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as if one should argue against Christianity from the weakness of fome who have defended it; but, how the expofing the weakneffes amongst some of it's profeffors can be fo interpreted, I cannot fee. For if there be reasonings, and expreffions, that deserve this way of treatment; and this be often the moft fuccessful way of handling them; perhaps the good that it may do one way, will countervail the mifchief it can do another. And I find very wife and serious perfons, your felves, and your own advocates, as well as others, of this opinion; if we may judge by their practice. I have seen the filly reasonings of a Popifo Advocate expos'd, even when they concern'd the grounds of Chriftianity: I have feen the follies of fome conforming Preachers made ridiculous: and both as I thought, not with any disadvantage to the common Chriftianity. And if there be fome, the grounds of whose Nonconformity are fo weak, as you seem to grant; why may not these be thus treated, fo long as what is not fo ridiculous be not expofed for the fake of what is? Expose these Quotations, you have here made, as much as you please, it will neither offend us, not hurt our caufe; but D 2 rather

rather help to put an end to fuch ridiculous arguments: but do not produce them as arguments against Affent, and Confent; or againft approving the CommonPrayer Book, in which there is not the least shadow of any thing like them. This is what comes under the cenfure of all good Chriftians. This is falfe Logick, as well as unbecoming;profeffedly teaching men to think ill of what is good, for the fake of what is bad. Pardon this digreffion: Icould not help taking notice of this ungrateful and unfeasonable paffage, as it came in my way. What I have faid is not to be taken,as if I delighted in fuch a way of writing but only as oppofed to one, who hath been fo fevere upon others, and yet hath fo fadly offended himself. I now return with much more willingness to endeavour your fatisfaction in the point we are now upon. And, in order to this, I must entreat you to confider,

1. That we are commanded to confine this Aßent, and Confent, to the use of all things contain'd, and prefcrib'd,in this Book, by the express words of the Act it felf; and forbid plainly by it to refer the Confent to the use of all things, and the Afsent to the truth of every propofition,

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as you do; as plainly forbid as we can be. For the Act it felf applies both these words to the use, and the ufe only; injoyning the Minifter to declare his Aßent and Confent both, to the ufe of all things in this Book. Whoever, therefore, declares his Aßent to the truth of every propofition in it, and his confent to the use of every thing prefcrib'd in it; tho' he do not do more than he himself may think lawful; yet He certainly does more than this Act requires, and must be at fome pains to reconcile it with the intent of the A& plainly declared. You fhall declare both your Aßent, and Confent, to the use of all things in this Book, fays the Act exprefly. No, fay fome, Rather than we will do this, we will make a difficulty here, and fay that we are required to Confent to one thing, and Aßent to another. By what authority, I pray you, can this be done? You can plead no foundation for this in the intent of the Act, as far as it is declared; because that determines one as well as the other, Aßent as well as Confent, only to the use of the Book. So that the Act does not leave you at liberty, if you would never fo fain, to make this declaration in your hard Senfe; for,

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it requires you not to do it, but to give both Aßent and Confent to one thing, even the use of this Book. Now We entreat you not to perfift in creating more difficulties than there really are. And that what I have faid upon this head may have the more effect, I fhall propose to

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2. The Example of Dr. Bates, and funP. 585. dry other Nonconformists, to the number of Twenty; who took an Oath that they would not at any time endeavour any alteration in the Government either in Church or State, as foon as ever the Lord Keeper had declared openly, that by Endeavour was meant Unlawful Endeavour. The Lord Keeper then did in effect say thus to them, You fhall Swear that you will not unlawfully endeavour an alteration in Church or State, in thefe words,I will not at any time endeavour any alteration of the Government either in Church or State. And the Act of Uniformity fays, You shall declare your Aßent and Confent to the ufe of all things in this Book, in these words, &c. If, therefore,upon the authority of one fingle perfon, they thought it reasonable to confine the word endeavour to Unlawful endeavour; much more muft they think it reasonable, upon

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the authority of that Act it self which requires this declaration, to apply both Af fent, and Confent, only to the use of this Book. In the one cafe you have only the opinion of one learned Lawyer that it was meant fo; In the other you are left at no liberty, but are abfolutely determined by the very Parliament that made the Act, that it was meant fo. But I argue further, fuppofing the Act it felf did not determine both Aßent and Consent tọ the use of the Book, yet

3. The nature, manner, and form of all Law-deeds, and publick declarations, require this way of Intrepretation, and condemn the other. This is drawn up according to the manner of our Law, in which nothing fo common as to gather together words of very little or no difference in their fignification, and to apply them all to one thing. Thus,to give and to grant, tho' there be fome fmall difference in their fignification, to renounce and abjure, and these very words Aßent and Confent, with a hundred other different Terms,are found to be applied to one and the fame thing. And, therefore, if the Act had only faid, you fall declare that you agree to the use of all things in this Book, in

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