enging himself; and then there will be
but little consequence from an accusation which the dead cannot feel,
and which none of the living will believe.

***** ***** ***** *****

MR. COLLINS'S DISCOURSE OF

FREETHINKING;

PUT INTO PLAIN ENGLISH,

BY WAY OF ABSTRACT,

FOR THE USE OF THE POOR.

BY A FRIEND OF THE AUTHOR.

FIRST PRINTED IN 1713

NOTE.

Of the deistical writers of the early eighteenth century, Anthony
Collins (1676-1729) is, perhaps, the most celebrated. He was born near
Hounslow and educated at Eton and Cambridge. His writings were mainly
attacks on Christianity, and, in addition to the "Discourse on
Freethinking," he published: "Discourse of the Grounds and Reasons of
the Christian Religion;" "Scheme of Literal Prophecy Considered;"
"Priestcraft in Perfection;" "Historical and Critical Essay on the
Thirty-Nine Articles;" and "A Philosophical Enquiry concerning Human
Liberty." Most of these writings engaged him in many and violent
controversies with some of the ablest divines of his time. Among these,
beside Swift, may be named, Whiston, Hare, Hoadly, Bentley, and Samuel
Clarke. Steele, also, had his fling at Collins, and thought that "if
ever man deserved to be denied the common benefits of air and water, it
is the author of 'A Discourse upon Freethinking'" ("Guardian," No. 3).
But then Steele's opinion on such a matter was of no great moment. What
was of more, was the fact that the school to which Collins belonged
found a decided opponent in Locke, from the writings of whom the members
of the school professed to draw their strongest arguments. For a
philosophical appreciation of Toland, Collins, and the rest, see Mr.
Leslie Stephen's "English Thought in the Eighteenth Century" (chaps.
iii. and iv. of vol. i. 1881).

Swift took an entirely different attitude towards Collins from that
assumed by the professional controversialists. He refused to take him
seriously, and no doubt he felt that ridicule would as effectually serve
his purpose as another method. Moreover, he sought to use the
opportunity for scoring a point against the Whigs, by insisting on the
political side of the matter, and, in the person of an assumed defender
of Collins, betrayed undoubted Whig leanings. Swift, at this time, was
deep in work, pamphleteering for Harley and St. John. He had already
written "The Conduct of the Allies," and "Some Remarks on the Barrier
Treaty," and was soon to write "