclusion of Enquiry when the Scripture biddeth us search and we cry out upon the Church of Rome for her imposing implicite Obedience The next thing the Gent. falleth upon after his having abounded in his Repetition of Rules to interpret the Scripture by having also before agreed Reason to be useful in leading us to the Truth of Scripture which Rules are ordinarily in Books laid down is that the Author useth too great a Latitude in setting the Gates of Heaven too wide open calling it Charity with a Witness inferring as if the Author had designed to prove we ought to believe Turks Jews Heathens and Atheists themselves to be in an equal Possibility of Salvation with the unerring Christian which must be true so far as it is possible these or any of these are in a Possibility of being convinc'd of their Turkism Judaism Heathenism and Atheism to Christianity and may be true as to the Heathens from the Plea allowable to them of invincible Ignorance not so as to Turks because Christianity is amongst them nor to Jews from their Obduration against immediate Miracles done for their Conversion nor to Atheists because they are convincible from the course of all natural Agents though the Author only ask'd the Question Whether we ought to believe these be forenamed were in an equal possibility of Salvation with Christians and to shew he did not believe it he confesseth there is no other name to be saved by that is to speak strictly but that of Christ and then subjoyneth that he may very well believe there are other secret and wonderful ways by which God may be pleas'd to apply his Merits that is Christ's Merits to mankind besides those direct open and ordinary ones of Baptism and Confession which I suppose is no Crime to say nor hard to prove if the time would give Leave so that for all these Scratches of the Gent. the Author's Charity is safe enough Let us see how charitable the Gent. is to his own Countrymen for I must make Leaps as he doth else I cannot overtake him To evidence it pag. 75. of his Answer he saith that when he seeth others when they should worship God sit on their Tails like Dogs or wallow and loll and grunt and groan like Swine or stand up and wriggle and make ugly Faces and grin and make Mouths like Apes or Baboons he must confess he cannot for his Soul but think their way of Worship ridiculous and contrary to the due Expressions of the Reverence they owe to the infinite God of Heaven and Earth which is the Witness of his Charity Now pray observe if I have not Reason enough to think that the Gentleman's way of Worship may seem as ridiculous to the others I am sure his Censure is very uncharitable for though men worshipping according to their Consciences may miss in legal Circumstance yet it is rational to suppose there 's much of Devotion in their manner of worship and Saint Paul was of another mind than this Gent. is for he would not eat rather than offend his weak Brother and there is no one thing more press'd by Christ than Charity which I leave to the Gent's Consideration at his Leisure But he objecteth against the Author for saying That as well different Thoughts may represent the Worship of God and his Son Jesus Christ as different Words can represent the same Thoughts which the Gent. termeth an extravagant Assertion in the literal Sense of it to which I answer It is possible I may have Thoughts of God's several Representation of himself as by Moses by the Man Christ by his Apostles which is to worship him for his gradual Exertion of himself and in the Wisdom and Method of his Operation and otherwise I may reflect upon the Creation of the World beyond that upon the first Race of Intellectuals and then again of the fall of man his being thereby subjected to God's Wrath and finally of Christ's Passion which put us again into a potentiality of being saved by all which to instance in no more I do render him no different but one Worship though every part of my Worship be not at all times subtiliz'd in my Imagination and Memory Therefore though I should admit to the Gentleman that the Worship of God is essentially plac'd in the Thoughts it doth not thence follow as he would have it though illogically that different Thoughts must make different Worships for there is allways an Identity of Worship both natural and grounded upon revealed Truths and if internal Worship be no more than conceiving of all ways according to the best of my Reason so govern'd to honour God by from and under the Satisfaction to me of his incomprehensible Existence and Power I shall have much Peace by it Again How disingeniously the Gent. endeavoureth to possess his Readers that the Author goeth about to prove a man may be excusable though he followeth humane Reason to the denyal of Christianity when the Author expresly saith pag. 57. and 58. That the best and truest humane Reason could not have found out of it self the Wisdom of God in a Mystery ev'n that hidden Wisdom which God ordain'd before the World which is the Mystery of Christ Jesus Christ for saith the Author it was necessary it should be first revealed by the Spirit of God which can only discover the deep things of God but as soon as God had revealed it by Miracles fulfilling of Prophesies humane Reason was able to behold it and confess it not that Grace had alter'd the Eye-sight of humane Reason but that it had drawn the Object nearer to it So far is the Learned Author from alledging that a man may be excusable by following of Reason to the Denyal of Christianity that he hath made it primarily subservient to the Divine Spirit and yet capable to embrace the rationability of Scripture-evidence which is one of the main but not the sole Foundations of Christianity And for Answer to the Gentleman 's confident Challenge to the Author that he would prove that ever the heathen Greeks had amongst them any Question which they defended more directly contrary to the Christian Religion than the Author 's I suppose he meaneth our Relyance upon Reason I will Instance in one only though I might produce more and that is the Epicureans Doctrine which acknowleding God deny'd nevertheless his Providence by pretending it below and inconsistent with his Majesty Divine to
Gent. has offer'd against Humane Reason Upon Review of his Answer I am oblig'd to say once more that one part of three in it swells with illogical Consequences and is against constant Experience for he undertakes to shew what mischiefs must come to pass if Liberty of Conscience were permitted as to that 't is plainly otherwise for since Liberty has been generally assum'd the Nation has been very peaceable and obedient every way otherwise this I say is another experimental confutation of the main part of his Answer Therefore I would not have the Gent. spoil the Tone of his Stomach by Choler if I do discomply with him in not granting the not so horrible consequences of such a Liberty as he presumes contrary to Reason and Experience For if the Gent's desire had been seconded with Execution rigorously against the Dissenters it might have hazarded the putting of the English Nation into great Disorder by this time his words being Pag. 152 of Plain Dealing That if the Nobility and Gentry will not suppress the Sectaries by the Execution of the Laws they will soon arrive at that height that the Sword must do it or else there will be no Government at all in our Nation but what if it be impracticable to suppress them because the People will not accuse one another 'T is true Reason of State has been forc'd to strike smartly that other sort of men who by their barbarous and impolitick Actions have dared to confront the Government but I hope they will be made wiser hereafter by the late Examples of publick and infamous Inflictions for it seems the Common Law is in many Cases in the breasts of the Judges de Modo Poenae And let the Event be what it will to use the Gent's own words in the close of his Answer I must also with him profess that I have fully satisfi'd not only my Conscience but my Reason also which is the surer way and from better motives in this Reply by shewing my self according to my Duty a sincere Lover of Peace of Religion in general and of that particular Religion the support whereof I have asserted to be the true Interest of England and was alwayes so esteem'd since the Reformation And I will add my promise to the Gent. and that upon the word of a Gentleman which ought to be as sacred as that of a Priest that if he shall please to give me a Rejoynder without departure from his first Plea I will not demurr for want of Form but leave the Dispute to the Censure of indifferent Judges upon the whole Argument viz. Whether Humane Reason be not the best and safest Guide with its due helps beyond Popes Councils Fathers Canons and all Books whatsoever the Scripture excepted which yet if any man will ask me how I think to understand I can give him no other Answer but this that I must do it by Reason which is the only Talent God has indu'd me with for my preservation here and hereafter and by which and no other mediation it 's possible for a man of good Vnderstanding and not clogg'd with false Principles to be satisfy'd that the natural Dictates of God Reason carry no repugnancy to the Law and Will of God revealed in the Scripture the study of which Learning is the foundation of all true Ratiocination and the most generous and most useful Science for all men to aspire unto who would know their respective Duties as Christians and Subjects and upon the Presumtion of which Axiome it is that our Law of England if it were well digested into Method certainly the best in the World does say that if any Law shall be enacted contrary to Reason it is void eo instante because contrary to God's undoubted Eternal Law the Law of Reason my Province to maintain wherein if any thing have slipt from my Pen not consistent with the Duty of a good Subject or true Christian I do submissively and heartily beg pardon for it And to compleat my candid and at present sole Design of supporting Reason's Energy and for the justification of H. the Eighth's forsaking the Roman Church and thereby to justifie the Reformed Protestant Religion let the Reader consult the Decretory Council held under and by the Command of Pope Paul the Third 1538 Printed 1609 at London and taken out of Mr. Crashaw's Library then Preacher of the Temple wherein the Abuses of the Roman Ecclesiasticks are manifested under the Certificate of Nine of the most Eminent Cardinals then living whereof Pool was one and Sadolete another to whose Inspection the Inquiry was then referr'd by the said Pope which Abuses the Court of Rome would not then correct nor are they yet corrected the Book being suppress'd by Order of that Church and coming to my hands something late from a worthy Bencher of Grayes Inn which otherwise had sooner been made Use of to prove Reason a safer Guide than that Church which pretends to Infallibility and may serve for Answer to that Romanist who published some weak Reflections upon our Author's Discourse of Humane Reason who if he fail'd in any thing handled in his Book 't was in his a little too slightly referring the Cause of H. the Eighth's deserting of the Roman See to his Wantonness c. For that there were many other concurring motives to his Desertion is very probable from some Speeches I have seen of his in Parliament and from Histories about him who was tho a severe yet withal a very stout and inquisitive Prince and fitted thereby for the Work he so worthily began and whereof the Advantage accrues to us at this time Such are the unsearchable depths of Providence which tho few observe and fewer are willing to resign their Wills unto will do what is best for good men Lastly Because some men are most guided by Book Authorities I think fit to add that Montaigne Erasmus Raymond Sebond Charone Cassauder Chillingworth Cartesius Milton Gell Baxter and Hobbs also with others of Fame as D. Stillingfleet not to forget Bishop Tayler have unanimously approv'd of Reason as the best Guide and favour'd or cooly advis'd a circumscrib'd Toleration I having named Grotius before but I refer the ingenuous Reader once for all to that excellent Discourse of the Rise and Power of Parliaments Laws Courts c. and of Religion printed 1677. by way of Letter to a Parliament-man wherein a Toleration in Religion here for all but the Jesuits and Seculars is argued to be not onely Political but highly Rational and consonant to the Doctrine of the Holy Jesus of which Opinion till I am convinc'd otherwise by Reason I am resolv'd to be and no longer for I cannot Mean time as a Corollary to this Reply I subjoyn with submission that it appears plainly by his Majesties Royal Father 's Golden Book he was not much averrse to it and that ev'n Charles the Fifth during the Interim see Sleydan did allow a kind of Toleration in Germany where I leave the Cause but really unwillingly for further Proofs crowd so fast into me that to forbear venting them is a kind of Disease upon me tho I hope not Mortal Neither do I stand in awe of any Censure upon my Conclusions already publish'd by the future Impressions of any Bigotical Opponent whatsoever Epitaphium Cliffordianum HIC jacet insignis Cliffordi capsula terrae Reddita sed melior pars resoluta Polo Carmine non opus est famam celebrare polite Ni fallor Libro gloria certa micat Humanae Rationis opus munivit ultro Esse ducem vitae subsidiumque viae Si quae praeterea superaddere vota Poēsis Auderet nitida sacrificanda manu Englished HEre snatcht by Death Clifford interr'd does lye Whose Nobler Part is vehicl'd on high There needs no Muse to celebrate his Fame Whose Book eterniz'd has his gen'rous Name He proved Humane Reason's worth so well From other Arts it bears away the Bell. If any Poet superadds to this With impure hands his Holocaust's amiss His Character AS to his Person 't was little his Face rather flat than oval his Eye serious Countenance Leonine his Constitution Cholerick Sanguine tinctur'd with Melancholy of a facetious Conversation yet a great Humorist of quick Parts so of quick Passions and Venereal thence Lazy he was learned very critical positive and proud charitable enough and scorn'd to be rich he had a will to be just would drink to excess sometimes His Religion was that of his Countrey he was always Loyal to his King and a very good Poet. He died 'twixt 50 and 60 at Sutton's Hospital whose Master he then was not much lamented by the Pensioners few knew him well He was a man strangely compos'd 't is question'd whether his Virtues or Vices were most I incline to the last yet he departed peaceably and piously FINIS
Lash which is a Gravamen I think and may or ought to be prevented by a new introductory Law for I suppose the Common Law is too dull to do it or the Medicine that way has given place to the Disease for the Remedy by an Action against the Justice is worse than the Disease since their awe upon Juries from their abused Power to the scandal of the Government and thereby to the indisposing of Subjects from their due and peaceable obedience to the Laws wherein Religion properly consists And as to our Reply Whereas the Gentleman boldly assum'd but never prov'd the consequence of Atheism by the reliance upon Reason which I have refuted and shew'd who were two of the most probable Introductors of it I think fit to add a third Cause of irreligion if not Atheism namely the daily Printing and publishing many Translations and other Books which presume to treat of the inexplicable Mysteries of the Christian Religion and of God which indeed fall not under Humane Capacity to examine Logically and whereby in stead of reconciling that which they call Philosophy to the Doctrine of the New Testament or remarking upon both Testaments they render the plain Truths thereof not only to the Vulgar but to some pedantically Learned men suspicious Such is the now publickly sold Spinosa's Tractate which does hurt and if I should say D. Cud. Repetitions also possibly 't were true though the Dr. meant well and is very Learned The Contemplation whereof obliges me to add a fourth Cause of Irreligion if not Atheism which is that several Books of late years have been Licens'd even by the Universities bearing glorious Titles the Subject matter whereof does unhinge the Foundations of our Reveal'd Religion whereof one instance may be in a celebrated Folio wherein amongst other wild Opinions 't is positively said and often insisted that the Soul of man before its attainment of Heaven must pass through and run the hazard of being bewilder'd and suffocated in thick gelid Vapours dusky Clouds and other such like which though the Learned may digest safely yet ordinary men who have been taught that the Soul of a good man passes immediately from Earth to Heaven after death without such intermediate Probations Purifications and Punishments are apt either to lean from such infusions towards the Doctrine of Purgatory or to think there is no proper dependance upon our Systeme of Religion or which is more probable from such Chimaera's of the Learned to think that Religion it self is nothing else but a Politick Device These Books I say so authoriz'd or Printed otherwise are the bane of Unwary and especially young men not able truely to weigh matters nor to take in such Pills without chewing of them And these are the fruits of exuberant Fancies not grounded either upon Reason or Scripture whereof I might give a thousand instances Moreover whereas I have hinted in my Reply that our Dissenters ought to understand the necessity of some Laws for the Government of the Church I should have added that the Conformist Ministers by several Discourses of many Persons Eminent for their Degrees and Parts have best defended Protestantism against its Adversaries of late tho it does not therefore follow but that some better Progressions may be made and if her Out-works and Guards grow crazy or become languid by overmuch watching it may be necessary to repair the one and reinforce the other with detachments from her disbanded yet valiant and politick Officers For where Workmen or Souldiers are left or put out of Employment upon presumption that there 's no occasion to use their help if there happen to be occasion for their assistance by a sudden irruption of the Enemy 't is not only convenient but necessary to take them into Service again unless their former Unfaithfulness have render'd them totally unworthy or uncapable Now whether the present time requires the whole strength of our Friends or not or whether the Nonconformist Ministers are fit to be considered as Friends upon the main who aâ— belov'd of the greatest number of Civil People are generally moral men and are oblig'd in point of Interest and otherwise dispos'd to oppose the Romanists I must leave Authority in Parliament to consider and I doubt not but the thing will be consider'd there with all the imaginable Duty and rational Representations to His Majesty with the utmost respect to his Imperial Crown and Dignity which ought to be the wish and Prayer of all Protestants and possibly the undoubted truth of this Aphorism may inforce the Consult viz. That where the Danger of any action out-weighs the probable profit 't is no wisdom to attempt it but where the possible profit out-weighs the Danger 't is imprudence to neglect it But whether these Instances will be pleasing to men otherwise influenc'd by Interest or misguided by the Artifice of others not truly English it does not much concern me for I am well persuaded by Humane Reason that they need no other proofs of their veracity to all knowing and good Subjects than their bare Prolations yet I do but propound as I think what is Rational Pursuant to my Design No man questions but that Peace is the proper end of Government so 't is admitted that the Magistrate is Judge of the ways and methods which conduce to that end nor is it deny'd by any that pretends to Sense but that Opinions if contrary to Peace in the Judgment of the Supreme Magistrate may be regulated because mens Actions commonly follow their Opinions and 't is experimentally true that our Divisions about small things do weaken the Protestant Cause and it follows thence that rigid and indiscreet starcht and positive men of all sides relating to the External part of Worship are the hindrance of Peace Next these follow the foolish yet dangerous Atheists who are the onely Rebels against God with which Disease whoever is tinctur'd is ready if possibly to shake off all obedience to his Vicegerents upon Earth and consequently to reduce Mankind to the state of War which is Anarchy and against which Poyson I have proved Reason to be the onely Antidote whence it naturally follows that all those who daily by Discourse and Writings industriously strive not onely to undermine the Basis of the Protestant but to cancell the undoubted and Eternal obligations of Natural Religion are Enemies to Peace and without which conviction which begot all Covenants the very foundations of Property no fear of present or future Punishments for violation of such Covenants can be at all and thence all obedience to Humane Laws will decay if it shall seem against Interest I suppose therefore it mainly concerns the Supreme Magistrate as well in his Natural as Politick Capacity by all possible condescentions upon emergent occasions and By-laws in time and Penally to obviate the growth of such idle Discourses as threaten the dissolution of Government it self unto which end there can be no such direction as Humane Reason
other we need not fear he will punish us for not finding out such Truths Where 's Wilful Ignorance now for saith he if they had been necessary I wish he had told us what are necessary for our Salvation they would have been suited to our Capacities but if we are wilfully ignorant of necessary Truths then it is not more contrary to the Goodness of God to punish us Eternally for that than for any other sin which we dye in without Repentance I reply That in all Cases where I cannot assent to any Proposition about Faith because unconvinc'd having search'd and try'd what possibly I could to convince or inform my self I need not fear God will punish me eternally for in this case I cannot be guilty of that he calleth Wilful Ignorance for it followeth that all Truths which I assent not to having so search'd by my Reason do either surpass my Understanding or they do not if they do I am not punishable saith the Gent. eternally and I say If they do I am not punishable eternally because I could not know they were Truths Punishment alwayes presupposing Guilt and it is no Crime not to be able to know but a natural Infirmity indeed it is a Crime not to search for Truth but none to think such a Position false Neither do I know that men are any were in Scripture said to be condemned eternally for any other but unrepented actual Sins But if I should grant that some Errors are damnable how shall I know which are so one Church condemning another must not my Reason judge for me Yet higher If it be hard to say which a Great Author saith not yet answer'd nor perhaps ever will that God who is the Father of Mercies that doeth in Heaven and Earth all that he will that hath the Hearts of all men in his disposing that Worketh in men both to Will and to Do and without whose free gift a man hath neither inclination to Good nor repentance of Evil should punish mens Transgressions without any end of Time and with all the extremity of Torture that men can imagine and more it seemeth hard to think which I add that he will punish men eternally for not being able to find out the Truth harder for their Errors which they believe to be Truth but hardest of all for not conforming to the External Modes of honouring him which are alterable and many times accommodated to the Interest of a Nation and are only honourable towards him because they are legally declar'd to be honourable in one place not so in another How much therefore doth it concern the Supreme Power every where to consider and weigh the present Genius of the People before they make Ecclesiastical Laws for they alwayes touch the Consciences of men not so other Laws for they are for Publick Peace strictly and must be obey'd they are I say to be considered especially there where in the very Nature of the People there is much pity for Sufferers about Religious concerns and in whom there is a general abhorrence as with us about Religion from Persecution which His Majesty well understood when he afforded that Gracious Condescention besides all men know Persuasion was the Method of the Apostles not Rigor nor will Rigor prevail here And we have lived to see once more to say it the Profit of that demonstrative and rational way of Preaching and Printing used of late whereof D. Stillingfleet's Book Entitled Origines Sacrae that most Excellent Book proving the Being of God the Immortality of the Soul and the truth of Scripture is no mean Example nor are D. Tillotson's Printed Sermons less considerable against Atheism From whence I pass by as granted on all hands the Gentleman's long Harangue which he before play'd with of the Rationability of Men's being obliged to consult with Divines Lawyers and Physicians as answered before Though I may pertinently subjoyn what great Reason our Author had to mention the Ignorance or Malice of one sort of our spiritual Phisicians together with their too visible Vices I mean in some of them as none more likely to let in a Flood of Atheism and Popery than the Disobedience of Dissenters from whence I pass to the Gentleman's next Argument against our Relyance upon Reason he putting the case of meeting with a Jesuit or Sectary who shall attaque me how I will avoid being made either of those two To which I must reply and can give no other than this that in such a Case I must fly to Reason as my safest Guard all other Guides being fallible which no man in his Wits was ever yet so irrational as to say of Reason nor the Gentleman neither Yet to speak freely I cannot think otherwise but that I am obliged to yield to either of those two if they appear either of them to have greater Reason than mine and that I may be safe with either of them the Gent. allows so there 's no Danger at all in meeting with either the one or the other but a possible Profit So great is the use of Reason and so great is the Force and Defence of it The plain Truth is it is the thinking man that is wise As for Books they may be useful yet 't is dangerous relying upon them 't is true a few Books well chosen and digested may open and establish the Understanding when as too much reading dazles it how many Persons of good Natural Parts acquired Wit and Learning wear out their dayes in a perpetual hurry of reading is obvious to every man of general Conversation such are alwayes learning and never come at truth So that every Humane Excellency resolves into Reason or shrowds under its Umbrage Reason which as a Light Divine govern'd the World before the Metaphorical word Conscience was known This begot Government teaches Obedience and first of all oblig'd men to Natural Religion which can never be cancell'd or forgotten All the Lawyers in the World cannot make any Case Law which is not Reasonable 't is not Precedents will do it they are but Opinions Nor can any Divine preach me into a belief of any Proposition unless he be able to convince my Reason that what he sayes is true Nor any Politician warrant the soundness of his Advice to his Sovereign till the Event has justified the Rationability of his Counsel which is the Reason why it has been observed that some wary men in Counsels endeavour to speak last 'T is hard to conceive what that thing is which the Learned call Physicum Fatum so many little and impossible to be foreseen intervening Accidents may and do often alter the most subtile Projections On the other side a Rational and Prudent man may live in Peace in most Times under the changes of Government by complying as Judge Hale did in the times of Usurpation to maintain Property 'T is true Subjects have Liberty in all things where they are not restrain'd by Laws and in such things they have