that Shepherd's Crook which is to bring them into one Fold? 'Tis a Song almost in the fame Strain with those which Tityrus warbled upon his Flute or Flageolet (m). Now it feems that the producing of Songs to prove the Duty of receiving the Bull, is Argument. But let us leave this Prelate with his Mufick and his fine Ditty, and return to our Doctors of Equivocation and mental Refervation, and we will try to confound them and their Bull; not from the Gofpel, but from the Words of Cicero. Hear this Pagan, therefore, ye Inhabitants of the City of God, from whom ye have already heard fuch glorious Sayings, and from whom we have yet more to repeat. Give ear, 'tis Cicero who now fpeaks: (n) În the fecond Punic In War, after the Battel of Canna, Hannibal fent 'ten Prisoners to Rome, under an Oath of returning, if they could not obtain the Liberty of fuch and fuch Prisoners in Exchange.----The Cenfors fet a Fine during Life, upon all their Heads that were forfworn.'

Speak your Thoughts, ye Difciples of Valentia, Don't you think this was very unjust Treatment? For, you wou'd fay, as to thofe Romans breaking their Oath, it was because they had not a mind to keep it now what needs more to render it null and void? No, there needs nothing more indeed, as you think: But according to the Romans, who were Men of Honour, the Oath was nevertheless as much an Oath as ever; and 'twas upon this ac

(m) Tityre, tu patula recubans fub tegmine fagi,

Sylveftrem tenui mufam meditaris avena.
Virg. Bucol. Eclog. i,

(2) Secundo autem Punico bello, poft Cannenfem pugnam, quos deceni Annibal Romam mifit, adftrictos jurejurando fe redituros effe, nifi de redimendis iis, qui capti erant, impetraffent; eos omnes, Cenfores, quoad quifque eorum vixit, qui pejerassent, in ærariis reliquerunt. Cic. de Offic. L, i. c, 13.

I 4

count

count, that they who had taken it were degraded by the Cenfors, and branded as Perjurers; notwithstanding the honeft Intention they had not to keep it. But this is not all: Hear what Cicero fays further.

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(0) Nor was there any Exception as to him who was no fooner gone from the Camp, but he found out a Shift to evade the Oath, and prefently went back, under colour of fomething left behind him; and then returning, went his way, as if he had thought himself discharg❜d from the Obligation of the Oath: And fo he was indeed in Words, but not in Effect. For in all Oaths, • Promises, or Pledges of Faith, the Intention is to be confider'd, and not the Letter?---So that even tho this Soldier and his nine other Comrades, had been fo fubtle when Hannibal made them fwear, as to have faid Uro for Juro, (for they talk'd Latin in those Days) the Cenfors wou'd nevertheless have degraded them; and wou'd have thought fuch a Quirk too mean a Shift for an honeft Man to make ufe of. In a word, it was the Principle of the old Romans, (p) That whatfoever we have fworn, fa as to have a full Perfwafion in our Minds, that it ought to be done, That must be obferv'd.'

Ye Difciples of Filliucius, Tambourin, Valentia, and Sanchez, are you fenfible of the Difference between thefe Principles and yours? If you are, reform your fubtle, deceitful Divinity, and take

(0) Nec minus illum qui jurisjurandi fraude culpam invene rat. Cum enim Annibalis permiffu exiffet è caftris rediit paulo poft, quod fe oblitum nefcio quid diceret; Deinde egreffus è caftris, jurejurando fe folutum putabat: Et erat verbis, re non erat. Semper autem in fide, quid fenferis, non quid dixeris cogitandum. Cicer. ibid.

(p) Quod enim ita juratum eft, ut mens deferentis concipe ret fieri oportere, id obfervandum eft. Cic. de Offic. Lib. iii C. 29.

thefe

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thefe Pagans for your Masters: They'll teach you alfo, What is to be confider'd in an Oath, and ⚫ what Obligation we lie under of keeping it (q), viz. its Force and Sacrednefs: For an Oath, fays Cicero, is a Religious Affirmation; and what foever we promife pofitively, as in the Prefence of God, we must keep it; not for fear of the • Anger of the Gods,---but from a Love to Faith and Justice that Faith on which Ennius makes this glorious Exclamation:

O boly Faith! Thou facred Oath of Jove,

And fit to have thy Manfion with the Gods above.

Verily, the Jefuits wou'd fay, these are fine Principles, and very different from ours. But were thefe Pagans the fame in Practice as in Speculation? For as for our part, we are no Hypocrites. True, my Fathers, for as you speak wickedly, fo you act, and there is no Contradiction between your Behaviour and your Words. So much for your Comfort. Nor is there any Contradiction in the Pagans: They acted juft as they talk'd, as you will now fee by the Story of the gerous Regulus, which Cicero gives us in these Words.

(r) Marcus Attilius Regulus, in his second Confulfhip, when he was furpriz'd and taken Prisoner 'in

(q) Sed in jurejurando que vis fit, debet intelligi. Eft enim jusjurandum affirmatio religiofa. Quod autem affirmatè quafi Deo tefte, promiferis, id tenendum eft: Jam enim non ad iram Deorum- -fed ad juftitiam & ad fidem pertinet. Nam præclarè Ennius; O fides alma, apta pinnis & jusjurandum Joyis. Cicer. de Offic. L. iii. c. 29.

(~) M. Attilius Regulus, cum Conful iterum in Africâ ex infidiis captus effet, Duce Xantippo Lacedæmonio, Imperatore autem patre Annibalis Amilcare, juratus miffus eft ad fenatum,

ut

in Africa, by Xantippus the Lacedæmonian, a • Commander under Amilcar the Father of Hannibal, (who was then General) was fent to the Senate, under an Oath of returning to Carthage, unlefs certain Carthaginian Noblemen should be re• leas'd in exchange.

Being come to Rome, he had before him a 'fair Colour of Profit, which was that he might ftay in his own Country, and live at home with his Wife and Children ---For as to his Oath, as your Father Valentia has faid fince, he need only have faid, that really he did intend to oblige himfelf, but that he did not intend to perform what he had promis'd. That's what he might have done very well if he had been a Jefuit; but being an upright Man, and an honest Pagan, he acted quite the contrary.

For he came into the Senate, told them his • Business, but refus'd to give his Opinion; alledging, that fo long as he was under an Oath to the Enemy, he was in the Condition of a Prifoner, and not of a Senator----But that which he did fpeak was against himself----for he would not allow it to be for the Intereft of the Romans to exchange their Prisoners, for they were young Men, he faid, and good Soldiers; but that for his part, he was wafted with old Age. His Authority prevailing, the Prifoners were detain'd, and

ut nifi redditi effent pœnis captivi nobiles quidem rediret ipfe Carthaginem.

Is cum Romam veniffet, utilitatis fpeciem videbat-manere in patria, effe domi fuæ cum uxore, cum liberis,

In Senatum venit: mandata expofuit. Sententiam ne diceret recufavit; quamdiu jurejurando hoftium teneretur, non effe fe Senatorem. Atque illud etiam reddi captivos negavit effe utile: Illos enim adolescentes effe & bonos duces, se jam confectum fenectute. Cujus cum valuiffet auctoritas, captivi retenti funt, ipfe Carthaginem rediit, neque eum caritas patria retinuit, nec fuorum. Cic. de Offic. L. iii. c. 27,

• himself

himself return'd to Carthage, without being kept • back by the Affection he had either for his dear Country or his Friends.'

(s) ́ Ñevertheless, he was not ignorant to how * cruel an Enemy, and to what exquifite Tor'ments he expos'd himself, by his Return; only he was refolv'd not to violate his Oath. There'fore, when they had watch'd him even to Death, his Condition was yet more honourable than • if he had ended his Days at home, a fuperannuated Captive, and a forfworn Senator.'

Say, now, Father Jefuits, is this faying one thing and doing another? are not Practice and Speculation both agreed here? and does not this Pagan appear to you to have been as fcrupulous or as nice of his Honour in a good Action, as you are profufe of it in Wickedness?

(t) But, fays Cicero, (and a very remarkable Saying it is) in the whole Character of Regulus, the most wonderful Part of it was his Opinion for detaining the Prisoners. For as to his Return, 'tho we wonder at it now-a-days, he could not yet, at that time, do otherwife.'This is as if he had faid, that Plain-dealing and Fidelity were then as much in vogue among the Romans, as Knavery and Falfhood are now among thofe Reverend Fathers, who call themselves the Pillars of the Church.

(s) Neque vero tum ignorabat fe ad crudeliffimum hoftem, & ad exquifita fupplicia proficifci : fed jusjurandum confervandum putabat. Itaque cum vigilando necabatur, erat in meliore causâ quam fi domi fenex captivus, perjurus & confularis remanfiffet. Cic. de Offic. L. iii. c. 27.

(t) Sed ex tota hac laude Reguli, unum illud eft admiratione dignum, quod captivos retinendos cenfuerit. Nam quod rediit, nobis mirabile videtur : illis quidem temporibus aliter facere non potuit. Ibid. c. 31,