CHAP, Argument of Superiority of Understanding, in cafe III. they are not found out; if they are, then they are only Fools; but no manner of natural accufing Remorse for the Dishonesty, never once allow themselves to be Knaves; and he gives feveral Inftances of it to his own Knowledge. OUR Author is the fonder of this Peoples Character, because almoft every Travel reprefents their Literati, alias Magistrates, univerfally addicted to Atheism. As to the Corruptions in Worship, Doctrine, and Practice of the prefent Heathen World, See Bishop of London's Second Paft. pag. 33. AND because the moral Character of the Turks, is fo apt to be extoll'd beyond that of Chriftians, by fuch Chriftians as our Author, it may be proper to fubjoin an authentic Character of them likewife, given by a judicious Perfon, well acquainted with them. His Words are thefe "I fhall only tell you at prefent, that I think they [the Turks] are very far from agreeing with "that Character which is given of them in Chri❝ftendom; especially for their exact Juftice, Veracity, and other moral Virtues. But I "muft profefs myfelf of another Opinion: For "the Chriftian Religion, how much foever we "live below the true Spirit and Excellency of it, "muft ftill be allow'd to discover fo much Power upon the Minds of its Profeffors, as to raise "them far above the Level of Turkish Virtue. ""Tis a Maxim I have often heard from our "Merchants, that a Turk will always cheat "when he can find an Opportunity.Their Religion is framed to keep up great outward "Gravity and Solemnity, without begetting the leaft 26 III. "leaft good Tincture of Wisdom or Virtue in CHAP. "the Mind. You fhall have them at their Hours "of Prayer (which are four a Day always) ad"dreffing themselves to their Devotions with the "moft folemn and critical Wafhings, always in "the most publick Places, where moft People "are paffing; with moft lowly and most regu"lar Proftrations, and a hollow Tone; which "are amongst them the great Excellencies of Prayer. I have seen them in an affected Cha"rity give Money to Bird-catchers (who make "a Trade of it) to reftore the poor Captives to "their natural Liberty; and at the fame time "hold their own Slaves in the heaviest Bondage. "And at other Times they'll buy Flesh to re"lieve Dogs and Cats; and yet curfe you with "Famine and Peftilence, and all the moft hideous "Execrations. They know hardly any Pleasure "but that of the fixth Senfe. And yet with all "this they are incredibly conceited of their own "Religion, and contemptuous of that of all "others, which I take to be the great Artifice "of the Devil, in order to keep them his own. "They are a perfect vifible Comment upon our "Lord's Defcription of the Jewish Pharifees. "In a Word, Luft, Arrogance, Covetousness, "and the most exquifite Hypocrify, complete "their Character. The only Thing that ever I "could obferve to commend them in, is the "outward Decency of their Carriage, the pro"found Respect they pay to Religion, and to "every Thing relating to it, and their great "Temperance and Frugality." Maundrell's Journey from Aleppo to Jerufalem. Second Edit. I 3 therefore CHAP. therefore our Wickedness now in the Balance, and III. theirs alfo that dwell in the World, and fo fhall thy Name no where be found, but in Ifrael. Thou shalt find, that Ifrael by Name bath kept thy Precepts, but not the Heathen. BEFORE I leave the natural Religion of the Means, it may be obferved, that all the Corrup tions that are, or have been, in Religion Natural, or Religion Chriftian, have entered at the Door of the Means Natural, or the Means Chriftian. How many Corruptions and Superftitions has the Church of Rome brought in, to the utter Abuse, and to the little or no Effect, of the Evangelical Doctrine of Repentance? Their Sacrament of Penance; a bodily Exercife which the Apostle affures profiteth nothing; their auricular Confeffion to a Prieft, and his Soul-deceiving Abfolution by his own Authority; an enchanted, pleafing Circle of finning and confeffing, without ever parting with their Sin, but going on chearfully upon a fresh Score, having paid their Reckoning for the former; thus the Laity, parting with their Secrets, throw the Reins of Government into their Priefts Hands, Their Doctrine of Attrition, of mortal and venial Sins of Merit, Works of Supererrogation; of Indulgencies, Jubilees, Purgatory: Thefe Inven tions and Commandments of Men are the more fhameful, as they are calculated purely for filthy Lucre, and worldly Grandeur. Never was this Key of the Kingdom of Heaven, which every Chriftian has the free Ufe of, (whilft thofe grofs Pretenders to Dominion over Faith and Conscience affume the fole keeping of it) fo merchandized for Profit and Deceit As it is the profound Policy of that Church, to throw out its Net to bring in all thofe, who would gladly en joy III. joy their Sins in this World, and yet abate no- CHAP, thing of their Hopes of Heaven to the laft, it can be no wonder, that fuch an agreeable Cozenage of Confcience fhould continue fo long, or gain fo much Ground, there being fo very many in the World ready to abet and favour fuch Principles. WITH respect to the other Means, Prayer and Worship, Baptifm and the Lord's-Supper, their fuperftitious and idolatrous Innovations, feem calculated for putting out the Eyes, and blinding the Understanding of their People, as well as perverting the right Notions of God, and their Saviour. Such is Tranfubftantiation, Adoration of the Hoft, Sacrifice of the Mafs, Prayer to Saints and Angels, Ufe of Images, Prayer in an unknown Tongue, extreme Unition. The Infallibility of their Pope, or Church, and fome other depending Doctrines, feem to be devifed for the Infatuation of thofe, that are, or would be fubject to it. IN fhort, if fimilar Caufes produce fimilar Effects, and their Superftition and Idolatry is parallel to the Superftition and Idolatry of the Heathens, What a dangerous State muft they be in? What Corruption of Morals mult abound? There is another Inconvenience on the Side of Europe, they chiefly border upon the Turks; which gives the Muffelmen fo wrong a Notion of Christianity, having hardly any other Opportunity to converfe with it, as to prejudice them the more from embracing it. That there fhould be Deifts many in Popish Countries is not at all * See Dr. Middleton's late Book on that Subje&t. III. CHAP. to be admired at; it would be ftranger if there were not. As there must be many Perfons of good Difcernment, they can never seriously believe, that fo much Pomp and Pageantry, fo very many Abfurdities in Worship, fo great a Traffick, and fo much ufurped Authority for the Remiffion of Sins, could ever come from God, or be his true Religion. Such may appear Catholick outwardly, by conforming fometimes to the publick Religion, whilft their inward Religion is, fit anima mea cum philofophis, as one declared upon a like Occafion*; and they may comfort themselves that the Religion of Nature is much more Catholick than the other; though in many Places it happens, in fact, to have as many Corruptions and Deviations from the Law of Nature, as the other has from the Law of Chriftianity, BUT that a Deift, whofe profeffed Religion is Reason, should venture to appear, fhould openly plume himself in a Proteftant Country, under the very Meridian of Light and Truth, where Faith and Reason go hand in hand; where the pureft Difpenfation of the brightest Light of the Gospel flourishes, is not easy to be accounted for. Efpecially fince those defpifed, exceptionable, pofitive Parts of Christianity, as they are called, Baptifm, the Lord's-Supper, the Doctrine of the Mediator Christ Jefus for the Remiffion of Sins, and for the Worship of God, have nothing in them, as they are fet forth in the New Teftament, but what is moft agreeable to found Reason; moft ferviceable and beneficial in carrying on the End * Cum Chriftiani comedant quad colunt, fi anima, &c. Aver foes, 1 and |