ifm and Hobbifm, and implies, that neither AUGUSTUS, in whofe Reign our Bleffed Saviour CHRIST was born, nor any other Pagan Prince, ought to permit Chriftianity, which is the most pure and peaceable Religion, to become the Established Religion of their Country; yet Dr. Dawson has lately had the Confidence to lay it before the present Archbishop of Canterbury *; whofe Conduct and Writings, before he was promoted to that See, gave not the Doctor the leaft Ground to fufpect, that this worthy Prelate would approve fuch Atheism, Irreligion, and Antichriftianifm; and no Man dares say, that they have done fo fince.

2. SECONDLY, The Practices following from the Principles of High-Church Priests, are the fame with those following from the Principles of Atheism. For, do not many Christian Civil Magiftrates exercise the Rightafferted by High-Church Priests to belong to them, and fine, burn, imprison, inflict corpo. ral Punishments, take away Mens natural Rights, merely because Men follow their Consciences in what they are perfuaded is the Law of God? And what more can be done in virtue of any Atheistical Principles? Nor do

The late Dr. WILLIAM WAKE.

the:

the Notions of a Bible, a Law of God, and a Confcience, (however inconfiftent fuch Notions are with making penal Laws in Matters of Religion) render High-Churchmen less Perfecutors, than if they were acted by any Atheistical Principles; ar is manifeft from what is done in moft Countries, where, in proportion to the Power and Influence of High-Church Priests, Degrees of Violence upon Mens Consciences prevail. Nor do the Precepts of Chrift, who requires all Men to fearch the Scriptures, and to believe and live according to the Rules there laid down, and who never fends Men tơ the Magiftrate, or the eftablished Priefts, for the understanding of the Bible, abate in the leaft their perfecuting Zeal. Nor laftly, does the moft perfect Morality taught by CHRIST, who every-where inculcates Love of Mankind, Forbearance, (with Forgiveness even of many Immoralities) and univerfal Charity, and who has faid, By this fall all Men know, that ye are my Difciples, if ye love one another; I say, even this heavenly Doctrine of his, does not reftrain the High-Church Prieft from stirring up in Mens Minds the utmost Hatred, Malice, and Fury of Men against one another; who feem to learn little elfe from their Priest as matter of Religion, but the Doctrine of Malice againft

against thofe whom he diflikes; which Doctrine they practise with fuch Warmth and Zeal, as if it was the principal or only Article of Religion: And therein do more Mischief, than Men acted by Atheistical Principles can be supposed to do; for Atheism is as incapable of making Men uncharitable to one another, on account of Religion, as it is inconfiftent with true Religion to be uncharitable.

How thefe Atheistical Practices have prevailed in England, even fince the Reformation, (for I will not mention the Times before, wherein this priestly Atheism was rampant) is apparent from our Hiftory, which gives an Account of the burning, hanging, fining, imprifoning, ftarving in Gaols, banishing, inflicting corporal Punishments, and haraffing Thoufands of good and religious People, on the score of Religion; upon which I crave leave to make thefe Obfervations:

1. FIRST, That as the High-Church Priests have been always most forward in makeing and defending penal Laws; fo they have been the most barbarous and malicious in putting them in Execution, where they were intrufted with it, as is manifeft from the Proceedings in the Star-chamber; where, under the Influence of Archbishop LAUD, and fuch

High

High Priefts, exorbitant Fines, Slitting Nofes, Cutting off Ears, Branding the Face with hot Irons, fevere Whipping, the Pillory, and Imprisonment for Life in Dungeons, or in Places either unwholfome, or remote from Friends, were common Punishments; and sometimes all inflicted upon one Man. Upon pronounceing one of thefe Sentences against LEIGHTON, LAUD pulled off his Cap, and gave Thanks to God. But the Lay Part of the Court were merely prieft-driven and outwitted by LAUD in fuch Sentences: For when a Knight moved one of the Lords about the Dreadfulness of the Sentence, intimating, that it opened a Gap to the Prelates to inflict fuch disgraceful Punishments and Tortures upon Men of Quality; that Lord replied, 'Twas but in terrorem, and that he would not have any one think, that the Sentence should ever be executed. But that Lord (either judging of other Men by himself, or perhaps joining in the Sentence, upon a Promife from LAUD, that it fhould not be executed) found himself mistaken in LAUD, who, having long divested himself of all Lay Pity, caufed the Sentence to be rigorously put in Execution.

2. SECONDLY, The Ecclefiaftical Commiflioners in the High-Commiffion Court put

the

the Oath, Ex Officio, upon those brought before them on the fcore of Religion; an Oath unjust in itself, as it obliges the Parties to answer all Interrogatories, and thereby made all honest Men, if guilty of any thing esteemed a Fault, their own Accufers; and an Oath, neither founded on Act of Parliament, nor on Common Law, in that Cafe. After what manner this ufurped Power of adminiftring that Oath was exercised, you cannot have better expreffed, than in the Words of the Lord Treasurer BURLEIGH to Archbishop WHIT GIFT: Your Articles are fo curiously penned, fo full of Branches and Circumstances, that the Inquifitors of Spain use not fo many Questions to comprehend and entrap their Preys,

3. THIRDLY, I obferve, that whenever the Parliament has been difpofed to introduce the Practice of our Saviour's Doctrine of Love and Charity, by repealing any penal and fanguinary Laws, the High-Church Bishops always oppofed fuch Repeal. In Proof whereof, I will give the Reader but one Inftance, referring him to his own Obfervation for more Proofs in the Cafe. In 1677. when the Nation and Parliament were under great Apprehenfions from Popery, and a Popish Succeffor,

and