he
published on the Trinity, which brought him into collision with the
Arians. But the Doctor seems to have been addicted to views of a
controversial nature, for his opinions on infant baptism and the keeping
of the Sabbath found many objectors. He was Savilian Professor of
Geometry at Oxford in 1648. [T.S.]]

[Footnote 12: See Swift's opinion of controversies on this subject in
his "Sermon upon the Trinity." [S.]]

Our priests likewise dispute several circumstances about the
resurrection of the dead, the nature of our bodies after the
resurrection, and in what manner they shall be united to our souls. They
also attack one another "very weakly with great vigour," about
predestination. And it is certainly true, (for Bishop Taylor and Mr.
Whiston the Socinian say so,) that all churches in prosperity alter
their doctrines every age, and are neither satisfied with themselves,
nor their own confessions; neither does any clergyman of sense believe
the Thirty-nine Articles.

Our priests differ about the eternity of hell torments. The famous Dr
Henry More,[13] and the most pious and rational of all priests, Dr
Tillotson,[14] (both freethinkers,) believe them to be not eternal. They
differ about keeping the sabbath, the divine right of episcopacy, and
the doctrine of original sin; which is the foundation of the whole
Christian religion; for if men are not liable to be damned for Adam's
sin, the Christian religion is an imposture: Yet this is now disputed
among them; so is lay baptism; so was formerly the lawfulness of usury,
but now the priests are common stock-jobbers, attorneys, and scriveners.
In short there is no end of disputing among priests, and therefore I
conclude, that there ought to be no such thing in the world as priests,
teachers, or guides, for instructing ignorant people in religion; but
that every man ought to think freely for himself.

[Footnote 13: Dr. Henry More (1614-1687), the Platonist theologian,
wrote a philosophical poem entitled, "Psycho-Zoia, or the Life of the
Soul" (1640). [T.S.]]

[Footnote 14: Dr. John Tillotson (1630-1694) succeeded Bancroft as
Archbishop of Canterbury. He published some eloquent sermons and several
controversial tracts against Catholicism. [T.S.]]

I will tell you the meaning in all this; the priests dispute every point
in the Christian religion, as well as almost every text in the Bible;
and the force of my argument lies here, that whatever point is disputed
by one or