were its patrons by their power and authority, as well as ornaments of it by their exemplary lives.

First, St. Paul tells us, there must be herefies in the church, that the truth may be manifeft; and therefore, by due course of reafoning, the more herefies there are, the more manifeft will the truth be made. This being maturely confidered by these lovers of the church, they endeavoured to propagate as many herefies as they could, that the light of truth might fhine the clearer.

Secondly, To fhew their zeal for the church's defence, they took the care of it intirely out of the hands of God almighty (because that was a foreign jurisdiction) and made it their own creature, depending altogether upon them; and iffued out their orders to Tindal, and others, to give publick notice of it.

Thirdly, Because charity is the most celebrated of all chriftian virtues, therefore they extended theirs beyond all bounds; and, instead of shutting the church against diffenters, were ready to open it to all comers, and break down its walls, rather than that

any

any should want room to enter. The ftrength of a state, we know, confifteth in the number of people, how different soever in their callings; and why fhould not the strength of a church confift in the fame, how different foever in their creeds? For that reason they charitably attempted to abolish the test, which tied up fo many hands from getting employments, in order to protect the church.

I know very well, that this attempt is objected to us as a crime by feveral malignant tories; and denied as a flander by many unthinking people among ourselves. The latter are apt, in their defence, to ask fuch questions as thefe; Was your test repealed? had we not a majority? might we not have done it, if we pleafed? To which the others anfwer, You did what you could: you prepared the way, but you found a fatal impediment from that quarter, whence the Janction of the law must come; and therefore, to fave your credit, you condemned a paper to be burnt, which yourfelves had brought in. But alas! the miscarriage of that noble project for the fafety of the church had another original; the knowledge whereof

depends

depends upon a piece of fecret hiftory, which I fhall now lay open.

These church-protectors had directed a prefbyterian preacher to draw up a bill for repealing the test. It was accordingly done with great art; and, in the preamble, feveral expreffions of civility to the established church; and when it came to the qualifications of all thofe, who were to enter on any office, the compiler had taken special care to make them large enough for all chriftians whatsoever, by tranfcribing the very words (only formed into an oath) which quakers are obliged to profess by a former act of parliament; as I fhall here fet them down: I, A. B. profefs faith in God the father, and in Jefus Chrift his eternal fon, the true God; and in the Holy Spirit, one God, blessed for evermore; and do acknowledge the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament to be given by divine infpiration. This bill was carried to the chief leaders, for their approbation, with these terrible words turned into an oath. What should they do? Those few among them, who fancied they believed in God, were fure they did not believe in Christ,

or

or the Holy Spirit, or one fyllable of the Bible; and they were as fure that every body knew their opinion in those matters, which indeed they had been always too fincere to difguife; how therefore could they take fuch an oath as that, without ruining their reputation with Tindal, Toland, Coward, Collins, Clendon, and all the tribe of free-thinkers, and fo give a scandal to weak unbelievers? Upon this nice point of honour and confcience the matter was hushed, the project for repealing the test let fall, and the facrament left as the smaller evil of the two.

Fourthly, Thefe pillars of the church, because the harvest was great, and the labourers few, and because they would ease the bishops from that grievous trouble of laying on hands, were willing to allow that power to all men whatsoever, to prevent that terrible confequence of unchurching thofe, who thought a hand from under a cloak as effectual as from lawn fleeves. And indeed what could more contribute to the advancement of true religion, than a bill of general naturalization for priesthood?

Fifthly, In order to fix religion in the minds of men, because truth never appears fo fair as when confronted with falfhood, they directed books to be published, that denied the being of a God, the divinity of the Second and Third Person, the truth of all revelation, and the immortality of the foul. To this we owe that great fense of religion, that respect and kindness to the clergy, and that true love of virtue, fo manifeft of late years among the youth of our nation. Nor could any thing be more discreet, than to leave the merits of each cause to such wise, impartial judges; who might otherwise fall under the flavery of believing by education and prejudice.

Sixthly, Because nothing fo much distracts the thoughts, as too great variety of fubjects, therefore they had kindly prepared a bill to prescribe the clergy what fubjects they should preach upon, and in what manner, that they might be at no lofs; and this no doubt was a proper work for fuch hands, fo thoroughly verfed in the theory and practice of all chriftian duties.

Seventhly,