reputed orthodox in his principles, in the common acceptation of that word, or comes in by orthodox influence, in that case they are all to be taken for granted as true, and the evil of them fet forth in the livelieft colours. In confequence of this, he is to be profecuted and torn to pieces on account of thefe crimes. But if it so happen, that he cannot be convicted upon a trial, then it is best to make ufe of things as they really are; that is, to exprefs fufpicions, to give ingenious and dubious hints, and, if poffible, ruin him without any trial at all. There was a noble example of this given a few years ago, in the cafe of a fettlement in the bounds of a pref bytery, very many of whom are eminent in moderation. In that cafe, there were feveral faults laid to the charge of the candidate; and yet, tho' he himself very much infifted upon an inquiry into their truth, and a judgment upon their relevancy, the prefbytery wifely refused to do either the one or the other, but left them to have their own natural weight in fame, rumour, and converfation. The neceffity of this exception is very evident: for, in the fuppofed cafe, all the reafons for protection to the young man fail; to fatisfy himself of which, let the reader view these reasons, as they are annexed to the first maxim, and fave my book from the deformity of repetition. MAX MAXIM III. It is a neceffary part of the character of a moderate man, never to fpeak of the Confeffion of Faith but with a fneer; to give fly hints, that he does not thoroughly believe it; and to make the word orthodoxy a term of contempt and reproach. The Confeffion of Faith, which we are now all laid under a disagreeable neceffity to subscribe, was framed in times of hot religious zeal; and therefore it can hardly be fuppofed to contain any thing agreeable to our fentiments in thefe cool and refreshing days of moderation. So true is this, that I do not remember to have heard any moderate man speak well of it, or recommend it, in a fermon, or private difcourfe, in my time. And, indeed, nothing can be more ridiculous, than to make a fixed ftandard for opinions, which change just as the fashion of cloaths and drefs. No complete fyftem can be fettled for all ages, except the maxims I am now compiling and illuftrating; and their great perfection lies in their being ambulatory, fo that they may be applied differently, with the change of times. Upon this head fome may be ready to object, That if the Confeffion of Faith be built upon the facred Scriptures, then, change what will, it can not, not, as the foundation upon which it refts, remains always firm and the fame. In answer to this, I beg leave to make a very new, and therefore striking comparison: When a lady looks at a mirror, the fees herfelf in a certain attitude and drefs, but in her native beauty and colour; fhould her eye, on a fudden, be tinctured with the jaundice, the fees herfelf all yellow and fpotted; yet the mirror remains the fame faithful mirror ftill, and the alteration arifes not from it, but from the object that looks at it. I beg leave to make another comparison: When an old philofopher looked at the evening-ftar, he beheld nothing but a little twinkling orb, round and regular like the reft; but when a modern views it with a telescope, he talks of phases, and horns, and mountains, and what not; now this arifes not from any alteration in the ftar, but from hist fuperior affiftance in looking at it. The application of both thefe fimilitudes I leave to the reader. But befides thefe general reafons, there is one very frong particular reason why moderate men cannot love the Confeffion of Faith: moderation evidently implies a large fhare of charity, and confequently a good and favourable opinion of thofe that differ from our church; but a rigid adherence to the Confeffion of Faith, and high esteem of it, nearly borders upon, or gives great fufpicion fufpicion of harsh opinions of thofe that differ from us and does not experience rife up and ratify this obfervation? Who are the narrowminded, bigotted, uncharitable perfons among us? who are the fevere cenfurers of those that differ in judgment? who are the damners of the adorable Heathens, Socrates, Plato, Marcus Antoninus, &c. in fine, who are the perfecutors of the inimitable heretics among ourselves? Who but the admirers of this antiquated compofition, who pin their faith to other men's fleeves, and will not endure one jot lefs or different belief from what their fathers had before them! It is therefore plain, that the moderate man, who defires to inclofe all intelligent beings in one benevolent embrace, must have an utter abhorrence at that vile hedge of distinction, the Confeffion of Faith. I fhall briefly mention a trifling objection to this part of our character, That by our fubfcription we facrifice fincerity, the queen of virtues, to private gain and advantage. To which I anfwer, in the first place, That the objection proves too much, and therefore must be false, and can prove nothing: for, allowing the justice of the objection, it would follow, that a vast number, perhaps a majority, of the clergy of the church of England are villains; their printed fermons being, many of them, diametrically oppoVOL. II. H fite fite to the articles which they fubfcribe. Now, as this fuppofition can never be admitted by any charitable man, the objection from whence it flows, as a neceffary confequence, must fall to the ground. But further, what is there more infincere in our subscriptions, than in thofe expreffions of compliment and civility, which all acknowledge lawful, although they rarely express the meaning of the heart! The defign is fufficiently underftood in both cafes; and our fubfcriptions have this advantage above forms of compliment, in point of honesty, that we are at a great deal of pains ufually to perfuade the world that we do not believe what we fign; whereas the complaifant gentleman is very seldom at any pains about the matter. What is faid might fuffice in fo clear a case; but I am here able to give a proof of the improvement of the age, by communicating to the reader a new way of fubfcribing the Confeffion of Faith, in a perfect confiftency with fincerity, if that be thought of any confequence: it is taken from the method of attefting fome of our gentlemen elders to the general affembly. Many infift, that they ought to be attefted, and do atteft them, as qualified in all refpects, if the atteftors are wholly ignorant about the matter; because, in that cafe, there is no evidence to the contrary, and |