Annos V. poft L. vixit, fibi fatis;

At non Patriæ, non amicis, nec uxori.
Cæterum, ut fine labe vitam tranfegerat,
Mortem abfque formidine obiit,

Liberis viris & bonis nunquam non defiderandus
Decemb. XVI. An. Ch. MDCCXXII.
Manent Monumenta ingenii, femperque manebunt,
Scriptis multi generis facrata.

He fhone in the Accomplishments of private Life. To the wild Fury of all Vifionaries and Mystists, To the direful Fooleries of all Bigots,

His Enmity was bent and perpetual,

As Men ever ravening against the Liberty, against the Poffeffions,

Of their Fellow-Citizens.

Eloquently he expofed, zealously he reftrained, The petulant Spirit and Avarice of fuch Men. That the God of Nature, fupremely Great, fupremely Good,

Could ever approve wanton Cruelty, or devout Clamour, and empty Sounds,

Or could ever be offended with the Miftakes and
Roamings of the human Soul,

Was what his rational Heart could never conceive.
To the Age of almost Fifty-five he lived,
An Age to himfelf fufficiently long;

But not fo to his Country, nor to his Friends, nor to his Lady.

As he had paffed his Life without Blemish,
He encountered Death without Fear,
A Man by all virtuous Men and Free-men
Worthy to be for ever lamented.

He died on the Sixteenth of December 1723.
Of his Genius and Abilities there are Monuments

remaining,

Such as will for ever remain,

Confecrated to Time and Pofterity in Writings of

various Kinds.

0 3

THE

CONTENTS

Of the First VOLUME.

EDICATION to the Lower House of Con

vocation,

A LETTER to the Publisher,
The PREFACE,

Numb. I. The INTRODUCTION,

II. The Defign of this Paper,

III. Of the Contempt of the Clergy,

IV. Of the Explication of the Scripture,

Page iii.

xlvii.

xcvif.

9

16

23

V. The Unfitness of the Clergy to teach others, 30 VI. Of Creeds and Confeffions of Faith,

VJ. Of uninterrupted Succeffion,

VIII. Of uninterrupted Succeffion, Part II.
IX. Of the Clearness of Scripture,

X. Of Ordination,

38

46

55

63

73

XI. The advantageous Situation of the Clergy, Strangely inconfiftent with their common Cry of Danger,

82

90

XII. The Enmity of the High Clergy to the Reformation, and their Arts to defeat the End of it, XIII. The Church proved a Creature of the Civil Power by Acts of Parliament, and the Oaths of the Clergy,

XIV. The Clergy proved to be Creatures of the
Civil Power, by the Canons, and their own
public Acts,
108
XV. The Abfurdity and Impoffibility of Church
Power, as independent on the State, 115
XVI. The Inconfiftency of the Principles and
Practices of the High-Church; with fome Ad-
vice to the Clergy,

123

XVII. Reasons why the High Church are the
moft wicked of all Men,

XVIII. A general Idea of Prieftcraft,

132

141

XIX. Ecclefiaftical Authority, as claimed by the
High Clergy, an Enemy to Religion,
149
Queries concerning Authority in Matters of
Faith,

156

A Letter to a Clergyman, fbewing the Impoffibility
of affenting to what we do not understand, 160
XX. Of Chaplains,

169

XXI. A Comparison between the High-Church
and the Quakers,

179

XXII. Prieftcraft corrupts every thing, and per-

verts the Ufe of Words,

188

XXIII. Of Zeal,

197

XXV. of Perfecution,

207

XXV. Of Confecration,

215

XXVI. Of Faith and Morality,

224

XXVI. Of Fafting,

232

XXVIII. of Authority,

238

XXIX. of Education,

248

XXX. of Education, Part II.

256

XXXI. Of Ceremonies,

262

XXXII. of Ceremonies, Part II.

272

THE