Church with it; therefore the People, who are the Church, are, in every Cafe, to be determined by the Parfon of the Parifh, who is not the Church. And, because we are to confefs our Sins one to another; therefore we are to do it to a Prieft, which is not doing it to one another. And, because Abraham gave the Tenth of his Plunder to Melchifedek, who was not a Prieft of our Church by Law Eftablished; therefore our Established Priests, who have no. thing to do with Melchifedek, nor know any thing of him, have a Divine Right to the Tenth-part of every Man's Estate and Industry. And, as the Tribe of Levi had a Right to Tythes, though they and their Tythes are long fince abolished; fo ought our Parsons to have the fame Tythes by the Gospel, without being in the leaft a kin to Aaron's Perfon, or Heirs to his Eftate, or Succeffors to his Inftitution. And, though our Saviour's Kingdom is not of this World; yet the Kingdom of the High Clergy, who, if you will take their Words for it, are his Reprefentatives, is, and ought to be, of this World. And, because the reprobate and gluttonous Monks had, by endless Rogueries, and diabolical Lyes, plunder'd the deluded Laity of their Poffeffions, and engroffed to themfelves most of the Lands of England; there

fore

fore our Modern High Priefts have a natural and hereditary Right to enjoy the fame: And though they have, upon Oath, renounced all Power, and all Pretence to Power, but what' the Law vouchfafes to grant them; yet they have a Power independent on the Law, and Principles independent on these very Oaths, though renounced by these very Oaths.

ALL thefe, and many more Abfurdities, equally vile and impudent, have been blafphemously fathered upon Scripture, and the Author of Scripture; though they all contradict the Scripture, as well as they do common Senfe, and common Honefty, But as the Vulgar do always take that to be the highest Point of Religion, about which their Teachers make the moft Noif, for the Time being, whether it be Tythe, or Dr. Sacheverel, or the Pretender, or the late Duke of Ormond, or King Charles the Firft; fo vicious and corrupt Clergymen, on their part, have always tacked the Name of God, or, which is much more powerful with the Mob, the Name of the Church, to any Affertion, or any Claim, or any Invention of theirs, be it ever fo monstrous, or mischievous; and inftantly it becomes, with weak People, an Article of Faith, upon which Salvation itself depends. For, as it is their first Care to force

a Teftimony from Heaven for every Whim or Forgery of theirs; fo their next Concern is to make every Contradiction and Oppofition to it damnable.

HENCE it comes to pafs, that the fame Virtues are not of the fame Importance at all Times; but Virtues are made Vices, and Vice is made Virtue, juft as the present Temper, or the prefent Views prevail; and, by corrupt Priefts, Things are often taught under the Name of Chriftianity, which are oppofite to the Nature of Chriftianity: Religion is pretended, and Power meant. In confequence of this, Duty is converted into Sin, and Sin into Duty. Thus, the worfhipping of God according to one's Confcience, without which there can be no Worship, is made by the HighChurch 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 certain 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 Mystery, which cannot be explained, is the moft heinous Atheism; and to whip a feditious, forfworn Prieft, is crying Infidelity,

and

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 Firft'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-fashion'd Piece of Faith, and a fure Sign of Fanaticism: 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.

IN all these Marches and Counter-marches, the Paffions of too many of the People keep pace with those of the High Priests; and they are conftantly difpofed to be Slaves or Rebels, Free-willers, or No-willers, Believers of this, or Believers of that, just as Almighty High-. Church commands them.

་

SUCH Men do not pretend to teach their People the Meeknefs of Christianity: No. their Zeal is to be Anger, and their Religion Cru

A 5

Cruelty. That Fiercenefs, which is inconfiftent with the Spirit of a Christian, is to be the certain Criterion of one whom they call a true Churchman; and that Mercy, which is infeparable from the Gofpel, 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 muft give up common Senfe 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