he had made a very shrewd and notable stroke.  And because the court and kingdom seemeth disposed to moderation with regard to Dissenters, more perhaps than is agreeable to the hot unreasonable temper of some mistaken men among us; therefore under the shelter of that popular opinion, he ridiculeth all that is sound in religion, even Christianity itself, under the names of Jacobite, Tackers, High Church, and other terms of factious jargon.  All which, if it were to be first rased from his book (as just so much of nothing to the purpose) how little would remain to give the trouble of an answer!  To which let me add, that the spirit or genius, which animates the whole, is plainly perceived to be nothing else but the abortive malice of an old neglected man,[8] who hath long lain under the extremes of obloquy, poverty and contempt; that have soured his temper, and made him fearless.  But where is the merit of being bold, to a man that is secure of impunity to his person, and is past apprehension of anything else?  He that hath neither reputation nor bread hath very little to lose, and hath therefore as little to fear.  And, as it is usually said, “Whoever values not his own life, is master of another man’s;” so there is something like it in reputation:  He that is wholly lost to all regards of truth or modesty, may scatter so much calumny and scandal, that some part may perhaps be taken up before it fall to the ground; because the ill talent of the world is such, that those who will be at pains enough to inform themselves in a malicious story, will take none at all to be undeceived, nay, will be apt with some reluctance to admit a favourable truth.

[Footnote 8:  Tindal was not an old man at the time Swift wrote, certainly not older than was Swift himself. [T.  S.]]

To expostulate, therefore, with this author for doing mischief to religion, is to strew his bed with roses; he will reply in triumph, that this was his design; and I am loth to mortify him, by asserting he hath done none at all.  For I never yet saw so poor an atheistical scribble, which would not serve as a twig for sinking libertines to catch at.  It must be allowed in their behalf, that the faith of Christians is not as a grain of mustard seed in comparison of theirs, which can remove such mountains of absurdities, and submit with so entire a resignation to such apostles.  If these men had any share of that reason they pretend to, they would retire into Christianity, merely to give it ease.  And therefore men can never be confirmed in such doctrines, until they are confirmed in their vices; which last, as we have already observed, is the principal design of this and all other writers against revealed religion.

I am now opening the book which I propose to examine.  An employment, as it is entirely new to me, so it is that to which, of all others, I have naturally the greatest antipathy.  And, indeed, who can dwell upon a tedious piece of insipid thinking, and false reasoning, so long as I am likely to do, without sharing the infection?