6 A View of the DEisTIeA Writers. Let. 1

logiſt for, wicked men, but yet that we ought to paſs a mild cenſure upon thoſe who are carried to ſin by a corporal and al- moſt neceſſary propenſity to vice. Neque tamen me hic conſce- lerati cujufvis Patronum ſchto; ſed in id ſolummodo contendo, ult mitiori ſententia de iis fatuamus, qui corporea, brutali,& tan- tum non neceſſaria Probenſione in peccata prolabuntur. This apo- logy may be carried very far, ſo as to open a wide door to licen- tiouſneſs, and would ſoon introduce a very looſe morality.

But not to inſiſt upon this, I would obſerve that the principal deſign of his treatiſe de Religione Laici ſeems to be to ſhew, that the people can never attain to any ſatisfaction as to the truth and certainty of any particular revelation, and therefore muſt reſt in the five articles agreed to by all religions. This particularly is the intention of his fourth and fifth queries in the appendix to that treatiſe In his fourth query he ſuppoſes, that the things which are added to thoſe common principles from the doctrines of faith are uncertain in their original; and that though God be true, the Laics can never be certain that what is pretended to

be a revelation from God is indeed a true revelation from God.

In his fifth query he urgeth, that ſuppoſing the originals to be true, yet they are uncertain in their explications. To this pur- poſe he takes notice of the multiplicity of ſects among Chriſ- tians; and that the Laicys can never be ſufficiently ſure of the meaning of the revelation concerning which there are ſo many controverſies; that in order to arrive at any certainty in theſe matters, it would be neceſſary either to learn all languages, 1⁰ rvad all the celebrated writers, and to conſult all thꝰ( learned men that bave not written, a method which is manifeſtly ab- ſurd and impracticable; or elſe to have recourſe to a ſupreme judge controverſies appointed by common conſent.

It is an obſervation that will undoubtedly occur to you on this occaſion, that his Lordſhip here maketh uſe preciſely of the ſame way of talking, to ſhew that the Laics can have no cer- tainty about any revelation at all, which the writers of the Ko- miſp Church have frequently urged to ſhew the neceſſity the people are under to rely intirely upon the authority of the Church or Poße, becauſe of the difficulties or the impoſſibility of their coming to any certainty in the way of examination or private judgment. But if the Laity cannot be certain of revealed religion, becauſe of the controverſies that have been raiſed about the articles of it, for the ſame reaſon it may be ſaid, that they can arrive at no certainty with reſpect to his Lordſhip's catholic univerſal religion: for though he repreſenteth men as univerſally agreed in the five articles, in which he makes that religion to

conſiſt,