two divines, however condemned by the Church, not only that
particular point, but the whole article to which it relates, may
lawfully be received or rejected by any freethinker. For instance,
suppose More and Tillotson deny the eternity of hell torments, a
freethinker may deny all future punishments whatsoever. The priests
dispute about explaining the Trinity; therefore a freethinker may reject
one or two, or the whole three persons; at least he may reject
Christianity, because the Trinity is the most fundamental doctrine of
that religion. So I affirm original sin, and that men are now liable to
be damned for Adam's sin, to be the foundation of the whole Christian
religion; but this point was formerly, and is now disputed, therefore, a
freethinker may deny the whole. And I cannot help giving you one farther
direction, how I insinuate all along, that the wisest freethinking
priests, whom you may distinguish by the epithets I bestow them, were
those who differed most from the generality of their brethren.

But besides, the conduct of our priests in many other points, makes
freethinking unavoidable; for some of them own, that the doctrines of
the Church are contradictory to one another, as well as to reason; which
I thus prove: Dr. Sacheverell says in his speech at his trial, That by
abandoning passive obedience we must render ourselves the most
inconsistent Church in the world: Now 'tis plain, that one inconsistency
could not make the most inconsistent Church in the world; _ergo_, there
must have been a great many inconsistencies and contradictory doctrines
in the Church before. Dr. South describes the incarnation of Christ, as
an astonishing mystery, impossible to be conceived by man's reason;
_ergo_, it is contradictory to itself, and to reason, and ought to be
exploded by all freethinkers.

Another instance of the priests' conduct, which multiplies freethinkers,
is their acknowledgment of abuses, defects, and false doctrines, in the
Church; particularly that of eating black pudding,[15] which is so
plainly forbid in the Old and New Testament, that I wonder those who
pretend to believe a syllable in either will presume to taste it. Why
should I mention the want of discipline, and of a sideboard at the
altar, with complaints of other great abuses and defects made by some of
the priests, which no man can think on without freethinking, and
consequently rejecting Christianity?

[Footnote 15: Collins in his pamphlet quotes