worst Sense of all, here it is. And here certainly is all the
_Phrensy_, _Folly_, and _Tyranny_, which, I told you in the
Beginning, the Government of such an arbitrary Being (as these
Gentlemen represent the Deity to be) must ever be liable to.

It is evident, that as worthy Sentiments of God and of Religion,
better the Mind, and improve the Understanding; so do weak and
superstitious Principles corrupt the intellectual Faculty, and
render the Soul more blind and inhuman, than it is in its natural
State, unassisted and unimproved by Divine Grace. I have the rather
made choice of this Argument, not only because I have never seen it
urged before, but because I think it more nearly affects Men of this
Faith, than any I have hitherto met with. I may be mistaken; but
while it has such weight with me, I cannot but earnestly recommend
it to the serious and impartial Consideration of all who profess
this Faith, more especially those who preach it publickly to the
World; whose Acknowledgment of what I take to be Truth, or friendly
Animadversions thereon, will be Matter of no small Satisfaction to
me: But I must here enjoin one Caution, _viz_. that it will be a
absolutely in vain to produce Texts of Scripture, till this Point is
better settled between us. In the Art of evading Scripture Proofs, I
allow these Gentlemen to be very skilful and expert; nor can I help
believing, that a small Part of the Penetration and Dexterity,
usually exercised on these Occasions, would, in Men of contrary
Principles, or even in themselves, could they be persuaded to think
differently, be abundantly sufficient to overthrow even the
Doctrines themselves: They have a peculiar Talent, at misunderstanding;
and perverting the plainest Text, and rendering those which are
difficult and obscure in their literal Sense, with much Boldness, and
without Hesitation; they stumble in a plain Path at Noon-Day, and walk
carelessly at Midnight amongst Rock, and upon the most dangerous
Precipices. And here I might safely rest the Argument, and make a final
End of it. _Sovereignty_, such an one as they contend for, once proved,
any thing whatever may be allowed to follow, and all Disputations will
be utterly in vain. Allow but the _Roman Church_ its _Infallibility_,
and the Truth of other Doctrines will unavoidably follow. Till these
Gentlemen, I say, set my main Principles aside, all the Scripture in the
World will be nothing to their Purpose. Not but in the main t