The Living Temple

And who sees not this to be the case with the modern Atheist, who hath been pursued ¹with that strength and vigour of argument even in our own days, that would have baffled persons, of any other temper than their own, into shame and silence? And so as no other support hath been left to Irreligion, than a senseless stupidity, an obstinate resolvedness not to consider, a faculty to stifle an argument with a jest, to charm their reason by sensual softnesses into a dead sleep; with a strict and circumspect care that it may never a wake into any exercise above the condition of dozed and half-witted persons; or if it do, by the next debauch presently to lay it fast again. So that the very Principle fails in this sort of men, whereto in reasoning we should appeal and apply our selves. And it were almost the same thing to offer arguments to the senseless images or forsaken carcasses of men. It belongs to the Grandeur of Religion to neglect the impotent assaults of these men: as it is a piece of glory, and bespeaks a worthy persons right understanding and just value of himself, to disdain the combat with an incompetent or a foiled enemy. It is becoming and seemly that the grand ancient and received Truth which tends ⟨p. 9⟩to, and is the reason of the godly life, do sometimes keep state; and no more descend to perpetual repeated janglings with every scurrilous and impertinent trifler, than a great and redoubted Prince would think it fit to dispute the Rights of his Crown with a drunken distracted Fool or a Mad-man.

And who sees not this to be the case with the modern Atheist, who hath been pursu'd ¹with that strength and vigour of argument even in our own days, that would have baffled persons, of any other temper than their own, into shame and silence? And so as no other support hath been left to Irreligion, than a sensless stupidity, an obstinate resolvedness not to consider, a faculty to stifle an argument with a jeast, to charm their reason by sensual softnesses into a dead sleep; with a strict and circumspect care that it may never a wake into any exercise above the condition of doz'd and halfwitted persons; or if it do, by the next debauch presently to lay it fast again. So that the very Principle fails in this sort of men, whereto in reasoning we should appeal and apply our selves. And it were almost the same thing to offer arguments to the sensless images or forsaken carkasses of men. It belongs to the Grandeur of Religion to neglect the impotent assaults of these men: as it is a piece of glory, and bespeaks a worthy persons right understanding and just value of himself, to disdain the combat with an incompetent or a foiled enemy. It is becoming and seemly that the grand ancient and received Truth which tends