tender regard for mankind, condemns his own body for what he thinks wrong in them, or diſputes any doctrine which has been current amongſt them, he is told, That, ſuppoſing this hopeful point could be made out, yet it became not a clergyman to be concern'd in ſuch dirty work, but that he ought to leave it to the Laity, who are always ready enough upon ſuch occaſions.
And we may conſtantly obſerve, as Sofia ſays in my motto, that theſe communicative men, who cannot keep counſel, but are always divulging the truth, meet with the worſt ſort of treatment, and are look'd upon as falſe brethren, and falſe ſons of that church, in which they have the honour to ſerve: I have before my eyes ſo many inſtances of this, eſpecially amongſt the wiſeſt and worthiesſt of men, that were I to enumerate them, I ſhould be at a loſs where to begin.
This has not only a direct tendency to atheiſm, but is the very eſſence of atheiſm itſelf: it ſuppoſes, indeed, that ſome ſyſtem of theology is neceſſary for the good of civil ſociety; but it ſuppoſes alſo that a falſe one will ſerve the turn; nay, it ſuppoſes farther, and evidently implies, that a falſe one will ſerve the turn better than a true one; and why may not one falſe one, if well contriv'd, do as well as another?
By this artifice every ſtage-hypocrite, and old libertine in authority impoſes upon mankind what ridiculous doctrines, and wicked practices he pleaſes: it is, ſays he, a ſin to pry into either, or diſcover them to others, if you cannot help diſcovering them your ſelf.
Thus have ill-minded prieſts in all ages wrapt up the amiable truths of religion in a cloud of hard names, and cooked them up, like French ragouſts, with ſo many different ingredients, that no body knows what to make of then; though all
