moralities, all is well. So that still men may be Jews, Turks, &c.

Page 22. "The same reason which obliges them to make statutes of mortmain, and other laws, against the people's giving estates to the clergy, will equally hold for their taking them away when given." A great security for property! Will this hold to any other society in the state, as merchants, &c., or only to ecclesiastics? A petty project: forming general schemes requires a deeper head than this man's.

Ibid. "But the good of the society being the only reason of the magistrate's having any power over men's properties, I cannot see why he should deprive his subjects of any part thereof, for the maintenance of such opinions as have no tendency that way," &c. Here is a paragraph (vide also infra) which has a great deal in it. The meaning is, that no man ought to pay tithes who does not believe what the minister preaches. But how came they by this property? When they purchased the land, they paid only for so much; and the tithes were exempted. It is an older title than any man's estate is; and if it were taken away to-morrow, it could not, without a new law, belong to the owners of the other nine parts, any more than impropriations do.

Ibid. "For the maintenance of such opinions, as nowise contribute to the public good." By such opinions as the puplic receive no advantage by he must mean Christianity.

Page 23. "Who by reason of such articles are divided into different sects." A pretty cause of sects! &c.

Page 24. "So the same reason, as often as it oc curs, will oblige him to leave that church." This is an excuse for his turning papist.

Ibid. "Unless you suppose churches like traps, easy to admit one; but when once he is in, there he must always stick, either for the pleasure or profit of the trap-setters." Remark his wit.

Page 29. "Nothing can be more absurd than maintaining there must be two independent powers in the same society, &c." This is abominably absurd: show it. Page 33. "The whole hierarchy as built on it, must necessarily fall to the ground, and great will be the fall of this spiritual Babylon." I will do him justice, and take notice when he his witty, &c.

Page 36. "For if there may be two such [independent powers] in every society on earth, why may there not be more than one in heaven?" A delicate consequence.

Page 37. "Without having the less, he could not have the greater, in which that is contained." Sophistical instance wherein.

Page 42. "Some since, subtler than the Jews, have managed commutations more to their own advantage by enriching themselves, and beggaring, if fame be not a liar, many an honest dissenter." It is fair to produce witnesses, is she a liar or not? The report is almost impossible. Commutations were contrived for roguish registers and proctors, and lay chancellors, but not for the clergy.

Page 43. " Kings and people, who (as the Indians do the devil) adored the pope out of fear." I am in doubt whether I shall allow that for wit or not, &c. Look you, in these cases, preface it thus: If one may use an old saying.

Page 44. "One reason why the clergy make what they call schism to be so heinous a sin.' There it is now; because he has changed churches, he ridicules schism; as Milton wrote for divorces, because he had an ill wife. For ten pages on, we must give the true answer, that makes all these arguments of no use.

Page 60. "It possibly will be said, I have all this while being doing these gentlemen a great deal of wrong." To do nim justice, he sets forth the objections of his adversaries with great strength, and much

to their advantage. No doubt those are the very objections we would offer.

Page 68. "Their executioner." He is fond of this word in many places, yet there is nothing in it further than it is the name for the hangman, &c.

Page 69. "Since they exclude both from having anything in the ordering of church matters." Another part of his scheme; for, by this the people ought to execute ecclesiastical offices without distinction, for he brings the other opinion as an absurd one.

Page 72. "They claim a judicial power, and, by virtue of it, the government of the church, and thereby (pardon the expression) become traitors both to God and man." Who does he desire to pardon him? or is this meant of the English clergy? so it seems. he desire them to pardon him? they do it as Christians. Does he desire the government to do it? but then how can they make examples? He says, the clergy do so, &c.; so he means all.

Does

Page 74. "I would gladly know what they mean by giving the Holy Ghost.' Explain what is really meant by giving the Holy Ghost, like a king empowering an ambassador.

Page 76. "The Popish clergy make very bold with the three persons of the Trinity." Why then, don't mix them; but we see whom this glances on most. As to the Congé d'élire, and Nolo episcopari, not so absurd; and if omitted, why changed?

Page 78. "But not to digress "-Pray does he call scurrility upon the clergy a digression? The apology needless, &c.

Ibid. "A clergyman, it is said, is God's ambasador." But you know an ambassador may have a secretary, &c.

Ibid. "Call their pulpit-speeches the word of God.' That is a mistake.

Page 79. "Such persons to represent him." Are not they that own his power fitter to represent him than others? Would the author be a fitter person?

Ibid. "Puffed up with intolerable pride and insolence." Not at all; for where is the pride to be employed by a prince, whom so few own, and whose being is disputed by such as this author?

Ibid. "Perhaps from a poor servitor, &c., to be a prime minister in God's kingdom." That is right. God takes notice of the difference between poor servitors, &c. Extremely foolish: show it. The argument lies strongly against the apostles, poor fishermen ; and St. Paul a tent-maker. So gross and idle!

Page 80. "The formality of laying hand over head on a man. A pun; but an old one. I remember when Swan made that pun first, he was severely checked for it.

Ibid. "What more is required to give one a right," &c. Here show what power is in the church, and what in the state, to make priests.

Page 85. "To bring men into, and not turn them out of, the ordinary way of salvation." Yes; but as one rotten sheep does mischief-and do you think it reasonable that such a one as this author should converse with Christians, and weak ones?

Ibid. See his fine account of spiritual punishment. Page 87. "The clergy affirm, that if they had not the power to exclude men from the church, its unity could not be preserved." So to expel an ill member from a college, would be the way to divide the college; as in All-Souls', &c. Apply it to him.

Page 88. "I cannot see but it is contrary to the rules of charity to exclude men from the church," &c. All this turns upon the falsest reasoning in the world. So, if a man be imprisoned for stealing a horse, he is hindered from other duties: and you might argue, that a man who does ill, ought to be more diligent in minding other duties, and not to be debarred from them.

It is for contumacy and rebellion against that power in the church which the law has confirmed. So a man is outlawed for a trifle, upon contumacy.

Page 92. "Obliging all by penal laws to receive the sacrament." This is false.

Page 93. "The want of which means can only harden a man in his impenitence." It is for his being hardened that he is excluded. Suppose a son robs his father on the highway, and his father will not see him till he restores the money, and owns his faul It is hard to deny him paying his duty in other things, &c. How absurd this!

Page 95. "And that only they had a right to give it." Another part of his scheme, that the people have a right to give the sacrament. See more of it, pp. 135

and 137.

Page 96. "Made familiar to such practices by the heathen priests." Well; and this shows the necessity of it for peace sake. A silly objection of this and other enemies to religion, to think to disgrace it by applying heathenism, which only concerns the political part, wherein they were as wise as others, and might give rules. Instance, in some, &c.

Page 98. "How differently from this do the great pretenders to primitive practice act," &c. This is a remarkable passage. Does he condemn or allow this mysterious way? It seems the first; and therefore these words are a little turned, but infallibly stood in the first draught as a great argument for popery. Page 100." They dress them up in a sanbenito." So, now we are to answer for the inquisition. One thing is, that he makes the fathers guilty of asserting most of the corruptions about the power of priests.

Page 104. "Some priests assume to themselves an arbitrary power of excluding men from the Lord's supper. His scheme; that anybody may administer the sacraments, women, or children, &c.

Page 108. "One no more than another can be reckoned a priest." See his scheme. Here he disgraces what the law enacts, about the manner of consecrating, &c.

Page 118. "Churches serve to worse purposes than bear-gardens." This from Hudibras.

Page 119. "In the time of that wise heathen Ammianus Marcellinus" Here he runs down all Christianity in general.

Page 120. "I shall, in the following part of my discourse, show that this doctrine is so far from serving the ends of religion, that, 1. It prevents the spreading of the gospel, &c." This independent power in the church is like the worms; being the cause of all diseases.

Page 124. "How easily could the Roman emperors have destroyed the church?" Just as if he had said, how easily could Herod kill Christ while a child, &c. Page 125. "The people were set against bishops by reason of their tyranny." Wrong; for the bishops were no tyrants: their power was swallowed up by the popes, and the people desired they should have more. It was the regulars that tyrannized and formed priestcraft. He is ignorant.

Page 139.He is not bound by the laws of Christ to leave his friends in order to be baptized," &c. This directly against the gospel.-One would think him an emissary, by his preaching schism.

Page 142." Then will the communion of saints be practicable, to which the principles of all parties, the occasional conformists only excepted, stand in direct opposition," &c. So that all are wrong but they. The Scripture is fully against schism. Tindal promotes it, and places in it all the present and future happiness of man.

Page 144. All he has hitherto said on this matter, with a very little turn, were arguments for popery;

for it is certain that religion had share in very few wars for many hundred years before the Reformation, because they were all of a mind. It is the ambition of rebels, preaching upon the discontents of sectaries, that they are not supreme, which has caused wars for religion. He is mistaken altogether. His little narrow understanding and want of learning. Page 145," Though some say the highfliers' lives might serve for a very good rule, if men would act quite contrary to them." Is he one of those some? Beside the new turn of wit, &c., all the clergy in England come under his notion of highfliers, as he states it.

Page 147. "None of them (churchmen) could be brought to acknowledge it lawful, upon any account whatever, to exclude the duke of York." This account false in fact.

Ibid. "And the body politic, whether ecclesiastical or civil, must be dealt with after the same manner as the body natural." What, because it is called a body, and is a simile, must it hold in all circumstances?

Page 148. "We find all wise legislators have had regard to the tempers, inclinations, and prejudices," &c. This paragraph false. It was directly contrary in several, as Lycurgus, &c.

Page 152. "All the skill of the prelatists is not able to discover the least distinction between bishop and presbyter." Yet, God knows, this hath been done many a time.

Page 158. "The Epistle to the Philippians is directed to the bishops and deacons; I mean in due order after the people, viz., to the saints, with their bishops and deacons." I hope he would argue from another place that the people precede the king because of these words" Ye shall be destroyed, both you and your king."

Page 161." The pope, and other great church dons." I suppose he means bishops; but I wish he would explain himself, and not be so very witty in the midst of an argument; it is like two mediums, not fair in disputing.

Page 167. "Clemens Romanus blames the people, not for assuming a power, but for making a wrong use of it," &c. His great error all along is, that he does not distinguish between a power and a liberty of exercising that power, &c. I would appeal to any man whether the clergy have not too little power, since a book like his, that unsettles foundations and would destroy all, goes unpunished, &c.

Page 171. " By this or some such method, the bishops obtained their power over their fellow-presbyters, and both over the people. The whole tenour of the gospel directly contrary to it." Then it is not an allowable means: this carries it so far as to spoil his own system; it is a sin to have bishops as we have them.

Page 172. "The preservation of peace and unity, and not any divine right, was the reason of establishing a superiority of one of the presbyters over the rest; otherwise there would, as they say, have been as many schismatics as presbyters. No great compliment to the clergy of those days." Why so? It is the natural effect of a worse independency, which he keeps such a clatter about, an independency of churches on each other, which must naturally create schism.

Page 183. "How could the Christians have asserted the disinterestedness of those who first preached the gospel, particularly their having a right to the tenth part?" Yes, that would have passed easy enough; for they could not imagine teachers could live on air, and their heathen priests were much more unreasonable

Page 184. "Men's suffering for such opinions is not sufficient to support the weight of them." This is a glance against Christianity. State the case of convert

ing infidels; the converters are supposed few; the bulk of the priests must be of the converted country. It is their own people therefore they maintain. What project or end can a few converters propose? they can leave no power to their families, &c. State this, I say, at length, and give it a true turn. Princes give corporations power to purchase lands.

Page 187. "That it became an easy prey to the barbarous nations." Ignorance in Tindal. The empire long declined before Christianity was introduced. This a wrong cause, if ever there was one.

Page 190. "It is the clergy's interest to have religion corrupted." Quite the contrary; prove it. How is it the interest of the English clergy to corrupt religion? The more justice and piety the people have, the better it is for them; for that would prevent the penury of farmers, and the oppression of exacting, covetous landlords, &c. That which has corrupted religion is the liberty unlimited of professing all opinions. Do not lawyers render law intricate by their speculations, &c. And physicians, &c.

Page 209."The spirit and temper of the clergy,” &c. What does this man think the clergy are made of? Answer generally to what he says against councils in the ten pages before. Suppose I should bring quotations in their praise.

His

Page 211. "As the clergy, though few in comparison of the laity, were the inventors of corruptions." scheme is, that the fewer and poorer the clergy the better, and the contrary among the laity. A noble principle; and delicate consequences from it.

Page 207. "Men are not always condemned for the sake of opinions, but opinions sometimes for the sake of men." And so he hopes that, if his opinions are condemned, people will think it is a spite against him, as having been always scandalous.

Page 210. The meanest layman as good a judge as the greatest priest, for the meanest man is as much interested in the truth of religion as the greatest priest." As if one should say the meanest sick man has as much interest in health as a physician, therefore is as good a judge of physic as a physician, &c.

Ibid. Had synods been composed of laymen, none of those corruptions which tend to advance the interest of the clergy," &c. True. But the part the laity had in reforming was little more than plundering. He should understand that the nature of things is this, that the clergy are made of men, and without some encouragement they will not have the best but the worst. Page 215." They who gave estates to, rather than they who took them from, the clergy, were guilty of sacrilege." Then the people are the church, and the clergy not; another part of his scheme.

Page 219. "The clergy, as they subsisted by the alms of the people," &c. This he would have still. Show the folly of it. Not possible to show any civilized nation ever did it. Who would be clergymen then? The absurdity appears by putting the case that none were to be statesmen, lawyers, or physicians, but who were to subsist by alms.

Page 222. 66 These subtle clergymen work their designs who lately cut out such a tacking job for them," &c. He is mistaken-everybody was for the bill almost, though not for the tack. The bishop of Sarum was for it, as appears by his speech against it. But it seems the tacking is owing to metaphysical speculations. I wonder whether is most perplexed, this author in his style or the writings of our divines. In the judgment of all people our divines have carried practical preaching and writing to the greatest perfection it ever arrived to; which shows that we may affirm in general our clergy is excellent, although this or that man be faulty. As if an army be constautly victorious, regular, &c., we may say it is

an excellent, victorious army: but Tindal, to disparage it, would say such a serjeant ran away; such an ensign hid himself in a ditch; nay, one colonel turned his back, therefore it is a corrupt, cowardly army, &c.

Page 224. "They were as apprehensive of the works of Aristotle as some men are of the works of a late philosopher, which they are afraid will let too much light into the world." Yet just such another; only a commentator on Aristotle. People are likely to improve their understanding much with Locke; it is not his "Human Understanding," but other works, that people dislike, although in that there are some dangerous tenets, as that of no innate ideas.

Page 226. "Could they, like the popish priests, add to this a restraint on the press, their business would be done." So it ought: for example, to hinder his book, because it is written to justify the vices and infidelity of the age. There can be no other design in it. For is this a way or manner to do good? railing does but provoke. The opinion of the whole parliament is, the clergy are too poor.

Ibid. "When some nations could be no longer kept from prying into learning, this miserable gibberish of the schools was contrived." We have exploded schoolmen as much as he, and in some people's opinion too much, since the liberty of embracing any opinion is allowed; they following Aristotle, who is doubtless the greatest master of arguing in the world: but it has been a fashion of late years to explode Aristotle; and therefore this man has fallen into it like others, for that reason, without understanding him. Aristotle's poetry, rhetoric, and politics are admirable; and therefore it is likely, so are his logics.

Page 230. "In these freer countries, as the clergy have less power, so religion is better understood, and more useful and excellent discourses are made on that

subject," &c. Not generally. Holland not very famous; Spain has been, and France is. But it requires more knowledge than his to form general rules, which people strain, when ignorant, to false deductions to make them out.

Page 232. Chap. VII. That this hypothesis of an independent power in any set of clergymen makes all reformation unlawful, except where those who have this power do consent. The title of this chapter a truism.

Page 234. "If God has not placed mankind, in respect to civil matters, under an absolute power, but has permitted them in every society to act as they judge best for their own safety," &c. Bad parallels; bad politics; want of due distinction between teaching and government. The people may know when they are governed well, but not be wiser than their instructors. Show the difference.

Ibid. "If God has allowed the civil society these privileges, can we suppose he has less kindness for his church?" &c. Here they are distinguished then; here it makes for him. It is a sort of turn of expression which is scarce with him, and he contradicts himself to follow it.

Page 235. "This cursed hypothesis had perhaps never been thought on with relation to civils, had not the clergy (who have an inexhaustible magazine of oppressive doctrines) contrived first in ecclesiasticals," &c. The seventh paragraph furious and false. Were there no tyrants before the clergy, &c.?

Page 236. "Therefore, in order to serve them, though I expect little thanks," &c. And why so? Will they not, as you say, follow their interest? I thought you said so. He has three or four sprightly turns of this kind, that look as if he thought he had done wonders and had put all the clergy in a ferment; whereas, I do assure him there are but two things wonderful in his book: first, how any man in a

Christian country could have the boldness and wickedness to write it; and how any government would neglect punishing the author of it, if not as an enemy of religion, yet as a profligate trumpeter of sedition. These are hard words, got by reading his book.

Page 236. "The light of nature, as well as the gospel, obliges people to judge of themselves," &c. " to avoid false prophets, seducers," &c. The legislature can turn out a priest, and appoint another ready made, but not make one; as you discharge a physician aud may take a farrier; but he is no physician unless made as he ought to be.

Ibid. Since no more power is required for the one than the other." This is, I dislike my physician and can turn him off, therefore I can make any man a physician, &c. Cujus est destruere, &c. Jest on it: therefore, because he lays schemes for destroying the church, we must employ him to raise it again. See what danger lies in applying maxims at random. So because it is the soldiers' business to knock men on the head, it is theirs likewise to raise them to life, &c.

Page 237. "It can belong only to the people to appoint their own ecclesiastical officers." This word people" is so delicious in him that I cannot tell what is included in the idea of the "people." Does he mean the rabble or the legislature, &c.? In this sense it may be true that the legislature gives leave to the bishops to appoint, and they appoint themselves; I mean, the executive power appoints, &c. He shows his ignorance in government. As to high church, he carries it a prodigious way, and includes in the idea of it more than others will allow.

Page 239. "Though it be customary to admit none to the ministry who are not approved by the bishops or priests," &c. One of his principles to expose.

Ibid. "If every one has not an inherent right to choose his own guide, then a man must be either of the religion of his guide, or," &c. That would make delicate work in a nation: what would become of all our churches? They must dwindle into conventicles. Show what would be the consequence of this scheme in several points. This great reformer, if his projects were reduced to practice, how many thousand sects, and consequently tumults, &c. Men must be governed in speculations, at least not suffered to vent them, because opinions tend to actions, which are most governed by opinions, &c. If those who write for the church writ no better, they would succeed but scurvily. But to see whether he be a good writer, let us see when he has published his second part.

Page 253. "An excellent author in his preface to the account of Denmark." This man judges and writes much of a level. Molesworth's preface full of stale profligate topics. That author wrote his book in spite to a nation, as this does to religion, and both perhaps on poor personal piques.a

Ibid. " By which means, and not by any difference in speculative matters, they are more rich and populous." As if ever anybody thought that a difference in speculative opinions made men richer or poorer; for example, &c.

Page 258. "Play the devil for God's sake." If this is meant for wit, I would be glad to observe it; but in such cases I first look whether there be common sense, &c. Page 261. Christendom has been the scene of perpetual wars, massacres," &c. He does not consider that most religious wars have been caused by schisms, when the dissenting parties were ready to join with any ambitious discontented man. The national religion always desires peace, even in her notions, for its interests.

Page 270. "Some have taken the liberty to compare a high-church priest in politics, to a monkey in a glassshop, where, as he can do no good, so he never fails of

a Lord Molesworth's account of Denmark.

doing mischief enough." That is his modesty, it is his own simile, and it rather fits a man that does so and so, meaning himself. Besides, the comparison is foolish: so it is with men as with stags.

Page 276. "Their interest obliges them directly to promote tyranny." The matter is, that Christianity is the fault which spoils the priests, for they were like other men before they were priests. Among the Romans, priests did not do so; for they had the greatest power during the republic. I wonder he did not prove they spoiled Nero.

Page 277. "No princes have been more insupportable, and done greater violence to the commonwealth, than those the clergy have honoured for saints and martyrs." For example in our country, the princes most celebrated by our clergy are, &c. &c. &c. And the quarrels since the Conquest were nothing at all of the clergy, but purely of families, &c., wherein the clergy only joined like other men.

Page 279. "After the reformation, I desire to know whether the conduct of the clergy was anywise altered for the better," &c. Monstrous misrepresentation! Does this man's spirit of declaiming let him forget all truth of fact, as here, &c.? Show it. Or does he flatter himself a time will come in future ages that men will believe it on his word? In short, between declaiming, between misrepresenting, and falseness, and charging popish things, and independency, huddled together, his whole book is employed.

Set forth at large the necessity of union in religion, and the disadvantage of the contrary, and answer the contrary in Holland, where they have no religion, and are the worst constituted government in the world to last. It is ignorance of causes and appearances which makes shallow people judge so much to their advantage. They are governed by the administration and almost legislature of Holland, through advantage of property, nor are they fit to be set in balance with a noble kingdom, &c., like a man that gets a hundred pounds a-year by hard labour, and one that has it in land.

Page 280. "It may be worth inquiring whether the difference between the several sects in England," &c. A noble notion started, that union in the church must enslave the kingdom: reflect on it. This man has somewhere heard that it is a point of wit to advance paradoxes, and the bolder the better. But the wit lies in maintaining them, which he neglects, and forms imaginary conclusions from them as if they were true and uncontested.

He adds, "That in the best constituted church the greatest good which can be expected of the ecclesiastics is from their divisions." This is a maxim deduced from a gradation of false suppositions. If a man should turn the tables, and argue that all the debauchery, atheism, licentiousness, &c., of the times, were owing to the poverty of the clergy, &c., what would he say? There have been more wars of religion since the ruin of the clergy than before in England. All the civil wars before were from other causes.

Page 283. "Prayers are made in the loyal university of Oxford to continue the throne free from the contagion of schism. See Mather's sermon on the 29th of May, 1705." Thus he ridicules the university, while he is eating their bread. The whole university comes with the most loyal addresses, yet that goes for nothing. If one indiscreet man drops an indiscreet word, all must answer for it.

Page 286. "By allowing all who hold no opinions prejudicial to the state, and contribute equally with their fellow-subjects to its support, equal privileges in it." But who denies that of the dissenters? The Calvinist scheme one would not think proper for monarchy. Therefore they fall in with the Scotch, Geneva, and Holland; and when they had strength a Tindal was fellow of All Souls' College.

here, they pulled down the monarchy. But I will tell an opinion they hold prejudicial to the state in his opinion; and that is, that they are against toleration, of which if I do not show him ten times more instances from their greatest writers than he can do of passive obedience among the clergy, I have done.

"Does not justice demand that they who alike contribute to the burden should alike receive the advantage?" Here is another of his maxims closely put without considering what exceptions may be made. The papists have contributed doubly (being so taxed), therefore, by this rule, they ought to have double advantage. Protection in property, leave to trade and purchase, &c., are enough for a government to give. Employments in a state are a reward for those who entirely agree with it, &c. For example, a man who upon all occasions declared his opinion of a commonwealth to be preferable to a monarchy would not be a fit man to have employments; let him enjoy his opinion, but not be in a capacity of reducing it to practice, &c.

Page 287. "There can be no alteration in the established mode of church discipline, which is not made in a legal way." Oh! but there are several methods to compass this legal way, by cunning, faction, industry. The common people he knows may be wrought upon by priests; these may influence the faction, and so compass a very pernicious law, and in a legal way ruin the state; as king Charles I. began to be ruined in a legal way by passing bills, &c.

Page 288. "As everything is persecution which puts a man in a worse condition than his neighbours." It is hard to think sometimes whether this man is hired to write for or against dissenters and the sects. This is their opinion, although they will not own it so roundly. Let this be brought to practice: make a quaker lord-chancellor who thinks paying tithes unlawful; and bring other instances to show that several employments affect the church.

Ibid. "Great advantages which both church and state have got by the kindness already shown to dissenters." Let them then be thankful for that. We humour children for their good sometimes, but too much may hurt. Observe that this 64th paragraph just contradicts the former. For, if we have advantage by kindness shown dissenters, then there is no necessity of banishment or death.

Page 290. "Christ never designed the holy sacrament should be prostituted to serve a party. And that people should be bribed by a place to receive unworthily." Why, the business is, to be sure, that those who are employed are of the national church; and the way to know it is by receiving the sacrament, which all men ought to do in their own church, and if not, are hardly fit for an office; and if they have those moral qualifications he mentions joined to religion, no fear of receiving unworthily. And for this there might be a remedy to take an oath that they are of the same principles, &c., for that is the end of receiving; and that it might be no bribe, the bill against occasional conformity would prevent entirely.

Ibid. "Preferring men not for their capacity, but their zeal to the church." The misfortune is, that if we prefer dissenters to great posts they will have an inclination to make themselves the national church, and so there will be perpetual struggling; which case may be dangerous to the state. For men are naturally wishing to get over others to their own opinion: witness this writer, who has published as singular and absurd notions as possible, yet has a mighty zeal to bring us over to them, &c.

Page 292. Here are two pages of scurrilous faction, with a deal of reflections on great persons. Under the notion of high-churchmen he runs down all uniformity and church government. Here is the whole lower

house of convocation, which represents the body of the clergy, and both universities, treated with rudeness by an obscure, corrupt member, while he is eating their bread.

Page 294. "The reason why the middle sort of people retain so much of their ancient virtue, &c., is because no such pernicious notions are the ingredients of their education; which it is a sign are infinitely absurd when so many of the gentry and nobility can, notwithstanding their prepossession, get clear of them." Now the very same argument lies against religion, morality, honour, and honesty; which are, it seems, but prejudices of education, and too many get clear of them. The middle sort of people have other things to mind than the factions of the age. He always assigns many causes, and sometimes with reason, since he makes imaginary effects. He quarrels at power being lodged in the clergy when there is no reasonable Protestant, clergy or laity, who will not readily own the inconveniences by too great power and wealth in any one body of men, ecclesiastics or seculars: but on that account to weed up the wheat with the tares; to banish all religion because it is capable of being corrupted; to give unbounded licence to all sects, &c.-And if heresies had not been used with some violence in the primitive age, we should have had, instead of true religion, the most corrupt one in the world.

:

Page 316. "The Dutch, and the rest of our Presbyterian allies, &c." The Dutch will hardly thank him for this appellation. The French Huguenots and Geneva Protestants themselves, and others, have lamented the want of episcopacy and approved ours, &c. In this and the next paragraph the author introduces the arguments he formerly used when he turned Papist in King James's time: and, loath to lose them, he gives them a new turn; and they are the strongest in his book, at least have most artifice.

Page 383. ""Tis plain all the power the bishops have is derived from the people," &c. In general the distinction lies here. The permissive power of exercising jurisdiction lies in the people, or legislature, or administrator of a kingdom; but not of making him a bishop as a physician that commences abroad may be suffered to practise in London, or be hindered; but they have not the power of creating him a doctor, which is peculiar to a university. This is some allusion; but the thing is plain, as it seems to me, and wants no subterfuge, &c.

Page 338. "A journeyman bishop to ordain for him." Does any man think that writing at this rate does the author's cause any service? is it his wit or his spleen that he cannot govern?

Page 364. "Can any have a right to an office without having a right to do those things in which the office consists?" I answer, the ordination is valid. But a man may prudentially forbid to do some things: as a clergyman may marry without licence or banns; the marriage is good, yet he is punishable for it.

Page 368. "A choice made by persons who have no right to choose is an error of the first concoction." That battered simile again! this is hard. I wish physicians had kept that a secret, it lies so ready for him to be witty with.

Page 370. "If prescription can make mere nullities to become good and valid, the laity may be capable of all manner of ecclesiastical power," &c. There is a difference; for here the same way is kept, although there might be breaches; but it is quite otherwise if you alter the whole method from what it was at first. We see bishops there always were bishops: it is the old way still. So a family is still held the same, although we are not sure of the purity of every one of the race.

Page 380. "It is said that every nation is not a complete body politic within itself as to ecclesiasticals.