This be

manifeft will the truth be made. ing maturely confidered by these lovers of the church, they endeavoured to propagate as many herefies as they could, that the light of truth might shine the clearer.

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

Thirdly, Becaufe charity is the most celebrated of all chriftian virtues, therefore they extended theirs beyond all bounds; and, intead of fhutting the church against diffenters, were ready to open it to all comers, and break down its walls, rather than any should want room to enter. The ftrength of a ftate, we know, confifteth in the number of people, how different foever in their callings; and why fhould not the ftrength of a church confift in the fame, how different foever in their creeds? For that reafon they charitably attempted to abolish the teft, 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 The latter are apt, in their defence, to ask fuch queftions as thefe; Was your teft repealed?

Had

Had we not a majority? Might we not have done it, if we pleased? 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 fanction of the law must come; and therefore, to save your credit, you condemned a paper to be burnt, which yourfelves had brought in. But alas! the mifcarriage of that noble project for the fafety of the church had another original; the knowledge whereof depends upon a piece of fecret history, which I fhall now lay

open.

Thefe church-protectors had directed a prefbyterian preacher to draw up a bill for repealing the te. 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 fpecial care to make them large enough for all chriftians whatfoever, by tranfcribing the very words (only formed into an oath) which quakers are obliged to profefs 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 fun, the true God; and in the Holy Spirit, one God, blessed for evermore; and do acknowledge the holy fcriptures of the Old and New Tefiament to be given by divine infpiraThis bill was carried to the chief leaders, for their approbation, with these terrible words turned into an oath. What should

tion.

they

they do? Thofe few among them, who fancied they believed in God, were fure they did not believe in Chrift, or the Holy Spirit, or one fyllable of the Bible; and they were as fure that every body knew their opinion in thofe matters, which indeed they had been always too fincere to disguise; 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 fcandal to weak unbelievers ? Upon this nice point of honour and confcience the matter was hufhed, the project for repealing the teft let fall, and the facrament left as the smaller evil of the two.

Fourthly, Thefe pillars of the church, becaufe the harvest was great, and the labourers few, and because they would eafe 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 uncharching those, 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 prieft-hood?

Fifthly, In order to fix religion in the minds of men, becaufe 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

Second and Third Perfon, the truth of all revelation, and the immortality of the foul. To this we owe that great fenfe of religion, that refpect 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 difcreet, than to leave the merits of each caufe to fuch wife, impartial judges; who might otherwise fall under the flavery of believing by education and prejudice.

Sixtbly, Because nothing fo much distracts. the thoughts, as too great a variety of subjects, therefore they had kindly prepared a bill to prefcribe the clergy what fubjects they fhould 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, To fave trouble and expence to the clergy, they contrived that convocations fhould meet as feldom as poffible; and, when they were fuffered to affemble, would never allow them to meddle with any business; becaufe, they faid, the office of a clergyman was enough to take up the whole man.

For the fame reason they were very defirous to excufe the bishops from fitting in parliament, that they might be at more leifure to ftay at home and look after the inferior clergy.

I shall mention at prefent, but one more inftance of their pious zeal for the church. They had fomewhere heard the maxing, that Sanguis martyrum eft femen ecclefiae; therefore in order to fow this feed, they began with impeaching a clergyman: and that it might be a true martyrdom in every circumftance, they proceeded as much as poffible against common law; which the long-robe part of the managers knew, was in an hundred inftances directly contrary to all their pofitions, and were fufficiently warned of it before-hand; but their love of the church prevailed. Neither was this impeachment an affair taken up on a fudden; for a certain great perfon (whofe character hath been lately published by fome ftupid and lying writer) who very much diftinguished himself by his zeal in forwarding this impeachment, had feveral years ago endeavoured to perfuade the late king to give way to juft fuch another attempt. He told his majefty, there was a certain clergyman, who preached very dangerous fermons, and that the only way to put a ftop to fuch infolence was to impeach him in parliament. The king enquired the character of the man: O fir, faid my lord, the moft violent, hot, positive fellow in England; fo extremely wilful, that I believe he would be heartily glad to be a martyr. The king anfwered, Is it fo? then I am refolved to dif appoint him; and would never hear more of the matter; by which that hopeful project unhappily mifcarried.