fpend their Sundays, after Divine Service was over, in Family or private Devotion: That Book was iffued out by Authority; and many godly Clergymen were haraffed for not reading it, as many Laymen were for not turning that Holy Day into a Play Day.

BUT, to the Glory of King GEORGE, this priestly Atheism of Persecution is now vapifhing. His Majesty began his Reign with a noble Declaration for Toleration, wherein he allows his Subjects to have a Right to a Religion and a Conscience. The Perfecution, commenced by a High-Church Priest against honeft WHISTON, fell; and the Promoter is defeated of all Hopes of getting his Charges by a Bishoprick. The Bishop of Bangor * has preached up the Authority of God and Chrift before his Majesty; and his Majesty (the Head of our Church, the supreme Ordinary, and the fole Fountain of all Ecclefiaftical, as well as Civil Authority) has preached it to the Nation. Some penal Laws have been repealed; wherein our truly Chriftian Prelates had, to their immortal Honour, their Share. berty of Examination and Debate (which is the most facred of all Principles, as it is the fole Foundation of all common Senfe, Truth, and

Li

Dr. BENJAMIN HOADLEY, now Lord Bishop of Winchester.

true Christianity) grows upon us. A Majo rity of Difflenting Ministers, affembled in a Synod, have declared for the Bible; which was never before done by any Synod of Priests, who have always endeavoured to establish their own or fome other Human Authority. The High Priests dare not plainly excite the Mob to burn, plunder, and moleft their Neighbours; but are in great measure reduced to Pulpit and private Railing and Damning. The fole Perfecution now on Foot, and countenanced by Authority, is, That High-Church cannot perfecute Diffenters; for it is esteemed by fome a Church Perfecution not to be able to perfecute others. And lastly, I dare write the Independent Whig.

O GLORIOUS King George! O the Happinefs of a Nation to be governed by fuch a Monarch! Of whom I cannot but obferve, that he feems to me the Favourite of Heaven, which fo bleffes all his Defigns with Success, that he need not fear Succefs in any truly virtuous or religious Designs. And (that I may ufe the printed Words of Mr. BOLD, an excellent Divine of our Church). "It is no "fmall Encouragement to all, who have t any Acquaintance with the Chriftian Religion, to reft affured, that God will, in due

«Time,

"Time, notwithstanding all the Machina❝tions and Efforts of ill People, bring Mat«ters in this Land to an happy Iffue, because "none are against the Government of our "moft Excellent Sovereign King GEORGE, " and the Proteftant Succeffion, but who are "alfo against the Lord JESUS CHRIST being "fole King in his own Kingdom, and con"sequently against his being fole Law-giver to, and Judge of, his own Subjects, in Mat"ters of Confcience, and which relate to "their eternal Salvation.”

NUMBER XLV.

Wednesday, November 23. 1720.

Of High-Church ATHEISM. Part 4.

S a further Proof of the Charge of Practical Atheism upon HighChurch Priefts, I proceed to fhew how they confound and fubvert all Morality and Holiness of Life; which is the main Design of all Religion, and more particularly of the Christian.

1. THIS they do, in the firft Place, by teaching the most immoral and unholy Doctrines, and thereby leading Men to Actions, in the highest Degree, prejudicial to human Society.

To do as we would be done unto, and to love our Neighbour as ourselves, are Moral and Christian Principles, of daily and most general Use. We cannot converse a Moment, with

out

out acting agreeably or contrary to them; And the Happiness of Society confifts, in great measure, in the Practice of thofe Duties; as the Mifery of Society confifts in their Breach. For what is Happiness in Society, but the Prevalency of universal Love, and equal Favour and Justice? And what greater Degree of Love can we fhew to others, than that Love wherewith we love ourselves? And what can a whole Society with for more, than that equal Favour and Justice be distributed among them? And what is Mifery in Society, but Malice, and Hatred, and Partiality; and their Confequences, Disorder, Confufion, and War?

Now the High Prieft dogmatizes against thefe fundamental Maxims of Morality, whenever he contends against the Right of Men tojudge for themselves in Religion, which he pretends to use himself; whenever he contends for Penalties or Difcouragements of any Kind, against those who differ in Opinion from him, which he would not at the same time think just to have inflicted on himself for differing in Opinion from them; whenever he damns Men as. Heretics and Schifmatics, in Cafes wherein he would not damn himself; whenever he judges whole Sects or Bodies of Men infincere, (as is his conftant Method towards Diffenters)