Are these, or such as these the _clearest Miracles God ever wrought_? Do such Miracles deserve a serious Regard? And shall the _Gravity_ with which Mankind is thus banter'd out of their common Sense, excuse these Matters from _Ridicule_?
It will be difficult to find any Writers who have exceeded the Doctors, _South_ and [40] _Edwards_, in _Banter_, _Irony_, _Satire_ and _Sarcasms_: The last of whom has written a Discourse in _Defence of sharp Reflections on Authors and their Opinions_; wherein he enumerates, as Examples for his Purpose, almost all the eminent Divines of the Church of _England_. And Mr. [41] _Collier_, speaking of a Letter of the Venerable _Bede_ to _Egbert_ Bishop of _York_, says, "The Satire and Declamation in this _Epistle_ shews the _pious Zeal_ and _Integrity_ of the Author;" which seems to imply, that _Satire_ and _Declamation_ is the orthodox and most pious Method of writing in behalf of _Orthodoxy_.
Dr. _Rogers_, to whom you write, falls into the Method of Buffoonery, Banter, Satire, Drollery, Ridicule, and Irony, even in the Treatise to which your Letter is subjoined, and against that _Person_ whom you would have punish'd for that Method: When he says to him, [42] "Religion then, it seems, must be left to the Scholars and Gentlefolks, and to them 'tis to be of no other use, but as a Subject of Disputation to improve their Parts and Learning; but methinks the Vulgar might be indulged a little of it now and then, upon Sundays and Holidays, instead of Bull-baiting and Foot-ball." And this insipid Piece of Drollery and false Wit [which is design'd to ridicule his Adversary for asserting, that _What Men understand nothing of, they have no Concern about_; which is a Proposition that will stand the Test of _Ridicule_, which will be found wholly to lie against the Doctor, for asserting the Reasonableness of imposing Things on the People which they do not understand] is the more remarkable, as it proceeds from one, who is at the same time for using the Sword of the Magistrate against his Adversary. One would think the [43] _Inquisitor_ should banish the _Droll_, and the _Droll_ the _Inquisitor_.
One of the greatest and best Authorities for the _pleasant_ and _ironical_ manner of treating _serious_ Matters, is that eminent Divine at the Time of the Reformation, the great _Erasmus_, who has written two Books in this way with great Applause of Protestants, and without subjecting himself to any Persecution of Papists: which makes it highly proper to propose them to the Consideration of the Reader, that he may regulate his Notions, by what, it may be presum'd, he approves of in that Author. These two Books of _Erasmus_ are his _Colloquies_, and his _Praise of Folly_.