favour of God, and to spare. Blessed be my own hands for working out my salvation, and more than my salvation. Adored be my own heart for possessing more than holiness sufficient to bring me to heaven." Of the same opinion is the rev. Mr. John Wesley, with whom it is plain, that the grace of God is insufficient to salvation, without the co-operation of the creature; who yet is confessedly incapable of doing any thing aright. There is a very near relation between the old gentleman at Rome, and his kinsman at the Foundry. Both are popes, though the latter is much more diminutive than the former.

There was a time when the whole assemblage of priests took it into tl.eir heads to promote their own religion, and to suppress that which had any tendency to lessen the importance of the sacerdotal order. For their more success they enquired of my mirror as an oracle, for direction as to means most proper for the purpose. Answer was given, "By the power of the sword." Therefore in the popish Bible it is written, "Those who, in contempt of holy church, shall take upon them to live according to the dictates of conscience and scripture, shall die the death, and their estates shall be confiscated to the prince of the realm, provided always that one full moiety of every such estate, shall without deduction be returned to his holiness at Rome, the prince over the kings of the earth. Moreover, whoever shall hesitate about yielding his conscience to the guidance of the priest, and shall not with apparent willingness bind his soul to the horns of the pontifical altar, shall be deemed and damned for a heretic; that is, shall be burned out of this world at a stake, and shall burn or ever in the world to come, according to the good pleasure of his merciful holiness."

INFID. Ah, cousin, the devil was sadly outwitted in that affair; for although the burning of heretics was a pleasing diversion to our good friends the priests for the time being, it has brought them into contempt which will prove everlasting. Having set the world upon reflection, it is now found to our grief that the religion of Jesus has no connection with a spirit of intolerance, which, wherever it prevails is known to be the spirit of antichrist. One would really suppose, that the successor of St. Peter has quite forgotten the injunction given his predecessor, to cease from the use of the sword and let it abide in its sheath, seeing he accounts its edge to be the most convincing of all arguments. But I interrupt your story, cousin.

Dis. Often have I seen the whimsical hermit and fantastical devotee, take an ample view of his own religious proceedings, with this partial telescope and inverting mirror, and thus sounds the voice of self-applause from the hermetical cell at the bottom of Sinai, or on the top of Ararat. holiness my own self-denial and Behold! what great good my

"Lo, what an high degree of assiduity have procured me. crucifixion of the flesh and

separation from the world have wrought out for me; for which I may thank my own resolution. By my pious diligence I have attained holiness sufficient to qualify me for, and good works more than enough to entitle me to, heaven. Happy 1, who have made such a good improvement of my time! Unlike to those indolent people, who, when they die, are obliged either to purchase their pardons at an advanced price, or to lie for ages in the flames of purgatory, burning away their rebellions. I shall get safe to heaven without so much as touching at that flaming prison on my journey."

IMP. Dear cousin, how I have laughed; laughed myself out of breath, strong and healthy as my lungs are, to see the papal penitent after he has in holy zeal whipped himself with the cato'-nine-tails, for the length of several streets, till the impious offending gore has laid on the stones. Enamoured with his own fortitude in so belabouring the sinful flesh, I have seen him after his penitential work was finished, examine every stripe by the help of my valuable instruments, and as he viewed, he cried with the voice of exultation, "Ah! how infatuated are those who hope to get to heaven in a whole skin; without mortifying and punishing the wicked flesh? To expose themselves to such severe exercises in the discipline of purgatory, for want of devotion enough to submit to the discipline of the church; how impious! But I shall have a speedy entrance into happiness on my dissolution; for I mortify the members of this body, and these wounds religiously inflicted voluntarily by my own hand, will be as so many mouths to intercede for me with the Almighty."

AVAR. So then, cousin, the intercession of Immanuel is quite out of the question, with your penitents, I perceive. And indeed those people who can whip themselves to heaven, cannot have much need of his advocacy and intercession. If the whip well applied can save a man from destruction, one would be apt to conclude, that Immanuel might have saved himself the expence of such bloody sufferings and agonizing sorrows as he underwent.

Dis. That is true, cousin; but their first concern is not with Immanuel, but his holiness the pope. Not about the favour of God, but that of his reverence the priest, who is thought to have all the orators of heaven under his influence. Therefore, those that hope for favour with the inhabitants of heaven, must be very careful not to lose the good graces of the parson; for it is thought, that no man can meet with a cordial reception in the other world, but what brings proper credentials with him from the ghostly guide of his conscience in this. But death is a wonderful instructor, and teaches the poor beguiled criminals lessons which they never thought of in life; and amongst others this important one, "That the favour of the pope and priest

can be of no more service to a dying man, than the favour of Mahomet.

When the true born sons of the scarlet whore are pleased to view the protestants with my telescope, indignation rises in the heart; and thus they give vent to their zeal and vengeance, "Ah! what a goodly heaven would it be to see those heretics broiling in the flames of hell! when shall vengeance fall to the uttermost upon those who dare despise the authority of the church and its holy high priest?"

INFID. It is allowed on all hands in the church of Rome, that to protest against the pope's supremacy, and disbelieve his infallibility is the sin unpardonable; for which no dispensation whatever can be obtained from the clergy, however much their so doing may be approved in heaven. And it is an

article of the papal faith, that fire and faggot, rack and gibbet, are the most convincing, or rather invincible of all arguments, therefore never to be omitted in the decision of religious lisputes.

IMP. When we consider, sir, that his holiness of Rome is not such an able logician as Jesus of Nazareth, and hath a religion very different from his to defend; we must allow that he is in the right of it to reason with the edge of the coercive weapon. Fraudulent religion is liable to many disadvantages which that of truth enjoys, and although the one will eternally stand of itself against all the machinations of darkness, the other will require the assistance of violence and intolerance to uphold it. Who then can blame their papal reverences for pulling the sword from its scabbard in order to convince gainsayers? I have seen many by dint of sound reasoning most grievously confound the holy fathers, who became like dumb dogs that could not bark before them; in a moment's time silenced by the end of a cord, or some other such irrefutable argument. These are wonderful ways of enlightening the consciences of heretics, gentlemen. But I pray you, cousin Discordans, have you no concern among the protestants?

DIS. Not a little, cousin, which to-morrow I may give you some account of, but at present must forbear, the usual time of interview being elapsed. Adieu, my kinsmen, adieu.

DIALOGUE XIV.

DISCORDANS.

YES, gentlemen, strange as it may seem, I assure you my advantages by these instruments are great, and my influence even over protestants not to be despised. Though it is true, I am at no pains to prejudice the protestants against the papists, or to make use of my instruments in order to render the latter more disagreeable than they really are. For whilst in the body, it is impossible to make a thorough bred papist more diabolical than he is already. I leave it therefore with the protestants to examine the worshippers of the pope, in the mirror of revealed truth, by which the antichristianism of that religion is sufficiently detected: and all the fallacy of priestcraft is brought to open light. But,

Great is the business which I do between one protestant and another; who, although they unanimously agree to shake off the papal yoke, are most grievously divided among themselves. They abominate the high and arrogant pretensions of Rome; yet they themselves are severally the most orthodox, and drink deeper into the spirit of popery than they are perhaps aware of, even of the precious spirit of intolerance and bigotry.

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When a zealous churchman, such as Sacheveral, or his lordship of L. . . . ff, or a Durell, Nowel, or Blackett, examines his own party with my telescope and mirror, how enamoured is the good man on the discovery of his own excellency: how much of the self-opinionated strain flows from his boasting lips: There is no doubt," says he, "but our church is truly apostolical; the purest church in the whole world. We hold fast the form of sound words, and are not forgetful of the tradition of the elders."

INFID. No, cousin, they are not forgetful of tradition, for with all the pompous parade of lordly prelates, there is not a small part of the episcopalian formula that derives its existence from the traditions of even the Romish fathers. Cringing and curtseying when the name of Jesus is pronounced; worshipping with the face towards the east; keeping of lent and other holidays, besides the Christian Sabbath; fasting on Fridays; crossing in baptism, with a great many more, are all sprung from the Italian fountain. In like manner the names of their priests evidently shew that the pope stood godfather at their christening. And he that but looks on their canonical robes, must be instantly convinced that they are cut in the true Italian taste. However, they are not the only protestants who hanker after papa customs,

for even the Geneva cloxe itself discovers the taylor's acquaintance with the shops of Italy. And yet to hear the Calvinists boast of their reformation from popery, one would think we could not find so much as a shred of the strumpet's garments within the pale of their presbytery.

Dis. It is a rule with mankind in general, to look out narrowly for the mote in the eye of another, whilst they tenderly pass by the beam which is in their own eye; and as we have brought the world into such a state of disorder, it is no difficult matter for the eye of jealousy to find faults enow. Sometimes I clap my telescope to the eye of a true son of the church, and direct him to survey the whole body of dissenters; he obeys, and then exclaims, "These same roundheads are schismatics, prone to strife and sedition; self-sufficient, turbulent, and uneasy bigots; haters of apostolic discipline, and lovers of licentiousness, who therefore spit in the face of their mother, and wickedly leave the purest church in the world."

IMP. I pray you, cousin, are there none apostolical besides the episcopalians?

DIS. O yes, cousin Impiator; all are apostolical, if their own testimony is to be credited; all the Romish clergy are apostolical, and give it out that Peter the fisherman was their great grandfather. The church of Scotland is also apostolical, and the power of the twelve apostles is thought to have been transferred to the Scotch presbytery. The independents are apostolical also, on account of the soundness of their doctrine, and regularity of some part of their discipline. But both they and the north country clergymen labour under some disadvantages; for the latter have lost the deed of transfer, which conveyed the authority of the apostles unto the presbytery; and the former are unhappy enough to be unable to produce either precept or precedent from the apostles for infant sprinkling, which is notwithstanding a foundation doctrine, and by them accounted Christian baptism. The baptists, or as the independents and methodists respectfully call them, anabaptists, you may be sure are not less apostolical than their neighbours, having, besides all the advantages claimed by the independents, the enjoyment of baptism according to the primitive institution. So that no defect whatever, in point of a gospel spirit, can hinder them from being apostolical.

Even Mr. Wesley and his preachers give themselves out to be apostolical, notwithstanding Mr. Wesley asserts that salvation is by works, which the apostle Paul denied. No contradiction whatever will hinder the teachers of the people from considering themselves as apostolical. When I am used to attend the Sandemanian church after service time, and divert myself with their playing at blindman's buff, I confess I could not easily gather from what part of the apostles' conduct they derived their warrant for this game; any more than for cards, skittles, attending plays