Fabricks, they generally conceive a deep Reverence and Devotion for the Buildings themfelves, and for every Thing that is faid in them, as well as a great Opinion of the Wisdom and Sanctity of the Teachers, who prefide there, and dictate ex Cathedra: They esteem them as Perfons fent by God himself, to deliver a Meffage from his own Mouth; for which also they have often the Word of the Preacher-No fmall Reafon to the many for the believing of it!

So that here is an uncontroulable Prepoffeffion in favour of every Doctrine, or every Dream, which corrupt Priests fhall think fit to deliver. And indeed, the High-Church Clergy have never failed to make their Advantage of this fuperftitious Awe and Credulity of their Hearers; and to fanctify every Falfhood, and every Whimsey and Impiety uttered by them, with a mifapplied or perverted Text of Scripture; and fo proftituted and prophaned the high and holy Name of God, to patronize their Impoftures. I fhall give fome Instances.

WHEN they have had a mind to flatter a cruel or a foolish Prince, in order to make him serve their Purposes, and do their Drudgery; they have inftantly entitled him God's Vice-gerent, though he acted at the fame time by the Inftigation of his Luft or of Satan. And, because David and Saul, being appointed by God himself, by Word of Mouth, were called the Lord's Anointed; therefore every Tyrant, who was not appointed by God himself, but

feized a Crown by Violence or Surprize, became alfo the Lord's Anointed. And because Adam was the Father of his own Son, therefore he was the King of his own Son; and therefore all fuch Kings, who had not Adam for their Father, were nevertheless, in Right of Adam, Kings and Fathers of their Subjects, who yet were not their Children, but for all that owed them the Duty of Children, whilst they were plundering and ruining them; and all the Rapine and Murthers which they were prompted to commit, by their Anger or their Avarice, were called the Ordinance of God, and were to be submitted to, with Chriftian Stupidity, on pain of Damnation: that is, it was made Damnation to refift Actions and Cruelties which deferved Damnation. And as you were to fubmit to Law and Justice, on pain of Damnation, fo ought you to fubmit to the overturning of all Law, and all Justice, on pain of Damnation alfo. And, because when we have any Matter of Complaint, we are bid to acquaint the Church with it; therefore the People, who are the Church, are, in every Cafe to be determined by the Parfon of the Parish, who is not the Church. And, because we are to confess our Sins one to another; therefore we are to do it to a Priest, which is not doing it to one another. And because Abraham gave the Tenth of his Plunder to Melchifedeck, who was not a Priest of our Church by Law Eftablished; therefore our Established Priests, who have nothing to do with Melchifedeck, nor know any thing of him, have a Divine Right to the Tenth

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Tenth Part of every Man's Eftate and Industry. And, as the Tribe of Levi had a Right to Tythes, though they and their Tythes are long fince abolished; fo ought our Parfons to have the fame Tythes by the Gofpel, without being in the leaft a-kin to Aaron's Perfon, or Heirs to his Eftate, or Succeffors to his Institution. And, though our Saviour's Kingdom is not of this World; yet the Kingdom of the High Clergy, who, if you will take their Words for it, are his Reprefentatives, is, and ought to be, of this World. And, because the reprobate and gluttonous Monks had, by endless Rogueries, and diabolical Lyes, plundered the deluded Laity of their Poffeffions, and engroffed to themfelves most of the Lands of England; therefore our Modern High Priests have a natural and hereditary Right to enjoy the fame: And, though they have, upon Oath, renounced all Power, and all Pretence to Power, but what the Law vouchfafes to grant them; yet they have a Power independent on the Law, and Principles independent on these very Oaths, though renounced by these very Oaths.

ALL thefe, and many more Abfurdities, equally vile and impudent, have been blafphemoufly fathered upon Scripture, and the Author of Scripture; though they all contradict the Scripture, as well as they do common Sense and common Honefty. But as the Vulgar do always take that to be the highest Point of Religion, about which their Teachers make the moft Noife, for the Time being, whether it be Tythe, or

Dr.

Dr. Sacheverel, or the Pretender, or the late Duke of Ormond, or King Charles the First, fo vicious and corrupted Clergymen, on their part, have always tacked the Name of God, or, which is much more powerful with the Mob, the Name of the Church, to any Affertion, or any Claim, or any Invention of theirs, be it ever fo monstrous or mischievous; and instantly it becomes, with weak People, an Article of Faith, upon which Salvation it felf depends. For, as it is their first Care, to force a Testimony from Heaven for every Whim, or Forgery of theirs; fo their next Concern is, to make every Contradiction and Opposition to it, damnable.

HENCE it comes to pafs, that the fame Virtues are not of the fame Importance at all Times; but Virtues are made Vices, and Vice is made Virtue, juft as the prefent Temper, or the present Views prevail; and, by corrupt Priefts, Things are often taught under the Name of Chriftianity, which are oppofite to the Nature of Christianity: Religion is pretended, and Power meant. In confequence of this, Duty is converted into Sin, and Sin into Duty. Thus, the worshipping of God according to one's Confcience, without which there can be no Worship, is made by the HighChurch Priefts a damnable Sin; and the not worshipping a Table in the Chancel, though in Oppofition to one's Conscience, is as bad. Sometimes the refifting of unlawful Power, is certain Damnation; and fometimes the not rebelling against the most lawful Power, has the fame A 4 terrible

terrible Penalty annexed to it. To doubt or deny their uncharitable, unintelligible Explications of Mystery, which cannot be explained, is the most heinous Atheism; and to whip a feditious, forfworn Prieft, is crying Infidelity, and a Wound to Chrift, through the Sides of his Embaffador.

AT one time, Predeftination is of high Confequence, and made an Article of Faith, and all Free-Willers fhould be banished the Land, or locked up in Dungeons, like wild Beafts; which was the Judgment of the Bishops in King James the Firft's Days, concerning the Arminians. At a different Seafon, when Preferments run high on the other fide, as in King Charles the First's Reign, and ever fince; Arminianifm not only recovers Credit, but grows modifh, and confequently Orthodox; while Predeftination becomes an old-fashioned Piece of Faith, and a fure Sign of Fanaticism: And yet it continues one of the 39 Arrticles, and yet it must not be believed, and yet it must be figned and affented to with a fincere Affent.

IN all these Marches and Counter-marches, the Paffions of too many of the People keep pace with those of the High Priefts; and they are conftantly difpofed to be Slaves or Rebels, Free-Willers, or no Willers, Believers of this, or Believers of that, just as Almighty HighChurch commands them.

SUCH