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of the human character, and approaches, under favour of some alluring harmlessness, till it obtains sufficient footing to be secure in the full disclosure of all its horrible proportions. "The Rights of the Christian Church asserted," was an insidious publication, issued by a society of infidels, professing only to resist the encroachments of Popery, and thus stealing by surprise on the prejudices of unwary alarmists; while their real aim was to strike a blow at all Christian ordinances; nay, to assail the very existence of a Christian ministry and of a Christian church. With the same insinuating professions and oblique malignity, the association next published "A Discourse of Freethinking;" a production addressed to the light and thoughtless, as the former was more gravely adapted to affect the serious. These, however, were no more than the first essays of infidelity-the cautious feelings of its way; and though the ministers of the Church were vilified, and its mysteries ridiculed, the great proofs of its divine truth and authority remained untouched.

COLLINS made a bolder, though still covert attack; and, under pretence of zeal for the Jewish dispensation, and the literal interpretation of Sacred Writ, endeavoured to discredit the evidence of prophecy: while WOOLSTON, by affecting to exalt the actions and miracles of

Christ into a spiritual meaning, strove to call his miraculous agency into question.

Following up these attempts to shake the external evidences of our faith, Tindal with equal dexterity assailed its internal proofs, in his book, entitled, “Christianity as old as the Creation; or, the Gospel a Republication of the Religion of Nature." Here the unaided power of reason is represented as a sufficient guide in all matters of religion, and natural theology opposed to revelation. Far be it from us to judge concerning the views of any writer; but that man cannot be innocent, who wantonly advances doctrines of which he foresees the effect to be liberation from all restraint, the unbounded indulgence of corrupt appetites, and riot in lawless gratifications. To plead a love of truth as an apology for pestiferous writings, is perhaps too overweening a confidence in the alleged motives, and certainly the assumption of a dangerous responsibility *.

*Tindal, with much learning and strong reasoning powers, had all the trick and disingenuousness of infidel writers. Daring on the brink of the grave, he had attained his seventythird year when he published Christianity as old as the Creation. The very title of this work is false and imposing; it leads us to suppose his object to have been a representation of the Gospel, as confirming the law of nature: but he plainly attempts to dismiss revelation altogether, by stating the need of it to have been precluded by natural theology.

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V. This phalanx of infidelity was strengthened and emboldened by the accession of David Hume, a subtle, penetrating, and sarcastic philosopher. His first publication, which appeared in 1738, entitled, "A Treatise of human Nature," not receiving the notice and opposition which he coveted and courted, he changed its form to the more popular one of separate Essays; and speedily rejoiced in the publicity, regardless concerning the tendency, of the work. By the many answers which appeared, he confessed that his vanity was gratified, and congratulated his production on having established itself in good company. Of all those who entered the lists with this insidious writer, none more successfully controverted his positions than BEATTIE, in his "Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth, in opposition to Scepticism and Sophistry."

Hume being a materialist, and Berkeley denying the existence of matter, this writer has taken occasion to observe, in his Moral Science, that, betwixt them, these philosophers had voted the abolition of the universe.

An attempt having been made, favoured by this current of opinion, to revive the philosophy of Shaftesbury, his principles were now re-examined and ably refuted, in Dr. Brown's elegant Essay on the Characteristics. In 1754/ the posthumous lucubrations of Lord Boling

broke, another noble author distinguished as a sceptic and infidel, were presented to the world, like a Pandora's box, only without hope, by his worshipper, David Mallett." Bolingbroke," said Dr. Johnson," was at once a scoundrel and a coward: a scoundrel for loading the blunderbuss of infidelity up to the muzzle; and a coward, in leaving David Mallett to draw the trigger *."

VI. "But, happily, an age so fertile in poisonous fruits, abounded not less in beneficial antidotes. Not only the clergy, the proper guardians of the truth, brought forth their strong reasons, but the cause of religion found other vindicators, who, though not profession

* Mallett aped the opinions of his noble predecessor, and used frequently to reason, at his own table, and in presence of his domestics, against the credibility of a future existence. In a short time one of them, as might naturally have been predicted, disappeared with the family plate; but being apprehended, and interrogated what could induce him to the perpetration of so bold and dangerous a crime-" My master," replied he, coolly," has so very frequently, in my hearing, ridiculed the idea of a life after the present, that, in truth, I did not conceive myself as doing any thing wrong."-" Yes; but, you rascal," answered Mallett, "had you no fear of being hanged?"-" And pray, Sir," said the culprit, "what have you to do with that? You yourself took off the GREATER fear; and, when that was gone, I found not much difficulty with the lesser."-See Davies's Life of Garrick.

ally engaged in its defence, were vitally interested in its triumph *."

A course of Sermons, preached by WARBURTON at Lincoln's Inn, and entitled, "The Principles of natural and revealed Religion occasionally opened and explained," was published to counteract the effect of Bolingbroke's philosophy, which deprived the Supreme Being of his providential eye, and stripped him of his moral attributes; regarding him only as the great First Cause and original Maker of all things: a frigid homage, akin in all its effects to atheism.

Church, too, having received assistance from Archbishop Secker, appeared among the many annotators on the works of the noble unbeliever. Bolingbroke died of a cancer in his cheek.Did Heaven mean to remind him that there is a Providence which can punish?

Churchmen and sectaries, forgetful of their differences, now united in amicable support of the common cause; and Leland, Lardner, and Doddridge, deserve honourable mention, together with Butler, Chandler, Sherlock, and Gibson. The three admirable pastoral letters of Bishop Gibson were intended as a check to the earlier freethinkers. Tindal's book was answered by Waterland and by Simon Brown; and when Waterland's "Vindication"

* Brewster's Secular Essay.