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DIALOGUE V.

Objections against the bad Lives of Chriftians anfwered.

Miffionary.

Expected, as you promifed, to have seen you fooner. Has any thing extraordinary hindered you from coming to be further inftructed?

Ind. Why, truly, Sir, fince I was with you, I have met with fuch Difcouragements as have given me great Doubts and Scruples, and had almost made me resolve against troubling you any more.'

Mi. I fhall be exceeding forry, if any thing fhould make you do yourself fo great an Injury.-Pray, what are the Difcouragements you have met with?

Ind. I will tell you the Truth.-After I had parted with you, upon what you had • faid to me, I told our People, that I had fome Thoughts of becoming a Chriftian; for that I had met with one who had convinced me, that my Condition at present " was not so safe as I imagined, and that I fhould certainly lofe the greateft Happiness which the Heart of Man can defire, if I • refused,

< refused, now it was offered me, to be instructed in the Knowlege of myself, and of the true God, and how to live and die in his Favour.-I told them alfo, that you affured 6 me, from the Mouth of God himself, that every Man after Death will certainly be happy or miferable for ever; this fhort Life of ours being only a Time of Trial, and a Paffage to a State of Happiness and Mifery, which is to laft for ever.-I told them moreover, that Chriftians were affured, that God had appointed a Day in • which he would judge most righteously, even • all that have ever lived in this World;

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And that fuch as had ferved and obeyed God, would be happy for ever; and fuch as had led wicked Lives, and did not repent of and • amend them, fhould be punished with everlafting Fire:And that, in order to this great Account and Judgment, God has given us, and all Men, Reason, whereby to know Good from Evil, that they might chuse the one, and refuse the other :-But • that, befide this, he had given unto Chriftians, by HIS OWN SON fent from Heaven, < a Revelation of his Will, which if they em-, brace, and, according to that Revelation, if 'they repent of their Sins, and believe in this Son of God; and walk according to the holy Rules he has given them, they shall be made Partakers of Happiness with him for

⚫ ever.

ever. Then I told them, that, for my own part, I was perfuaded of the Truth of all this; which I thought then all Christians. believed as furely as any thing they fee with • their Eyes.'

Miff. And fo, I affure you, all true Chriftians do. But what did they fay against your Purpose of becoming a Chriftian?

Ind. Tho I am almoft afraid to tell you, · yet I must do it, both to ease my Mind, ⚫ and to know whether any thing can be faid to their Objections.

In the Firft place, they made a Jest of my Purpose;-but I told them, that if what • I had been taught was true, as I did believe

it was, it concerned me fo much, that I 'fhould not be laughed out of my Inten

"- tion..

Then they told me plainly,The Chri ❝stians would have you believe what they do ⚫ not believe themfelves.--For is it likely, that People, who are fully perfuaded of fuch things as they tell you, would lead • fuch Lives as they commonly do ?What, faid they, does it fignify to know the God which they worship, and the good Rules he has given them, if thofe Rules are not • able to make them better than other Peo• ple? Are they not as careless, as if they were fure that nothing is to be feared or hoped for after this Life?You may be E

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certain, that if Chriftians did really believe what they told you, there would not be a wicked Man among them;-and yet many of them are as bad, if not worse, than those who know nothing of the Religion they pretend to, or of the Happiness or Mifery they fpeak of.-Are not the fame Wickedneflès feen among them, as among the worft of us?-They make no Confcience to cheat and defraud even one another :-And where they have Power, they opprefs without Pity. -Whoredom and Drunkennefs, Falfenefs and • Deceit, Lying, Curfing, and Swearing, and calling upon the God they worship to damn each other, upon every foolish Occafion;Thefe and many others are the Crimes common among thefe very People, who tell you, that the Great God will call all • Men to an Account, and reward or punish them according to their Works.-Can you think, that they themselves believe this?' Miff. Well, what Answer did you give them?

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Ind. Why, indeed, I gave them no Anfwer. I confidered, that what they faid • had too much Truth in it; and I held my Peace, and doubted with myself, whether I fhould trouble you any more or not.' Mill. I hope, however, that you will change your Mind, when you have heard what we have to fay to thefe Objections.

In the First place, all good Chriftians know this, and are grieved to fee how much the Christian Religion must fuffer by the bad Lives of fuch People, by whofe evil Doings, the Name of God and of Chrift is blafphemed.

However, fuffer not yourself to be too foon difcouraged :-Nor judge of our Religion by the diforderly Lives of these People you have mentioned;-for, affure yourself, that all are not true Chriftians who go under that Name. There are too many who live in a fhameful Ignorance both of the Truths and Duties of Christianity; and will not be at any Pains to confider the Religion they profefs, nor the fad Danger they themselves are in. And many there are, who have been inftructed in the Way that leads to everlasting Happiness; but the Cares of this World, the Deceitfulness of Riches, or the Love of. worldly Pleasures, have blotted the Remembrance of the Truths they had learned out of their Minds.-Nay, there are too many, who even ftrive to forget fuch Truths, because they condemn their ungodly Lives.-They therefore endeavour to call off all Fear of God, and provoke him to give them up to a Mind void of Judgment, to commit all Iniquity with Greedinels.

Laftly,-Many profefs to know God, but in: their Works do deny him.-Thefe, and all fuch

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