'd and believ'd: For besides its
extremely weakening, if not destroying, the_ Belief _of the_ Being _and_
Providence of God, _it utterly takes away any sort of_ Freedom _in_ Humane
Actions, _reduces Mankind beneath the_ Brute Creation; _perfectly_ excuses
_the greatest_ Villanies _in_ this World, _and entirely vacates all_
Retribution _hereafter. One wou'd wonder with what Face or Conscience such
a_ Sett _of Men shou'd hope to be treated by the Rules of_ Civility, _when
they themselves break through those of_ Society, _and_ common Humanity:
_How they can expect any fairer_ Quarter _than_ Wolves _or_ Tygers; _or
what Reason they can give why a_ Price _should not be sett upon their_
Heads, _as well as on the_ Others; _or at least why they should not be
securely_ hamper'd _and_ muzzled, _and led about for a_ Sight, _like
other_ Monsters. _'Tis the fatal and spreading_ Poyson _of these Mens_
Examples _and_ Principles _which has extorted these_ warm Expressions
_from me; I cannot with_ Patience _see my_ Countrey ruin'd _by the
prodigious increase of_ Infidelity _and_ Immorality, _nor forbear crying
out with some_ Vehemence, _when I am giving Warning to all honest Men to
stand up in the_ Defence _of it, when it is in greater and more eminent
danger than it wou'd have been formerly, if the_ Spanish Armada _had made
a Descent amongst us: I don't speak of these things by distant_ Hear-say,
_or only from our publick_ Prints, _but from my own_ Knowledg _and little_
Acquaintance _in the World, and therefore others must have observ'd much
more, and cannot but fear, that if things go on as they now are, without a
greater_ Check, _and more_ severe Laws _against these wide and contagious_
Mischiefs, _at least without a more general united_ Endeavour _to put
those Laws already made in_ strict Execution, _we are in a fair way to
become a_ Nation of Atheists. _'Tis now no difficult matter to meet with
those who pretend to be_ lewd _upon_ Principles; _They'll talk very_
gravely, _look as if they were in earnest, and come_ sobrii ad perdendam
Rempublicam: _they wou'd be_ Criticks _too, and_ Philosophers: _They
attack_ Religion _in_ Form _and batter it from every_ Quarter; _they wou'd
turn the very_ Scriptures _against themselves, and labour hard to remove
a_ Supreme Being _out of the World; or if they do vouchsafe him any_ room
_in it, 'tis only that they may find_ Fault _with his_ Works, _which they
think, with that_ Blasphemer _of old, might