Ex Libris C. K. OGDEN Jacobite and Nonjuring PRINCIPLE 9j freely examined ; I N A LETTER TO THE MASTER-TOOL OF THE FACTION A T MANCHESTER- With Remarks on fome Part of a Book lately published, intitled, a Chriftian Catechifm^ &c. faid to be wrote by Dr. Dc-n. By J. O W E N. Quid Homines ( fuftintbitis enim me Impetufufcept/e Aftit- nls libtrius exerentem ) Homines inquam deploratz, illicit^, ac def- peratae Falionis t gre/ari in Deot non ingemifcendum tjl ? M. Min. Felic. Odav. RiJicuIum Acri Fortiut ft tne/ius magnaf flerumq\ fecat Rts. Hor. Sat. 10. MANCHESTER: Printed by R, WHITWORTH, Bookfeller. MDCCXLVII. A LETTER TO THE MASTER-TOOL, SIR! HAVE fomewherc read of an Order of Knighthood amongfl the Hottentots^ where the Perfon inftall'd is plentifully befpatter'd in a very ungenteel and inde- cent Manner ; which he re- ceives with great Alacrity, as the more Indecency, the more Honour. In a Light fomething analogous to this, I confider your Treatment of me, in a late Epiftle to a Friend. The more Abufe, the more Honour; the more Scurrility you have given Vent to, the more Diflinftioa you have paid me. Jaco- A 2 bittt 107; bites and Nonjurors I have always look'd upon as a Race of Britifli Hottentots, as blind and bigotted as their Brethren about the Gape, but more favage in their Manners. A Specimen of this from their Writings? Take one as follows: cc Leave to the lew-bred O ns of the Age, Senfe to belye, and Loyalty to rage ; Wit to make Treafon of each Cry and Chat, And Eyes to fee falfe Worftiip in a Hat; Wifdom and Love to conftrue Heart and Mien* By the new Gofpel of a Magazine." Epiftle to a Friend, p. 26. Your polite and elaborate Notes upon the a- bove Lines are as follow. cc cc Juvenal Sat. 4. (b) Syrus quidam Nomine Eunus (Magnitude Cladium faclt at meminerimus) fanatico Furore, fimulato, dum Syrise DeJE co- j^as fpeftat ad Libertatem et Ajma Servos quafi Numinum Impe- 3 concitavit. Florut Lib. 3. c. 9. Leflbns of Abfurdity and Superftition, and whofe political ones are the Fate of his unhappy Sons will tell what ? who dreams of nothing but dethroning of Britifb Princes, and who, like theWorfhippers of the Sy- rlan Goddefs,vvill facrifice his own Children to his Idols. Will not you call this Man a Fana- tick ? Would not yuvenal j would not Florus have call'd him fo had he liv'd in their Days ? * But you will fay, do you take me for a School- Boy to read Lectures to me out of fuch moth-eaten Authors as thefe? Well Sir, to attone in fome Meafure for putting you under the fevere Discipline of a School-Boy, I'll wave for a while, referring you to any more heathen- //Z>, greek and latin Authors, and remit you to an ILnghJh one, to learn what Fanaticism is, and to one who lias juftly been efteemed one of the politeft Writers of this Age. " Fanatici/m is a Compofition of Superftiti- " on and Enthufiafm. It overbears all Order " and Government, all Virtue and found Re- " ligion It implys an uncommon Pretence c to Religion and Sanctity, arid fometimes In- cc fpiration itfelf, with an evident Mixture of " Madnefs or Infatuation, accompany'd, for ' the moft Part, with a Reftlefsnefs and Tur- " bulency of Spirit, which is inconfifrent with ** the Peace of Society and any fettled Form c< of Government. The true Fanatic is always B 2 " moft " (12) Catholick Church, built up at Manchefter, would his Difciples but make this previous Conceflion, that there is no Herefy in being guided by common Senfe, in Matters of Reli- gion ; that a Man may be devout, without re- nouncing his Reafon ; very good, without being very^//y, and fit for Heaven, without being fit for Bedlam. The firft Chapter I {hall take Notice of in this new Go/pel, is, the Chapter of Tradition. This, our Author looks upon as more facred and infallible, than the infpired Writings, as appears from his giving it the Preheminenct a- bove (a) This Catcchifm, is not only faid to be wrote by Dr. Deacon a Nonjuring Prieft or Bifhop, and Phyfician at Manchejier, but is acknowledg'd as his by his Friends ; which juftifies my wnfi- Uring him as {he Author of it. (27) bove them, (a) 'Tis entirely foreign to my Purpofe, to ranfack the Reveries of the Fathers* To feek for unadulterated, found Learning, and good Senfe among them, would be as abfurd and fruitlefs, as to ranfack for jewels in a Dung- hill, 'Tis allow'd, that, even in the early A- ges of Chriftianity, Corruption grew apace in the Church, as the rankeft Weeds always grow in the richeft Soil. However, were it of any confiderable importance, it might eafily be /hewn, that in the fecond Century, and fome time after, there was no Divinity ftamp'd upon Tra- dition. " If you are Chriftians (in the Origi- nal, Difciples of the Gofpel, fays one of the Fathers) " make the Scriptures your Rule? " but if you will talk of unwritten Traditions, te what Bufmefs have you with us, who pay " no Regards to any Thing, but what is writ- " ten. (b) We affirm nothing without the Scrip- " tures" (c) faith another, " The holy Scrip- et tures are fufficient to propagate the Truth ; and this Apoftolical Tradition is by others as confidently exploded. Some urge, infallibly be fure, Apoftolical Tra- dition for offering the Sacrifice of Mafs for Souls in Purgatory ; and this fame Apoftolical Tradition is by others as infallibly rejected. Nay, which is more, the Afian Churches a!- ledg'd Apoftolical Tradition for obferving Ea- Jler t in Imitation of the Jeiviflj Paffbver, on the J4th Day of the Moon ; the Weflern Church- es produced Apoftolical Tradition againft it. E Each (a) Si quis Traditiones contempferit, Anathema fit. Cone. Trid. Seff. 4, (b) Nulla Religionis Sefta eafdem obfervat Ccremonias, licet eandem de Deo Sententiam ampledatur : Etenim qui ejusdam funt f idei. iifdcm in Ritibus inter fc difcntiunt. Sttr. Hift. Eccle. 1. ^ (3+) Each Party in this Cafe pleaded Apoftolical Tradition, to fanclify their Rage, and confecrate their DhTentions, till at laft in the 4th Century, the Nicene Council put it to the Vote, which Apoftolical Tradition was mofl' * Apoflolical of the two, and determined it in Favour of the We- fern Churches. Now, if it be afk'd, what muft a Man do amidft the Contrails of Infalli- bility in different Churches, and amidft the Clafliings of Apoftolical Tradition ? Why, he muft do as well as he can. He muft believe the Pope's Church Infallibility to be in the Right when he is at Rome, and the Dotfor's Church Infal- libility to be in the Right when he is at Man- chefter, and then he is fure to be in the Right In both Places. Now, who can doubt of the Infallibility of Tradition, when its Evidence is fo plain, and indifputable in Matters that the Church determines to be of the laft Importance, as we have now fhewn it to be ? Your learned Friend's Patients, would they not, when their Lives are in imminent Danger, think it fuffici- cnt that He mould chafe -away Death from their Bodies, as He drives away the Devi/ from their Souls, with a mere Oral Prefcription ? Would not his Heirs think it fufficient, that they have an Oral Title to their Eftates ? And would not the World be as wife, as it is now likely to be, had his Catechi/m been handed down to Man- kind only by the Medium of Oral Tradition ? Beyond - all Manner of doubt it would ! An (35) An unanfwerabls Argument in his Service ! 'Tis Demonstration itfelf, and what would your Ranting Fanatics have more ! I mould be glad, if your learned Friend the Catechift, would inform me, he'll eafily learn it from the Gofpel of Tradition, how many of the Faithful^ that is, how many Nonjurors there were at Mancbefter in 1688, that refu- fed Allegiance to King William ? If Tradition be a fure Guide to go by, when its Doc- trines are tranfmitted down thro* a long Sue- ceffion of Ages, much more muft it be infalli- ble in its Teftimony, in Relation to Affairs tranfacted in the prefent Age. If we may rely upon it's Authority, as to what was practis'd or believ'd 1700 Years ago, much more will it inform us as, to the determinate Number of Nonjurors in Manchefter t in 1688 ! I do not know of any written Records that has tranf- uiitted down to us this important Piece of Hifto- ricai Knowledge. Now to know what was the State of your Friend's Catholic Church, in a Time of general Apoftacy and Defection, is certainly a Point of Religion, a Point of very great Importance too ; and upon your Friend? $ Principles, worthy of the peculiar Interposition of Heaven. -If you have no written Record? to produce, undoubtedly you can fupply the; Want of them in this Cafe, from the Gofpel ofcumoritten Tradition ! What are new Go/pels qr new Fafiions for, if they do not fupply the (36) Defeats and Imperfections of thofe old exploded Caft-aiuay Go/pels and Fa/bidtis, that were in vogue before them? Your learned Friend the Ctitecbifti who 'tis prefum'd mud be well vers'd in HJfpoerflte? s Writings, yet would in- difputably allow, that he had Authority fuffi- cient to believe, that Hippocrates was no . . Phyfician, if it was but handed down to him by Tradition, that his Grandmother^ Great Grandmother^ and Great Great Grandmother believ'd fo before him. The Miracle of Loret- to y and you know what a jweet i j enny that Miracle brings in to the Priefls,, is built upon as ftrong a Foundation. A certain Countryman recollected, that his Grandfather once told him, that his Great Great Grandfather faw Angels convey Santa Cafa, the Bleffed Virgin's Houfe, over the Sea, to Loretto> when he was a Boy, and at Work in the Fields, (a) I might proceed to obferve, that the Religi- pn of Tradition is fo far from being fubfervi- ent to, that it is quite deftruclive of the Reli- gion of Virtue and Goodnefs. That it only teaches Men to rely on a finfcl Sanctity, inftead of Sterling Piety and Devotion, that it an- fwers no other End, than to make good Churchmen , without being good Men; and that inftead of reforming the World, it improves and multiplies its Corruptions 5 that a Man may put on a white (a) Labels, apud Harris's Collection of Voyages, Tojn. ?. (37) Garment, and at the fame Time wear a black Confcience j that he may feed upon Ho- #ey y and yet be in the Gall of Bitternefs dill ! And that he may have the Devil fir % d away from bis Soul, and yet be afterwards more a Child of Hell than before 1 I might further urge, that if the Religion of Tradition had been of any real Importance it would have been committed to Writing, ei- ther by the Apoflles, or fome of their Imme- diate Siicceflbrs, in order to preferve it entire and free from all fophifticated Mixture. Are not the Decrees of our Courts of Juftice, the Experiments made in Natural Philofophy, and the Hiftory of Difeafes of the human Body all committed to Writing, in order to perpetuate the Knowledge of them among Mankind? Strange, that none of the Apoftolical Colledgc had the Benevolence or Publick Spiritcdneis, to do as much in Regard to this Religion of Tra- dition, had a Standing Revelation been imper- fect or infbfficient without it ! So much for the Authority of the Gofpel of Tradition . Now for lome of its Doftrines : I (hall fpecify but a few. It would be an Affront upon the Under* landings of my Readers to fpecify many. Let us begin with the Church. The Church, fay ; our Catechiji, " is the Aflembly of the Faithful, what is that ? 'Tis blowing in the Face of the Infant or adult Per/on baptiz'd j figning bim 'with the Sign of the Crofs, and ufing Au~ thoritative Words to drive away the Devil, (a) Unhappy Infants that come out of their Ma- ker's o*wn Hands, poflefs'd with the Devil ! More unhappy Proteflants, that for Want of Exor~ elfm muft be Devil- rid all the Days of their Lives \ by a poor contemptible Devi/, that is to be blown and banimed out of his Domi- nions, by the Breath of a Nonjuring Priejl \ But what if he fhould prove to be a fturdy refolute Devi/, that is not to be Fly-blown out of his Empire ? What muft the Priefl do then ? Be it fo. Exorcifm, not only drives \ but fires away the Evil Spirit \ (b) Right ! It feems, a burnt Devil like a burnt Child dreads the Fire ! A Man would no more commit a Kape upon his Countenance, than he would commit a Rape upon the Fair. You muft al- low me then Sir, to be a little ludicrous upon proper Occafions. A little while ago, a Par- ty of your Highland Friends were oblig'd ta take up with Accommodations at an Inn, in an Apartment which they were told was haunt- ed i on this Occafion, they ordered Plenty of \ Liquor Catecft. p. 70; (!>) Cat. f>, (43) Liquor, Tobacco, and every Thing elfe Into the Room that was neceflary to fhield them from the Devil. Here they regaled themfclves very freely. AJorry Fellow belonging to the Houfe, who was the Devil that haunted it, came in the Dead of the Night (talking in, Chains, and perfonating an Apparition. The Highland Po/fe were all got afleep over their Cups, one only excepted. His Spirits being elated with Mirth and Wine, he receives his new Gueft very civilly thus, ' Your humble *' Servant Mr. De'el ; pray fit down good Mr, * pel y that fires away the Devil from the Soul ? Jt mufl be fo, beyond all Queftion, Sf. Dun- Jlan, of old, play'd fome very bold Pranks with. the Devil of the fame Nature with this. The Devil having long tempted, but ftill tempted him in vaiu I at laft thought of an Expedi- ent which he promis'd could not fail. " He affumes the Appearance of a fine Lady, and in that Shape renews the Temptation : And you know Sir he muft be a Saint indeed ! more than a Saint I He muft be an Angel, diverted of Fle/h and Blooa, that can refift the Attrac- tions of thofe fweet Charmers ! However >;/- flan was even invulnerable and unconquerable by thefe. Unnatural as he was, he took the Jair Devil by the Nofe with a Pair of red hot Pincers, and led her, or him, whatever Gender you give it, round, round and round again about the Room, till the Devil was rea- dy to fwoon away, and roar'd out in great A- gony and Anguifh. (a) Poor Devil, well he 'might, to be led thus by the Nofe! Our Authors firing away the Devil from the Soul, being a Preface to Baptifm, and one of his folemn Seafons for the Adminiftration of Baptifm being on Eafter Eve, would induce one to believe, that in this, as well as in many Inftances more he has a fecret Allufion to n Juperftitious Imposture tranfacled on the fame Dey, and for the fame furpoje, viz. driving a* (a) '( 4S ) the Devil, by the Greek and Armenian Priefts. The Farce (or the Miracle as they ex- prefs ft) is call'd, that of the holy Fire. It is pretended, that on Easter Eve, a miraculous Flame defcends from Heaven into the holy Se- pulchre, and kindles all the Lamps and Can- dles there, which in the Prefence of the 'Turks and other Witnefles, had, for the Difplay of the Miracle, been previoufly extinguished. This devout Forgery is carry'd on by the Greek Pa- triarch of Jerujalem, the Armenian Patriarch of the fame, and the Coptijb Bifhop. Tbeve- not fays, the Turks faw through the Cheat and would have prevented it for the future, but the Patriarchs reprefented they could not pay them as much Money as they did, if the Pro- fit of the holy Fire was taken away ; and there- upon the Turks agreed to let them continue the Juggle. The Purport of my Author's (a) Account of it, is as follows. Coming to the Church of the holy Selpulchre, we found it crouded with a diftracied Mob, making hide- ous Clamours, violently running to and fro, crying out Huia, a Word emphatically expreffive that theirs is the true Religion. Their Heads being grown vertiginous, and their Zeal en flamed into Phrenzy, they acted a thoufand antic Extravagancies, in ten thoufand more, as antic and extravagant Poltures. Some- times ^) Maundreirs Journey from Altfto to Jtrufaltm p. 96. 97^ (46) times they dragg'd each other round the Floor, and fometimes march'd around in Mock- State upon each others Shoulders. Sometim^ they play'd the Part of Tumblers on a Stage, and fometimes plac'd Men with their Heads and Heels inverted, in fuch Attitudes as moft inde- cently expos'd what Nature vails. When the Proceflion begun, they marched thrice round the holy Sepulchre, with Standards, Streamers, Crucifixes, embroider'd Habits, and all the Furbery Superftition could invent or furnim. The Greeks went firft, and the Armenians fol- lowed after. Prefently a Dove (not an Em- blem of Innocence neither, but one properly train'd for the Service) flutter'd into the Cupo- la over the Sepulchre, which was received with Shouts of Joy by the frantic Throng, believ- ing it to be a vifible Dejcent of the Holy Gboft. The Proceflion being ended, the Ecclefiaftics mentioned above, advanc'd with folemn Mien and moft reverend Pace towards the Sepulchre, the Doors whereof had been fealed up when the Lights were extinguifhed , under Pretence of guarding againft all Impofture. Thefe Doors being now unfealed, no fooner had the Priefts enter'd in, but they (hut them again and al- lowed Admiflion to none but themfelves. The Acclamations of the People grew louder and louder, as the Miracle was expected to be drawing near its Crifis. Every one rufh'd ea- gerly towards the Sepulchre to meet the Priefts (47) as they came out of it, with the holy Fire in their Hands ; ambitious who mould be the firft in lighting their Tapers at the celeflial flame. The Miracle-mongers, faith my Author, " had " not been above a Minute in the holy Se- " pulchre when the Glimmering of the holy " Fire was feen, or imagined to be feen thro" " fome Chinks of the Door, and certainly *' Bedlam itfelf, never faw fuch an unruly ther, would have perfuaded the Prince, that this was only the Language of the Devil, who made Ufe of the Man's Organs of Speech with a View to deceive them. But the Prince faith my Author > calling for his 'Tartars to exorcife another Devi/, the Father of Lies, out of them too, they foon relented and confefs'd the Cheat, but urg'd that it was a pious Fraud, and done with a good Intention, to check the Progrefs of Herefy in that Country. This was in the Year 1654. Hereupon the Prince became a Profelyte and a Patron to the reform'd Religi- on, (a) I (a) Arcbifliop Waki* Defence againft the JSxceftjeng qf .the fiiihop of Meant) zd. Part, p. igb, 7. (56) I (hall no doubt be gravfly told upon this Head, that Exorcifm was eftablimcd by the Council of Carthage, (a) But I alk upon what Foundation ? Evidently upon no other than this ; that the miraculous Power given by our Saviour to his Difciples, to difpoflefs Evil Spirits, or to caft out Difeafes, for it probably meant no more, was to be a ftanding Gift in the Church. Casting out of Devils they turn- ed into Allegory and Figure, to fet forth the moral Effeds of the Chriftian Difpenfation, in cafting out Men's Lufts and Corruptions. This was the Origin of the Practice, and as the Prac- tice grew thofe fuperftitious Rights, fo gravely ridiculous, grew with it. Pity but we could exorcife away the Devil of Superftition, which is the moft difficult to be difpoflefTed out of fome Men's Souls, of all others. The Name of this Species of Devils is Legion, for read your learned Friend's Gatechifm, and you'll find them to be very many. 'Tis recorded among the Papifts t that St. Graf, a Saint of great Eminence and Diftinc- tion, exorcis'd away all the Rats found in the County of Aofl, and three Miles round it. Now 'tis a Tradition, that Rats, like falfc Friends, fly from you when Danger approach- es, and defert the Ship that leans, or the Houfc that is ready to tumble. The young Cheva- * .-**] her * (a) Ann; 25 *( (57) Her 'tis faid, complained bitterly during thd Courfc of his Engli/h Expedition, offome po- litical Rats that had long drank and fwore in his Service, that had fought many Cam- paigns for him over the Bottle j but when he invited them to join his Standard, and make the Campaign of Danger, they all fled away and, forfook him. Now as your learned Friend can initiate you into all the Myfieries of Exorcifm 9 what think you, if you fhould be rewarded for your diftinguimed Zeal, with the Poft of Rat- catcher General to his R-- y--l H gh fs ? But I only mention this en paJJ'ant, as a Hint that may be of Service. Before I difmifs this Subject, it may not be improper to take Notice, that when the Cate- chumen is going to receive Exorcijm, he h not at firft admitted into the Church, but to ftand at the Door orfomewhere near it t (a) till his Pro- fefiions have been examined and approved of by the fpiritual Co?nmiJjary-General of the Muflers, This done, the holy Conjuration begins ; the - i)il Spirit is fird cut of the Soul, a Terror is caft itpon him, and be flies from his PojjeJJlon, (b) and becomes a poor "Bankrupt Devil. Could not our learned Author, inftead ofjiring a^ay his Devil, fuffocate him as one would a Ncft of Hornets ? Then we mould never be plagued with him aay more : But I re- H collect (a) Cc. . 227. (b) Cat. p. 227, (53) colled: myfelf and aflc this Gentleman's Pardon. I had not duly coniider'd the Conftitution of his Catholic Church. A Bankrupt Devil makes a rich Priefthood, but a J'ujfocated Devil would make a Bankrupt Prieft. Our learned Author having already form'd two different Attacks upon the Enemy, and both driven away the Devil, and fir'd him from the Soul ; next he afts the Part of an Ecclefi- aflical Man-Midwife, and delivers you from Satan. And now it is, and not before, that you are admitted into the Privilege of entering God's Houfe. *tbe Prie/l takes the Cate- chumen by the right Hand, (a) and brings him into the Church, leading him into the Baptiftery or Place where he is to be baptized, and pray- ing that God 'would receive him into his holy Houfiold and keep him in the fame. Being thus admitted into the Church, he muft renounce the Devil towards the Weft, becaufe that being di reSllj oppojite to the Eaft, the Place of Light 9 doth fymbolically reprefent the Prince of Dark- nefs whom he renounces, and this he is to do like a true Ecclefiaftical Prize-fighter, with his Hands ftretch'd out, and in Defiance of the Devil. He is likewife to perform fome other devout Pranks with his Face towards the Eaft, with his Hands and Eyes lifted up towards Heaven. He looks towards the Eaft, becaufe as Jbon as he has k) Cat, p. 227. (59) has renounced tie Devil, the Paradife of God which was planted in the Ea/t, and out of which our fir ft Parent was banifloed, is now open to kim y and his turning about from the Weft to the Ea/l is a Symbol of this. Be fides the Raft, or the ri- Jing Sun, is an Emblem of the Sun of Righte- ou/nejs, to whom the Catechumen is now turned from Satan, and the Defign of our fpiri- tual Merry- Andrew in all this is, would you have thought it ? to make Men fenfible of the Nature of the Cbriftian Religion. fa) But what if our Catechumen, whiltt he is officiating with Chrift with his Face towards the Eaft, fhould be turning his Back upon Paradife ? Your learned Friend has not thought fit to inftruft us where Paradife Hood. Some of his adored Fathers will not allow it to have had any local Situation at all, but explain a- waythe whole Hiftory into Allegory and Figure. Others plac'd it in the third Heaven, and the Mahommedans place it in the ytli. Some of the Fathers plac'd it in the middle Region of the Air, above the Earth, under the Earth, in fome hidden Recefs not to be difcovered by us, in the Tract poffefs'd at prefent by the Cafpian Sea, under the Artie Pole, and under the E- quator. Some have difcovered it in Afia, fome in Africa, fome in Europe, America, in Tarta- ry, upon the Banks of the Danube, and the 'Ganges. Others we are told have difcovered it H 2 in (a) Cat. p. 22$. (6o) in the Ifle of Ceylon, in Perfia, in Armenia, in Mefopotamia, in Chaldea, in Arabia, in Palej- tine, in Syr/j, about the Mountains of Z//- &*#j and Antilibanus, near the City of Damafcus and Tripoly, in ^Ethiopia, and which will doubtlefs be thought as ftrange in Sweden, or which is ftranger ftill, in the World in the Moon, (aj Now what ligni- fies believing in Chrift towards the Eaft, as an Emblem of Paradife, if your learned Catechift cannot tell us where Paradiie lay. He'll tell me it was Eaft of Judea* Be it fo. But pleafe Sir to inftrucl: your moft learned Friend, that the fame Place may be Eajt of one Country and Weft of another. If Paradife be Eaft of Judea, 'tis Weft of Perfia. It follows then, that if all Men mould make their Vows to God, facing towards Paradife, which is our Author's Intention, when he directs you to face to- jyards the Eaft, in different Countries they mufl face different and oppolite Ways, and what then becomes of his Symbol Worihip ? But is not the whole Earth the Lord's y or doth He keep his Court only in one particular Corner of the Globe ? Are you, in your folcmn Devotions, to mind which Way the Wind blows, left if it mould be in a wrong Quar- ter, it mould obftruc~t the wafting of your AddrelTes to the Almighty's Throne ! Your learned Friend no Doubt will affert roundly, that ty Vfc. Vniv. Hijt. Vol. jft. ( 6' ) that God is not God of the Weft; for how (hould he, when the Weft is the Symbol of the Devil. What a pitiful Cafe then are we in, in thefe We/tern Nations, where all but the Priefts 'who are God's Representatives, (z) muft in fome Sort be the Reprefentatives of the Devil : At leaft, if the Weft be the Devil's Image, as our learned Author affures us it is, muft not the In- habitants of the West be the Image of the Devil's Subjects ? But why after all, fo much wheel- ing about to the Left and to the Right, and to the Left and the Right again, whereby a Qz- tbolic Saint's Exercife becomes more difficult than a Soldier's ? Pity but thefe Symbol Religi- onifts, would now and then look towards Golgo- tha in their Devotions j would it not exhibit their own Likenefs, under the Symbol of the Place of Skulls ? I fhall be poffibly told, that the Church of England, a Church which I have confefs'd to be a Bulwark to the Reformation, adopts the very Practice I have been decrying, of bowing towards the Eaft, tho' not of renouncing the Devil towards the Weft, in her Devotions. I anfwer ; whatever fome overgrown Zealots may practife, I cannot learn from the Canons or Rubrics of the Church of England, that this Practice is any Part of her Confritution. Tis only a Corruption of her Worfhip, and as it is no where prefcrib'd in the Book of Common Prayer, is forbidden tQ be us'd in divine Scr* vice t) Cat. p. 63. vice, by an exprefs Statute of ift of Elizabeth, c. 2. which enadls, that no other Rite or Cere- mony fhall be us'd in Time of divine Service, or Sacraments, than thofe prefcrib'd in the Book of Common Prayer, under Pain of Imprifon- ment, and other Penalties and Forfeitures therein mention'd. Tho* our learned Doffor, has both driven and pr'd the Devil from his Spiritual Pa- tient> and delivered him too, yet it (hould feem that he has not been able to foil him. He has not been fo ill fcar'd orfcorcbed, bat he dare return to the Charge, and renew the Combat. Make Way then clear the Field for another Engagement, and patiently wait for the Iffue. Next then comes anointing with holy Oy/, for why may there not be Holinefs in Oy/, as well as in Water ? Bat the Ration- ale of this ? Why, becaufe the Pagans of old anointed their Wreftlers and Runners in their Gymnic Games, in order to give their Bodies greater Agility and Vigour, fo, in oar Popifh Paganifm, we are taught to anoint the baptiz'd with Oy/, that they may in the Spiritual Race run fafter from the D^vil. Bsfides, will it not give the baptiz'd th^t Lubricity or Sleeknefs, that will enable them' fb elude Satan's Attacks, and flip like an Eel thro' his Clutches ?(a) Bat our Author in this, as in many other In- ftances, {a) Cat. p. 229. make their Limbs Supple, that their A^- .Ugonifts nMghs take lefs hold of them . fiances, has only exhibited to our View fomc Outlines of his Scheme. It will be foon enough for the Monfter to (hew himfelf in his full Proportion, when he has fhaken off his Chains, and you can no more refill his Rage ; that is, when this Catholic, dntiproteftant Church is eftablifli'd. Befides, weak, Protefiant Under- fhndings, could no more bear a Flood of Su- perftition breaking in upon them all at once, than a weak Eye could bear a fudden and rapid Flood of Day Sir John Cbardin in his Tra- vels, has given us a very intelligible Account of the Importance and Ufefulnefs of holy Oyl. "Tis an unexhauftible Fountain of facred Trea- fures to the Church, that difFufes itfelf into ten thoufand rich and refrefhing Streams ! 'Tis an Article that Priefts of ur Author's Complexion trade largely in, who make Merchandize of Souls, and fet to Sale the holy Gbofl. 'Tis us'd in the Greek and Armenian Churches, in- flead of Water in Baptifm, as well as for the Purpofe of Extreme Unction. This occafions a very great Confumption of it, and confequently as great a Demand for it. 'Tis faidtwo of a Trade feldom agree. . This was the Cafe in the Inftance that follows. During the Courfe of Sir John's Travels, a Competition of Interefts arifing from the Merchandize of this ho- ly Oyl, caus'd great Difputes and Contentions be- tween the Perjian Patriarch, and the Armenian Patriarch of Jerujalem. Not being abk to bring their (6 4 ) their Differences to an amicable Accommoda- tion, thcfe two Pr*flfefe*BHhaffcj as Catholic-* Bimops have been oft wont to do, excommu- nicated and gave each other to the Devil round- ly ; and not fatisfy'd with giving each other to the Devi/, they commenc'd litigious Suits, and gave each other to the Lawyers, as if their Hell had been the hotteft of the two. Vaft was the Confufion which this Affair occafion'd.(a) Our learned Catechift has not thought it as yet expedient to let the World know, that his Soul- faying Oy/ is a Marketable Commodity. However, he has dropt a broad Hint, from whence we may infer that it is. Ble//ingo{Qy\ and of Ointment he afferts to be the fole Pre- rogative, the unalienable Prerogative of his Ca- tholic- Bimops. (b) And if it be fuch a gainful Trade to fell it, whofe Prerogative mould it be to make it but theirs ? He has not indeed told us they may make Merchandize of it, but flep to the Salvation Market of Rome, you'll find how it is. Selling of Sacraments is an Orthodox Practice there. Infallibility itfelf approves of it. And if the facred Liquid brings in a large Re- venue to the Priefts, muft it not be an ill O- men to the Devil to fee his fworn and declared Enemies, God's Reprefentatives, thus rioting irf Wealth and Power? ~ This is fufficient to Account for the Efficacy of the holy Qyl. Irf (a) Cbardin's Travels p. 333. 334. ft) Father Paul's Council ot Trent, p. 247, In our learned Catechi/l's LefTon upon Bap- tifm, we have fome other very fignificative Rites. Putting off the old Garment wore before Baptifm, iignifies What? What mould it fignify, but Mens putting off the old Rags of their Corruptions. This Practice has Antiquity to countenance and fupport it. Thus the antient Arabs, before Mahommed's ^ Time, caft off their Cloaths in fome Part of their Devotions, as an Emblem of their carting off their Sins, (a) But our Author will icarce own that he has adopted this Rite from the Prac- tice of the antient Arabs. Again the baptiz'd cloathing themfelves after Baptifm with white Garments, denotes their putting on Jefus Chrift Then comes the Kifs of Peace, and feed- ing upon confecrated Oyl and Honey. Unra- vel me the Myftery of this ? In the Eaftern Countries it feems, the Inhabitants live much upon Milk, Oyl, and Honey, the Nature of their Clime and Constitutions, not allowing the Ufe of that grofs Diet which is familiar to us in colder Regions, (b) Hence it follows, that Oyl and Honey, which was the common Food of the Jews, mould be the Cbriftian's Spiritual Diet. " At this Rate," fays an ingenious Writer , {< every Madnefs would be " made a Myftery. , We might be made I " to (a) Salis Koran, p. 121. (b) Maundreirs Journey from dleppo to Jtrufalem. (66) " to walk barefooted into the Church, to fig. " nify the Sanctity of the Place, and to crawl p. 82, (8o) generating Powers, and if all the Farts of the created World are deffid by the Fall, would it rot be humane j would it riot be charitable, friendly and generous, to confecrate our Food, as well as our fpiritual Phyfick ; to confecrate our Houfes j our Gardens, our Fields, our Herds and our Cattle j to confecrate whole Families, whole Villages, whole Towns, whole Parimes, whole Counties, whole Kingdoms, nay, and even the whole World ? ~ But, perhaps, your learned Friend will fay, mould this be done the old Serpent, as well as the young Chevalier, would be banifhed out of his hereditary Dominions ; and then the two va- grant Adventurers might be oblig'd to herd to- gether. For my own Part, I am at a Lofs to conceive, how the Appropriation of a Thing for facred Ufe, can purge away any inherent Uncleannefs. But we have your learned Friend s infallible ipfe dixit for it, that it can. How- ever, thefe are Difficulties Men muft boggle at, if they are weak enough to be guided by Reafon and common Senfe in Religion. " The Fall" continues our Author, t{ im- tr pregnated all the Fruits of the Earth with * an inherent and ejjential Pollution, as with- 7, comes the Confecration of Water j whereby faith our learned Catecbifa "it is rendered capable of " wafhing away Sins and purifying Souls." More Miracles ftill ! For a natural Element to waih away moral Pollutions is extraordina- ry, very extraordinary I confefs ! For the E- lement of Water to warn away an E- vil Thought, a Lye, Principles of Ra- pine and Extortion, out-miracles t the Mi- racles of Rome ! It outftrips all her fanctify'd Legends ! But Faith to believe thefe Things, is a Imgular Gracf, which like the Gift of Continence is not be flowed upon all. fa) 'Twas the Sentiment of the Roman Orator , that the Spots of the Mind are neither to be wafh'd a- way with Water^ nor with Length of Time, (b) But Cicero was only a learned Pagan. He was no Catholic Prieft, and Nonjaror. Ci- cero knew no better. Admitting, that neither Water nor Length of Time will ivafi away Sin, yet it muft be confefs'd, that they'll do more, that is, they'll prevent it. They'll pre- vent the crying Sin of premeditated Murder , by wafhing away the Charms of an* tiquated Maids and Faces ! Return we then to our Author. " Confecration doth not'* L 2 faith (a) Cat. p. 92. (b) Animi Lakes nee DiuturnitatC ncc Manibus ullis elui poteR, Ci(. de Leg. Lib, * faith he, " change the Sub/lance, but the M Qualities of Water." Whence comes it to pafs, that he doth not confecrate away the EJJence, or which is the fame, the Subftance of Water, as well as confecrate away the Ej'ence and Subftance of Oyl ? Is there any greater Difficulty or Abfurdity in doing of the for- mer, than there is in doing of the latter ? But what means the Catecbi/t by Conjccrati- cn's changing only the Dualities of Water ? Will it make that hard, which was foft before ? Give that a clear chriftalline Hue, which was dark and dufkifli before ? Or make that frefh and fweet, which was briny and rancid. before? Or, doth Confecration give it fome myfterious Divine Quality, whereby like the Philofopher's Stone, it tranfmutes every Thing it touches in- to Gold ? It fhould feem fo by what fol- lows ; for after the Water has been confecrated, or which I take to be the fame, fanttijy'd by the Priefl y that it may be thoroughly purged zr\& fublimatedy " the Holy Ghoft immediate- " ly defcends from Heaven, and retting up- " on it, fanclifies it himfelf ; and it being fq " fandlified," twice over! firft by the Prieft^ to whom we ought to give the Precedence be furc, and next by the Holy Gboft> La it (85) " it imbibts the Power of fanftifying. (a) 1$ not this Myftery in the Superlative ? What Pleasure would it give me to meet with fbrne My fie Divinity Decipherer, that could explain ^ what is couch' d under fuch Ecclefia/licnl Riddles ! But thefe Things are to be under* flood only by the Affembly of the Faithful! (b) They are too facfed for the profane Vulgar to pry into. Odi prcfafium Vulgus & arceo, Thus much, fays our learned Author, for the Ceremonies preceding Baptifm. Enough of all Confcience, unlefs he could have furniihed us with fomcthing better. Next for Baptifm it* felf. Adult Perfons have no Right to call God their Father according to our learned Author , till they are baptized, (c) That is, God dare not recognize them as bis Children^ till the Prieft grants him a ^Toleration, or Letter of Licenfe fo to do. They are none of God's Children, till the Prieft who is God's Repre- Jentati've (a) Confecration works a Change, tho' not ift its , yet in its Qiralities and Powers, for th Italy Spirit immediate- ly defcends from Heaven, and reiling npon it, fanftifies it by himfelf, and it being fo fandified, imbibes the Power of fane- tifying. Cat. p. 232. (b) This is one Part of our Author'* Definition of bis Church. Cat, p 47. (0 Till Perfons are baptized, they are not allowed to call Cod their Father, Cat. p. 233. (86) fintative, adopts them into a State of Sonflrip. 'Tis he that authorizes and commijfions God to receive them ! Our learned Author feems upon this Head to be either afraid, or ajhamed of fpeaking his Sentiments freely. From his Manner of Expreffion, One would fufpect that he is inclined to purfue the fame Track of Thinking with his Brother Nonjuror, the tru- ly learned Mr. Dodwell. That learned En- thufiafl fpeaks out honeftly and plainly. His Notion is this, that the Soul of Man is nafu- rally mortal, but that it is immortaKz'A by Baptifm adminiftrcd by Priefts or Biiliops, and by fuch Priefts or Bifoops only, as can boafl of a lineal, uninterrupted Succejfion from Chrift and his Apoftles. Thofe who are not fo happy as to be baptized by thefe Givers of Life and Immortality are a Herd of heretical Beads that perifi. Unlefs this be your learned Friend's Opinion, I cannot account for it upon what Principle it is, that he allows none but fuch as are baptized, to fay the Lord's Prayer, or to addrefs God as their Father. Auftin one of this Gentleman s fainted Fathers, afTerts roundly, it would edify me much to hear our learned Author do the fame, that if a Child die in the Way as his Parent is carry- ing him to receive the Adminiftration of Bap- tifm, that Child is damn'd, irremediably damrfd for ever ! (a) But whatever be the Fate of the unbaptiz'd (a) Father Paul's Counc. of Trent, p. 239.' ^ unbaptiz'd, or whatever Portion our learned Catechift may out of his great Catholicifm af- fign them, yet we are aflur'd, that Baptifm adminiftred by a Bifhop or Prieft, that is, a Nonjuring Prieft or Bi$op> " impreffes a Cha- " rafter which can never be done away: What- cc ever Crime the baptiz'd Perfon may after- " wards commit, it will be always true to " fay, that he was regenerated and confecrated cil held at Winchefler about 974, the Debates ran high between \hzfecular Prtefts that mar- ried and left their Eftates to their legitimate Iflue, and the Monks, good Men ! who re- nounced Marriage for the Good of their Souls and the Church, and judg'd it a higher Degree of Perfection to debauch other Men's Wives, than to have Wives of their own. The fecular Priefts urg'd fuch Arguments in Favour of the Marriage of Ecclefiaftics, as had well nigh de- termined the Council to ratify and confirm them. (a) Cat. p. 433." Cat, p. 222? (95) them. To prevent which, Dun/I an t Saint as he was, had plac'd a proper Perfon on the Roof of the Hall where the AfTembly met ; who being himfelf invijible, cried out loudly thro' a Hole.- Non bene fentlunt qui Prejby- teris Javent. They are not Orthodox in the Faith, who favour the Marriage of the Clergy. Hereupon the Monks cried out a Miracle! a Miracle ! and declar'd that nothing more was necelliry to determine the Affair, fince it was thus decided by the Voice of an Angel from Heaven ! (a) The Reader will perhaps enquire, what is the Policy of the Church of Rome and her Daughter ^Churches, fuch as our Author's; to prefer a State of Celibacy to Marriage. The Reafon is obvious ; Marriage would alie- nate the Affections of Ecclefiafiics from the Church and their Concubines j and fix them on their Wives and Offspring. At the Council of Trent it was pleaded, that Marriage would de- ftroy the Hierarchy y prove fatal to the Pope's Authority, and that inilead of Univer/al Bifiop, he would come to be only a mere Bijbop of Rome, (b) Be fides (a) EmiJlianes Monaft. Vid. Preface. (b) father Paul'a Hift. p. 460, and 680. Betides, if the Church can fir/I rob the Laity of their Under ft andings^ by impofing unnatu- ral Vows of Continence upon them, this is the fure Way in the next Place to rob them of their Eftates. If Men have no Families of their own to provide for, whom (hall they be- queath their Subftance to, but to God? And who (hall be deputed to receive it for God, but the Priefts y who are Chrift's Vicars> God's Reprejentatives, the Prime Stewards of his Re- uenues, the Chief Maflers of, his Houfkold, and his Almoners. I need only exemplify this in the Cafe of the Saint, that is, One of the Saints of Rome, laft mention'd above. A certain La- dy, who by the Bye, feem'd to have been link- ed to St. Dunftan, by fome other Bonds than thofe of Spiritual Affection, advis'd with him what would be the beft Difpofition {lie could make of her Eflate, to pious Ufes ? The Saint recommends it to her, to leave it to yejus Chrift, and to make him Chrift's Executor. It was accordingly fettled, and Jefus Chrift not putting in his Claim, the Executor carry'd off all. . If Matrimony contributes to obftruct fuch Donations to the Church, what good Ca- tholic, that has the Intereft of God's Reprejen- tati'ves at Heart, can approve of the Infiitu- tion ? Allowing Marriage as a Sacrament ', doth bring in fome Silver to your Fricjxfs Church ; vet (97 yet Celibacy, I'll not fay Continency, brings in much Gold> which is certainly better* A Writer of great Reputation gives us a very remarkable Inftance, and Hiftory would furniih us with ten thoufand more, of the Fruits of prieftly Celibacy. In 1689 a Ghoft haunted the Convent of the Monks of St. Anthony, in the City of MarfeilUs. This Ghoft prov'd to be of a very martial Spirit ; knock'd down every Thing that flood in his Way, and bailinadoM every Pcrfon that was fo unhappy as to meet him. If a Monk ftraggted out of his Cell at Night, the 'vigilant Ghoft Was fure to find him out, and as fare decently to chaflife him for it. In (hort, he dealt Blows and Terrors very plen- tifully around him. By his Rcfentment of all nocturnal Perambulations but his own, He was concluded to be the Ghoft of their dtceafed Prior-, aG^J/?ofgreat Dignity and Diftinc- tion \ Mafles were faid to be deliver'd from his unwelcome Vifits j and a large Reward of- fered to any one who durft accoft him and eil- quire what important Errand he came upon, of what important Commiffion he was to execute 1 The Print of the Spirit's Hand was difcovered on a Wall. Nothing but the Ghoft now en- groffed all Attention. Every Mouth was open with the Talk of him by Day j arid upon the Approach of Night every Door \vv&fkut for fear of an Interview with him. Cue Evening fome Chairmen in the Suburbs of the Convent being N .(urpriz'3 (98) by a violent Shower, carried the Chaif within the Gates of the Monaftery^ and placed themfelves with it under a Portico, for Sanctuary from the Weather, One of the Men having feated himfelf in the Chair fell sfleep in it, and never awoke till Midnight. The Gates being (hut, inftead of giving the holy Fathers any uri- feafonable Difturbance, he determin'd to con- tinue where he was, and wait till the Return of ^/lorning (hould bring him a Return of his Free- dom with it. Anon the Ghoft having opened the Gate with a Key, advances forward in a long fweeping black Train, walking to and fro, as you know Sir, Ghofts do, and cough'd very foftly. The Chairman, before hand poffefs'd with the Thoughts, was now alarm'd much more at the Sight of the Apparition -, opprefs'd with Fear, he kept folemn Silence ! Prefently a Monk ap- pears at the Window, and with a gentle Voice a fits are you there ? Yes, anfwers the Ghoft , throw down the Rope. You have ftaid very long, replies the Father ; and letting down a Ladder of Ropes, the Spirit got into the Con- uent) and in three Hours Time return'd the fame Way. This Difcovery being made, the whole Farce was unravell'd. The Monk, and his Courtezan acting in Concert, was the Ghofl that haunted the Place ; and the Terrors he had fpread, was only a Scheme form'd to keep e- very Body within Doors, and prevent his re- ceiving any Dijlurbance or Interruption in his Pleafures. .(99) Pleafures. Hereupon it grew into a. proverbial Phrafe at Mar/eiiles t when they would ibften the Name of a common Proftitutc, to call her St. Anthony's Ghoft. (a) Should it be afk'd upon fuch an Occafion as this, what is it that denominates a Perfon a common Proftitute ? A learned GloJJator upon the Cannon Law anfwers, No Woman, till Ihe nas beftow'd her Favours upon more than three and twenty thoufand Men, demerits the Appel- lation of a IPhore. (b) Would not a Proieflant % look upon a lefs notorious Proftitute than this, to be like your Friend's Church, a truly Catho- lic Harlot? But you'll tell me, Proteflants Principles, are much too fever e for their Mo- rals. Let Proteftants blum for the future at their giving Perfons infamous Names, only be- caufe they have not committed a Rape upon Nature. Let Prrtejlants learn, that there may be Chaflity in Stews ; and to their Confufion, let them confefs, that there is Charity for all Sinners, but thofe who lin againft the Prieft> at Rome. But to return from this Digreffion. Remarkable is the Spirit of the Biftayans in the Kingdom of Spain. They'll not tolerate N 2 any (a) Dugout's Voyage to the Levant, p. 96. 7. (b) Meretrix eft, qu admifcrit plures, quam Vigentl tria ho-' minum Millia, D^cret, Diftinft. 34. c. 4,' ( 100 ) fcny Priefl to live in their Villages unlefs he brings his Concubine to refide with him. The Reafon of it is, becaufe they apprehend, that Without fuch a Precaution, their Wives are in, imminent Danger of being ravifi'd by Ecclejia- Jiical Enchantment / (a) Before I difmifs the Sacrament of Matrimo^ fly ; I would add, that if your learned Friend appears any more upon this Subied:, it would oblige me to receive from his Hands an Account of the whole Prpcefs of the Prieft's blejjmg and confeprating the Wedding-Sheets previous to the Cpnfummatjon of Marriage, which is a Rite pradtis'd by his Mother Church of Rome. This Account muft be extremely edifying and in- ftrucTiive. What a fuperior Relim muft it give to every foft Enjoyment, to have the very nup- tial Sheets hallow'd by God's Reprejentativc for their proper Service ? Confejion is another Chapter in your learned friends new Gojpel, which he reads to his .D//C ciples with great Solemnity and Devotion ; un- der this Head our Author might have inform'd us, that it has been a common Practice in the Church of Rome , when Women or Boys at their facramental Devotions have confefs'd their ha-* ying been engag'd in Scenes of Gallantry -, or in (a) HtyJins Cqfinog. p. t\q.l (lor) lewd unnatural Intrigues, for the Prieft Confeffbr to addrefs them fince you have beftow'd fuch Favours upon others, beftow the fame up- on me. Pope Pius the Fourth publim'd a Bull againft this Practice. So Catholic it feems. was the Practice grown, Pope Gregory the Fif- teenth publilh'd another upon the fame Occa- fion. (a) In Confequence of that exhibited by Pope PiuSy in Spain all Wives and Women were firstly enjoin'd to difcover before the holy Tribunal within thirty Days after the faid In- junction, all fuch Priefts as had thus proftituted and profaned the facramental Confeffions. The fevereft Cenfures and Anathema's were pronoun- ced againft fuch as refufed a Difcovery. This work'd upon Super/lit ion fo far, as to bring in fuch Crowds to give Evidence againft the Father a Confeffors, that twenty Secretaries and as many Inquifitors appointed to take Depofuions were too few for the Purpofe. Hereupon the Lords Inquifitors allow 'd thirty Days more for receiving and regiftering Convictions j and when thofe Days were expir'd, they found it nectflury a third and a fourth Time to repeat the Line In- dulgence. This was done that Perlbn? of better Figure might fteal an Opportunity to confefs without the Knowledge of their Hufbands, and ^ without routing their Jealoufy, in which how- ever they very feldom tucceeded. But after fuch Numbers (a) Contra Sollicitantcs in Confefiiont. (I02> Numben of ConvictioQS regularly receiv'd, and legally fupported, when Judgment was expected to have been iffued out by the holy Tribunal, the whole Affair Was qua(ftd t and never exa- min'd into, never heard of any more, (a) To make Gain of Godlinefs, feems to be the main Drift and Defign of our learn ed Ca- ttcbifts Scheme. Only it would not have com- ported with that View, other wile he might likewife have inform' d' us, that in the qtb Century > a Lady of Diftinction, a noble Matron Sozomon calls her, (b) wickedly or weak- b confefs'd an Intrigue that had pafs'd between / arf'. -Ecc lefiaftic and herfelf, which was not a proper Subject of Confeffion. This Intrigue becoming public, Oh ! fatal Confeffion / gave great Umbrage to poor unfanctify'd Laymen ! It was thereupon adjudg'd inexpedient y that the Liberty of privately confeffing Sins before the Sacrament, which might bring fuch Reproach upon God's Reprefentatives, mould be any longer tolerated in the Church. Nor do I find any Traces thereof in the Greek Churches fmce; nor indeed doth our learned Author plead for fuch Sacramental Confeflions. But the Proteftant Reader will afk, is it not enough for the Sinner to confefs to God? For the Sick Perfon to reprefent his Cafe, to the fupreme and (a) C&aW/^'s Hifl. of Perfectt, p, 215, (b) Sewn. Lib, 7. c. 16. and Sovereign Pbypcian? and to him . Our learned .Author will anfwer, by no means. As in our Courts of Juliice, being acquitted by the Judge, will not rclcafe the Perfon arraign'd, till he has difcharg'd the Fees of the Jay/or -, fo conferTing to God {hall not fave you, unlefs you humbly and penitently confefs to the fried who is God's Representative / And who would part with fueh an invaluable fpiritual Prerogative, as that of knowing the Secrets of every Family and every Soul in a Pa-* rifh ? When once God's Reprefentative, the Prieft, is in Poffeffion of Mens Confidences., one Step more, and that but a fhort one, puts him in Pofleffion of their Honour, their Virtue, their Reputations, their E/lates, their Fortunes, their Bodies, and their Souls all together : When EC- clefiailical Prerogative runs lo high, and common, Senfe ebbs fo low as to fubmit to fuch Ufurpa- tions, it doth by no Means iurprize me to lee your learned Friend all Extacy and Trantport ! " To caft out the Devil of Luft, or to throw " down the Pride of Lucifer, to beat down " Satan under our Feet, or to triumph over " our fpiritual Enemies, to cure a difeas'd Soul, " or to keep unharm'd from the Affault of a Men of a very different Character and Complexi- on, 'Tis the Saints that muft judge the World. But if this refers only to Civil Judi- catories by Chriftian Magiftrates, oar Author no doubt, will ftill maintain his Church Pre- rogative^ of fitting as fupreme Judge of the World : mould we then appeal to the Bar of God t rather than to the Tribunal of the Prieft^ who knows but we may fubject our- felves to a Premunire for appealing to a fo- reign Jurifdidlion ? Be it afk'd what Family are thefe Priefts of, \vhofe irreverfible Decrees fix and direct the Sentence of the laft Day ? The Catecbift anfwers roundly, t{ From ye/us we have an uninterrnp- tl ted Chain of Bimops, the Sttcceffors of the A- and exert all the Force of his Genius on the Occafion. The Painter draws them with a ftrong Vermillion Blufh in their Faces. And had They fays the holy Father fuch ruddy Complexions as thefe ? No, re- ply's the Virtuojb, but were they here riotv, to fee what a Ragamuffin Race fet up for their Succeffbrs, they would blufh with Surprize and Slftonijhment as thefe Piffures do ! I leave Your ' Friend and his uninterrupted-Succeffion Tribe to apply this. We have known the Times Sir, Times that You and Your Party ftill adore, when it was the Language of one who call'd himfelf a Proteftant Divine, one of the Paul's Coppock's, or Clytns of that Age, that if the Devil bimfelf was to put on holy Order s^ he would be injpird of the Holy Gho/i. (a) From the whole Turn of our Author's Sentiments, I queftion, if it were put to him, whether he would not aflert the fame ! Praying for the Dead brings in a frefh Flow of Treafures to the Church, and therefore muft be^another fundamental Article in the new Gof- pel, this Gentleman would eftablifh. " The " Dead pray for us, and why mould we not and who, but a Heretic, can difpute the infallible Word of an infallible Prieft or Bifiop? The Authority of Tradition itfelf is not more venerable and facred than the Autho- rity of this our Tradition Believer! " The cc Saints," faith he, " pray for us more after " their Death than before." Did he, think you, ever fee or hear them at their Devotions in the other World ? Has he any Correfpondence with the Saints there ? Whatever he may have with the Saints of Rome, 'tis prefum'd he has none with the Saints of Heaven. Another Argument in Juftification of praying for the Dead is, that it was the Practice among the Antient Jews. That I deny, and call upon our Author to prove it. It fliall be done * - as follows. Mofesjorbids the Jews offer- ing Oblations for, (or to) the Dead-, (a) or, in other Words, he warns them againft apofta~ tizing- into the Idolatry of the Gentiles, among whom it was ufual to facrifke to their dead Idols, or Hero Gods-, therejore praying for the Dead is a Duty prefcrib'd in the Jeivifb Inftitution. Now Sir permit me to illuftrate the Force of this Reafoning by one or two/>#- ralell Inftances. God fays to Mofes thou fliall have no other God but me ; therefore Ido- latry (a} Dcut. 26. 14, (112) iafry is of divine Appointment. Thou fhali not worfhip any graven Image ; therefore bowing to an Idol's Shrine is paying Obedience to the Commands of Heaven. Was our Au- thor think you, pupill'd by a learned Divine^ (not a fanatic one, Jor it is a Cafe that has been argrfd in Councils^) who could prove the Illegality of Commendams, and Nonrejtdences y from any one Text in his Bible ? Once he was to entertain his Audience with a Difcourfe up- on this, you will expect me to call it proli- fic^ rather than barren Subject ; Abraham begat Ifaac . After having difplay'd much ge~ nealogical Learning, and holy Zeal over his Text, he inferred from it, and fo natural was the Inference that any one of your venerable Church Deaconeffes would have infer r'd the fame, the Unlawfu/nffs of Nonrefidences. For how mould Abraham have begat Ifaac, had he not been a Rejident with his Wife Sa- rah? Our Catechift*s Reafoning, has more of the marvellous in it than this, tho' I can by no Means allow it: to be as clear and conclujtve ! Some other Authorities, Scripture ones he calls them, he has deduced out of the Apocry- phal Writings. In Imitation of the Council of Trent, he has fcifted the Apocrypha into the Sacred Canon, tho', as might be fhewn at large, all antient Councils and Authorities are again (I I ("3) againft him. (aj 'Tis prefum'd, that with the Council of Trent likewife, he'll curje and a- nathematize all fuch as refufe to receive thefc Books as canonical Scriptures, and to believe the Legends they contain to be, like his own Catechijm^ the Language of a Divine Revela- tion. But what has he advanc'd from them in Defence of Praying for the Dead ? The firfl Text he has urg'd bids as fairly to prove the Divinity of the Alcoran, or the Truth of Tranfub/tantiation, as it doth to prove the Point he would eftablim. The next Authori- ty he adduces, is taken out ofihefecond Book of Maccabees; a fpurious Performance, com- pil'd by an unknown Hand, by a Writer, whoever he be, of no Reputation. But be the Hi/tory wrote by whom it will, it is probable that the Paragraph refer'd to is an Interpola- tion. Jofephus, in his Account of the Defeat of the Jamnites, never mentions the FacT: of Judas, now under Confideration, as 'tis highly probable he would, had the Hiftory of it been authentic. But allowing our Author to make the moft of the Paflage that he can ; the Pray- ers and Sacrifices there mention'd, might be of- fer'd and feem to be offer'd for Sin, as that might be hurtful to the living, as was the Sin of Achan. Yet after all fuch Apocryphal Authority is of as little Weight with a Man P who (a) Vide Cofins's Canon. (*) ivho is guided by Common Senfe, as the Autho- rity of your Friend's Tradition Bible. But St. Paul who was no Apocryphal Wri- ter, exhorts that Eucbarifts be made for all Men, and Supplications for all Saints ; therefore infers our Author, St. P#&/ recommends it to us to pray for the Dead. What then, doth St. Paid mean that we mould pray for Dead Kings that are in Authority, as well as for the Living ones that are ? Doth he mean that we mould lead quiet and peaceable Lives under the Government of dead Kings, as well as under the Government of the Living? According to our Author he doth ; and you know Sir, Infal- libility cannot be miftaken. Should any Per- ibn of Diftindtion call in all the Phyficians in Manchejler to join in a Confultation upon his Cafe, would not you underfland that he meant to fummon all the dead Phyficians, as well as all the living to attend him ? All thofe whofe Bodies lie rotting in the Ground, as well as any others whofe Names rot above it ? I take all becoming Confulion to myfelf, unable any longer to combat fuch Catholic Church-De- monjlration as this. Another Piece of Artillery our Catechi/l brings out of his Catholic Arfenal, to batter down Herefy and eftablifli Prayer for the Dead, is that Text in St. Jebn, " There is a Sin un- " to Death, I do not fay you fliall pray for 4CC Jt. c< it." Becaufe there is a very heinous ag- gravated Sin, called here a Sin unto Death t which we are not bound by Precept to pray for ; therefore we are to pray for the Dead. Remarkable are the Words of our learned Light- foot, referring to this very Text. " When" fays he " I fee thefe Men's Annotations on thig < c Scripture, they often put me in Mind of " Bfnbadad's Servant with Ropes about their " Necks, catching at. any Word that fell from c< the King of Ifrael's Mouth, that might be " of any Advantage to their forlorn and loft " Caufe and Condition. Thefe Men's popifk " Caufe, has had the Rope about its Neck now " a long Time, and been in a loft and for- and . What mufl we offer to God befides ? A. The Firft Fruits of all our Increafe. >. What doth God expeft from us befides ? A. That we mould offer him fomething of our own Free- Will. ^ How much, and when ? A. The more and the of tern r the better. (121) ^. To whom are thefe Tythes, Ftrjl Fruits^ and Oblations to be offer'd ? A. To God's Reprefentatives, his Prie/ls. (a) Here Sir you fee, that what is given to the Prieft, is given to the Lord, and that the Prieft, like him whole Reprefentative he is, loveth a chearful and liberal Giver. The Tenth Part of all your Revenues is but a fmall Matter to give him. The Fir/I fruits of all your In- creafe is fomething better,; but it is your vo- luntary Oblations that muft crown all. For your Comfort, you cannot err by giving too much, even tho' you give away more than your all ; for the more and the oftmer you give, the better. Your Offspring, your Family, your Creditors may not blefs you for it ; but the Prieft will. The Ecclefiaftical Flrft Fruits, that is, the Jirft Years Profits of Bi(hoprics and Benefices after their Avoidance, as they ftand rated in the King s Book, was formerly in this Kingdom paid to the Pope, but alienated to the Crown. at the Reformation. Queen Anne^ in the third Year of her Reign, fettled the Revenue ariiing from fuch Fir ft Fruits^ and Tenths, as a per- petual Fund for the Augmentation of poor Liv~ tngs, and the better Maintenance of the poorer Oat. p. 62, (13, ( 122) Clergy, whereby they have once more reverted to the Church. This Grant,, however ujeful it may be at prefent ; fhould it always be con- tinued, the Confequences that may arife from it in future Ages, I dread to mention; but you, and your Catholic Friend will mention with Pleafure. Nothing lefs it feems will fatisfy his Appetite, and a voracious one it is, than the Tythes and firft Fruits of all our PoffefTions. Nor are thofe alone fufficient j , when he has fleec'd his Flock, by 'Tythes and Jirft Fruits-, next they are to devote the Remainder of their Subilance to him, in voluntary Oblations. This Gentleman's Stomach would digeft Church Revenues, as a Wolf would Lambs, or a Kite Chickens. I truft Sir, I can fafely pro- phefy, that his Wifhes will never be fully gra- tify 'd in Britain, At Paraguay, in South A- merica, the Miffionary Jefuits have a Settle- ment that muft be moft excellently adapted to our Catech[/ls Taft. Thither I would recom- mend it to him to tranfport himfelf, and if he pleafes, he may take his R-y-1 Mafter, France's political Foot- ball with him. This Settlement, which is computed to contain two Millions of Indians, is divided into 42 petty Principalities, govern'd by that Number of Ecclefiaftical So- vereigns, who are both Priefts and Kings. It abounds with Sheep and bkck Cattle, Timber, Corn, Pulfe, Flax, Cotton, Indigo, Sugar, and Fruit, and with Silver and Gold Mines, tho' it ( 1*3 ) it feems the Gho/tly Fathers will not own the latter. The Inhabitants, whom they have in the moft abject and abfolute VafTalage, have no Property of their own, and nothing allow'd them but Food and Rayment. Not- withftanding this, they are an active and labo- rious People. They bring all the Produce of the Mines ; all the Provifiona of the Land ; and all the Manufactures they work, into EC- clefiajlicalWarehoiifes appointed to receive them. Not even a Chicken of his own Rearing^ is a poor Slave fuffer'd to eat, unlefs it be cater'd out to him in the Courfe of the Church- royal Allowance. The Trade thefe Holy Fathers carry on at the Expence of their Slaves, and the Re-venue it brings them, not to mention the Gold Duft gathered by the Indians, out of the Wafhes, when the Rivers ebb, is incredible. To keep thefe Slaves in Obedience, as well as to guard againft Livafions, they have a large ftand- ing Military Force, and a right Reverend Ge- neralijfimo to head them. In a Week's Time they can collect an Army of 60,000 Troops, to fight the Battles of the Pnejl and the Lord, againft all Enemies or Invaders, (a) Now 5Vr, would not our right Reverend Ca- techi/l think you, relifh fuch a Settlement as this, where he need not preach up Tytbes, fir ft Fruits, and voluntary Oblations, becaufe, all (a) Betagh's Voyaj-e ">'"* the World 1719. p. 3*3. di the Treafures of the Land, and all the ta- bour of its Inhabitants, are the Inheritance of Catholic Priefls, and their Subjefts have nothing but the Sweat of their Brows which they can call their own ? What pure Orthodox Religion muft that be, which would conftitute him a Royal Prieft ? Were he advanced to fuch hurcb Royalty as this, and who knows but he may, if he tries; the Scene would be probably chang'd, and God muft then become the Pr^e/i s Representative, inftead of the Priefts cpndefcending to be God's! In the Kingdom of Pegu in the Eaft, the fuperftitious Inhabitants worfhip the Devil, and offer their Addreffes to him by the Medi- ation of the Prieft, whom they call, not as our Catecbift doth, God's Reprefentative, but the Devil's father, (a) Our Author will con- clude, that thefe Idolaters are very much out in their Church Heraldry, and derogate much from the Dignity of his Heaven.born Extraction ; and yet I confefs a Devil that is to be blown orjir'a' out of his Dominions* one can fcarce forbear inferring, that he is created only to Jerve a Turn ; and is, as the Inhabitants of Pegu fug- geft, a Devil of the Catholic Pri eft's own be- getting. In [ (a) Atl, A(U p. 66a. ( "5 ) In fome of the preceding Pages it has been obferv'd, that Baptifm gives God a Property in his Creatures, which he had not before. Now we come to Excommunication, which according to our Author is an Ecclefiaftical Rite, that robs God of all Property in his Creatures, and makes them the Property of the Devil. This fays he, recommend it; for I find no Tracks of it in the Chriflian Church, till near 200 Years after Chrift Pope ViBor made Ufe of it as an Ecclefiaftical Racket, wherewith to play off the Bali of Contention. Should it be afk'd what black and atrocious Crimes thofe Perfons have been guilty of, a- gainft whom your Friend's Catholic Fathers, the Popes of Rome y have from Time to Time pro- nounced this dreadful Sentence ? Why truly their Crimes have been fuch as thefe : Celebrating Rafter on a wrong Day ; Want of Orthodoxy in the Cut of the Beard - t being guilty (128) guilty of fhilofipbicalHereJy, in maintaining the Doctrine of Antipodes j transferring a Branch of Trade from one Country to another. Thefe, and ten thoufand more fuch Sins as thefe, have from Time to Time provok'd the Catholic High Priefts of Rome, to devote obftinate OfYen- cnders, that is, thofe who will not, or cannot buy Grace and Par 'don , without Pity and with- out Redemption to the Devil ! No Hell then like an empty Purfe ; that fhuts all the Bowels of the Catholic Priefl's Compaffion, and opens all the Sluices of Perdition, to pour down Floods of eternal and relentlefs Vengeance upon the poor penny Jefs Sinner! By the Ecclefiaftical Laws of this Realm^ Excommunicated Perfons are not allowed Chrifti- an Burial. In the Days when Monkery and Su~ perftition reign'd like Twin Sifters, or rathar rag'd like baleful Meteors without Controul in our Land ; thole who died under the Sentence of Excommunication had their Bodies caft into a Ditch, or cover'd with a Heap of Stones, which according to Hoveden they calPd Imblo- care Corpus. In thofe Times it was the facred Language of Tradition, and Tradition like its nurfing Father the Pope cannot errj that fuch Bodies, however expos'd to the Weather, could not perifh, but would continue incorruptible, as dreadful Monuments of the Divine Venge- ance, that overtook the Contumacious Of- fenders, (a) Abfurd and extravagant as fuel? Pretenfions were, yet mould your Friend's Ca- tholic Faith ever become eftablifhed in our Land, it would not all furprize me, to fee him plead- ing Tradition and Antiquity in fupport of ths fame Priefl-tvor/hip Superftition. Whilft I am upon this Subject, a Subject that muft be very grateful to the Catechift's *Taft, as Church Power and Authority appear to be the darling Idols he wor flips : I would beg Leave to tranfcribe, a Very holy and piou$ Form of Excommunication us'd in the Church of Rome. It was wrote by Ernuflus the 5;- fiop, one of the Succe/ors of the Apoftles in the uninterrupted Line, tho* indeed one would fcarce imagine fo, from his meek and merciful Spirit. A Tranjlatlon of it (which I mail make Ufe of here, with fome little Variation) was publim'd in feveral Papers in 1745. It is to be met with, not only in Sir Henry Spetmatfs Gloffary, but like wife in the Leger Book of the Church of Rocbe/ter, now in Cuftody of the Deari and Chapter there. The Account given of the Original Occafion of it is this : An Allom Worker that belong'd to his tiolinefs the Pope's Allom Works, was brought over to f,ngland ) who difcover'd the Secrets of that Trade to the Evglifk Nation, R fe () M&tth. ( 13) In vengeful Commemoration whereof, the At- lorn Workers, Englifh ones my Author muft mean, aremoft devoutly curs'd one certain Day in the Year as follows. By the Authority of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft $ and of the Holy Ca- nons ; and of the immaculate Virgin Mary, the Mother and Patronefs of our Saviour ; and of all the Celedial Virtues, Angels, Archang- els, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Cherubims, and Seraphims j and of all the Holy Patriarchs, and Prophets ; and of all the Apoftles and E- vangelifts 5 and of the Holy Innocents, who in Sight of the Holy Lamb, are found worthy to fmg the new Song j of the Holy Martyrs, and Holy Confeflbrs; and of the Holy Virgins j and of all the Saints ; and together with all the Holy and Elect of God j we excommunicate and anathematize this Thief, or this Malefactor N. And from the Threfholds of the Holy Church of God Almighty, we fequefter him, that he fnay be tormented, difpos'd, and deliver'd over with Dathan and Abiram, and with thofe who fay unto the Lord God, depart from us, like his Sacrcments, by WMefale ; by the Do~ zen againft me ! I could eafily point numberlefs more, fur dities and Super /iitions y that abound in your Friend's New Gojpel. I could give you not a Jew Specimens only, but a large Mufter-Roll of the Magical Forces he employs, to 'wage War with the Devil. I could lead you through the whole of his Church Difcipline : Shew you what Part of the Tear you are to pray /land- ing, if you would have God to hear your Pray- ers : And what Part of the Tear you are to pray kneeling, if you expect Heaven to be pro- pitious. But I need not inftruct Tou in thefe Things. 'Tis prefum'd Tou muft be properly inftrucled in them already ! And what has been already offer'd, is more than fufficient to con- vince my Proteflant Readers, mould the Revo- lution long mecV;tated by your Friends, take Place j what kind of Religious Principles muffc take Place with it. With New Governors we muft have New Gofpels, and New Gods : And as to Civil Affairs, we muft have all our Old Taxes, and ten thoufand New ones befides them. The Lands alienated to the Crown at the Reformation, muft likewife revert to the Church. How elfe mould we be able to feed and fupport Swarms of hungry Priejls, of your Friend's Complexion? Swarms of Exorcift-De t uil-dri t u~ ing 'ing Ecclefia/ltcs, that demand your Money, not with Piftoh levell'd at your Breaft, but with Anathema s levell'd at your Conference, and let you kno\V what you are to expett y if you do not believe, that the more you give them the better. What a happy Exchange would it be ! I do not mean for you Sir, but for rational confident Protefla?its y to barter a- way their Eftates and their Senfes, for Old Wives Fables, and New Go/pel Revelations? But as much Fanatic as I am, 'tis hop'd by this Time you are convinc'd, that I have no great Fondnefs for either ! Of all Frauds, there are none fo enormous as devout Frauds j of all' Cheats and Impoftures, your fanclify'd ones are the moft dangerous, as well as the moft accompli fti'd. Know you not Sir, that what thole who practice Slight of Hand, call Hocus PocuS) is nothing elfe but a Corruption of the Words Hoc efi Corpus meum y made ufe of by the Papijis, when they pretend to tranfubftan- tiate Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Chrift ? Sojuft/ycontemptttottshzs the Church of Rome render'd herfelf, by her Legerdemain Practices and Pretenfions ! If your Friend the Catechift has done the fame, let him not blame others for pouring Contempt on his Principles, but let him blame thole Principles that jufify and dejerve it. To paint a Monfter in his pro- per Colours and full Proportions, is a fure Way to expofe him ! Relight. ( '37 ) Religion, and the Religion of Jefus Chnft in particular, is a plain, eafy, and intelligible Thing ; adapted not only to the Tafte of Pri?(ls t Pbilofophers, and Poets,, but to the loweft Ca- pacity. 'Tis plain and uniform, like the Coat which Je/us wore. It derives a nobler Luilre from its own Native Simplicity, than all the Airs belonging to Super/iitious Grimace, or Theatrical Pageantry can give it. Indeed Religion doth not, cannot confift in Rites and Modes, or any pretended Orthodoxy of Opini- on, but in Reftitude of Life and Manners ; in Purity of Converfation, and the Adornment of our Nature. Suppofing that the Worfhip of Saints or Angels, the Confecration of rotten Bones, or the Bleffing of old Clouts and Rags, were no Part of your, or of your Friend the Cat f drift's Religion j would your Reverence for the Deity be diminifftd? Would the Springs of Benevolence be impaired thereby ? Or would the Contempt of fuch devout Farce and fanfti- Jied Fopperies, contribute in the leafl to wound focial Affections ? Is living upon Vegetables not from pbilofophi- cal but from fuperjiitioits Motives, a Token of Divine Grace ? Muft he be an Enemy to God, who is a Friend to Englijb Beef and Mutton ? Muft he hate his Neighbour who doth not hate Fowl or Venifon ? Or muft he be a bad Man who eats a good flejh Dinner ? Thefe Sir are the Principles if I am rightly inftrudt- ed, that prevail among fome gf your Friends, and thefc are Principles but I forbear. To argue cooly with an Enthu/iaft, is gene- rally as little to the Purpofe, as it would be to read Lectures of Philofofby to a Man in a Fe- ver. As it appears from the Language of our Ca- techift, that there are no Treafures too great, o: too grofs for thofe Church Cormorants^ his Prie/ts to devour, for the more they Jiva/loiv the better -, fo it feems there are no Principles either in Church or State fo abfurd, but you and your Nmij tiring and Jacobite Brethren can digeil them. Sometime ago, I had the Ho- nour to converfe with a Gentleman of your Ca- tholic Friend's Complexion. To mew his great Skill in Politics and Jockeyfiip, he very grave- l\ afTur'd me, that our Breed of Horfes in this Kingdom, was as much degenerated as our Mo- rals, and that we had rear'd no Good ones fince the Revolution. I could not on this Occafion foibesx imagining, that my new Acquaintance had been pupil'd by Mr. Addijorfs Foxhunter -, one of whole political Maxims it was, that there had been no Good Weather lince the Re- idittion. (a) You'll imagine, my Curiofity would prompt me, to learn upon what Grounds he advanced fo extraordinary a Proportion ; and (a) Freeholder Number 21, ( '39 ) and Reafons he had for it too ; as good ones no Doubt as any he could have aiTign'd, for fet- ting up his Idol- Knight- Adventurer on the Bri- tifh Throne ! The Papifts are prohibited by Law, from keeping Horfes of Value ; and they, poor unhappy Gentlemen^ vvhofe Misfortunes our very Horfes and our Country groan under to this Day ! were the only Graziers that could preferve or improve our Breed. To reafon wi'h Perfons of this Stamp, is to talk to the Winds. Their Zeal is as blind and undiftinguifking, but more raging and boifterous. Amidft our late national Diftra<5tions, the Nonjurors, confidered as an Eccle/lafiical 6V#, and their faithful Friends and Allies that call themfelves Church of England Ncnjurcrs, have been treated with great Tendernefs. This, in- flead of infpiring them with Sentiments of Gra- titude ', -the natural Effect of fuch Treatment up- on generous Minds, has fill'd them with dif- dainful Iniult and Triumph. They have upon all Occafions, enjoy'd the Protection of thofe Laws which they daily trample upon, and of that Government which they daily i:ifu!t. And I am very far from envying them any Privi- leges they enjoy, or any Liberty they can. plead for, but the Liberty of -. cutting their Neigh- bours Throats, and making a free People a Nation of Staves. The leail Senfe of Gra- S 2 ( '4) ^ Generofity and Honour, would be a ftrong Tie upon them, to preferve at leaft an exfer- tial Shew of Decorum, towards that Govern- ment, and that Government's Friends, which protects them. Ingratitude wears that black and monftrous Complexion, that an antient Lawgi- ver look'd upon it to be too aggravated a Crime, for human Nature to perpetrate j which was the Reafon affign'd, why he enacted no Laws to profcribe or punifh it. fa) But the antient Persians who had not the fame roman- tic Ideas of the Perfection of human Nature, confidered Ingratitude as a Crime againft the State, and decreed it to be punifhable by the Civil Magistrate. Thofe who were convicted of it, were adjudged deftitute of all Regards to their Friends, their Parents, their Country, and to the Gods -, and as fuch, were punifhed with peculiar Severity and Rigour, (b) Perhaps Sir, you would greatly rcfent it, fhould I in Aliufion to the above, charge the Nonjuring and Jacobite Faction, with being defKtute of all Regards to their Friends, their Parents^ their Country y and to the Gods. However, it would give every Lover of Proteflantifm and Liberty true Pleafure, to fee that Faction con- vince Mankind, that fuch a Charge is not pro- perly fupported. Gratitude, Generofity, and Honour, are Plants that will not thiive in () Lycurgus. (b) Vid. Xenoph. Op. (HO every Soil. In Nonjuring and Jacobite Soils, they feldom or never flourim. Herodotus tells us, that the Scythians having made an Expedition to 4fia, which prov'd of long Continuance ; their Slaves in their Abfence invaded their Beds, and upon their Return, re- iblutely took up Arms againft their Lords and Matters. Their Rencounters were attended with various Succefles. At length one of the Scythian Lords aliedg'd, it would be fcandalous to wage War with Slaves upon equal Terms, and propos'd that they fhould be attack'd with thofe Whips and Scourges wherewith they for- merly chaftis'd them. The Scheme took Place, and Succeeded. They who had made a vigo- rous Defence againft warlike Inftruments and Weapons, fled in Confufion before thofe Badg- es of Servility, whofe Smart they had been u- fed to feel. Our 'Tribes of Difajf'e&ion cannot pretend that They are enjlav'd, unlefs it be by their own Vices. Their great Grievance is, that they are not fufFer'd to enjlave others, fo as to enrich themfclves upon the Wreck and Ruins of their Country ! The only Whips und Scourges known to our Conftitution arc, the Inflictions of Juftice, temper'd with Sovereign Mildnefs. But as to our Nonjuring and 'Jacobite Slave s, Slaves to the Slave of France and Rome^ tho* they dread not, yet do they not lighte- oully de/erve the fame contemptuous Punifhment with their Fellow- Traitors the Scythian Slaves ? Should Should France's Duke become Britain's King, . O' 'tis not our "Wives only, that muft be ravim'd from us : No, we muft be robb'd of every Property; of our Eftates ; our Confciences 5 our Laws ; our Liberties ; and even our Lives too ; which indeed are not worth preferving, when our Liberties once become the Prey of luftful Tyranny, and are devour'd by the /&- vage Jaws of Oppreffion. But whatever thefe Men deferve, they enjoy that Protection which they have no grateful Senfe of, and which it would be well for their Country, if they had but the Hearts and Honefty to improve. Thefe Sir are the Men, that by their fecret Confpira- eies, and open Factions, clog and embarafs the Meafures of the Administration ; render it ne- ceffary to increaje the National Expence, to countermine their deftruclive Schemes ; and then rail moft floridly againft thofe Taxes and Debts which themjehes only, have occaiion'd. They do all that they can to debauch and corrupt the Age, by their wicked Principles, and then in- troduce a Spirit of Political Methodijm, and bowl lamentably over our Political Corruptions ! They firft do all that they can to ruin us, and then cry aloud and fpare no.t to complain, that we ate an undone and ruin'd People ! Heavens preferve the Land from being fet on a Flame by fuch State Incendiaries as thefe ! Heavens preferve us from falling a Sacrifice to fuch State Crocodiles^ if I may be allow'd the Metaphor, that (H3) that weep over their Country, whilft they eager^ ly labour to devour it ! I am not infenfible of its having been the Cant Language of your Friends , that to charge Jacobites and Nonjurors with Difaffeftion to the prefent Government, or with any Seditious Practices, is mere Party Rant and Ribaldry. The Manchefter Jacobites and Nonjurors in particular, are upon all Occafions reprefented as the mofl loyal Subjects in the Kingdom. ^~ *Next in Loyalty be fure to thofe whofe Blood fay you, (I venture to translate your Afterijkt into Frenchify 'd EnglifJ^ (aj was unjufily fhed, for being engag'd in the late Rebellion. But Metals are known by their Weight ; Trees by their Fruits ; and Men by their Actions : If you are the loyal People you reprefent your- ielves to be, whence happens it that there has been fuch a Flufh of Joy difcover'd by Tour Friends, I will not fay for the taking of Bergen, that was a grand Affair ! . but for a little Seditious Priefl, by Virtue of the Adi of Indemnity, efcaping that Juftice which was upon the Wing to purfue him? Whence was it that the Bells rung on the Occafion, for Days together ? Was it not by Way of grate- ful 1e Deum t for the great and unde- (a) Alluding to thefe Lines in the Epiftle to a Friend. Not Content with Blood. Juflly perhaps, perhaps, *** fted, (Do them determine Judge of Quick and Dead.) ('44) ferved Deliverance ? Whence is it that this,, mall I call him Reverend, Teacher of Babes? has fuch Numbers of his young Fry, as I am inform'd he has, clad in the Livery of Rebellion ? Is it not to convince the World, that there is no Herefy in Scotch Plaid, when wore only as a Badge of Romifh Superflition > It muft be fo, unlefs you can believe, and believe it who can ! that Plaid Politics and Popery are this Gentleman's Averfion ? Whence is it that your Ladies difarm themfelves of that native Softnefs, that repnes and confecrates all their other Attractions, and diftinguifh themfelves by Party Drefs and Rage, in a Na- tion where there are no Slaves by Conquefr, but fuch as are Theirs j and no Chains but thofe of Love and Devotion to their Charms ? Can it be imagin'd they would purfue fuch a Courfe were they properly apprized, that the Small- Pox itfelf, feldom proves fo fatal and unpropitiou& 3 as the four and malignant Principles of Ja$obi- tifm do to a fweet and lovely Face ! Whence is too, that the Military Gentlemen at Manchefier have been fo loudly exclaim' d againft j as if frowning upon "Jacobite Faction, was an Inroad upon the Constitution, and an Ad: of Trea/on againft the State ? Are thefe, and ten thoufand more I could mention, Charafteriftics of Loy- alty to a Proteflant Prince and State? For Shame Sir y let fuch Jejuitical Chicanry be no more in Fafhion among you j at lead let it be in (H5) in Fafhion no more, till you fucceed in getting that Religion which approves of, and recom* Mends it, eftablifh'd, Accept a Word of Ad- vice. It doth not pretend to Infallibility, but may have its 17/e. In Cafe of another Rebelli* on, it may crown you with a Crown of Mar* tyrdont, and what would you have more ? My Advice is this. Be hone/I. Let thole ne* ver pretend to be Members of a Proteflant Church who labour to undermine her Jacrea Foundations. Throw off the Ma/k, that fits fo awkardlj upon your Faces. Appear td be what you arc< If you cannot poifon with your Breath^ try what your Pens cart do. And if the Bluntnefi of your pens be un- propitious to your Caufe, have Recourfe ttf the Edge of your Swords. Inftead of facrifi- cing Ink, be ready to faerifice your Blood irt the Service. Set up the Banners of Rome and Rebellion , and animate your priends to joirf you. Tell them they can never exp'eft any good Days, till we have our Laws written irt French^ and our Prayer* in Latin* Tell themj that if Popery takes Place, it will be your peculiar Privilege to f ray without Under/land- ing, to obey without Reafbn, and believ* with* out Senfe } that you'll be allowed to pradtife, what both King James and King Charles the Firft t of blejjed Memory, endeavoured to effa- blim in vain Carding and Dancing on Sun* Jays, Tell them that the Devotion of our (I 4 6) reformed Churches, is a dead, dull, and fpirit- lefs Devotion ; but that the Puppet-Shew Wor- fhip of Rome is all Life ! all Spirit and Ac- tion ! Tell them that this holy Catholic Church, has a CuJlom-Houfs for Sin, and that the Rates are fix'd, for which you may commit all Man- ner of Wickednefs without doing wickedly* Tell them that Popery once eftablimed in the Land, will bring in innumerable Bleffings in her Train that even her facred Reliques, confifting of rotten Rags, and rotten Bones, fo immenfely valuable to all good Catholics ! will be more than an equivalent for the Debts of the Nation ; and if thofe mould be fpung'd ojf y will be in Value > tho' not in Kind^ more than an adequate Compenfation for them ! Tell them, that Popery will be fo far from darkening ou r Underftandings, that it will illuminate the whole Land ; , our Streets as well as our Tem- ples, by the infinite Number of facred Candles and Tapers, made ufe of in folemn Prayers and Proceffions! Tell them, that the Priefts of Rome will fwap Salvation for ready Rhino ; that in the Mother Church of Rome the moft abandorfd Sinners are canoniz'd for the mod diftinguifh'd Saints ; and that Heaven can ffcape none, who are rich enough to Traffic fbr> or wicked enough to Merit it. Tell the Devotees of your Faffion, that they, good Men ! may devoutly faft upon the moft delicate Fifb .id Oyl, whilil your low-bred Proteftants are glad ('47) glad to fea/t upon infinitely lefs delicate Mor- fels ! Tell them, that the Highland Target is the Shield of the Faithful-, that the Scotch Plaid is the Garment of Righteoufnefs and Salvation; that to be executed for Treafons is the narrow Way that leadeth to Life, tho* confidering how many of Tour Friends have been traveriing its By Paths, 'tis ftr? ige, and methinks 'tis pity too, no more of them have found it ! Tell them, that Popery, inftead of impoverifliing and ruining the State, as Fanatics pretend it would, will make our Fields more fruitful^ by manuring them with Protejlant Blood. Tell them, that if once the Catholic Faith of Rome becomes eftablim'd in our Land, we need not idly lavim away Money and Time, in purchafing and in reading of Bibks, Tell them, that the Bible has a black Mark Yet upon it in the Council of Trent's expurga- tory Index, as .one of thofe Books, (wicked and Heretical ones no doubt,) that all good Catholics mould refrain from reading of. Tell them, that whoever is convicted of read- ing, or harbouring a Bible in his Hoitfe, with- out a fpecial Licenfe obtain'd for that Purpoie, which Licenfes are granted only to /launch and orthodox Believers ; is pronounc'd by De- cree of Council, for ever incapable of all the Benefits of Abfolution I Tell them, that always worfhipping of one Deity, like always eating of one Pifh, muft clog the Moral Ap- Ta petite, and difguft a delicate Taft ; that to guard againft fuch Inconveniences, you have in the Churches of Rome, as many Image- Gods as there are Worfhippers ! and that in their folemn Devotions, every Man bows before the Shrine of that Divinity he likes beft 5 be it that which engages his Miftrefs to look kind, or that which renders Heaven propitious ! Tell them, how happy thofe Popifh States, where they have no ' Merchandize, but that of Souls ! Where they are not over-ftock'd with Inhabitants, and confequently where there is no Danger, if there be no Heretics to devour, of Men's eating up one another ! Exemplify this in the Ecclefiaftical States of Italy. Tell them, that tho* Meagrenefs overfpreads thofe Countries whofe delightful Vales are na- turally rich and fertile, yet as a Counterbal- lance to this, you are fure to meet in their Temples with whole Crowds of fat and buxom Gods ! Tell them, as to thefe States, as Petro~ nius fays of Greece, that under any peculiar Ex- igency, you may fooner find out in them, a Cod than a Man to help you ! Tell them, that poor Britain may inherit the fame, nay, great- er Bleffings than thefe, if Britain's Rebel Sons, the Friends of Liberty and King GEORGE, would but apoftatize into Grace, and put your R-y-1 Matter in PofFeffion of a Maintenance and a Throne! And tell them, ~ - but my Breath and my Patience fail me ; ( H9) apply to your good Friend the Catechift, and he'll affift you in telling them ten thoufand good Things more ! Every Man who is a fincere and ftcddy Friend to the Laws, and Liberties of his Country will confefs, tha-t the Security of Pro- tenants is their Union, their Union their Strength, and their Strength their Glory. When the old Britons were divided among themfelves, Cej'ar came and decided the Controverfy, by a Conqueft of them all. A neighbouring Common- wealth that from refuming a Confiflency of Cha- racter, we hope may once more become formi- dable to your Friends, has, if I miitake not, a Bundle of Arrows ty'd up clofely together, for a Device in her Arms, to fignify that the Una- nimity of a People is the true Source of their Greatnefs. This you are well appriz'd of, and whence but from this proceeds it, that Tou and Tour Confederates, the Devotees and Penfwnaries of France and Rome, induitriouliy endeavour to play off one Party of Protejlants again ft a- nother, to raife Dilhufts, and foment Jealoufies among them ; to reprefent Separatist from the Church, as engag'd in a Conspiracy to overturn it ; to ipread fal/'e 3.\v\fcandalous Alarms among the Populace that the Church is in Danger ! Are not thefe Methods purfucd with a View to exajpe.rate and inflame Mens Minds againil the prej'ent Government, to difcipline and train them up for another Rebellion ? Divide et Impera is your your Maxim ; firft divide Proteflants y and next deftroy them ! Bat we truft 5z>, that Heaven which has fo oft baffled your Projects and blafted your Defigns, will continue to baffle and blafl them ftill ! We truft that the Proteftant Blood which has been med in our Land byfavage and rapacious Hands, will be a Cement that will bind all Proteftants more firmly together, agaififtany future Attempts of thofe who are fo far from being glutted with the Blood they fhed, or fick with the Difappointment they have met with, that Difappointment doth but whet their Rage, and tho' they made themfelves drunk with Pro- teftant Blood, they ftill thirft for more ! But whilft you are plotting the Deftruction of others, take Heed you do not court your own : Whilft you are erecting in your Imaginations, Racks, Gallows, and Gibbets to convert or to chaftife Heretics with, remember the Fate of Haman. Putting the Cafe, which yet cannot be ad- ' mitted as Faft y that the Jacobite Faction had fome plaufible Provocation to cherifh a Spirit of Rage and Rancor again ft any Party of Protef-* tants whatfoever ; yet were not thefe Men - nemies to Proteftantifm itfelf, as well as to P ro- te ft 'ant Dijfenters, a Senfe of common Danger, would unite the moft divided Parties in one common Intereft, and allay little Differences ra- ther than exafperate and inflame them. The Profpeft of the Stake and the Faggot united Ridley and Hooper^ who were irreconcilable be- fore. ('SO fore. The Flame that threatned to confume their Bodies, purged away the Drois of their Zeal, and render'd it more refin'd and noble ! Amongft the old Romans it was an inviolable Maxim, Donare Inimicitias Reipublic are fire high-bred, it is acknowledged. Bred in the Maxims of that City, feated on the feven Hills ; bred in thehighPIaces where fpiritual Wickednefs reigns, in the Temples of Bigotry and Super- ftition ! Lowbred ! Bravely fcorn Sir, to have any Thing low about you, but your Wit and your Poetry. Thofe are low, extremely low be fure ! (a) Thefe remind me of William Prynne, I afk Pardon for comparing you to a fanatical Scribbler, who in Reward of his Di (loyalty, had his Ears as clofely clipp'd as his Mufe's Wings, I would not infmuate, I do not mean that the Comparifon fhould hold good throughout. But his Poetry, as painted in the Dunciad, runs in fmQOth and harmonious Strains like yours. __- . one lately did not fear, With the Mufe's Leave to plant verfe here : But it produc'd fuch bafe rough crabbed Hedge Rhymes as e'en fet the Hearers Teeth on Edge J Written by William Prynne, Efqui-re the, Year of our Lord fixteen hundred thirty three j Brave Jerfey Mufe, and he's for his high Style, Call'd to this Day the Homer of our Ifle. Many (a) The following Specimens of our Autfior's Profe-Verf