A modest plea for the due regulation of the press in answer to several reasons lately printed against it, humbly submitted to the judgment of authority / by Francis Gregory, D.D. and rector of Hambleden in the county of Bucks.

SECT. I. (Book 1)

Good Reader,

IT is not long since I accidentally met with a Printed Paper, Entitled, A Letter to a Member of Parliament, shewing that a Restraint on the Press is inconsistent with the Protestant Religion, and dangerous to the Liberties of the Nation. This Title at the first view did startle and make me wonder; for I could not imagine how the Contents of this Letter could possibly justifie such an Inscription.

But whether this Letter were really sent, or only pretended, and by whom, I cannot tell; for the Writer of it thought it an act of Prudence to conceal his Name, as well as his Opini∣on. But if he be not one of the worst sort of Hereticks, I mean a Socinian, it is his great misfortune, and no small

fault, that he hath given his Reader just cause to think him so. For,

1. This Author treats our Common People with extraor∣dinary Civilities, he pleads for the full liberty of every Man's Conscience; and tells us, that every Man hath as much right to Communicate his Thoughts to his Neighbour, as to think them himself; he tells us, that every Man is to judg for himself, even in the controverted Points of Religion, as well as the ablest Divines of our Church. Nor can we won∣der that a Socinian should thus flatter the Vulgar; for they, who design to instil their Opinions into the Heads of Men, are concerned in Policy by fair words and courtship first to insinuate themselves into their Hearts.

2. This Author treats the Church of England with inci∣vility and scurrilous Language; he loads its Governours with several Calumnies, which are no way deserved; he calleth them, Imposers upon the Consciences of Men, Tyrants, Lords of the Peoples Faith; but 'tis not my business to wipe off his un∣just Reproaches, but to answer his groundless Arguments. But however, 'tis not strange that a Socinian should thus be∣spatter the Clergy of our Church, to render us odious to the People, because they know that our Divines are the most able Men to defend those great Articles of our Creed, which they oppose; and to confute those detestable Doctrines, which they promote, but will never be able to maintain, so long as the Church of England shall continue as well stored with learned Men, as now it is. But in the mean time, they make it their business to disparage and vilifie our Divines, in hopes that our People, disesteeming our Persons, may shew the less regard to what we plead in defence of Truth.

3. This Author sheweth himself yet more manifestly to be a Socinian, because according to the known Practice of that sort of Men, he highly magnifies Humane Reason, exalting it far above its proper Sphere, advancing it to that sublime and sacred Office, which, as now it is, it can never dis∣charge.

For in that Preliminary Discourse, which he premiseth as an Introduction to the main Body and Substance of his Let∣ter, he tells us, that God hath given Man, His Reason, which is his only light, not only to discover that there is a Religion, but

to distinguish the True from the many false Ones. He tell us a∣gain, p. 15. That God hath given Men no other Guide, but their Reason, to bring them to happiness; and yet again, p 17. he saith, That the Peoples common Notions are the Tests and Standards of all Truths.

Now, my own Reason, such as it is, tells me, that all these Assertions are as false, as bold and daring; for, what greater Encomiums could have been given to Humane Rea∣son, were we still in the state of Innocence? though in that state the Reason of Man might shine, like the Sun in its full glory, not a Cloud interposing; yet by, and since, the fall of Adam, the Common Reason of Mankind is become like the Moon lying under, though not a Total, yet a very great Eclipse. Solomon, the wisest of Men, hath left our Reason no better Title than this; the Candle of the Lord. 'Tis not * 1.1stiled a blazing Torch, but a Candle, which is but a diminu∣tive light, and so much the less, because 'tis full of Snuff, 'tis clouded with mists and fogs of ignorance; and in nothing more, than in matters of Religion.

True it is, that this little light of Nature, being well at∣tended to, is enough to discover to us some Truths, which are a sufficient ground for natural Religion; the Reason of Man, exercising it self in contemplating the Works of Cre∣ation and Providence, is enough to convince him, that there is a God, and that this God ought to be worshipped; but there are some other Truths, absolutely necessary to Sal∣vation, which the most improved Reason of Man, without some other help, could never have discovered. In all Cases, the Reason of Man is, lumen sine quo non, a light, without which we can discern no Truth at all; but yet 'tis not a light, by which we can discern every Truth, which doth concern us. Our Lord hath truly said; The light of the Body is the Eye, and * 1.2yet this Eye, be it never so clear and strong, without the help of some other Light beside it's own, can see very little or nothing; so here, the light of the Soul is its Reason, and yet this Reason, without some other assistances, in matters of Religion can discern but very little.

There were amongst the Heathens many sober, vertuous, and industrious Moralists, Men of raised Intellectuals, Men of excellent Parts both Natural and Acquired; and yet as

to the Matters of Religion, they shewed themselves mere * 1.3Sots and Dunces; they became, as St. Paul saith, vain in their imaginations. They exceedingly doted in their Notions con∣cerning the Nature, Will, and Worship of God; there are several religious and necessary Truths, whereunto their own Reason, though much improved, was, not only a perfect Stranger, but a professed Adversary; the Doctrine of the Crea∣tion stands opposed by that known Maxim, which their Rea∣son entertained as an undoubted Truth, ex nihilo nihil fit, out of nothing, nothing is or can be made. And as for the great Doctrine of the Resurrection, Men of Reason look'd upon it, as * 1.4Celsus speaks in Origen, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as a thing im∣possible, and abominable, and according to these Notions they took St. Paul, who preached this glorious, but difficult Doctrine, to be no better than a vain babler.

But whence might this gross Ignorance of theirs arise? How came it to pass, that Men so acute and lucky in search∣ing and finding out many secret Mysteries both of Art and Nature, should be so dull and unhappy, as not to apprehend the Mysteries of Religion? Doubtless the Reason must needs be this; their own Understandings, though exercised to their utmost Ability, could not inform them better for want of some other and clearer Light. And what was their Case, would have been ours, had not God enlightened and blessed the Christian Church with Divine Revelation.

But withal, this great Blessing of Divine Revelation doth not exclude, but require the very utmost Exercise of human Reason; for we must employ, not only our Eyes or Tongues, but our Understandings in reading the Word of God; it must be our great Endeavour by the use of all proper means, to find out the true Meaning of what we read; and when upon good Grounds we are satisfied that the right Sense of such or such a Text is this or that; though the Matter therein delivered be above the reach of our Reason, yet the same Reason will oblige us to believe it as an undoubted Truth, because that God, who cannot lie, hath so revealed it. And this, I think, is all, which humane Reason hath to do in Matters of Faith and Worship, unless it be to oblige us to the Practice of what we know and believe.

* 1.5 To conclude this Subject, our Lord saith of himself, I am the light of the world, the same thing he said to his Apostles too, ye are the light of the world, so they were not only by their * 1.6Holy Example, but by their Holy Doctrine too. Why else doth the Apostle mention the Glorious Light of the Gospel? The Light of Reason is but as the Light of a Glow▪worm; the Light of the Law is but as the Light of a Star; but the Light of the Gospel is as the Light of the Sun, a very glo∣rious Light indeed.

Now, if this be true, if Christ himself, if the Apostles of Christ, if the Gospel of Christ be so many Lights differing in Number, had not this Author strangely forgot himself and his Bible, when he told the World in his printed Paper, that the Reason of Man is the Light, nay, the only Light, which God hath given him to distinguish the true Religion from the false ones; and again, that God hath given to Men no other Guide, but their Reason, to bring them to Happiness; and yet a third time, that the People's common Notions are the Tests and Standards of all Truths. If these three Pro∣positions be true, or any one of them, I do confess, that the small Light of my own Reason hath not yet enabled me to discern any difference betwixt the clearest Truths, and the grossest Errors. And verily the exposing such notorious Fal∣shoods to the view of the World by the help of the Press, is a very strong Argument, why its Liberty should be restrained. But to go on.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prov. xx. ••••.
• * 1.2

  Matth. vi. 2••.
• * 1.3

  Rom. i. 21.
• * 1.4

  ••rig. adv. Celsus, l. 5. ••. 24.
• * 1.5

  Joh. viii. 12.
• * 1.6

  Matt. v. 14.