> ON MATTERS Of BELIEF, €l 



t confidently appeal to every reafonable creature, to 

 every creature capable of reafon, on the face of the 

 earth, to refute me, if it can, when I fay, that, in this 

 manner, and by fuch means and precautions, any religion, 

 however fenfelefs, deteftable, and ridiculous, it may 

 be, — from the inhuman worfhip of the canaanite fire4 

 god Moloch, to the ftupid idolatrous rites in homage 

 to the frogs of Latona at Abdera, may be promulgated 

 for the only true religion, the only religion by which 

 falvation is to be obtained, and, as fuch, be enforced 

 on all the world ! 



What name then do they deferve, who arrogate to 

 themfelves, or, if their predeceffors have been guilty 

 of fuch arrogance, would yet always maintain the pre- 

 tention to propagate and affert the molt fimple, the 

 moft rational, the moft humane of all religions, in 

 fuch a manner, and by thofe or fimilar proceedings ? 



I intreat every reader who loves truth in his heart, 

 to flop here for a moment, and profecute for himfelf 

 the reflections to which what has been faid mult natu- 

 rally lead him. It is not my defign to offend. It 

 would be highly unreasonable to impute to fenfiWe, 

 reflecting, and better-minded perfons now living, the 

 extravagancies and the iniquities of their barbarous 

 predeceffors. — But the times of ignorance are part : 

 at leaft, no man, who is not of the vulgar herd, can 

 any longer excufe himfelf on the plea of invincible ig^ 

 norance, if he be unacquainted with the fundamental 

 truths, on the knowledge and obfervance whereof the 

 welfare of the human race and of civil fociety un- 

 doubtedly depend ; for, God be p railed, they have 

 been loudly enough preached for more than fifty years 



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