Cock, with a Sword, a good Head of Hair, a Cravat, and a gaudy Coat. But all this Precau tion of Moliere's availed not; Tartuffe had the Conduct, Craft, and Spirit of a Priest, though disguised like a Layman; and the Clergy found themselves whipped upon Tartuffe's Back.

EIGHT Days after Tartuffe was forbid to be acted, the Court was entertained with a very irreligious Play, called Scaramouch. After it was over, the King told a certain Prince, that he wondered why thofe People, who were so scandalized at Moliere's Comedy, did not say a Word of this. O Sir, answered the Prince, the Reafon is plain; the Play of Scaramouch only makes a Feft of God and Religion, in which these Gentlemen are no wife concerned: But Moliere kas dared to bring the Priests upon the Stage; which is not to be fuffered.

G.

NUMBER

NUMBER XL.

Wednesday, October 19. 1720.

Of PRIESTLY CRUELTY.

A

GOOD Man is diftinguished by his Humanity, as is the good God by his Mercy. Where there is no Humanity, there can be no Grace: We cannot poffefs at the fame time the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of a Brute or a Demon. Charity itself, the most sublime Christian Grace, feems to be only Humanity guided and animated by Piety: And this is the more likely, for that it is the Business of the Christian Religion, to recover to human Nature those Virtues, which were either lost or leffened by the Fall of Adam. Had Man continued as he was made, perfect, a new Covenant, and another Inftitution, had been unneceffary.

VOL. II.

D

HU

HUMANITY then is an amiable Virtue, and the Characteristic of a Man; and of a Man civilized, gentle, benevolent; purged from all Rage, and every unfociable Paffion.

BUT the Appetites and Paffions of Men being too powerful for Reafon, and the Law of Nature; Religion was inftituted to regulate and quell them. For this End, it proposes, as Sanctions and Restraints, the Favour of God to the Virtuous, and threatens his Displeasure to the Wicked, in this Life; and, in the next> ftill more adequate Rewards and Punishments, even thofe of Heaven and Hell. This is the great Defign of Religion; and it effectually anfwers the fame, where its own honeft and fimple Dictates are obferved and followed; than which Dictates nothing can be more plain and reasonable; the principal Precept of the Gospel, next after our Belief in Jefus Chrift, being that of Peace and Love: A new Commandment, fays our bleffed Saviour, I give unto you, that you love one another.

IN Confequence of this Doctnine, and of the Heavenly Temper which it infpired, the firft Chriftians lived together in perfect Concord, Love and Charity; and yet there is no Question to be made, but they differed from each other in their Conceptions about fome Points

4

Points in Religion; as we fee the Apostles themselves alfo differed on feveral Occafions, and expreffed fome Warmth in these their Differences,

THIS fame Spirit of Charity and Love continued amongst the first Chriftians, till lying, crafty, and selfish Men, calling themselves Minifters, and affuming to be Teachers, filled them with the Spirit of Difcord, and inftructed them to hate one another. They rent them into Parties, infpired them with the Bitterness of Faction, and taught them its Watch-words, by which they were to distinguish themselves from all other Chriftians: I am of Paul, I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and the like Cant, full of Zeal, but void of Senfe and Religion, had a direct and mischievous Tendency to abolish Faith in Chrift, and to place it upon Men; and, in fine, to turn Chriftianity into Caballing. They likewife marked out all who would not be driven nor deceived by them, with malicious and opprobrious Names, proper to expose them to Hatred and ill Usage. Heretic, Apoftate, Unbeliever, Schifmatic, and the like hard and equivocal Words, were found ftrangely effectual towards stirring up Rage, Revenge, and relentless War, against those un happy People who were mifcalled by them;

fo effectual! that the fame Set of Men have never fuffered the fame Set of Words to wax obfolete, but to this Day ufe them, and cause them to be used, to the fame impious and antichriftian Purpose, and (where the Law does not restrain their bloody Hands, and guard the Innocent) with the fame Success.

WHEN thefe ungodly and merciless Ecclefiaftics had thus, under the Cloak of Religion, craftily raised the blind Resentment, and im· pious Zeal, of their deluded Followers, against their Christian Brethren, who preferred the Spirit of the Gofpel, and the honeft Convictions of their Consciences, to the Pride and Commands of Men; there followed fuch amazing Inftances of Cruelty, and fuch terrible Scenes of Blood, as muft affect the Hearts, and the Eyes, of all who read them, or hear of them, if they possess either Christian Grace, or natural Compaffion. Chriftians were, by their Priefts, fet on to butcher Chriftians; and to make Havock of each other, in the Name of that Religion, which was distinguished from all other Religions, by a Spirit of Meekness, Mercy, and Love: And all this, perhaps, for their different Manner of explaining a Mystery, which could not be explained; or which, if explained, ceafed to be one.