of the Divine Prefence in the other? How many hard Words, fuch as Tranfubftantiation, Consubstantiation, &c. have been coined to explain a Doctrine which both Sides, in their turn, have owned to be inexplicable? To put an End to these fatal Disputes, and to deliver thinking Men from the Perplexities on both Sides of thefe Questions, we declare freely to those who are inclined to receive it, that they are Questions of no Moment, a mere Strife of Words, a Contention about nothing, in which neither our Duty nor Happiness are any way concerned. But if any Scruples yet remain among the Ignorant and Superftitious, as to the Neceffity of the Thing itself, as an Article of Church Communion, we farther declare, that the firft, that of Baptism, (if it should be thought neceffary) may be administered at any Age, or by any Perfon, as well by the Midwife or the Nurse, as by the Rector or the Curate. And as for the other, we declare that the Difficulties are all of our own making, by turning a plain Matter of Fact into an unintelligible, Mystery.

THE PLAIN ACCOUNT is this: We are told in the Bible, that fomething more than 1700 Years ago, there lived, in Judea, a very good Sort of a Man, who fet himfelf to oppofe the Superftition of the Country, and to introduce among them a new. Syftem of Religion or moral Virtue; which, confidering the Purity of its Doctrines, and the Greatness of its Rewards, is generally allowed to be the very best that ever appeared in the World, excepting fome few unreasonable Severities, and unnatural Prohibitions and Restraints, which People of Senfe and Breeding know how to dispense with on proper Occasions; the

Freedom

Freedom with which he reproved the Vices of all Profeffions and Characters, particularly the Pride and Hypocrify of the Priests, the Scribes, and Pharifees, provoked all their Rage and Indignation against him, infomuch that they were determined to get rid of him at any rate. They firft accufed him of Blafphemy, for which, by their Law, he ought to die; but, as they had not the Power of Life and Death, they could make nothing of it that way: They then came to a Refolution to murder him; but were afraid of the People, who had a high Efteem and Reverence for him, on Account of his Doctrines, and the many good Works he wrought among them; at last they prevailed upon the Roman Governor, partly by Threats, and partly by Infinuations of treasonable Practices against the State, to condemn him to die, in spite of his own Conviction, and repeated Profeffions of his Innocence. A little before his Execution he convened his Disciples and Followers, and, in a very fenfible and affecting Speech, confirmed the Doctrines that he had taught them, and left it, as his dying Requeft, that whenever they met together as a Society, they would never fail to drink to the immortal Memory of their Mafter. Now this is the Short and Long of the whole Matter; this is all there is in it. But to make it a neceffary Duty, or Part of religious Worship; ta imagine that there is any Promife in Scripture, annexing a Benefit to the Use of it, especially that of Remiffion of Sins, has this peculiar Abfurdity in it, that it deftroys the very Notion of Remembrance, which is the Effence of it; to make it, therefore, the actual Partaking of any Benefits which we were only commanded to remember, is altering the Nature of it, as much as actual partaking ef

any

any thing is different from remembering it. Now this I take to be a very PLAIN ACCOUNT of the Matter, which plainly destroys at once all the puzzling Confequences arifing from the vulgar Superftition about it, which was certainly calculated for nothing elfe but to serve certain political Purposes, for the Support of Orthodoxy, Uniformity, and Prieftcraft. As it has long been used as a Teft for Admittance into civil as well as facred Offices, and a neceffary Qualification for obtaining the highest Posts of Honour and Profit both in Church and State, none could confiftently be admitted into them but staunch Orthodox Believers of the Mystery, or absolute Atheists. So long as a Man could be perfuaded to believe that an unbeliev ing Impenitent was an unworthy Receiver, and, as fuch, was eating and drinking his own Damnation (or Condemnation) he might naturally be under fome Terrors in performing an Action abfolutely neceffary to his Advancement in the World: But when he is told by those who may reasonably be supposed to understand it, that there is nothing more in it than a grateful Remembrance of a great and good Benefactor, who made it his dying Request to all his Friends and Disciples, any Man of common Senfe, Gratitude, and Honour, may fafely and confiftently join in perform→ ing it, whatever his private Sentiments and Notions of Religion may be on other Accounts.-Now this is directly pulling down those unreasonable Fences, Enclofures, and Partition-walls, which were intended to engross the Bleffings of Wealth and Power in par ticular Hands, to confine them to certain Opinions, Ways of Thinking, and Manner of Living, which are not in every body's Power. People muft and will believe

believe and practife as they please, in spite of all your Creeds and Commandments; and, fo long as they are willing and able to ferve themselves and the Public, they ought to meet with no Difficulties or Difcouragements to deter them from it.So much for this useful and important Discovery, which is intirely our own.

Thefe, we may venture to pronounce, were great and useful Improvements for the Peace and Benefit of Mankind, and the Comforts of civil Society; but we had greater and more extensive Designs for the public Good, had the World been worthy of them, and given the Authors proper Encouragement. There was a great and excellent Perfon of our Family, one Mr. Afgill, well known to the World by his political Writings. O my Lord he was a fine Man, and an excellent Scholar; he had, it feems, by much Labour and Study, found out an infallible Remedy against Death. He himself was verily perfuaded and.convinced that though, for fo many Ages, People had got a Trick of dying from Generation to Generation, yet they might help it if they would. That it was intirely owing to a vicious Imitation, a ridiculous Compliance with a prevailing Fashion, a falfe Modefty, or a Want of Faith and Courage, that even People of Senfe would fuffer themselves to be teazed and perfecuted by Phyficians, Apothecaries, Parfons, and old Women, and at laft, to be delivered to Undertakers, to be fhoved out of the World with their Heels foremoft. He at firft propofed to keep the Secret to himfelf, or at leaft preferve it as a Family Noftrum, dreading, no doubt, the Contempt and Jokes of the deluded Multitude, and the vigorous Oppofition of the Doctor and the Parfon, who would not fail to oppose a Project,

j

by

by which they must both expect to be Sufferers, as the one would no longer be paid for killing, nor the other for burying; not to mention the Worshipful Company of Upholders, Parish-Clerks, Sextons, Grave-diggers, and all the other numerous Retainers to those whimfical Solemnities; but as he had the Honour to be a Member of the English Houfe of Commons (for Bramber in Suffex, I think) an Assembly famous all the World over for unbiassed Integrity, unblemished Honour, and public Spirit, he fcorned to be influenced by any Confiderations of perfonal Interest or Credit, but boldly determined to facrifice both to the Welfare of Mankind, and the Good of his Country. In Purfuance of this laudable and generous Refolution, in the Year 1700, he published his Scheme for the Satisfaction of the Curious with this Title of

AN

ARGUMENT,

PROVING

That, according to the Covenant of eternal Life revealed in the Scripture, Men may be tranflated from hence into that eternal Life, without paffing through Death, &c.

He was fo fully convinced of the Truth and Utility of his Scheme, that he disdained the popular Arts of engaging the Attention, and captivating the Affections of his Readers, by an artful Addrefs to their Paffions,

or