These two things, viz. a rational assurance of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures, and a liberty of fairly examining them, are absolutely necessary to the satisfaction of any rational Person, concerning the certainty of the Christian Religion, and what it is that this Religion does consist in:  and He who when he comes to be a Man, shall remember that being a Boy he has been check’d for doubting, instead of being better inform’d when he demanded farther proof than had been given him of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures:  or that he has been reprehended for thinking that the Word of God contradicted some Article of his Catechism; has just ground, when he reflects thereupon, to question, whether or no, the Interaction of his Childhood has not been an Imposition upon his Reason; which he will no doubt be apt to believe the more, when others shall confidently affirm to him that it has been so:  And in that Age of Men’s Lives when they are in the eagerest pursuit of Pleasure, it is great odds (as has been already observ’d) that if, in regard of Religion, they come to lose the belief of what they have once thought unquestionable, they will more often be perswaded that there is no Truth at all therein, than set themselves seriously to find out what is so.

How dangerous a thing then is such Instruction in Religion, as teaches nothing unless it be to stifle the Suggestions of our Natural Light?  But that such Instruction as this, is all that the far greatest Number of People have, there is too much ground to conclude, from the visible Ignorance even of the most of Those who are Zealous in some Profession of Christian Faith, and Worship:  Few of These not being at a loss to answer, if ask’d, either, What the Faith of a Christian does consist in?  Or, Why they believe such Articles concerning it, as they profess to believe?

That their God-fathers, and God-mothers ingag’d for them that they should believe so; is a reason for their doing it that I suppose, there are but Few who would not be asham’d to give; as seeing that a Mahumetan could not be thought to assert his Faith more absurdly in the Opinion of any indifferent By-stander, and yet it is evident that no better a reason than this have very many for their Belief.

What is the chief and highest end of Man? is a Question which, methinks, supposes the resolution of more antecedent Questions, than Children, untaught, can be presum’d to be resolv’d in.  But be this Question ever so proper to begin a Catechism withal, the answer hereto, viz.  That Man’s chief and highest end is to glorifie God, and enjoy him for ever; is not surely very instructive of an ignorant Child.  It is a good Question in the same Catechism; How doth it appear the Scriptures are the Word of God?  But who would imagine that for the information of any one who wanted to be inform’d herein, it should be answer’d, That the Scriptures manifest themselves to be the