ute in the place of the popular conception of
Christianity?' for this alone, not Christianity itself, Deism professed
to attack. In other words, 'What is the positive or constructive side of
Deism?'

This question Tindal attempts to answer in his 'Christianity as old as
the Creation.' The answer is a plain one, and the arguments by which he
supports it are repeated with an almost wearisome iteration. 'The
religion of nature,' he writes, 'is absolutely perfect; Revelation can
neither add to nor take from its perfection.' 'The law of nature has the
highest internal excellence, the greatest plainness, simplicity,
unanimity, universality, antiquity, and eternity. It does not depend
upon the uncertain meaning of words and phrases in dead languages, much
less upon types, metaphors, allegories, parables, or on the skill or
honesty of weak or designing transcribers (not to mention translators)
for many ages together, but on the immutable relation of things always
visible to the whole world.' Tindal is fond of stating the question in
the form of a dilemma. 'The law of nature,' he writes, 'either is or is
not a perfect law; if the first, it is not capable of additions; if the
last, does it not argue want of wisdom in the Legislator in first
enacting such an imperfect law, and then in letting it continue thus
imperfect from age to age, and at last thinking to make it absolutely
perfect by adding some merely positive and arbitrary precepts?' And
again, 'Revelation either bids or forbids men to use their reason in
judging of all religious matters; if the former, then it only declares
that to be our duty which was so, independent of and antecedent to
revelation; if the latter, then it does not deal with men as rational
creatures. Everyone is of this opinion who says we are not to read
Scripture with freedom of assenting or dissenting, just as we judge it
agrees or disagrees with the light of nature and reason of things.'
Coming more definitely to the way in which we are to treat the written
word, he writes: 'Admit all for Scripture that tends to the honour of
God, and nothing which does not.' Finally, he sums up by declaring in
yet plainer words the absolute identity of Christianity with natural
religion. 'God never intended mankind should be without a religion, or
could ordain an imperfect religion; there must have been from the
beginning a religion most perfect, which mankind at all times were
capable of knowing; Christianity is th