Page images
PDF
EPUB

course to more Liquor, over which they swear and triumph upon their late Orthodox Exploits. Probably, at laft they vomit up their Devotions in Drury-lane, and finish the Holy Day in a Bawdy-boufe. Next Morning, the Sum of the Reckoning will be this: They have loft a Day, and with it their Innocence: They have rifqued their Health and their Souls: They have provoked God, and in his Name committed Outrages upon their Neighbours. Sweet Jefus! Is this the Spirit of thy Church? Can these be thy Followers, or the Followers of thy "Servants?

UPON the Whole, a Man may ply his Imagination with black and difmal Ideas, till hehas made his Heart as fad and forrowful as hepleases: He may alfo, by playing with his Fancy, and by amusing it with. agreeable and humourous Images, render his Soul as merry as he pleases; and by thefe Means create either Co medy or Tragedy within himself: But neither. is Wantonness of Spirit any Worship of God; nor is this Gloominefs of Soul any Devotion to him. The Mahometan Dervises, and Indian Brachmans, exceed us by far in Fafting and Aufterities: It is incredible what voluntary Torture and Plague they undergo in the Way of Religion. And as to godly Ranting and Roar ing, the old Pagan Bacchanals were as mad

and

[merged small][ocr errors]

and as drunk on their Holy Days, as we of the Eftablifhed Church can be on ours.

NUMBER XXXIX.

Wednesday October 12. 1720.

Pricfts afraid of Ridicule.

R

ELIGION, as the Popish Frieft's have disfigured it, is only a wicked and ambitious Scheme, contrived by them, to fet themfelves above the People. This is fo true, that where-ever the Priefts have the moft Power, Religion has the leaft. Being neither appointed by the Law of Nature, nor the Law of Chrift, they are only Intruders into the Affairs of Religion; which is therefore under an Ufurpation, while it is under them. So that their Foundation being false, they are ja moft Countries reduced to fupport it by falfe Fadis

j

Facts, and deceitful Appearances. And as they are thus obliged to cover Fraud with Fraud, and fupport one Violence by another, it is no Wonder, that we find it often fo carefully hidden under Inventions, and deformed by Abfurdities; and all thofe Inventions and Abfurdities defended by Cruelty, and a ftrong, Hand.

THIS ftrange Jumble of Fictions they have the Front to call by the holy Name of Religion, and gravely to create Faith out of Lyes: And with the groveling Multitude, whose Eyes are in the Earth, all this paffes off well enough; They have fearful Hearts, and fimple Heads, and fo ftand always prepared to be frightened or deluded at the priestly Word of Command. But because the Craft lies fubject to daily Detection from rational and difcerning Men, its Champions have raised loud Cries, and strong Prejudices, against the two principal Weapons by which their Cause is moft annoyed; I mean the Weapons of REASON and RIDICULE; the former of which discovers Truth, and the latter exposes Fraud.

WHAT Civil Treatment thefe Reverend Seers afford to Reafon, I have fhewn elfewhere; and shall handle, in this Paper, the Bufinefs of Ridicule, which they always represent

28

as impious and profane, when ever it meddles with the Caffock; and yet always exercise it according to their Talents, without Mercy, when the waggish grave Creatures are pleased to be arch upon Diffenters or Free-Thinkers.

To them is no doubt owing, that frequent, but falfe Saying,, now in the Mouth of every Ignorant; namely, that it is an easy Matter to make a Fest upon Religion or the Priesthood;. which, whether they are aware of it or not, is faying that their Religion and its Priests are a Jeft. For he, upon whom the Jeft is made, does, in Effect, make the Jeft; otherwise it is none. Religion and Virtue cannot be ridiculed; and whoever attempts it, by fhewing himself a Villain, raifes Horror instead of Laughter, which is the End of Ridicule. But the vending of Grimace for Religion, and fetting up for Piety. without Virtue, are the natural Subjects of Jeer and Merriment.

WHOEVER fears Ridicule, deserves Ridicule. He is conscious of a weak Side, and knows that he cannot ftand a Laugh. This is the Cafe of facred Grimace, or Gravity, which Men of Senfe fee to be only a studied Restraint laid upon the Mufcles of the Face, and the Joints of the Body, and teaching them to move, not by the Impulfes of Nature, and the Motions of the Heart, but by Defign, either to attract Admiration, or obtain Credit, or gain

Fol

Followers. And therefore facred Grimace dreads Men of Sense. However, it is never to be fet afide; for this fame affected Demurenefs, ridiculous as it is in itself, is a folemn Bait to catch the Mob, whofe Refpect always follows their Wonder. The Vulgar are caught, like Woodcocks, by the Eyes; and led, like Calves, by the Ears; Shew and Sound lead their fat Heads captive. It is therefore no Wonder, that in Popish Countries, a fhewy Chancel, a curious tall Steeple, gilded Organs, and a delicate Ring of Bells, keep the Many on the Parfon's Side, make them all good Churchmen; and always get the better of a plain Religion, that has its Abode only in the Heart, and wants all the above-mentioned Marks of the true Church. Befides all this, there is more Mirth, and more Holy Days, in their Orthodox Faith, than in the contrary Scheme, which obliges Men to earn Heaven with the Sweat of their Brows, and take Pains to be faved.

[ocr errors]

THESE, however, are but fmall Inftances of Ridicule, taken from the Force and Grimace of an external Religion. I fhall here give Inftances much more confiderable, as well as much more ridiculous. Do we not see the pretended Succeffors of the Apostles, at home and elsewhere, instead of making Tents, or converting the World, living voluptuously, and

pro

« PreviousContinue »