Truth of any Religion, we have alfo a Right to leave it, if it appear falfe: But if it ftand the Teft of Examination, and appear true, then is our Adherence to it founded upon our own Judgment, and not upon Authority. If there be no Right of Inquiry, where is the Ufe of Perfuafion, which implies Doubt? Or of reading the Scripture, which implies Understanding? We believe not a thing, till we think it true; and cannot believe it, if we think it falfe: And to punish Men for having Eyes, or having none, is equally devilish and tyrannical.

MEN difagree daily about Matters which are fubject to the Examination of Sense; and is it likely, that we can be all of a Mind about Things which are invifible and difputable? Doctors themfelves are daily cavilling; every one contradicts another, yet all are in the right, and each demands our Faith to his particular Invention. We cannot follow all; and among equal Authorities, pray which is the beft! For the fame Reason that we cannot believe every one of them, we need believe none of them, upon their own Word.

It is moreover juft, that all Protestants should be equally employed in a State to which they are equally well affected. The Magistrate has nothing to do with Speculations that purely concern another Life: Nor is it of any Confequence to him, whether his Subjects have a greater Fondness for a Cloak, or a Surplice: Their Affections to the political Power, and their Capacity to ferve it, are only to be confulted and encouraged. Provided a Man love Liberty and his Country, what is it to the Commonwealth whether he fing his Prayers, or fay them? Or whether he think a Bishop, or a Prefbyter, the nearer Relation St. Paul?

THESE

THESE two Words (Bishop and Presbyter) fignify, in Scripture, one and the fame thing, and are equally used to defign one and the fame Officer. Our great Churchmen, indeed, have been pleased to think the Bible mistaken in this Matter, and to be in the right themselves. They have made Epifcopacy and Prefbytery as oppofite to each other, as Paradife and Purgatory; and have frequently gone to cutting of Throats, to prove their Point.

I MUST Confefs, that a Diocese, and a Seat in the House of Lords, are unafwerable Reasons for the Divine Right of Epifcopacy. There is no way of confuting them. You may as well argue with a Guiney Merchant against the selling of Slaves.

BESIDES, a Lordly Creature, who never preaches, (Miracles having long ago ceafed) and keeps a great Table and Equipage, and enjoys all the great and good Things of this Life, carries in all these Marks fuch an Evidence of his being St. Paul's right Heir, in a lineal Descent, that I wonder any body dare doubt it.

HOWEVER, as the plaineft Things in Faith are made doubtful among Divines, who have an admirable Knack at ftarting Difficulties, where nobody else would expect them; I am of Opinion, that the Teacher who walks on Foot, has as good a Title to difpute about Religion, and to maintain his own, as the Right Reverend Doctor, who fupports his Orthodoxy with a Coach and Six; and fhould be as much encouraged by the Civil Magiftrate, if his Principles and Behaviour fquare with the Conftitution. Is a Man a better Neighbour, or Subject, for rodding to a Table, at the upper End of a Chan

cel,

cel, or for pronouncing his Faith towards the Eaft? Our Churchmen may find good Caufe to injoin these necessary Things, which the Scripture had forgot, and enjoy great Benefit and Obedience from the Practice of them; but in temporal Matters, I am not fully convinced, that they make a Man's Head wifer, or his Heart honefter.

A good Proteftant is fuch, not because he was born fo, according to the canting Abfurdity in Vogue, or bred fo, fince in Infancy Religion is acquired like a Leffon in Grammar, purely by the Help of Memory; and therefore Children learn it, whether it be good or bad, as they do Language, from their Nurfe, or their Parents: But he is a Proteftant, because his Judgment and his Eyes inform him, that the Principles of that Faith are warranted by the Bible, and confiftent with our civil Liberties; and he thinks every Syftem which is not fo, to be Forgery and Imposture, however dignified or diftinguished.

I cannot here omit taking Notice of an old fallacious Cry, which has long rung in our Ears, namely, that of No Bishop, no King. This folid Argument was ufed, with Royal Succefs, by King James the Firft when he fat Deputy for the Clergy, and difputed with the Puritans, at the Conference at Hampton-Court, as became the Dignity of a great Prince. It was, indeed, the best which he could ufe; however he ftrengthened and embellifhed it with feveral Imperial Oaths, which he fwore on that Occafion, to the utter Confufion of his Antagonists, and the great Triumph of the genuine Clergy, and the Archbifhop; who bestowed the Holy Ghoft upon his Majefty, for his Zeal, and Swearing on the Church's Side.

THIS ftupid Saying has formerly filled our Prifons with Diffenters, and chafed many of them to America; and by this means weakened the Kingdom, and the Proteftant Religion, to keep up good Neighbourhood between the Bifhops and the Prince. But they were neither the Bifhops, nor their Creatures, that reftored King Charles the Second, but a Set of true-blue Prefbyterians, who were rewarded for it with Goals, Fines, and Silent Sabbaths.

LOYALTY is not confined to the Mitre. Bishops have given more Difturbance, and occafioned more Diftreffes, to Prince and People, than any other Sort of Men upon Earth. This I can prove. Our own Bishops, for near an hundred Years before the Revolution, were in every Scheme for promoting Tyranny and Bondage. On the other hand, our Diffenters were very eminent Oppofers of Arbitrary Power, and always lived peaceably under thofe Princes who ufed them like Subjects. If they took up Arms, when they were oppreffed, Churchmen have done the fame, and often without that Cause.

HAD it not been for Diffenters, I queftion whether we should now have had either this Conftitution, this King, or this Religion. It is well known, that a great Majority of our Churchmen affert Claims and Principles utterly irreconcileable to either. The moft mischievous Tenets of Popery are adopted and maintained, and the Ground upon which our Security and Succeffion ftand, is boldly undermined. It is dreadful and incredible, what a reprobate Spirit reigns amongst the High Clergy. ́

THE

THE Convocation have fallen fiercely upon those who have fallen upon Popery and Jacobitifm. And what a Popifh, impious, and rebellious Spirit reigns at Oxford, they themselves fave me the Trouble of declaring. Difaffection is promoted; open and black Perjury is juftified; and it is held lawful to defy Almighty Vengeance for a Morfel of Bread. A Man's Confcience is tried by an Oath, and he that can swallow any,

has none.

BUT it is not enough to shipwreck their Souls for their Livings, nor to keep this hellifh Corruption at Home. As they practife, fo they teach; and the spreading of their own Guilt, and the making others as bad as themselves, (if Laymen can be fo) is made the Duty of their Functions, and the Bufinefs of their Lives. Can Antichrift do worse ? And are thefe Men, who walk in the Paths of Atheism and Perdition, fit to lead others to Holinefs and eternal Life?

*ONE of the greateft Men of the last Age told King WILLIAM, That the Universities, if they continued upon the prefent Foot, would destroy him, or the Nation or fome of His Succeffors. And they have ever fince been endeavouring to make good his Words. That Prince was fo thoroughly apprised of the dangerous Genius and Principles of these two Bodies of Men, that he intended a Regulation, but, as it is faid, was prevented by the pernicious Advice of the late Duke of S, who had at that Time gained the King's Confidence, and was at the Head of the Whigs, but was deferting both, and making a Party with the Tories, as afterwards plainly enough appeared.

*Mr. LOCKE,

How