Virtue, just as the prefent Temper, or the prefent Views prevail; and, by corrupt Priefts, Things are often taught under the Name of Chrittianity, which are oppofite to the Nature of Chrif tianity Religion is pretended, and Power meant. In confequence of this, Duty is converted into Sin, and Sin into Duty. Thus, the worshipping of God according to one's Confcience, without which there can be no Worship, is made by the High-Church Priefts a damnable Sin; and the not worshipping a Table in the Chancel, though in Oppofition to one's Confcience, is as bad. Sometimes the refifting of unlawful Power, is cer tain Damnation; and fometimes the not rebelling against the most lawful Power, has the fame terrible Penalty annexed to it. To doubt or deny their uncharitable, unintelligible Explications of Myftery, which cannot be explained, is the most heinous Atheism; and to whip a feditious, forfworn Prieft, is crying Infidelity, and a Wound to Chrift, through the Sides of his Embaffador.

AT one Time, Predeftination is of high Confequence, and made an Article of Faith, and all Free-willers fhould be banished the Land, or locked up in Dungeons, like wild Beafts; which was the Judgment of the Bishops in King James the First's Days, concerning the Arminians. At a different Season, when Preferments run high on the other Side, as in King Charles the Firft's Reign, and ever fince; Arminianifm not only recovers Credit, but grows modifh, and confequently Orthodox; while Predeftination becomes an old-fashioned Piece of Faith, and a fure Sign of Fanaticifm: And yet it continues one of the XXXIX Articles, and yet it must not be believed, and yet it must be figned and affented to with a fincere Affent..

A. 4.

.

IN

IN all thefe Marches and Counter-marches, the Paffions of too many of the People keep pace with thofe of the High Priefts; and they are conftantly difpofed to be Slaves or Rebels, Freewillers, or No-willers, Believers of this, or Believers of that, juft as Almighty High-Church commands them.

SUCH Men do not pretend to teach their People the Meeknefs of Chriftianity: No, their Zeal is to be Anger, and their Religion Cruelty. That Fiercenefs, which is inconfiftent with the Spirit of a Chriftian, is to be the certain Criterion of one whom they call a true Churchman; and that Mercy, which is infeparable from the Gospel, is inconfiftent with the Temper of High-Church. Their Votaries are not taught to be Chriftians, which would spoil the Project, but High-Churchmen; and instead of an Army of Martyrs, they are to be an Army of Martyr-makers. Nor is any Portion of Knowledge fit for them; for that might endanger the Lofs of their Vaffalage; and the teaching them to know for themselves, might extinguish their Zeal, and intirely change their Belief and Behaviour. The poor People are, in fhort, by fuch Guides taught to be ignorant, and to let others know for them: They must give up common Sense to learn their Duty; and abandon Christianity, without which they cannot have the Grace of God, to embrace rigid Conformity, which is neither a Sign, nor a Cause, of that Grace, but often a Bar and a Contradiction to it. This is fo true, that whoever can reconcile Human Authority to Chriftian Charity, may reconcile Water and Fire, or do any other Impoffibility.

TENDERNESS and Moderation to those who devoutly differ from us, though they are evident

Principles and Duties of Chriftianity, and even the Refult of Reafon, Juftice, and Humanity, yet are never mentioned by the Mouth of Orthodoxy, but as Terms of Contempt or Reproach: Infomuch that a pious Indulgence to Men of a different Communion, the most honeft, virtuous, inoffenfive Men; and an Indulgence for the invincible, and perhaps rational Perfuafions of the Mind, is the common Topic of Satire, and' either ridiculed or reviled; whilst Men of the fame Side may go what Lengths they will in Violence and Villainy, without Anger or Rebuke: And while one Man fhall have his House burned, his Brains beat out, and his Family ruined, for having a fcrupulous Conscience, which is much more offenfive than none at all; another Man fhall break all the Ten Commandments with Reputation.

HATRED, and Bitterness of Spirit, are the first Leffons which the unhappy People are taught by fach Men; and the Gospel must be laid afide, and Good-nature be extinguifhed, before modern Orthodoxy can be fwallowed, or modern Zeal infused. Some of them may probably have learned to repeat the Catechifm by Rote, and even to have practifed profound Refpect and Submiffion to their Spiritual Superiors; but for the great and indifpenfable Duties of Religion, how can it be expected, that they fhould mind them, while they daily fee their Teachers exprefs a much more warm Concern for their own Dignities and Res venues, than for the Honour and Intereft of pure unmixed Religion, which was ever highest when Ecclefiaftical Power, and Ecclefiaftical Excife, were lowest ?·

WHEN a Congregation fees the Doctor much warmer against Diffenters, than against Sin, and not half fo zealous for the abfolute Neceffity of a virtuous and fober Life, as for the abfolute Neceffity of a rigid Conformity; what can they conclude, but either that he derides them, or that a ftupid Compliance with him, and a raging Refentment against Non-conformists, are the great Duties of Churchmen? Add to this, that if his Life be vicious, fuch a Conclufion is still the more natural to vulgar Understandings. When they fee Church-Power fo violently contended for, and Gofpel-Holiness fo little regarded, or fo eafily difpenfed with; what can their stupid Understandings infer, but that a blind Submiffion to the Ecclefiaftics is beyond all Evangelical Grace, and every moral Virtue? They find by daily Experience, that they may commit Drunkenness or Whoredom with Impunity, or at fmall Expence ; but if they do not give the Doctor what he calls his Due, even to the laft Sheaf of Corn, or the laft Pound of Wool, they are exposed in the Pulpit, haraffed in the Bishops-Court, and probably, at laft, furrendered to Satan and Damnation.

BESIDES, they oftener hear Texts quoted, in fome Pulpits, to abuse Separatifts, than to recom mend Godliness and Virtue ; and fee the Mode of performing a Duty more vehemently urged, than the Duty itfelf: Thus Kneeling at the Lord's Supper is made by many of equal Importance with the Sacrament itself; and the Crofs in Baptifm muft no more be parted with, than the Ordinance of Baptifm.

IT is therefore no Wonder, that the Affections. and Antipathies of the common People have neither proper Caufes, nor proper Objects; and that

they

they neither love the Gospel as fuch, nor hate Sin as fuch; but form their Faith and Devotion upon the Word and Behaviour of their Priests, who have the keeping of their Religion, their Zeal, and their Paffions. And what hopeful Ufe they make of this terrible Dominion, we all know: For indeed the Chriftian Religion is not so much as known to the High-Church Vulgar, nor fuffer'd to be known; and as little do they féel, or are fuffered to feel, the tender Impulfes of Good-nature and Humanity; but poffefs an Implacableness of Spirit, as oppofite to the Spirit of Chrift, as was the Spirit of Mahomet to that of Mofes

G.

NUMBER XXXIV.

Wednesday, September 7. 1720.

Of FASTING. Part 2.

N my 27th Paper, I made a Differtation upon

I Fan Paper, I a

MONSIEUR de Fontenelle, in his Hiftory of Oracles, tells us, from Philoftratus, that the Oracle of Amphiaraus in Attica delivered its Anfwers in Dreams; and that those who confulted it, muft A 6

firf