the Englishman throws out in any of his politic papers, and apply them to thofe perfons "who call good evil, " and evil good;" to thofe who cry without caufe, "Every man to his tent, O Ifrael!" and to those who "curfe the Queen in their hearts !"

THESE decent words, he tells us, make up a "lively description of fuch paftors, as will not study contro"verly, nor know the depths of Satan." He means, I fuppofe, the controverfy between us and the Papists: for as to the Freethinkers and Dissenters of every denomination, they are fome of the best friends to the caufe. Now, I have been told, there is a body of that kind of controverfy published by the London divines, which is not to be matched in the world. I believe likewife, there is a good number of the clergy at prefent thoroughly verfed in that ftudy. After which I cannot but give my judgment, that it would be a very idle thing for paftors in general to bufy themfelves much in difputes against Popery; it being a dry, heavy employment of the mind at bett, efpecially when, God be thanked, there is fo little occafion for it in the generality of parishes throughout the kingdom, and muft be daily lefs and lefs by the juft feverity of the laws, and the utter averfion of our people from that idolatrous fuperftition.

IF I might be fo bold to name those who have the honour to be of his Lordship's party, I would venture to tell him, that paftors have much more occafion to ftudy controverfies against the feveral claffes of Freethinkers and Diffenters; the former (I beg his Lordfhip's pardon for faying fo) being a little worfe than Papifts, and both of them more dangerous at prefent to our conftitution both in church and ftate. Not that I think Prefbytery fo corrupt a fyftem of Chriftian religion as Popery; I believe it is not above one third as bad: but I think the Pref byterians, and their clans of other fanatics, of Freethinkers and Atheists that dangle after them, are as well inclined to pull down the prefent establishment of monarchy and religion, as any fet of Papists in Chriftendom: and therefore that our danger, as things now ftand, is infinitely greater from our Proteftant enemies; because they are much more able to ruin us, and full as willing. There is no doubt, but Prefbytery and a com

monwealth

monwealth are lefs formidable evils than Popery, Slavery, and the Pretender: for if the Fanatics were in power, I fhould be in more apprehenfion of being ftarved than burned. But there are probably in England forty Disfenters of all kinds, including their brethren the Freethinkers, for one Papift; and allowing one Papift to be as terrible as three Diffenters, it will appear by arithmetic, that we are thirteen times and one third more in danger of being ruined by the latter than the former.

THE other qualification neceffary for all paftors, if they will not be blind, ignorant, greedy, drunken dogs, &c. is to know the depths of Satan. This is harder than the former; that a poor gentleman ought not to be parson, vicar, or curate of a parish, except he be cunninger than the devil. I am afraid it will be difficult to remedy this defect, for one manifeft reason, because whoever had only half the cunning of the devil, would never take up with a vicarage of ten pounds a-year, to live on at his eafe, as my Lord expreffeth it; but feek out for fome better livelihood. His Lordship is of a nation very much diftinguished for that quality of cunning, (altho' they have a great many better,) and I think he was never accused for wanting his fhare. However, upon a trial of skill, I would venture to lay fix to four on the devil's fide, who must be allowed to be at least the older practitioner. Telling truth fhames him, and refiftance makes him fly; but to attempt outwitting him, is to fight him at his own weapon, and confequently no cunning at all. Another thing I would obferve, is, that a man may be in the depths of Satan, without knowing them all; and fuch a man may be fo far in Satan's -depths, as to be out of his own. One of the depths of Satan is, to counterfeit an Angel of light. Another, I believe, is to ftir up the people against their governors, by falfe fuggeftions of danger. A third is, to be a prompter to falfe brethren, and to fend wolves about in Sheeps cloathing, Sometimes he fends Jefuits about England in the habit and cant of Fanatics; at other times he hath Fanatic miffionaries in the habits of. I fhall mention but one more of Satan's depths, for I confefs I know not the hundredth part of them; and that is, to employ his emiffaries in crying out against remote imaginary

imaginary dangers, by which we may be taken off from defending ourselves against thofe which are really just at our elbows.

BUT his Lordship draws towards a conclufion, and bids us "look about, to confider the danger we are in " before it is too late; for he affures us, we are already "going into fome of the worst parts of Popery." Like the man, who was fo much in hafte for his new coat, that he put it on the wrong fide out. "Auricu"lar confeffion, prieftly abfolution, and the facrifice of "the mafs," have made great progress in England, and no body hath obferved it; feveral other Popish points "are carried higher with us than by the priests them"felves:" and fomebody, it feems, had the "impu"dence to propose an union with the Gallican church." I have indeed heard, that Mr Leslie published a discourse to that purpose, which I have never feen; nor do I perceive the evil in propofing an union between any two churches in Christendom., Without doubt, Mr Leflie is most unhappily misled in his politics; but if he be the author of the late tract against Popery, he hath given the world fuch a proof of his foundnefs in religion, as many a Bishop ought to be proud of. I never faw the gentleman in my life. I know he is the son of a great and excellent prelate, who, upon feveral accounts, was one of the most extraordinary men of his age. Mr Leflie hath written many useful discourses upon feveral fubjects; and hath fo well deferved of the Chriftian religion, and the church of England in particular, that to accufe him of impudence for propofing an union in two very different faiths, is a ftyle which I hope few will imitate. I deteft Mr Leflie's political principles as much as his Lordship can do for his heart; but I verily believe he ads from a mistaken conscience, and therefore I diftinguish between the principles and the perfon. However, it is fome mortification to me, when I see an avowed nonjuror contribute more to the confounding of Popery, than could ever be done by a hundred thousand fuch introductions as this.

His Lordship ends with difcovering a fmall ray of comfort.

The cafe stated.

comfort. “God be thanked, there are many among "us that ftand upon the watch-tower, and that give "faithful warning; that ftand in the breach, and "make themselves a wall for their church and coun

66

try; that cry to God day and night, and lie in the "duft mourning before him, to avert thofe judgments "that feem to haften toward us. They fearch into "the mystery of iniquity that is working among us, "and acquaint themfelves with that mafs of corruption "that is in Popery." He prays, that the number "of these may increase, and that he may be of that "number, ready either to die in peace, or to feal that "doctrine he hath been preaching above fifty years with "his blood." This being his laft paragraph, I have made bold to transcribe the most important parts of it. His defign is to end after the manner of orators, with leaving the ftrongeft impreffion poffible upon the minds of his hearers. A great breach is made, the mystery of Popijh iniquity is working among us; may God avert thofe judgments that are haftening towards us! I am an old man, a preacher above fifty years; and I now expect, and am ready to die a martyr for the doctrines I have preached. What an amiable idea doth he here leave upon our minds of her Majefty and her government! He hath been poring fo long upon Fox's book of martyrs, that he imagines himself living in the reign of Queen Mary, and is refolved to fet up for a knight-errant against Popery. Upon the fuppofition of his being in earnest, (which I am fure he is not), it would require but a very little more heat of imagination to make a history of fuch a knight's adventures. What would he fay to behold the "fires kindled in Smithfield, and all over the "town," on the 17th of November; to behold the Pope borne in triumph on the fhoulders of the people, with a "Cardinal on the one fide, and the Pretender on the other?" He would never believe it was Queen Elifabeth's day, but that of her perfecuting fifter. In short, how eafily might a windmill be taken for the whore of Babylon, and a puppet-show for a Popish proceffion?

BUT enthusiasm is none of his Lordship's faculty. I am inclined to believe, he might be melancholy enough when he writ this introduction. The defpair at his age

of

of seeing a faction restored, to which he hath facrificed fo great a part of his life; the little fuccefs he can hope for in cafe he should resume thofe high-church principles, in defence of which he first employed his pen; no visible expectation of removing to Farnham or Lambeth; and, laftly, the misfortune of being hated by every one, who either wears the habit, or values the profeffion of a clergyman: no wonder such a spirit, in fuch a fituation, is provoked beyond the regards of truth, decency, religion, or felf-conviction. To do him justice, he seems to have nothing else left, but to cry out, Halters, gibbets, faggots, inquifition, Popery. flavery, and the pretender. But, in the mean time, he little confiders what a world of mifchief he doth to his caufe. It is very convenient for the prefent defigns of that faction, to fpread the opinion of our immediate danger from Popery and the pretender. His directors therefore ought, in my humble opinion, to have employed his Lordship in publishing a book, wherein he fhould have affirmed, by the most folemn affeverations, that all things were safe and well: for the world hath contracted fo ftrong a habit of believing him backwards, that I am confident, nine parts in ten of those who have read or heard of his introduction, have flept in greater fecurity ever fince. It is like the melancholy tone of a watchman at midnight, who thumps with his pole as if fome thief were breaking in ; but you know by the noise that the door is fast.

A

HOWEVER, he thanks God there are many among us who fland in the breach. I believe they may: it is a breach of their own making; and they defign to come forward, and ftorm, and plunder, if they be not driven back. They make themfelves a wall for their church and country. fouth wall, I fuppofe, for all the beft fruit of the church and country to be nailed on. Let us examine this metaphor. The wall of our church and country is built of thofe who love the conftitution in both. Our domeftic enemies undermine fome parts of the wall, and place themselves in the breach, and then they cry, We are the wall. We do not like fuch patch-work; they build with untempered mortar: nor can they ever cement with us, till they get better materials, and better workmen. God keep us from having our breaches made up VOL. VII.

X

with