to bless them that curfe us; and do good to them that defpitefully ufe us.

Chriftian wifdom is without partiality. It is not calculated for this or that nation or people, but the whole race of mankind: Not to the philofophical schemes, which were narrow and confined, adapted to their peculiar towns, governments, or fects; but, in every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

Laftly, It is without hypocrify. It appears to be what it really is; it is all of a piece. By the doctrines of the Gospel we are fo far from being allowed to publish to the world thofe virtues we have not, that we are commanded to hide, even from ourselves, those we really have, and not to let our right hand know what our left hand does unlike feveral branches of the Heathen wisdom, which pretended to teach infenfibility and indifference, magnanimity and contempt of life, while, at the fame time, in other parts it belied its own doctrines.

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I come now, in the laft place, to fhew that the great examples of wisdom and virtue among the Grecian fages, were produced by perfonal merit, and not influenced by the doctrine of any particular feet; whereas, in Christianity, it is quite the contrary.

The two virtues most celebrated by antient moralifts, were fortitude and temperance, as re

lating to the government of man in his private capacity, to which their schemes were generally addreffed and confined; and the two inftances wherein thofe virtues arrived at the greatest height, were Socrates and Cato. But neither thofe, nor any other virtues poffeffed by these two, were at all owing to any leffons or doctrines of a fect. For Socrates himself was of none at all; and although Cato was called a Stoick, it was more from a refemblance of manners in his worst qualities, than that he avowed himself one of their difciples. The fame may be affirmed of many other great men of antiquity. From whence I infer, that those who were renowned for virtue among them, were more obliged to the good natural difpofitions of their own minds, than to the doctrines of any fect they pretended to follow.

On the other fide, As the examples of fortitude and patience among the primitive Chriftians, have been infinitely greater and more numerous, fo they were altogether the product of their principles and doctrine; and were fuch as the fame perfons, without thofe aids, would never have arrived to. Of this truth most of the Apostles, with many thoufand martyrs, are a cloud of witneffes beyond exception. Having therefore fpoken fo largely upon the former heads, I fhall dwell no longer upon this.

And, if it should here be objected, Why does not Christianity still produce the fame effects? it

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is eafy to answer, first, That although the numə ber of pretended Christians be great, yet that of true believers, in proportion to the other, was never fo fmall; and it is a true lively faith alone; that, by the affiftance of God's grace, can influence our practice.

Secondly, we may anfwer, That Chriftianity itself has very much fuffered, by being blended up with Gentile philofophy. The Platonic fyftem, first taken into religion, was thought to have given matter for fome early herefies in the church. When difputes began to arise, the Peripatetic forms were introduced by Scotus, as beft fitted for controversy. And however this may now have become neceffary, it was furely the author of a litigious vein, which has fince occafioned very pernicious confequences, ftopt the progrefs of Christianity, and been a great promoter of vice, verifying that fentence given by St James, and mentioned before, Where envying and ftrife is, there is confufion and every evil work. This was the fatal stop to the Grecians, in their progrefs both of arts and arms: Their wife men were divided under several fects, and their governments under feveral commonwealths, all in oppofition to each other; which engaged them in eternal quarrels among themselves, while they fhould have been armed againft the common enemy. And I wish we had no other examples from the like caufes, lefs foreign or antient than that. Diogenes, faid Socrates, was a madman

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the disciples of Zeno and Epicurus, nay of Plato and Aristotle, were engaged in fierce difputes about the most insignificant trifles. And, if this be the present language and practice among us Christians, no wonder that Christianity does not ftill produce the fame effects which it did at first, when it was received and embraced in its utmost purity and perfection. For fuch a wifdom as this cannot defcend from above, but must be earthly, fenfual, devilish; full of confufion, and every evil work: Whereas the wisdom from above, is firft pure; then peaceable, gentle, and eafy to be entreated; full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify. This is the true heavenly wisdom, which Chriftianity only can boast of, and which the greatest of the Heathen wife men could never arrive at.

Now to God the Father, &c. &c.

то

TO HIS GRACE

WILLIAM,

LORD ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN, &c.

The Humble REPRESENTATION of the CLERGY of the City of DUBLIN.

MY LORD,

JAN. 1724.

OUR Grace having been pleased to communicate ce a

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municate to us a certain brief, by letterspatents, for the relief of one Charles M'Carthy, whofe house in College-green, Dublin, was burnt by an accidental fire; and having defired us to confider of the faid brief, and give our opinion thereof to your Grace :

We the clergy of the City of Dublin, in compliance with your Grace's defire, and with great acknowledgments for your paternal tenderness towards us, having maturely confidered the faid brief by letters-patents, compared the feveral parts of it with what is enjoined us by the rubric, (which is confirmed by act of parliament) and confulted perfons skilled in the laws of the church; do, in the names of ourselves, and of the rest of our brethren, the clergy of the diocese of Dublin, most humbly represent to your Grace,