t's Time now to publish another Part of my Defence, which, in my former, I gave my Readers some Reason to expect from me. If I should keep Silence much longer, my Adversaries will be ready to charge me with Cowardice, or Insufficiency; and say, that I'm either absolutely confuted by the Writers against me, or so terrified by the Civil Magistrate's Authority, that I either can't, or dare not, engage afresh in the same Cause. And I must confess, that if I was not convinced of the Goodness of my Cause, which is no other than God's, and of my Ability to defend it, I should chuse to hold my Peace, and be glad that it has fared no worse with me.
One Reason indeed why I have been so long ere I publish'd this, is pure Respect to the Civil Powers, whom I am oblig'd, as a Christian, to honour and reverence, so far as may be, without Disobedience to God. Had I hastily, and as soon almost as Sentence was pass'd on me, publish'd this, some might have interpreted it, as an Act of Defiance and Contempt of the Civil Authority, (for there are not wanting those who will put the worst Construction they can on my Conduct;) therefore I forbore for a while: And now that I appear again from the Press, it is not without professing a profound Veneration for our Civil Magistracy, who, I am sure, will never think the worse of a Man for vindicating his own Innocency, or for writing in a Cause that, in his Conscience, he is persuaded is most just and good.
Another Reason why I committed this no sooner to the Press, was to wait the Publication of the Bishop of St. David's his Second Volume, which he promised us last Winter. I was almost of Opinion, that, in my former Defence, I gave the Bishop such Intimations of my sincere Belief of Christianity, notwithstanding my Discourses on Miracles, and of the Falseness of his repeated Charge against me for Infidelity, that I question'd whether he would write again in the same Strain. If the Bishop is convinced of this his grand Mistake about me, then the very Foundation of his past and future Work is shaken, and I shall hear no more of him. But whether he is certainly convinc'd of his Mistake or not, I am concern'd to go on with these Defences of my self, and to vindicate the Goodness and Usefulness of the Design of my Discourses on Miracles, against what the Bishops of London and St. David's, and other Adversaries have written to the contrary.
But, before I enter upon such a Defence of my self and my Discourses, I must make, what is proper here, a short Preface. It is well known, that I am for Liberty of Debate, and against all Persecution or Force, or Impositions on the Consciences of Mankind. But for all that, there are some Rules in Controversy that we polemical Writers should observe, and be oblig'd to; or, instead of discovering and illustrating the Truth we pretend to search for, we shall but the more darken, obstruct and perplex it. As,
First, We should endeavour to write as plainly and intelligibly as we can, and never amuse our Readers with Expressions void of Sense, or with false Reasoning against our Adversaries, where we want what's good and solid. This Rule none can except against: Whether I am an Observer of this Rule, my Readers are to be Judges. As I am to answer it to God and a good Conscience, I endeavour to observe it; but much question, whether some of my Adversaries can say so too, or they would never vent such dark, impertinent and unintelligible Stuff, if it was not, because they are at a Loss for what's clear and shining. There's no End of giving Instances out of their Writings to this Purpose. I shall only mention one, that's repeated amongst them, and that is, of their pretended Distinction between Popish Persecution and Protestant Prosecution for Opinions, wherewith they have amused weak and injudicious Heads. The Wife, I am sure, can discern no more Difference here, than between a Rope and a Halter to hang an innocent Man, in which Case too there is a nominal Distinction without a real Difference.
Secondly, We should be open and sincere in our Opinions, and not profess with our Mouths to believe, what we disown in our Hearts; nor, like Watermen, that look one way and row another, should we pretend to have one Design in View, when we are pursuing the quite contrary. This is a reasonable Rule, and ought to be observ'd, or we shall confound the Understandings of our Readers, who will soon lose Sight of our Arguments, if they apprehend not their Aim and Drift. This Rule, my Adversaries will say, is levell'd at my self, than whom no body has more dissembled and prevaricated in his Opinions. Have not you, will they say to me, frequently declared, that your Design in your Discourses is to make way for the Proof of the Truth of Christianity, and of the Messiahship of the Holy Jesus, when you mean and intend the Subversion of both? And is not here grand Hypocrisy, and a Transgression of this Rule? Yes, if I intend the Subversion of Christ's Religion and Messiahship, here is grand Hypocrisy, and a Transgression of this Rule; and I can't think of such a Piece of Prevarication without Horror. The Bishop of St. David's[357] and Mr. Stackhouse,[358] in particular, have animadverted upon me for such Hypocrisy; and if I was guilty of it, in much gentler Terms than I deserv'd. This Hypocrisy, which they falsely charge me with, is as heinous a Sin as I can think of; it is as bad as wilful Perjury, as bad as a Clergyman's taking the Abjuration Oath, with his Heart full of Zeal and Affection for the Pretender, and worse than his giving his solemn Assent and Consent to Articles of Religion he believes little or nothing of. I should hardly have mention'd this Rule to be observ'd in Controversy, if I had been guilty of the Breach of it. It is somewhat excusable in Infidels a little to disguise their real Sentiments, for fear of the Danger they may incur by an open Profession of them: But such a gross and foul Mask of Hypocrisy, as some think I have here put on, is intolerable, and must be hateful to Infidels as well as Christians, being obstructive to Truth, which, in all Inquirers after her, loves Sincerity and Simplicity. No doubt, but my Adversaries, some of them, will still think me a Transgressor of this Rule; but my present and following Defences will absolutely clear me. And if none of my Adversaries are more guilty of the Transgression of it than my self, we are all entirely innocent.
Thirdly, In Controversy we should avoid all wilful Misrepresentation of the Sense of our Adversaries, and of the Authors we pretend to cite. Mistakes and Misapprehensions of one another will sometimes unavoidably happen, and are then as innocent things as involuntary Errors. But wilful Perversion and Falsification of another Author's Words, to the Service of our selves, or to the Prejudice of our Adversaries, is most blameable, and of that ill Consequence to the Search after Truth, that it will keep us always at a Distance from her. This then is another good Rule to be observed in Controversy, which some may wonder I have mention'd, because of that Misrepresentation and Falsification of Authorities I am charg'd with. And I must confess, my Adversaries have here made an hideous Outcry against me; which if I can't acquit my self of, I am the foulest Controvertist that ever appear'd in Print. The Bishop of St. David's[359] calls my Falsification of Authorities, an Immorality, and speculative Forgery; but if I was so guilty as he would have me thought, he speaks too favourably of it. He should have deem'd it as great a Crime as practical Forgery by the Law; and all Philosophers and Lovers of Truth should wish it might be likewise punish'd.
But, good Christian Reader, don't too hastily pass thy Judgment on me. Suspend awhile; it may be, that I may unexpectedly vindicate my self. The Matter as yet is under Debate, whether my Adversaries or I are the grand Misrepresenters and Falsifiers of Authorities. One would think, that my Adversaries, who were bent on the Accusation of me for the foresaid Crime, should have kept themselves clear of it: But the Bishop of St. David's[360] is such a resolute Misrepresenter, that he could not find in his Heart faithfully to transcribe the Three Heads of my Discourses; but by a Suppression of some Words, and the Change of others, has given them an odious and invidious Turn to my Disadvantage: And he has studied so hard to pervert the Sense of the Fathers against me, and so tortured his Brain to make me a Misrepresenter of them, that I should not wonder, if he had labour'd under a Pain in his Head ever since, and is unable to write more. Tho' my Word should not be taken for all this at present; yet in the Sequel of these Defences, it will be made manifest.
It is a great Temptation to our Bishops falsely to accuse and misrepresent their Adversaries; because they know their Writings don't equally spread and go together among all their Readers. A Bishop's Writing going more by itself amongst the Clergy, and other Friends to his Side of the Question, he is tempted to misrepresent his Adversaries, knowing his prejudiced Readers will take his Report of them, and credit it. For this Reason, and no other, did the Bishop of Litchfield[361] falsely charge the Author of the Grounds with odious Assertions, to which there is nothing akin in the Places seemingly referr'd to, nor in all that Author's Work.