ccustom'd to Believe without any Evidence of Reason for
what they Believe, are, it is likely, more in earnest in this wild
Opinion: And in all appearance very many there are among us of such as
a Learned Man calls _Enthusiastick Atheists, viz._ who deny the
Existence of an Invisible, Omniscient, Omnipotent, first Cause of all
things, only through a certain Sottish disbelief of whatsoever they
cannot either see or feel; never consulting their Reason in the Case.
That there are some who do thus, their Discourses assure us: The
Actions of many others, are unaccountable without supposing them to be
of this Number; and it is very suspicious that to this Atheism as to a
secret Cause thereof, may be attributed the avow'd Averseness of many
Men to reveal'd Religion, since in a Country where People are
permitted to read the Scriptures, and to use their Reason freely in
matters of Religion; and where, in effect, there are so many Rational
Christians, 'tis hard to conceive that Men can be long Scepticks in
regard of Christianity, if they are indeed hearty Deists; and fully
perswaded of the Truths of Natural Religion.

But it being sufficiently obvious that want of Instruction concerning
Religion does in a Sceptical Age dispose Men to Scepticism and
Infidelity, which often terminates in downright Atheism; let us see
whether, or no, Ill, by which I mean, all irrational Instruction in
regard of Religion, has not the same Tendency.

It is as undeniable as the difference between Men's being in, and out
of their Wits, that Reason ought to be to Rational Creatures the Guide
of their Belief: That is to say, That their Assent to any thing,
ought to be govern'd by that proof of its Truth, whereof Reason is the
Judge; be it either Argument, or Authority, for in both Cases Reason
must determine our Assent according to the validity of the Ground it
finds it Built on: By Reason being here understood that Faculty in us
which discovers, by the intervention of intermediate Ideas, what
Connection Those in the Proposition have one with another: Whether
_certain_; _probable_; or _none at all_; according whereunto, we ought
to regulate our Assent. If we do not so, we degrade our selves from
being Rational Creatures; and deprive our selves of the only Guide God
has given us for our Conduct in our Actions and Opinions.

Authority yet is not hereby so subjected to Reason, as that a
Proposition which we see not the Truth of, may not nevertheless be
Rat