Having thus endeavoured to satisfy the curious with some account of this author’s character, let us examine what might probably be the motives to engage him in such a work.  I shall say nothing of the principal, which is a sum of money; because that is not a mark to distinguish him from any other trader with the press.  I will say nothing of revenge and malice, from resentment of the indignities and contempt he hath undergone for his crime of apostasy.  To this passion he has thought fit to sacrifice order, propriety, discretion, and common sense, as may be seen in every page of his book:  But, I am deceived, if there were not a third motive as powerful as the other two; and that is, vanity.  About the latter end of King James’s reign he had almost finished a learned discourse in defence of the Church of Rome, and to justify his conversion:  All which, upon the Revolution, was quite out of season.  Having thus prostituted his reputation, and at once ruined his hopes, he had no course left, but to shew his spite against religion in general; the false pretensions to which, had proved so destructive to his credit and fortune:  And, at the same time, loth to employ the speculations of so many years to no purpose; by an easy turn, the same arguments he had made use of to advance Popery, were full as properly levelled by him against Christianity itself; like the image, which, while it was new and handsome, was worshipped for a saint, and when it came to be old and broken, was still good enough to make a tolerable devil.  And, therefore every reader will observe, that the arguments for Popery are much the strongest of any in his book, as I shall further remark when I find them in my way.

There is one circumstance in his title-page, which I take to be not amiss, where he calleth his book, “Part the First.”  This is a project to fright away answerers, and make the poor advocates for religion believe, he still keepeth further vengeance in petto.  It must be allowed, he hath not wholly lost time, while he was of the Romish communion.  This very trick he learned from his old father, the Pope; whose custom it is to lift up his hand, and threaten to fulminate, when he never meant to shoot his bolts; because the princes of Christendom had learned the secret to avoid or despise them.  Dr. Hickes knew this very well, and therefore, in his answer to this “Book of Rights,” where a second part is threatened, like a rash person he desperately crieth, “Let it come.”  But I, who have not too much phlegm to provoke angry wits of his standard, must tell the author, that the doctor plays the wag, as if he were sure, it were all grimace.  For my part, I declare, if he writeth a second part, I will not write another answer; or, if I do, it shall be published, before the other part cometh out.[4]

[Footnote 4:  Tindal did, however, attempt to maintain his ground against his numerous opponents, in “A Defence of the Rights of the Christian Church, against a late Visitation Sermon, 8vo. 1707;” and also in “A Second Defence of the Rights of the Christian Church considered, in two late Indictments against a Bookseller and His Servant, for selling one of the said Books, 1707.” [T.  S.]]