nourable House, or an Addrefs to the Throne for fome gainful Office, or a good Penfion for Life, or fo much as a Patent to fecure to himself and his Friends all the Honour and Profit that might reasonably be expected from fuch a public Service, he met with no other Reward than Cenfure and Expulfion.The good old Man was fo thoroughly mortified by this unworthy Treatment, that he could not overcome it; and though he had often declared to his Friends in private, as well as publicly to the World, that he never would die in Complaifance to any Custom, Perfuafion, or Party whatsoever, and that if ever he fhould be fo filly, that he died of no Religion. (p. 95.) yet at last he gravely refolved to die, rather than live any longer in such an ungrateful Nation; and fo he actually did, without leaving his invaluable Secret behind him, to the great Grief and Disappointment of all serious and thinking Men, and irreparable Loss to Pofterity-The barbarous Treatment of this useful public-fpirited Man has obliged us to keep our most abftrufe Noftrums to ourselves, and deal only in fuch popular and obvious Notions as are level to the Capacity of the Bulk of Readers. Such as Superftition, Enthufiafm, Creed-makers, Prieft-craft, Bigottry, Pious Frauds, Oracles of Reason, Natural Religion, &c. by which we still keep up the Cry, and fupport our Friends, who, in fpite of all Endeavours to conceal it, are by much the Majority in all Societies.

The Disputes about the different Forms of Church Government, Sacerdotal Powers, Ecclefiaftical Difcipline, and twenty other appendant Articles, have been, for above two hundred Years, the Subject of much Contention, and the Occafions of much Confufion and Mischief.

Mischief. How much Blood has been fpilt, how many Outrages committed even in this Nation upon this unconcerning Queftion? Upon this Head therefore we freely declare, that The Civil Magiftrate is the fole Fountain of all Power; that there is no Kind or Branch of Power or Jurifdiction really diftinct from it; and though in Compliance with Custom and antient Usage we have agreed to distinguish betwixt Spiritual and Temporal Power, and Ecclefiaftical and Civil Authority; yet they rather take thefe Names from the Perfons by whom they are exercised, or the Subjects on which they are employed, than from the Fountain from whence they are derived: That the three Orders (as they are called) of Spiritual Magiftrates or Governors of the Church, are in reality as much the Creatures of the State, as the Officers of the Fleet and Army, and as much determined by the Conditions and Limitations of their Charter, as The Lord-Mayor, Court of Aldermen, and Common Council. Now we reasonably and confiftently conclude, that whoever commits a Truft, bestows a Commiffion, or communicates a Power, has an abfolute Right to determine the Ufes of that Truft, the Services of that Commiffion, and the Exercise of that Power, especially if these Ufes and Services were exprefsly specified as the abfolute Conditions of beftowing and receiving the faid Truft, Offices, or Powers This is the univerfal Voice of Reason and Nature, from the fupreme Magiftrate to the loweft Operator in Wood or Iron, Stone or Clay, who, if they purchase Tools of any Sort, raise Fabrics, erect Pofts or Pillars, certainly intend them for Ufe or Ornament, or both; and if from an unfkilful Choice of Materials, or the Ignorance of Artificers, they cannot be brought to anVOL. II.

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fwer

fwer the feveral Ufes and Purposes for which they were intended, and cannot poffibly be fo mended as to become either useful or ornamental, they are either pulled down, or left to ftand ufelefs and neglected Monuments of their own Perverfenefs, or the Builder's Folly. Thus, for instance, suppose a Man were only to fet up a Weathercock, or build a Windmill, which faid Weathercock, or Windmill, fhould be fo injudiciously fixed or put together as to grow ftiff or rufty, move heavily or not at all, or have an irregular Motion of its own, quite opposite to the Design of the Builder, there is no doubt to be made, that they fhould undergo fuch Corrections and Amendments from more skilful Operators, as fhould effectually quicken, direct, and regulate, their Motions for the future, or let them stand useless and immoveable for ever. The Application, in fhort, is no more than this, that whofoever accepts any Trust, Office, or Power, is bound by all the Laws of Juftice and Prudence to exercife that Truft, and employ that Power for the fole Ufe and Benefit, and by the fole Direction of fuch Perfon or Perfons from whom he acknowledges and profeffes, he received them; which muft neceffarily produce an Uniformity of Conduct and abfolute Submiffion to their Patrons, Superiors, and Directors, and prevent all that Opposition and Confufion that must arise from acting without or against fuch Direction, upon the Presumption of private Judgment, Perfuafion, or any pretended Scruples or Principles whatsoever; and that on uniform Submiffron and Obedience, and Unanimity of Conduct, the Peace and Harmony of Societies depend, who can deny? This is therefore the shortest Way of folving feveral Difficulties, and reconciling feveral Contra

dictions,

dictions, which can on no other Principles be explainéd of understood.

But our Abilities in Controverfy are never fo effectually difplayed, as when the Debate lies intirely between ourselves. We give and take, and choose to allow any thing to fhorten the Difpute, and confent to cut the Knot, which cannot, without Difficulty, be untied. A remarkable Inftance of this I remember, upon a Question of the last Consequence, betwixt an honest North Briton, a Doctor of Phyfic and Profeffor of Botany, and a Jew who taught Hebrew in the fame Univerfity. They were a Couple of merry Fellows, and dear Bottle-Companions. As they were rejoicing one Night over a Bottle of old Port, fays the Doctor, Dear Rabbi, thou art an Boneft Heart, I love thee dearly; but I should love thee better, if thou wert of my Religion. Why (quoth the Rabbi) I fancy there is no great Difference betwixt thŷ Religion and mine, if we were to come to an Explanation. Why (fays the Doctor) thou art no Christian. No, (faid he) but if you could give me a good Reafon for my Converfion, you shall find me very ready to fubmit to it. Upon which the Doctor calls for a Bible, and reads him feverál Paffages out of the New Teftament. But (fays the Rabbi) this is no Argument to us Jews, who do not acknowledge your New Teftament. Upon which, the good Doctor, ftarting with Horror and Surprize, cries, How! What! dare you deny our New Teftament! Yes, (fays the Jew.) Why then, ffays he, with a vehement Oath) by I deny your Old. It is all Lies and Nonfenfe. I have lately read Story there of Sampfon killing a thousand Men with the Faw-bone of an Afs. The Jaw-bone of a T. To be fure, it is as great a Lie as ever was told. D 2

"

Their

Their Arguments were now at an End, they looked gravely at each other for about a Minute, when the Doctor taking the Rabbi by the Hand, Come, (fays he) we are both honeft Men and good Friends, What fignifies difputing? Let us have the other Bottle and to pay. So faid, fo done. They drank off their Bottle, parted good Friends, and never had the least Dispute or Question about Religion ever after. See here a Controverfy that had divided the World fo many hundred Years, and produced fo many thousand Volumes, compromised at once with no other Confequence than t'other Bottle and to pay. Could every religious Difpute be fo eafily decided, we should quickly be all of a Mind, and all the World of one Religion.

Another Time I remember we were at a Family Club, which was kept at the Bull-Head in the Borough, (which fome People of more Wit than Manners, in Contempt of our Family, used to call the Calves-Head-Club ;) one of the Company, who affected to be thought wiser and better than the rest, begun to talk about Religion, upon which his next Neighbour interrupted him. Prithee, Peter, (says he】 don't thee pretend to talk about Religion, I am fure thou knoweft nothing of the Matter. I will lay thee a Guinea thou canst not fay the Lord's Prayer. Done! fays the other; and up he gets, and with an audible Voice repeats the Creed from the Beginning to the End, without miffing a fingle Word. Upon which his Adverfary, lifting up his Hands in great Surprize, Well, (faid he) I did not imagine he could have done it, but I fairly own I have loft my Wager, to which the whole Company affented. Now, had this happened in any other Company, ten to one but it had produced

another